I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 42
“Mmm……”
You know that feeling when your mind is half-awake but you don’t want to get up because it’s too comfortable? That’s exactly how I felt.
I usually prefer something slightly firmer than soft pillows or beds to support my body, and this body pillow wrapped around my arms and legs is just my style. Warm, firm, and elastic.
“Asilia.”
“Just five more minutes……”
Someone seemed to call my name, so I buried my face and whined. Though my cheek got squished when what I was hugging flinched and jumped, even that was comfortable.
Lili is soft but too small and squishy to hug while sleeping, but this is just perfect….. But did I have such a large body pillow in my room?
“….Huh?”
“Please don’t move your lips there.”
My consciousness that wanted to fall back asleep slowly surfaced. As I smacked my lips and felt around what I was hugging, a somewhat angry voice sounded from above my head. A talking body pillow?
“What’s…. this……”
“Leg, leg! Damn it, Asilia!”
Besides, it’s quite long too. If anything, this body pillow seems taller than me? When I bent and rubbed one leg that was draped over the body pillow, this time a voice too loud to ignore struck my ears. When I reflexively opened my eyes wide, something was blocking my view.
“….What? A chest?”
“If you know what it is, please stop touching it and move!”
Still not fully awake, I touched the white bare chest tentatively, and Cassion recoiled in horror, pulling his waist back. However, since his lower body was caught by my leg, he couldn’t completely escape.
“Yaaawn.”
Oh. So the body pillow I was hugging while sleeping was Cassion. It was really comfortable and nice, what a shame.
Still, thankfully it seems I didn’t drool, I thought as I sluggishly got up and stretched. Finally freed from my restraint, Cassion quickly left the bed.
“Your bare skin is whiter than I expected.”
“Is that what you say after groping someone’s body? Even if you’re not surprised, a simple apology would be nice.”
“Well, sorry. But why did you sleep shirtless? Made it easy to touch.”
“I usually don’t wear a top when sleeping and took it off while half-asleep!”
“That’s a bad sleeping habit. Tsk tsk.”
At my words, Cassion, who was hurriedly putting on his shirt and getting fully dressed, looked at me in disbelief. Well. I have no shame. I slept well and woke up feeling good, so don’t bother me.
“Whew, maybe because the pillow was good, but I feel completely refreshed.”
“……I hope you’re not referring to me as that pillow.”
I just grinned without answering and got off the bed. After sleeping in Cassion’s room several times, including during the raid preparations, it’s starting to feel more comfortable here than in my own room.
“Where are you going so early? You’re quite dressed up even though you haven’t eaten breakfast.”
Seeing Cassion with his cravat crumpled despite being well-dressed otherwise, I reflexively approached and smoothed out the wrinkles while asking. Perhaps still half-asleep himself, he answered after a slight delay.
“I’m going to the Imperial Palace.”
“Ah….. To report to the Emperor about leaving the capital?”
“Yes. Don’t say you want to come along. I’ll go by myself, so stay quietly at home.”
“I didn’t even bring it up.”
“Just rest, please! Don’t even look at the reports about the First Prince’s birth father until I return. It’ll be better to review and organize them together in the evening.”
“What are you, my mother? Then what am I supposed to do at the mansion?”
“Eat meals, have dessert, drink tea…..”
Ugh, just hearing it makes me sick. It’s not like I don’t have things to do, but telling me to laze around instead is some new form of torture.
“That’s just how to become a pig. What else?”
“Look at jewelry or something….. Ah. It would be good to learn horseback riding.”
“……Horseback riding?”
“You’ve never ridden a horse, right?”
“No. The first time I saw a horse up close was at the stable.”
Of course, I’ve never ridden one. Cassion seems to understand me pretty well now.
While most noble ladies would at least learn basic horseback riding as part of their education, even if not galloping, how could I who hadn’t even had a debutante ball have learned horseback riding?
“If this were a real trip, we’d prepare a carriage, but when we need to approach this Lorang person more discreetly or move quickly, it’s better if we each ride our own horse.”
“Ah.”
I hadn’t thought of that. True, just one day of investigation had the Empress on high alert, so returning to the capital after finding Lorang won’t be easy.
Besides, we don’t even know where Lorang himself is hiding, so we need to approach carefully.
So we can’t travel around in a flashy carriage. But horses….. horses are a bit scary.
“Perfect. Learning horseback riding will help pass the time well. I’ll tell the knights, so after meals, just learn the basic techniques.”
“What, right away?”
“You usually charge ahead impatiently and crash into things, so why are you being so passive now?”
It’s simply because I’m scared of horseback riding, but Cassion didn’t seem to notice my fear of horses from my usual behavior and misunderstood something else. Probably thinking I wanted to follow him to the palace, he glared and warned me.
“Don’t think about following me, just learn horseback riding. I’ll check when I return, Asil.”
“……Now you’re even giving me homework, Mom.”
But out of a sliver of pride, I couldn’t say I was too scared to do it. This is bad.
***
“Won’t it be uncomfortable or dangerous without proper riding clothes?”
“Ah, it’s just learning the basics, that’s enough. Actually, proper tight-fitting riding clothes might be more uncomfortable.”
My last defense crumbled. If I had known the pants and shirt I bought just in case would be used like this, I would have only bought dresses.
I approached the grinning knight while internally crying tears of blood.
“Today we’ll just learn how to mount and dismount, and ride a few laps around this training ground, my lady.”
“You want me to ride alone around the grounds on my first day?”
“Of course, I’ll hold the reins beside you for the first couple of laps.”
Doesn’t that mean I’ll have to ride alone from about the third lap? When I reflexively made a sad face and looked up, the knight flinched and scratched his head.
“Oh my, don’t worry too much, my lady. I’m a master horseman personally selected by His Grace after beating out the tough competition! I’ll teach you carefully so you absolutely won’t get hurt.”
“But……”
I rolled my eyes to look at the horse the knight had brought. That must be the horse I’m supposed to ride?
“But it’s so big and tall, will I even be able to get up there?”
The shiny black eyes staring at me looked very gentle. But scary is still scary. That expression must be fake, what if it starts bucking as soon as I get on?
I had avoided the death in the original story, but I didn’t want to end my life ridiculously through a fall.
“I’ll handle everything. Even if you fall, I can cover for you, so don’t be too scared. Horses are sensitive animals, they can perfectly sense when someone dislikes or fears them.”
“That thing can?!”
I looked back at the horse in surprise. Somehow those black eyes that had looked gentle until just now seemed to be looking down on me. Though I felt intimidated by the look that seemed to say ‘You think you can ride me?’, I tried hard not to avoid its gaze and held firm.
“Pfft.”
“……Don’t laugh……”
“No, no, I’m sorry, my lady.”
The knight let out a suppressed laugh seeing me unexpectedly end up in a staring contest with the horse. With trembling teeth, I couldn’t turn my gaze away. I’m not scared! I can ride you!
“Well then, shall we start with mounting? Since it’s your first time, I’ve prepared a mounting block.”
“A mounting block? That’s a relief.”
I had vaguely thought I’d have to jump up onto that big horse’s back, so I brightened up and turned around. Indeed, the knight had placed a small two-step staircase beside the horse I was to ride, and the horse didn’t seem to mind or kick it away.
“We’ll start by learning how to sit with proper posture and maintain balance. First, take my hand and slowly climb the steps to sit in the saddle.”
“Now? Right away?”
“Don’t worry, I’m holding the reins. It’s a fine horse that rarely gets excited.”
“……Alright.”
I can’t avoid it forever. Since they’ve prepared this much, you should at least try, Asilia.
