“This is just…!”

“All the preparations are complete, and I heard two knights would be accompanying us. I’d like to greet them first, but where are they?”

Caden, who had just released Emma’s chin, responded coldly.

“Don’t concern yourself with it.”

“Pardon? But for smooth operations, communication is necessary.”

“Nonsense.”

“That’s…!”

Caden cut Emma off sharply.

“They’re my shadows. You can think of them as Blackwood’s ghosts.”

“Ghosts? What do you mean by that…?”

“It means don’t even talk to them.”

“…Oh.”

Calling living people shadows and ghosts, treating them as if they didn’t exist—it was absurd.

‘So he doesn’t even want me to approach or talk to his subordinates? What am I, some kind of disease?’

It put her in a foul mood, but arguing with Caden would only lead to a loss. In the end, Emma replied with a sullen face.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Your Grace.”

“Good.”

Caden nodded in satisfaction.

“But, Your Grace, we need to load the luggage before we leave. Why are there only three horses?”

She had asked the stable hand to prepare a horse for her, but there were only three horses in the yard.

It wasn’t a question she should have asked Caden, but there was no one else to ask. Her overly proud superior seemed to want her to avoid speaking to anyone but him.

Instead of answering, Caden responded with action.

“Huh? Huh?”

Emma stared blankly at her now-empty hands. Caden had snatched her bundle of luggage, and before she knew it, the bundle was flying through the air.

“My luggage…!”

He had thrown it with such force that her modest bundle soared like a bird and landed perfectly in the arms of one of the knights loading the luggage.

“That’s my luggage! Isn’t it inappropriate to leave it to the knight? I can carry it myself. Where’s my horse? Don’t tell me…!”

Emma’s face stiffened as if realizing something. Watching her intently, Caden asked,

“Don’t tell you what?”

The stable had been full of fine horses, but only three were standing in the yard. No matter how much she looked around, there wasn’t a single horse suitable for her.

Which meant…

“Don’t tell me you expect me to walk?”

“…What?”

Caden let out a short laugh.

“With no horse or carriage, how am I supposed to follow you, Your Grace?”

“Even if you had a horse, could you even ride it?”

The look on his handsome face screamed, “Someone like you?” Emma wanted to slap him.

But Caden wasn’t wrong. Emma had only taken the introductory horseback riding course required at the academy. There was no way she could keep up with knights on horseback.

‘Tsk. It was an introductory course, but I got an A!’

The smirk on his lips was infuriating.

“This is unfair! Just because I said I… love you. No, I mean, because I like you! Even if it makes you uncomfortable, treating me like this is…”

“What exactly am I doing to you?”

The smile lingering on Caden’s lips disappeared in an instant.

“Bullying? No, neglect? I mean… Please don’t tease me like this…”

As Caden’s eyes grew darker with every word, Emma trailed off.

He was someone who scoffed at rumors calling him a mad duke or a killer. Yet, he seemed to dislike being accused of mistreating his secretary.

‘He’s so unpredictable.’

Afraid her thoughts might slip out, Emma bit her lip tightly.

Caden snorted at her weak attempt at defiance. His eyes narrowed, turning into sharp triangles, as if he wanted to make it clear he was annoyed.

“Why so sensitive? Is it inferiority complex?”

“…!”

“Since you seem clueless, let me kindly explain. My horses aren’t ones a beginner like you can handle. Most of them are warhorses.”

Emma realized her mistake. She hadn’t considered that detail.

“I misspoke. Please forgive me, Your Grace. I was just…”

Before she could finish her apology, Caden disappeared from her view.

He moved so quickly that he was already mounted on his horse by the time Emma looked up. From above, he extended a large hand toward her.

“…!”

Caden, astride a warhorse far superior to the ones she had ridden at the academy, looked like the god of war himself.

“For this hunt, you’ll be acting as my squire. Naturally, you should accompany your master.”

‘A squire? Me?’

