Chapter 66. Memories of Wild Roses

“……Is he pretending?”

Enoch muttered in a voice filled with incredulity. Philip was quietly enjoying my touch with his eyes closed. At least, that’s how it seemed to me.

“He used to go wild if anyone other than me touched him.”

“……Really?”

When I asked in disbelief, Enoch nodded nonchalantly. His tone was indifferent as he continued.

“He seems to like you a lot. He’s not usually this gentle. ……This is unusual.”

A strange light flickered in Enoch’s eyes as he gazed at me intently. Feeling both embarrassed and proud, I continued to pat Philip, blinking my eyes deliberately.

Soon, Philip slowly opened his eyes and stared at me with his dark pupils. His eyelashes were incredibly long. Among horses, he must be considered quite handsome.

“Stop petting him now. Let’s go.”

Just as I was enjoying my bonding time with Philip, Enoch grabbed my wrist and pulled me away. I asked, still feeling a bit reluctant.

“Are we going hunting?”

“No. We’ll postpone the hunt.”

“Then……?”

“Today, I’m going to teach you how to ride. Come on, Ellen.”

His hands grabbed my waist, and suddenly, I was lifted into the air. I barely had time to scream before I found myself sitting on Philip’s saddle. It happened in an instant.

“Please…… give me some warning before you do things like this……!”

My heart was pounding. Not only because I was startled but also because I was scared. I had no idea how to balance myself on a saddle, so I bent forward deeply, almost hugging Philip.

“Making a fuss over just getting on a horse…….”

Enoch’s low voice mocked me as he climbed up behind me. As his weight was added, I instinctively hugged Philip even tighter. Despite my bothersome behavior, Philip remained calm and gentle.

“Don’t worry, you won’t fall off, scaredy-cat Ellen.”

“It’s not just me. Anyone would be scared the first time they get on a horse……!”

Enoch wrapped one arm firmly around my waist. He pulled me against his chest, and I looked up at him, still feeling the pounding of my heart. His golden eyes met mine and curved slightly.

“As if I’d let you fall.”

“…….”

His laughter tickled my ears. I felt strangely breathless and bit my lip. Enoch, holding the reins with one hand, nudged Philip with his foot, and Philip began to move slowly, as if he was considering my inexperience.

“What a funny guy.”

Enoch chuckled at Philip. Although he said he wouldn’t let me fall, I was still afraid of an accident and clung tightly to him.

However, Enoch seemed unconcerned about safety. Confidently, he let go of the reins and used that hand to stroke my hair. I glared at him, questioning his actions, but Enoch didn’t care.

“You and I have different natural senses of balance, Ellen.”

Ah, I see. I rolled my eyes, showing my sarcasm. Enoch buried his face in my shoulder and chuckled.

We moved slowly for about 10 minutes. But when Philip started to run in earnest, I became genuinely terrified.

“S-Slow down……!”

“This is the slowest run. What do you mean slow down?”

Enoch coldly rebuked me, indifferent to my trembling voice. This cold-hearted man. I poured out my resentment in my mind, praying for this time to pass quickly.

After a long run, Philip finally stopped. I opened my eyes cautiously, feeling relieved. ……Where is this? The sight of a green meadow filled my view, leaving me quite flustered. Could this be the outskirts of the capital?

No way. Did we come all the way to the suburbs?

“Did you keep your eyes closed the whole time?”

“Did we pass through the city like this……?!”

I was dressed inappropriately for an outing. The thought of people seeing me like this made me want to bury myself in a hole. I should have kept my eyes open. If I had, I could have stopped Enoch before we headed into the city…….

“Don’t worry too much. We came out through the west gate, not the main road, and there weren’t many passersby.”

Enoch’s attempt to console me only made me more annoyed, and I glared at him sharply. This was the only time I could muster such courage, fueled by anger.

“Stop sulking and take a look at the scenery. You’ll like it.”

“…….”

I wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the view, but I sighed deeply and reluctantly looked around. A gentle breeze rustled the green grass, and fluffy white clouds floated softly in the clear blue sky.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“…….”

