11.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

Before Henesstia even realized what was going on, her body was lifted effortlessly, and she found her face pressed against Riad’s chest.

“Send the lady’s belongings to the Count’s estate through Altban,” Riad instructed curtly.

Without waiting for a response, he hoisted her onto the horse he had been preparing just moments before. The world spun around Henesstia, her sense of reality turning upside down.

Before she could gather her thoughts, Riad mounted the horse behind her. The servants below panicked, trying to delay his departure.

“C-Count! Shouldn’t you at least say goodbye to the Baron and the Lady?”

“They’ll be upset! Please, you must-”

“And the young madam hasn’t packed her things yet!”

But Riad simply ignored their protests.

“Tell the Baron to reconsider his choice of staff. They seem incapable of understanding simple instructions.”

With that, he tightened his grip on the reins and set the horse into motion.

Henesstia, who had been trying to keep some distance from him, found herself pressed against his chest with every lurch of the horse.

“Ah…!”

She realized she was sitting on the massive horse she had seen earlier. Her feet dangled off its sides, not touching the ground, and every movement of the horse jostled her, threatening to throw her off. This was nothing like riding in a carriage.

Riad held the reins in one hand while keeping a firm grip on Henesstia with the other. If not for his arm around her waist, she would have surely fallen to the ground. Her grip tightened on the fabric of his coat as the situation became more perilous.

“Count!”

“W-wait a moment-!”

But there was no pause. The horse charged toward the gates of the castle at breakneck speed, startling the guards, who scrambled out of the way as if their lives depended on it.

Henesstia gasped.

“Goodness, gracious…”

“Shut your mouth, or you’ll bite your tongue.”

They had passed through the gates.

The castle walls that had felt like a prison to Henesstia for the past year were now behind them, easily left in the dust by Riad. The well-maintained road that led into the forest stretched out before them, and Riad urged the horse to go even faster.

From that moment on, Henesstia’s mind went blank.

This was nothing like riding a pony as a child. She had never moved this quickly in her life. When she dared to open her eyes slightly, the dizzying height of the horse and the speed at which they traveled made her stomach drop. Every jolt of the horse made her feel as though her heart would leap out of her chest.

The horse galloped on for what felt like an eternity.

Henesstia, white-knuckled and frozen with fear, couldn’t relax her grip. The wind whipped around her, chilling her despite the summer air. It felt like her skin was being peeled away by the cold, and her head spun from the overwhelming speed and fear.

Though Riad had a firm hold on her, she couldn’t release her grip on his coat, convinced that the moment she did, she would fall.

Her trembling didn’t go unnoticed by Riad. He glanced down at her.

“You!”

Henesstia looked nothing like her usual self. She was pale, her body hunched and trembling as if she were on the verge of collapse.

Riad swiftly tugged the reins, bringing the horse to a sudden halt. The abrupt stop caused Henesstia to sway unsteadily in his arms.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you feeling sick?”

Riad asked, grabbing her shoulders to steady her.

As soon as the horse stopped, the queasiness in Henesstia’s stomach eased a little. She covered her mouth with her hand and spoke in a small voice.

“It’s… my first time riding a horse.”

“What? …Damn it, you should’ve said something.”

It wasn’t exactly fair for the person who had kidnapped her without giving her a chance to speak to say that. If she had been in better condition, she might have snapped back at him, but her body still felt strange from the abrupt stop, making it difficult to say much of anything.

It was a miracle she could even form sentences in her current state.

“If I’d known you were scared of horses, I would have… Don’t move for now. Stay still, or your body will suffer for it. Straighten your back.”

Riad’s words came out in a stream, and as he reached for his water flask, he started to remove the hand he had placed around her waist.

At that moment, without thinking, Henesstia grabbed his arm.

“……”

Riad froze, looking down at her hands clutching his arm.

She was surprised by her own action, but the hand she held onto felt like a lifeline, and she couldn’t let go easily.

“Afraid you’ll fall?”

His voice softened, sounding gentler than before. Henesstia slowly nodded.

“You won’t fall. Lean against me instead of tensing up. If you keep straining your body, you’ll end up hurting yourself. I don’t plan on staging an accident to send my precious wife plummeting to the ground.”

“S-staging an accident?”

Henesstia’s eyes widened in shock.

“Can’t even joke, can I? Even if a landslide were to happen, I wouldn’t let you get a single scratch. Now, drink some water.”

Riad chuckled softly, lifting her chin with his hand. Without releasing her, he unscrewed the cap of the flask with his other hand.

“A drink should help settle your nerves.”

He gently stroked her cheek with his fingers, as if trying to coax her into relaxing. Henesstia shivered at the rough sensation on her skin, her eyelids fluttering slightly as Riad bit the tip of his glove and pulled it off.

His long fingers traced her cheek before his hand moved to her lips. When he pressed down on her lower lip, her mouth opened reflexively.

He brought the flask to her lips.