Even if that were the case, there was a way to phrase it more delicately. Hearing him outright call her his squire wasn’t exactly pleasant. But there was no time to dwell on her irritation.

“Ah!”

Before she knew it, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her onto the horse. Her heart felt like it dropped to the ground.

While catching her breath from the shock, she heard Caden’s voice.

“Let’s go.”

As soon as he spoke, the horse carrying the two of them bolted forward like the wind.

Behind them, Cornell and the servants waved goodbye, and the familiar sight of Blackwood Castle quickly shrank into a dot in the distance.

—

After riding for about two hours without stopping, Caden’s group arrived at the “Golden Forest,” the hunting ground closest to Blackwood.

The Golden Forest was owned by the lord of Blackwood and was off-limits to the public. Perhaps because it was untouched by human activity, its scenery was strikingly different from the surroundings of Blackwood Castle.

‘Wow…’

The forest was deep, lush, and mysterious. Unlike the dark, dense trees around Blackwood, the Golden Forest was filled with a variety of trees in vibrant colors.

Red, yellow, purple, even blue—trees with colorful leaves and fruits shimmered under the afternoon sun, creating a golden wave.

As Emma admired the breathtaking scenery, Caden suddenly gripped her waist with both hands and lifted her off the horse.

“Ah…!”

There was no warning. Just as abruptly as she was lifted onto the horse, she was taken off. His manners were rough, but his touch was surprisingly gentle.

Considering she wasn’t a lady but a mere squire, it wasn’t bad treatment.

“Thank you… Your Grace.”

Blushing, Emma mumbled her thanks.

Caden glanced at her briefly before unloading the luggage with efficient movements. He lightly patted the horse’s side, and the animal snorted before wandering off toward a nearby stream.

Watching the horse find water on its own, Emma was impressed.

‘They say a well-trained warhorse is as valuable as an entire battalion. I can see why…’

She was admiring the horse when Caden’s voice startled her.

“Congratulations.”

“…Pardon?”

Despite offering congratulations, Caden didn’t look pleased.

‘What’s with him now?’

Emma inwardly groaned as she noticed the mischief in his dark eyes. It seemed her difficult master was in a foul mood again.

“We’re finally alone. No nagging Cornell, no annoying servants. Just the two of us. Isn’t this the moment you’ve been longing for?”

“Ahaha, yes… I suppose so.”

Emma scratched her head awkwardly, but Caden didn’t respond.

‘She’s so strange! If someone speaks to you, shouldn’t you at least say something back? Even a simple yes or no would do…’

She had been so captivated by the forest’s beauty that she had momentarily forgotten her situation.

She was supposed to be madly in love with Caden and needed to prove her affection.

The reminder of her role made her feel conflicted. Should she thank him for pointing out her lapse?

‘Maybe if I cling just enough to annoy him, he’ll get tired and send me away. Ideally, I’d like to keep working at Blackwood, but if that’s not possible, I could at least get a recommendation letter and move on.’

Of course, before considering leaving, she planned to give her best effort. Her current mission was to “cling shamelessly.”

Emma flashed a bright smile at Caden. But he didn’t smile back.

Even as she tried to look away, his piercing gaze made it impossible.

‘Why does he have to make people so uncomfortable?’

Though it was unlikely, it felt as if he could see right through her thoughts. It made Emma a little scared.

“Your Grace, if you keep staring at me like that…”

“Staring at you like what?”

“It makes it hard to breathe. Every time you look at me… my heart races.”

Emma pretended to be shy, tilting her head coyly. She could feel Caden’s intense gaze studying her.

She forced a small, artificial smile. It was time to play the role of the lovestruck woman, overwhelmed with joy just from being near him.

‘No need to feel guilty. It’s not entirely a lie…’

At least her heart truly was racing. From the moment she realized his gaze was fixed on her, her heartbeat had been anything but normal.

The rapid thumping echoed through her body, making her worry something might go wrong. Her face burned, and she couldn’t stop it.