Bridal Lessons - Chapter 56
Hiing! Hiiiiing!
“Pony, what’s wrong?!”
The young ladies nearby exchanged meaningful smiles as they watched Rosen struggle with the suddenly wild horse.
In fact, the hay given to Pony by one of the young ladies earlier had been laced with a drug to excite the horse. It was a colorless, odorless stimulant that, even in small amounts, would agitate a horse and make it run wildly. The best part was that it reacted quickly but didn’t last long.
The horse, once frenzied, would eventually collapse and fall asleep, waking up as if nothing had happened. The components of the drug would naturally break down in the body over time, leaving no evidence of its use.
Pony, who had been bucking and leaping in place for a while, suddenly started running deeper into the forest as if on springs.
“Ah! Stop! Don’t do this!”
“Oh my, Lady Dana! It’s dangerous to go that deep into the forest.”
“Hmm, is she trying to show off her riding skills? It seems like she’s going too fast…”
The young lady, who had a brother knowledgeable about horses, had brought the drug just in case. By the time the drug’s effect wore off and the horse fell asleep, it would have run far enough that it would be difficult for a child to walk back.
Since there were no large predators in this part of the forest, it wouldn’t be dangerous. Someone would eventually find her playing in the dirt under a tree by the time the competition ended.
‘We clearly told her to return with us! But Lady Dana, the Grand Duke’s fiancée, insisted on riding deeper into the forest by herself…’
All they had to do was say this upon returning to the hunting competition. Who would believe the tears of a little child? Without any evidence, it would be her word against theirs.
The thought of approaching the empty seat next to the Grand Duke at the banquet after the competition made their hearts swell with excitement.
“Pony, please! Stop… hiic, stop…”
However, despite their jealousy-driven actions, they were still mid-teen girls who were not yet experienced in the ways of high society. There had been a mistake in the dosage of the drug they had stolen.
Having not accounted for the weight of the horse, they used too much, causing Pony to buck more violently than expected.
Pony, with Rosen on its back, ran off in a completely different direction at an incredible speed, towards a steep cliff.
“I, I don’t know anything! It was your idea!”
They never intended for her to get seriously hurt. They just wanted to scare her a bit and keep her from attending the banquet! But now, unable to stop the horse, the frightened girls began to blame each other.
“It wasn’t me! Camilla, you brought the drug!”
“Ha, are you serious? Who suggested this in the first place?”
“Anyway, I’m out of here! The hunting competition is about to start.”
“Me too…”
“Ah, please! Don’t go! Help me, please!”
After everyone else had irresponsibly turned their horses and fled, Rosen was left alone, fighting to stay on the runaway horse. No matter how much she tried to apply what she had learned from her riding lessons and pull the reins, Pony didn’t respond as usual.
The cliff, which had been a distant sight, quickly approached, and Rosen fell into despair. Her grip on the reins weakened as the distance to the edge rapidly closed.
“No! What should I do…!”
Just as she was about to fall over the cliff, her vision went white. She heard a familiar voice from behind.
“…Rosen!”
“B-Brother?!”
Iscarion’s black horse quickly caught up, and he maneuvered it beside Pony, repeatedly bumping against Pony’s side to alter its course.
After several attempts, Pony, which had been charging towards the precipice, finally changed direction.
