We’re Married, After All - Chapter 107

“I had heard there was a lake. But I was told it was quite a distance away, so I didn’t expect we would actually make it here…”

“Haha, well, we did ride a little fast.”

I said, taking Danel’s hand.

We had ridden for about thirty minutes. Had we kept the pace that nobles generally maintained for leisure riding, it would have taken us at least an hour or two to reach this place.

We strolled along the lakeside together. Since we had come quickly, we now walked at a leisurely pace.

The lake itself was not very large. But thanks to the daffodils in full bloom, the scenery was quite lovely.

By the time we had made it halfway around the lake, we laid out a cloth and had a simple meal.

It was a truly pleasant time. The food we had brought from the townhouse was modest, but it didn’t matter. Neither Danel nor I particularly cared for grand feasts anyway.

The problem arose afterward.

When we returned to the place where we had tethered the horses to spend the afternoon by the lake, an unexpected sight awaited us.

There was only one horse standing beside the fence.

Thinking perhaps the other was resting nearby, I approached—but the post where I had tied my horse was completely empty.

“…That’s troublesome.”

At the spot where the horse had been tied, only the reins remained, frayed and torn at the end.
It seemed the horse had been startled by the rock wall.

“Good thing we came back early.”
Danel spoke in a calm voice.

After loosening the horse’s reins, he held my waist and lifted me up onto the saddle. Then, taking the reins himself, he led the horse toward the opposite side of the lake.

It seemed he intended to walk.

“You’re planning to walk?”
“Yes. We should be able to arrive by the afternoon at the latest.”
“No way. We’ve come all the way out here.”

We had ridden hard for nearly thirty minutes.
What’s more, Danel and I had urged the horse at a speed no cultured rider could ever compare to. It had been close to the pace of a warhorse.

And now he was saying he’d send me back on horseback alone, while he himself walked back? Even with his stamina, that distance was far too great.

But Danel didn’t seem the least bit troubled.

“This much distance, when I was a monk, I walked every day. Don’t worry and go on ahead, Laurea.”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler if we just rode together?”

In formal horseback riding, two people never shared a mount, but in reality, it wasn’t such a rare thing. I myself had ridden together with my brothers when I was younger.

In fact, among noble ladies, there were more who rode together with their husbands or fiancés than those who learned riding properly.

Even if it wasn’t a breed for riding, a sturdy horse like this one could certainly carry both Danel and me.

But Danel shook his head without even a moment’s hesitation.

“It’s not possible.”
“Why not? If we just go at a slower pace, this horse could easily carry two people.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“You’d be holding the reins, and I’d be holding onto you. That’s how most people ride together anyway.”
“…I don’t trust myself.”

Danel lowered his eyes as though avoiding mine.

No matter how I thought about it, it just seemed like needless worrying.

I was better at riding than most men, and so was Danel. Even if one of us had been a beginner, riding together while embracing wasn’t particularly dangerous. With two skilled riders, what risk could there possibly be?

In any case, if Danel insisted on being like this, I still had a way.

“Let me down. We’ll walk together.”

At my words, Danel let out a small sigh.
Now, he couldn’t very well say, “It’s too far to walk.”

In the end, Danel mounted the horse. His expression suggested he had plenty he wanted to say, but he never let the words leave his mouth.

I waited until he settled himself behind me, and only after I leaned into his arms did I hand over the reins. Because of our position, it looked as though Danel were embracing me from behind.

“Haa……”

Danel let out another deep sigh.

As the horse began to move, our bodies swayed with its gait. I naturally rested my back against Danel’s chest.

If I hadn’t been good at riding, Danel would have needed to hold me steady by the waist with one arm. But I had excellent balance, and leaning back against him was more than enough.

It was, in fact, more comfortable than I had expected.

But soon, I realized what Danel had meant earlier by “I don’t trust myself.”

“……”

Quietly, I turned to look back at him.

Like all four-legged animals, when a horse walked, the muscles along its back shifted greatly. To the rider, it felt almost like being lifted up and down.

The place where this motion was felt the least was right in the center of the horse’s back—where the joints’ movement was at its smallest.