Someone was calling me desperately. I turned around.
Clear green eyes filled my view. He was riding almost beside me.
He yelled, “Stop! It’s dangerous!”
I suddenly felt rebellious. Why couldn’t I go wherever I wanted to?
I shook my head and yelled, “No!”
The emperor looked surprised at my scream. He bit his lips and after a few seconds, he let go of his rein.
He then stood up on top of his horse. That man! What was he trying to do?
I could hear the servants and the maids screaming from far away.
“NO!”
“Your highness!”
“That’s dangerous!”
Suddenly, he jumped onto my horse. I thought my heart would stop just then.
While I tried to understand what had happened, he sat behind me smoothly and took the rein away from me.
He pulled it back hard and the black horse slowed down.
“Whoa-!”
The horse stopped completely. The servants ran towards us quickly, but I couldn’t think clearly.
The emperor’s lips were against my neck and he was breathing hard.
My fingers felt tingly. I used my right hand to massage my left fingers.
W, was I in shock?
I felt hot with him sitting so close to me. I tried to ignore it and complained to him.
“How could you! I was just about to have some fun…”
He didn’t answer right away. He was still panting like an animal. Before I could say more, he interrupted me.
“… Beginner riders often make a mistake of riding too fast and then breaking their necks.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t die that easy! Besides, I wasn’t riding that fast anyway!”
Behind me, he sighed as if I was being childish. I felt angry again.
I continued coldly, “Get off this horse. I promise I will ride slowly.”
I grabbed the rein, but he made me let it go by force. He was too strong for me to resist.
What was he trying to do here? He promised me that I could ride!
“I won’t let you ride alone.”
Why was he being so difficult today?
Before I could come up with a smart retort, he motioned the horse to start trotting again. It wasn’t a slow walk but not as fast as I was going just a few minutes ago.
I said to him in annoyance, “We are too heavy for the horse. You are abusing him!”
“Nope. He is strong enough to carry both of us with no problem.”
I could hear a grin in his voice. I tried to protest again. Two people, especially a big man like him, would be too heavy for any horse. We couldn’t do this to this beauty!
“How would you know?!”
“I know very well. Canon can handle our weight.”
“Canon?”
“It’s this guy’s name.”
He patted the horse familiarly. Now that I see, he seemed to know this horse very well.
Suddenly, I realized why the servants gasped when I picked this particular horse.
Could it be… I asked in hesitation.
“Is this horse yours?”
“That’s correct. He was given to me as soon as he was born. We basically grew up together.”
“…”
He then pointed at the white horse following us from behind.
“And that girl, who you rejected, was the one that was picked out for you. Her name is Bella. She is a purebred lady. I got her as a gift for you, but unfortunately, you rejected her even before I could give her to you.”
“…”
I now understood why everyone looked at me strangely when I chose this black horse. Even if I was the beloved wife of this man, it must have still looked rude for me to insist on riding the emperor’s personal horse.
… I must have looked like a spoiled little brat.
I sighed and gave up.
Such a petty man! If he didn’t want me to ride his horse, why did he allow it to begin with?
“Fine. I’m sorry. I will ride the other horse now. Happy? Let me down so I can ride Bella alone.”
“…”
He didn’t reply for a long time.
When I was about to turn around to look at him, he suddenly kicked the horse hard.
“Ha!”
Following his order, Canon started to run like a wind. The speed was beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life.
“Gyaaa!”
“I will not let you ride alone.”
“W, what?”
He rested his face on my neck. I could feel his lips on my bare skin. It felt cool.
“…”
“…”
The only sound I could hear was the horse’s hooves against the ground. The emperor was right. Canon had stamina like I had never seen. He ran as if we weighed nothing.
What a beast!
I glared at him as harshly as I could, but Lucretius smiled smoothly and ignored my silent protest.
This man was intolerable!
I finally couldn’t take it anymore.
I said to him, “Let me down.”
He asked me teasingly, “Why? You said you wanted to ride a horse!”
I gritted my teeth and replied, “I do, so let me ride alone!”
“… Too dangerous. My wife is a new rider who doesn’t realize she is only a beginner, so I can’t let her ride alone yet.”
“I promise I won’t go fast!”
“Even so, you can’t.”
He was unreasonable. Why was he acting this way?
Being so close to him made me feel hot. I remembered the feel of his lips against my neck.
When I remained silent, he teased me.
“Finally, you’ve calmed down. My wife is such a minx!”
I forgot my embarrassment and yelled, “I’m not a minx!”
He replied calmly, “Yes, you are. I have never seen such a sassy woman in my life!”
Of course, he hadn’t. I was from a completely different world. I had a vastly different mindset than all the women here.
Until recently, he was the only heir to the throne. Every woman would have acted respectfully towards him ever since he was born.
I was different.
I raised my head high and replied, “It’s because I am one of a kind in this world, so you better consider yourself lucky. You are the husband of the most special woman in this world. Well, at least temporarily.”
“Temporary?”
His voice sounded sharp. I tried to turn around to see his face, but his arms tightened around me so I couldn’t move. I had no choice but to ask without facing him.
“Did you forget already? Our contract. I help you now, and you promised you will help me later.”
“…”
“I always keep my promises. I will help you with the dowager empress as best as I can. So you have to keep your side of the bargain too. You promised to help me go back home. To get out of this castle.”
“…”
Why wasn’t he answering me? Why was he silent?
I became nervous as the silence lengthened.
When I was about to repeat myself, he murmured, “What will you do if I don’t keep my promise?” He said it very quietly, but I still heard it.
I had to turn around this time. I straightened my body, which made him loosen his arms a little. I quickly took the chance and turned around to face him.
I grabbed his collars and pulled him towards me. His green eyes looked surprised.
I enunciated every word. “If you don’t, I will never forgive you.”
“…”
“Even after I die, I will never forgive you.”
“… Alright.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, he gave me a half-assed answered.
I thought about saying something when he looked down at me.
“Huh?…!”
He kissed me.
When I flailed my arms, his arms wrapped my body like a large snake.
I was trapped like a little mouse.
“…”
“…”
He let me go after a long time. It was a good thing since I was almost out of breath.
While I remained in shock, he let me go and got off the horse.
I didn’t even realize the horse had stopped moving. It was that damn kiss!
He offered me his hand gracefully.
“Now then, please come down, my lady.”
I just couldn’t understand what he was thinking about.
My head was blank.
I became unaware of his hand and the servants who came nearby. All I kept doing was shaking my head in panic.
The servants started to look at me oddly when the emperor smiled and pulled me down.
I lost my balance and fell into him.
“Gyaaa!”
As he embraced me, he murmured loud enough so everyone around us could hear clearly.
“My wife is so shy. I would think you would be used to me by now.”
At that moment, I suddenly locked my eyes with someone in the crowd.
Large blue eyes were trembling and filled with tears. She was looking at us intently.
Lisbeth!
