Chapter 13

Morning.

Sophia does not particularly like waking up in the morning.

She becomes a little melancholic because the morning has come.

However, even if she feels melancholic, she has to work. She calls a servant, washes her face, changes her clothes, and eats a meal.

She used to eat with her family, but her father forbade it, so Sophia eats silently beside a servant with a blank expression.

It’s a task. Yes, a task.

It’s troublesome, but if she doesn’t eat, she’ll get hungry. If she leaves it, her health will suffer. So she has to eat. Even though the chef’s skills and the ingredients used are top-notch, Sophia is not particularly fond of eating.

Moreover, she has never felt the joy that people talk about when eating.

After that task is done, there’s a tea party or educational sessions waiting for her.

These are not particularly enjoyable either, but as the fiancée of the crown prince, there’s no choice. The hand-me-down dress from her stepsister doesn’t suit her at all, and she knows that the young ladies laugh about it behind her back. But if she wants a new dress, well, that’s another story. She doesn’t think there’s a dress that would suit someone like her. So, it’s fine.

For evening events, the queen sometimes arranges a dress, either out of pity or because she’s angry at Sophia’s poor sense of style, but it’s not a problem. So, it’s fine.

In between, she helps ministers and civil servants, or performs public duties as a fiancée.

Lunch is sometimes eaten, sometimes not.

Sophia basically doesn’t have a maid. Only when she goes to the castle, a different maid from Lirina is assigned each day for appearances, but they don’t really do anything for her.

Sophia doesn’t want a maid who’s not close to her sticking around all day, so she’s free to do as she pleases, and they meet up at the carriage.

So, if there’s a tea party or a meal with important guests, she eats; if not, it’s no big deal.

Then, the evening comes.

Evenings have their own routine. If there’s no evening event, she eats in her room, is overwhelmed by books and documents, and falls asleep. When she wakes up, it’s morning again.

It’s a cycle.

Every day is the same, and the endless routine is exhausting, but it’s her role, so there’s no choice. Sophia was born for this and is allowed to live for this, so that’s how it is.

Thinking that, she dislikes going to bed and feels melancholic when the morning comes.

Emotionally unstable. Because she’s a girl, after all.

So, it’s a daily life where she just wants to be praised for breathing in and out.

The time when Sophia does vocal training is one of her favorite moments because she doesn’t have to think about anything. She runs until she’s dizzy, without thinking about anything.

She also likes the time spent in the carriage that takes her between the mansion and the castle.

Buried in many soft cushions, the carriage always makes her sleepy. However, it’s a light sleep, so she wakes up immediately when the carriage arrives, and she doesn’t end up looking sloppy in front of the knights. If she were seen drooling, she’d be too embarrassed to recover.

Thinking back, Sophia felt that there were many kind people in the knight’s order. She never imagined that there would be someone’s kindness by her side, but it’s probably not just her imagination.

When Sophia feels tired, they walk more slowly, or she finds herself walking through a garden in full bloom, or she returns to the mansion without seeing the crown prince.

It’s probably not just her imagination.

“Were the knights being considerate of me?”

Before Sophia asked this question, there was actually a bit of interaction.

What happened?

Suddenly, the smell of a warm, hearty soup filled the air, and Sophia woke up in surprise. She touched her cheek to check if she was drooling, which was a charming gesture.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

The brightness of the first smile after waking up! It’s a powerful reminder that yesterday wasn’t a dream.

“Is there a river nearby? Can you go wash your face?”

Sophia rubbed her eyes, thinking, “It’s so bright,” as she was greeted with a smile.

The happiness of being greeted with this smile as soon as she opens her eyes makes her feel that her dull life has been worth it. In fact, it’s probably been for this moment. Filled with baseless confidence, Sophia nodded. What was it again? Oh, right, the river.

“Can I ask you to go with me?”

“Of course.”

Livionis smiled and stood up. Then, a black horse nudged him.

“Bhin.”

“It seems Matcha will go with you to the river.”

“Eh?”

Matcha, who was behind Livionis, shook his head as if to say, “Here I am,” and Sophia hurriedly bowed, saying, “Thank you.”

“I’m watching the pot,” Livionis said, looking cute as always.

“Matcha-san.”

As Sophia walked, she called out to Matcha, who glanced back.

His gesture seemed to ask, “What?” and Sophia’s eyes drooped.