I should have said yes, but my pride made me nod silently. Enoch’s amused breath fell on my head like snowflakes.

“There’s a hill full of wild roses a bit further. Have you been there?”

“No…….”

I hadn’t been on an outing to the countryside since I was a child. Back then, I had a friend to call my own, and we would go on adventures together. After that friend moved abroad, the letters stopped, and we lost contact.

“Do you want to go now?”

“What? But…….”

The thought of Philip running fast again filled me with fear. Maybe Enoch was right, I was a scaredy-cat.

While I hesitated, Enoch started Philip again, ignoring my opinion entirely.

As my body began to sway, I was initially frightened but soon realized it wasn’t as bad as before. Somehow, I had adapted to riding.

“You’re not closing your eyes anymore?”

“……I think I’m okay.”

“Then enjoy the scenery.”

I nodded slightly and cautiously took in the surroundings. The natural landscape was so beautiful that it easily captivated me.

How much time passed as I admired the view?

Philip slowed down after running quickly.

Clip-clop, the sound of hooves on grassy ground was slow and soft, and a sweet, fresh scent wafted through the air.

“Look.”

Enoch tapped my cheek and pointed ahead. Following his finger, I saw a hill covered with white wild roses. It looked like it was sprinkled with angel feathers.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes…….”

How could I not? The bright blue sky, the lush green grass, and the abundance of small white flowers.

It felt like heaven. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t known about this place until now……. At least I discovered it before I died…….

“I thought you’d like it.”

“……Thank you.”

“For what.”

His smile was unusually gentle, making my heart race uncontrollably. I pressed my hand to my chest as if to hide the heartbeat that responded despite my will.

We spent about 15 minutes on the hill covered with white wild roses. On the way back to the Grand Duke’s residence, Enoch rode more slowly, allowing me to leisurely enjoy the suburban scenery.

However, once we passed through the western gate and entered the city, I buried my head in his chest and hid as much as possible.

I had no choice. I was terribly worried that people would gossip about the Grand Duke and his fiancée going on an outing in such casual attire…….

But Enoch, the cause of all this, seemed unfazed, and I felt terribly wronged by his shamelessness.

I just hoped this wouldn’t end up in the gossip columns.

* * *

[Grand Duke Bayern enjoys a secret outing with his fiancée Miss Lopez…….]

“……Why do they keep publishing articles like this? Do they have nothing better to do?”

I threw the gossip magazine aside, openly expressing my displeasure. Just as I had feared, the magazine Jasmine brought contained testimonies of people who had seen Enoch and me yesterday afternoon.

As usual, the article was written in a ‘we’re not sure if it’s true, but that’s what they say’ tone. That way, they could avoid responsibility. It was infuriating.

“At least it’s not a bad article, so don’t let it bother you too much.”

Jasmine offered a comforting smile, and I nodded silently with a gloomy face. Seeing such an unpleasant article in the morning dampened my spirits, but I had to go through today’s schedule. As always.

“All done, Miss. This new pearl hairpin looks really good with your hair color.”

Jasmine showered me with compliments, trying to lift my spirits. Grateful for her kindness, I smiled and thanked her before standing up.

Finally, I put on a light summer jacket over my dress, completing my preparations for going out. My reflection in the mirror was flawless, but my gloomy expression was still a problem. I sighed softly and headed for the door, with Jasmine following behind.

The garden party at Count Haywood’s residence was scheduled to start at 10:30. It was 9:40 now, so I could take my time and still arrive on time.

But this was a social event I would attend alone, without Enoch. Naturally, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

‘Countess Haywood is friendly towards me, so I shouldn’t worry too much…….’

The problem was the person of interest attending today’s garden party. ……None other than Iris Philoan.

‘I haven’t seen her in a while, but we’re finally meeting again…….’

Well…… I can’t avoid her forever.

Iris’s feelings towards me couldn’t be good, but the uncomfortable relationship with her was also a result of my choices.

So, I had no choice but to face it.