When Your Secret Crush Wizard Took a Love Potion - Chapter 58
The idea of two adults, one man and one woman, sitting side by side on a single brown horse and pushing it to its limits for days on end felt like it would attract accusations of animal abuse from somewhere, with stones flying in from all directions.
“Are you seriously inexperienced in riding?”
Olio’s smile twisted into a mocking grin. Having been overtly disregarded and harboring considerable hostility towards Edgar, Olio had found a perfect opportunity to gloat. Although his expression was clearly intended to provoke, Edgar seemed unfazed.
“Yep.”
The frank admittance of his lack of skill was unsettling.
“So you want to ride with Chloe?”
“Looks like it.”
Mockery and insult only work if the recipient reacts somewhat. Edgar’s calm acceptance left Olio at a loss for words. With her master quiet, the maid stepped in, looking embarrassed, and pointed out the practical issue.
“I’m sorry, but that horse won’t be able to carry the weight of two people. Even if the wizard is slender, there’s still the weight of bones to consider.”
“Why not just use weight-reducing magic on me so the horse doesn’t feel the load?”
The maid found herself at a loss for a counter-argument this time and fell silent. Edgar’s suggestion, while not difficult to implement, was more about efficiency than feasibility. This was a well-known fact to everyone present, but no one chose to point it out.
While I was still grappling with the situation, a two-person saddle was being placed on the slender back of the brown horse.
“Let’s go!”
The rising sun marked the beginning of our new journey.
* * *
Edgar knows how to ride.
As the person who taught me horseback riding while I was secluded in a mountain cabin, dedicated solely to studying magic, he’s quite skilled. Not only did he teach me riding, but also general knowledge like currency units and proper greetings when meeting people—basic social skills essential for living in the world.
“If you’re going to live on your own in the future, you’ll need to know these things.”
He always wanted me to experience the outside world beyond our small cage of a cabin. While his intentions might have been to prepare me for eventual independence, it was a statement that felt rather disappointing from my perspective.
Hearing those words over and over again only fueled my stubbornness, and at first, I grumbled that learning to ride horses was useless. Looking back now, I realize how stubborn and childish I must have seemed.
Even though I was reluctant to learn, my teacher didn’t resort to scolding or punishment. Instead, he demonstrated riding himself. Climbing effortlessly into the high saddle with his long legs, holding the reins, and sweeping the black horse’s mane, he looked every bit the knight from a fairy tale illustration.
As a teenage girl just past puberty, I was completely captivated.
That was the kind of person he was.
“Can’t you ride?”
Edgar, sitting behind me and holding my waist with both hands instead of the reins, confirmed again.
“I forgot.”
“Really?”
“Why would I lie about something like this?”
Though I was skeptical, it was probably the truth. After all, with Edgar’s intelligence diminished due to the love potion to the point where it was awkward to call him a teacher, it could very well be true.
I felt a brief guilt for doubting him, but it was fleeting.
“…Edgar.”
Before long, I began to regret putting him in the back seat.
At first, I thought it was just a fleeting impression and tried to calm myself several times. But something was undeniably asserting its presence behind me.
The constant, hard sensation pressing against my lower back finally pushed me to the limits of my patience.
“That keeps touching me.”
I lowered my voice, fearing it might be heard by those around us, but it was in vain. Edgar’s hands tightened around my waist, and he pressed his body even closer to mine.
Has this man finally lost his mind?
At least the road was wide enough to maintain some distance from others, which was a small relief. However, the embarrassing situation of feeling his arousal pressing against my backside remained.
“The scenery is really beautiful.”
I could hear one of the mercenaries nearby admiring the view.
“Look at it. From up here on the horse, you can see farther. The reed fields are magnificent.”
“Haha.”
Scenery and all that were irrelevant right now. Even if a place renowned as one of the top three scenic spots of Tekapo Lake appeared, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate due to the persistent pressure against my lower back.