Sophia, who has hardly ever interacted with living creatures, found it hard to touch the large, black Matcha. She thought Matcha would be uncomfortable being touched by a stranger, so she didn’t reach out, but she thought he was cool and intelligent, and found his human-like gestures cute.

“You ran so hard for me yesterday, and I didn’t even thank you properly… In fact, I was scared and thought you were creepy. I’m really sorry.”

“Bhin.”

Matcha shook his head as if to say, “Oh well.”

It seemed to say, “Is that all?” but it also seemed different.

“?”

When Sophia tilted her head, Matcha snorted.

It’s probably something different.

“Um, I’ll do my best today.”

“Bhin!”

Ah, this is also wrong.

Sophia furrowed her brow, repeating her words. Do my best. The negation of that. Hmm? What?

“…Maybe I don’t have to try hard?”

“Bhin.”

This seems to be correct.

You don’t have to try hard.

That’s amazing. It’s the first time she’s been told this. Sophia was impressed.

In a world where trying hard is taken for granted, where you’re told to try harder, and where you’re expected to die if you can’t do it, a horse is telling her she doesn’t have to try hard. A horse that seems to have endured some intense training.

“Aha.”

She laughed, and Matcha nodded as if to say, “That’s fine.”

If the master is the master, the horse is the horse.

How kind, cute, and warm. It’s amazing. There’s a world like this.

Reality doesn’t work like a story, but it seems that stories aren’t entirely lies.

It’s hard to believe that she’s Sophia, but she is living here now, and this is her reality.

“Matcha-san, thank you.”

“Bhin!”

Ah.

That’s right, Sophia looked at the long lashes of the happy black horse.

“Thank you for running so hard for me in the dark last night.”

“Bhin!”

Matcha neighed as if to say, “Correct!” He raised his nose slightly, looking down, which made Sophia laugh. It’s like he’s saying, “Well done, here’s a gold star.” This horse.

Who decided that horses are less intelligent than humans? At least Matcha is much smarter and has a bigger heart than Sophia. He could easily jump over that idiotic prince.

“Matcha-san, thank you for today as well.”

“Hihin…”

Ah, his face turned away.

So.

Back to the beginning.

A morning that warms her heart, a morning that makes her feel excited and curious. It’s so unbelievable that Sophia suddenly reflected on her life so far. Not like a flash of memories, but just a reflection.

“Were the knights being considerate of me?”

She felt that the knights were often around during the times she found comfortable. When she asked, Livionis smiled happily and said, “Yes.”

“Many in the knight’s order feel indebted to you. Some of them want to repay that debt.”

“Debt…?”

Sophia had no memory of such a thing, but she remembered what the knight who drove the carriage last night said.

“Fan club…?”

“Bhuff”

“!”

Livionis choked.

He didn’t actually spit out the soup, which shows his good upbringing. As she marveled at this, Livionis looked up and frowned. “How much did you hear?”

“Eh, that face is cute.”

“How much did you hear…? That, Livionis-sama is my fan? And a fan club? That they help me…? Is that a joke?”

“A, ah… Well, um…”

Livionis, speaking hesitantly, tilted his head and scratched his head, nudged by Matcha from behind.

“Ouch.”

“Hihin.”

“Eh, well, I mean, wait, how much should I say? If you say it’s creepy, you….”

Their conversation. Two people? One person and one horse? Whatever.

In any case, Sophia didn’t understand the content or meaning of their conversation, but she couldn’t agree with Livionis’s last words.

“I would never call Livionis-sama creepy.”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

What’s there to be surprised about?

Sophia, who has been saved and fallen in love with the knight who looks like he just stepped out of a stained glass window in a church, bathed in the morning sun.

After such a grand spring fanfare, it’s a bit much.

Feeling a bit annoyed, Sophia stared at his lifelike, doll-like face.

“I don’t know anyone as beautiful and handsome as Livionis-sama.”

“H, how….”

Ah.

Livionis made an incomprehensible sound and covered his face with both hands.

The wooden bowl of soup he had just proudly shown Sophia, saying, “I made it last night,” floated in the air.

Ah.

At that moment.

Matcha, with a swift movement, placed the bowl on his nose.

The soup didn’t spill, and neither Matcha nor Livionis got burned.

Sophia, seeing Matcha glare at the motionless Livionis with the bowl of soup, couldn’t help but clap.

This horse is too cool.

The magnificent horse, as if from a story, snorted.