Chapter 8 – Danger Quietly Under Happiness (Part 8)

The winner of rock-paper-scissors was Rune. But Kahin, the loser, didn’t look too unhappy. Because Ria promised that she would ride his horse on the way back to be fair, seeing Kahin looking quite disheartened after losing rock-paper-scissors.

Rune insisted that it was nonsense and they should play rock-paper-scissors again, but when Ria urged that she wanted to leave quickly, he immediately threw his opinion into the trash. Her words always came first.

But an unexpected problem struck him.

“It’s so high.”

Ria, who became a bit scared by the higher-than-expected view and the slightly faster movement, trembled and pressed herself as close as possible to Rune. Rune let out a small sigh through his tightly pressed lips.

“Sigh…….”

The sweet scent of her hair, fluttering in the wind and tickling his neck, made him feel good only for a moment. The clothes she wore for the outing were thin, suitable for the warming season, and the warm body temperature felt through the soft fabric stimulated him. His patience struggled in the face of this unexpected trial.

‘Damn it.’

He tried to think of something else and looked far ahead, but it was no use. In the end, he cursed inwardly.

Unlike his rational mind, which didn’t want to be seen as a pervert by Ria, his damn body was steadily ar*used like a dog in heat, urging him to lay her down and explore her moist, sticky interior.

Finally, he opened his mouth. His voice was low and cracked.

“…Don’t come too close.”

“Huh? Why? Is it dangerous?”

“…Yeah.”

‘It’s dangerous. You are dangerous.’ 

Rune swallowed the words and growled, his throat bobbing.

“Um, wait a minute…, eek!”

Fortunately, Ria, who didn’t sense anything strange, moved away slightly, and Rune relaxed his tense body a bit. But then, a sudden situation occurred.

The horse, which had been running well, suddenly sped up. Startled, Ria pressed herself even closer to Rune.

‘This crazy. Damn horse.’

Rune, who had been feeling relieved, couldn’t defend himself against the sudden contact. All he could do was bite his inner cheek to suppress the unrefined curses that threatened to spill out.

“…Rune.”

Ria, who stiffened at the distinct pressure against her waist, called him in a flustered voice. Now she understood why he told her not to come too close. The moment’s silence felt as long as a day.

“I couldn’t help it… sorry.”

Ria nodded slightly, bowing her head deeply to hide her blushing cheeks at his stammering apology, his face filled with defeat.

The horse finally slowed down to its original pace. Its whinny sounded like it was seeking praise from its master.

Fortunately, the somewhat awkward atmosphere dissolved as they arrived at their destination. Ria, helped down from the horse by Rune, exclaimed at the sight more beautiful than she had imagined.

The lush forest, full of green foliage, exuded natural freshness, and the large lake was clear enough to see the bottom. The sunlit surface sparkled as if sprinkled with glitter. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, cooling the slightly warm weather.

With a heart full of excitement, Ria quickened her steps toward the lake, her reddish chemise dress fluttering.

“Ria, don’t get too close.”

“Okay.”

Already absorbed in the scenery, Ria answered perfunctorily and squatted near the lakeshore to watch the water. She watched colorful fish swim by occasionally, then lifted her head to take in the wide-open lake scenery.

The garden at the mansion was beautiful, and the greenhouse Eden had gifted her was beautiful too, but nature seen in person was the most beautiful. It felt like her heart was opening up.

“It’s beautiful.”

If she were better with words, she could have described the current scenery more delicately and beautifully, but unfortunately, she lacked that talent. All she could utter were common exclamations, which felt a bit regrettable.

“You should shade yourself from the sun.”

Kahin and Rune approached her, kneeling on one knee on either side of her under a shady tree. Kahin took the parasol from Ria’s hand, which was not serving its purpose as she was engrossed in the scenery, and shielded her head from the sunlight.

Rune, who had shirked his duties at the palace, and Kahin, who had pleaded with their lord all night to go on this outing, were both satisfied as they took in the scenery. More precisely, they etched the sight of Ria enjoying the scenery into their minds.

Her brown eyes, sparkling like stars, shone brighter than the lake’s surface, and they were colored with the various hues of the surrounding scenery. Her slightly flushed cheeks were lovelier than the flowers in bloom, and her face, openly expressing her emotions with a bright smile, was so clear that it made anyone who saw it feel good.

“You probably didn’t have a proper meal while preparing, so it would be good to have a light snack.”

“We’ve set up a spot near the lake, so you can see it well from there. The chef packed your favorite things, so let’s eat while we watch.”

The two, who had been watching Ria for a while, stood up when they thought her legs might hurt from squatting.

The three of them looked very peaceful and happy as they spent time eating sandwiches and sweet treats they had brought.

As if to prove the butler’s concern right, it would have been a successful first outing if not for the rain.

The rain started falling in drops just as they began to pack up to return to the mansion and soon poured down heavily.

Fortunately, the tree they had settled under was large with thick leaves, providing some shelter from the rain for the time being. However, it wasn’t perfect, so Kahin quickly packed up their belongings and brought the two horses they had tied nearby.

“It seems we can leave the horses here.”

“Isn’t there a cave nearby that we often use?”

“Yes. It’s not far from here. There should be things to start a fire as well.”

Nodding, Rune placed his coat over Ria’s head. The parasol they brought was more focused on aesthetics than practicality, merely serving to block the sunlight.

“There’s a cave nearby for knights who come to the forest for training to take shelter from the rain. We should head there.”

Rune explained briefly, carefully wrapping his coat around Ria to keep her from getting wet, and then lifted her into his arms, letting her rest against his chest.

“I can run!”

“Yes, I know. But you shouldn’t catch a cold. This will be faster.”

She was soon to fully recover, and catching a cold now could disrupt that. With this in mind, Rune dashed into the rain before Ria could say more. Kahin followed closely behind.

They reached the cave, which was closer than expected, and went inside where supplies were stored. Soon, they found an area with blankets, towels, and materials for making a fire.

Kahin quickly set down their belongings and laid out several blankets on the floor, and Rune gently placed Ria on top of them.

“Are you cold?”

“No, I’m fine….”

Ria looked at the two with worried eyes as she pulled the coat from over her head. Unlike her, who was almost dry, the two were soaked from the rain.

“We’re fine.”

Rune, who gently tucked Ria’s wet hair behind her ear with a kind smile, stood up and approached the supplies to start a fire, telling her to wait a moment. Since the place was well-maintained, it didn’t take long for a fire to be lit in the middle of the cave.