The fragrant, lukewarm tea slowly flowed into her mouth, and Henesstia swallowed it down, suddenly realizing just how thirsty she was.

“That’s it, just like that. You can drink more, open up.”

His hand lightly entered her mouth.

Before she had time to react, he pressed his thumb firmly against her tongue, cupping her jaw with his palm.

Her breath came out in short gasps, and droplets of water spilled over her lips, wetting the inside of her mouth.

“Good, you’re drinking well.”

The persistent thirst that had lingered since the night before was slowly being quenched. As the warm liquid spread through her body, the paleness of her face began to fade, and a bit of color returned to her cheeks.

“Huh, why is your body so cold?”

His hand touched the back of her neck, and the warmth from his hand seemed to melt away the tension in her stiff muscles.

“The day might be warm, but the wind isn’t. If you ride that fast, anyone would feel cold.”

Thinking about the speed at which they had been galloping made her feel as though her whole body had been torn apart by the biting wind.

“Cold, huh?”

Riad raised an eyebrow, surprised by her response. After a moment of thought, he wrapped her in the outer coat he had been wearing.

“I’m fine, really—”

“I’m not returning with a half-dead woman, so just wear it.”

Riad said firmly, not giving her any chance to protest further.

He swiftly slipped her arms into the sleeves of his coat and even buttoned it up tightly, just as quickly as when he had hoisted her onto the horse.

It felt like she had blinked once, and now she was wrapped in his coat. The collar pressed against her face, and she instinctively tucked her chin into it, her eyes darting around.

Riad’s throat bobbed slightly as he finished fastening the last button, exhaling slowly before turning his head away.

His coat, though thin, was much warmer than nothing, and Henesstia wondered if she should really be wearing it. Yet, the slight warmth it provided was comforting, and she couldn’t help but nuzzle into it slightly.

She finally asked the question that had been bothering her.

“So… where are we going?”

The height still felt terrifying, like standing at the edge of a cliff, but she managed to keep her tone steady.

“It’s rather rude to take someone somewhere without telling them the destination.”

“You sure know how to talk.”

She had assumed they might be headed to the Count’s estate, but it didn’t seem likely. After all, it would take about two weeks to travel there, and they had left in such a hurry without proper preparations.

If they were returning to the estate, they’d need to plan carefully. Maybe they were headed to a nearby hunting ground, given the sword at his waist?

But Riad shattered her assumptions.

“Where else would we be going but to the Count’s estate? What, did you think we were just out for a ride?”

His blunt words shocked her.

She looked up at him in disbelief, then glanced down at her own disheveled appearance and even checked the horse, eager to charge forward. It felt like ice had replaced her blood.

‘We’re really heading to the Count’s estate?’

It made no sense.

“That’s impossible! Your homecoming party hasn’t even finished. There are still guests, and—without even saying goodbye to your parents…?”

“The homecoming party was their idea, despite me telling them I wouldn’t attend. The Imperial family will throw another one anyway, so no need to fret.”

“But you can’t just leave without even saying goodbye to your parents—”

“I already informed them of my decision this morning. There’s no need to worry about it.”

Henesstia’s head was spinning.

As she struggled to make sense of everything, Riad glanced down at her, maintaining his calm, poised demeanor as he expertly looped the reins around his hand.

The horse, which had been restlessly waiting, raised its front legs in excitement, causing Henesstia to fall into Riad’s chest. The shock of it knocked all thoughts out of her mind.

“P-Please, warn me before you start moving!”

Her panicked cry echoed through the forest, and she thought she heard a quiet chuckle from above.

“I won’t go fast. Like I said, if you keep tensing up like that, you’ll be in pain by tonight.”

As Riad steadied the horse, he gently tugged the coat higher, covering Henesstia’s head with it.

“You don’t exactly look like you’re okay with this, but you’re stubborn. The Princess of Ardin certainly has her pride.”

He remarked with a hint of mockery.

His tone was so calm that it took Henesstia a moment to realize he was teasing her. Flustered, she shot back,

“…It’s Ingel.”

“Right, that’s what it is now.”

“Whether you like it or not, I am Henesstia Ingel. I won’t be using the Ardin name anymore, except when referring to my past. You should know that. And…”

“And?”

The horse began moving again, this time at a much more relaxed pace, like a leisurely stroll. The gentler rhythm allowed Henesstia to gather her thoughts and speak more clearly.

“I came to your room last night, remember? You were the one who said I should come if I wanted to be called ‘Ingel.’ Well, I came. So you need to acknowledge me. A knight, a man of honor, would keep his word.”

Buried in his coat, she couldn’t see Riad’s face. But she could smell the strong scent of leather from his jacket.

“Henestia Ingel.”

“…!”

“A promise is a promise.”

Henesstia’s eyes widened in surprise.

Her gaze, which had been fixed on the hem of her dress, trembled slightly as she tried to process his words.

She attempted to lift her head, but Riad placed his hand firmly on the back of her neck, gently pushing her back down.

Henesstia was once again left staring at her swaying dress.