Chapter 28

Anyone could see the soundness of Elwin’s judgment, yet Dwight remained unconvinced. Realizing further persuasion would be futile, Elwin turned to Selena.

“Miss Selena, can you walk for a little while? The slope up to this point is steep, so it would be better to proceed on foot. Once we reach the gentler path, would you be all right riding again?”

Selena looked thoroughly shaken, but at Elwin’s calm, gentle prompting, she nodded.

His pity deepened, and he lowered his voice. “Please tell me at once if it becomes too much. If necessary, you may ride with me on my horse.”

“Yes. Th-thank you, Sir Elwin.”

Supporting Selena, Elwin passed the reins of both his horse and hers to Leon. Though Elwin failed to notice it himself, his gaze held deep trust as it settled on Leon.

Behind them, Dwight’s expression turned cold and rigid as he watched the exchange.

After being supported up the steepest part of the incline, Selena seemed to recover her bearings and remounted. The four of them returned to the count’s household at a far slower pace than when they had left.

On the journey back, Dwight, who had previously spurred them onward, now lagged at the very rear with a careless air. He made no effort to hide his displeasure, and Elwin found it impossible to ignore him the entire way.

He must be upset because things did not go his way.

But continuing the outing amid such danger had been out of the question. Elwin resolved to seek Dwight out the moment they returned and offer a polite apology, explaining that there had been no other choice. Surely Dwight would understand then.

At last, the party reached the manor, and the stableman hurried out to greet them. He approached Elwin first to take the reins, but Elwin waved him off.

“Please tend to Mr. Dwight’s horse first, will you?”

At Elwin’s instruction, the stableman immediately hurried toward Dwight. With the Alpha’s expression so visibly thunderous, the man offered a nervous greeting.

“Lord Dwight. Did you enjoy the outing?”

At the polite inquiry, Dwight’s eyebrow twitched with irritation. He ignored the stableman’s outstretched hands and simply dropped the reins as if discarding filth.

“Move.”

He dismounted, hurled his riding crop into the dirt, and strode toward the manor, deliberately slamming his shoulder into the stableman as he passed.

Thud. Thud.

His heavy footsteps rang with enough rage to startle Selena as she dismounted.

The servants gathered to greet them stood speechless at Dwight’s boorish display. The stableman, humiliated without cause, flushed crimson with bewilderment and shame.

Elwin felt the sting of insult as well. Dwight’s behavior was a flagrant disrespect to him as host. Even so, he refused to reveal his agitation in front of the already anxious staff.

“There was an accident on the trail, so Mr. Dwight must be quite on edge. It was nothing serious, so please do not worry.” Elwin scanned the worried faces, keeping his voice perfectly calm. “Toby, escort Miss Selena inside.”

Then he approached the disheartened stableman and gently squeezed his shoulder. “I will tend to the horses. You should go rest.”

Swallowing a sigh, Elwin bent to retrieve the discarded riding crop. Even as the servants slowly dispersed, casting wary glances back at the house, one person remained.

It was Leon.

He approached with the reins of his horse and Selena’s gathered in one hand.

“There are four horses. It would be difficult for the young master of the count’s house to handle them alone. I will help.”

Their eyes met, and Leon offered his usual easygoing smile. Elwin was about to insist he could manage by himself, but then he caught sight of the stableman lingering at a distance, clearly guilty over abandoning the task. Knowing the man would worry less if he saw them working together, Elwin accepted the offer.

They entered the stable and divided the horses between them, quietly stripping away the tack. For a long while, the spacious building held only the clatter of harness buckles and the crisp rustle of straw underfoot.

Elwin threw himself into the manual labor to settle his turbulent thoughts.

Only after returning one horse to its stall did he finally glance back at Leon. The man had finished unsaddling his mount and was carefully brushing the brown horse. Seeing his quiet, pleased expression, Elwin’s heart softened, and he ventured a cautious conversation.

“You have ridden often, have you not? You look accustomed to it.”

“I have wandered from place to place, after all.” Leon ran a hand down the horse’s flank. “This is a good horse. Dignified and calm.”

Perhaps because the creature had enjoyed a fine airing after a long confinement, it looked thoroughly satisfied. At the light but sincere compliment, the turbulent emotions Elwin had suppressed began to rattle inside him once more.

By coincidence, whenever Elwin’s resolve had wavered lately, that man was always beside him. Perhaps it was no coincidence at all, though Elwin did not yet understand what it meant.

Leon led the brown horse into its stall, then gathered the reins of the mare Selena had ridden. The sight jolted Elwin into remembering something he absolutely had to say.

“Ah, Mr. Leon.” Elwin stepped closer. “Thank you for saving Miss Selena earlier.”

“Please do not mention it. It was nothing remarkable. Anyone would have done the same.”

“No. If it had not been for you, it truly could have been a terrible accident. You handled it so calmly…”

Leon deflected the praise, but it was certainly not a feat just anyone could have managed. The way he had nimbly slipped into that narrow gap on the slope and seized control of the reins…

As Elwin replayed the urgent moment in his mind, he suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

Leon’s hands moved slightly awkwardly as he untied the saddle. Not from inexperience, but from clear discomfort. Moreover, the moment Leon noticed Elwin watching him, he tried to slip one hand behind his back.

Catching on, Elwin reached out and seized his left wrist.

“This!”

“It is all right.”

“How is this all right? You are injured!”

A long gash stretched across Leon’s left palm. The bleeding had stopped, but the red scab showed it was a fresh wound. When he had wrenched back Selena’s reins, the metal hardware must have sliced into his flesh.

“You were injured like this. You should have treated it immediately!”

“No. I was wearing gloves, so it is not a serious injury.”

“With a wound like this, you must have bled quite a bit. What should I do with this…?”

Frantic and at a loss, Elwin cradled Leon’s hand in both of his own, entirely oblivious to how close they had drawn.

After studying the wound for a long moment, he raised his head and found Leon’s face mere inches from his own.

Close enough for their breaths to mingle.

Close enough for their cheeks to brush.

“Ah, I-I’m sorry. Ah…”

A searing heat rushed through Elwin’s body. He released Leon’s hand and stumbled backward, only for his heel to catch on a clump of straw.

“Ahhh!”

“Sir Elwin!”

As Elwin flailed, Leon lunged forward to catch him, but his boot snagged on the loosened saddle strap. The two of them collapsed in a tangled heap.

Certain he was about to crack his skull against the floorboards, Elwin squeezed his eyes shut.

Huh?

Instead of a sharp impact ringing through his skull, he landed against something soft and yielding.

Fortunately, the stable floor was thickly blanketed in straw, and Leon’s large hand had cradled the back of Elwin’s head, absorbing the impact.

However…

Ah. Ahhh!

When his eyes fluttered open in shock, Leon’s gaze was locked directly onto his.

By ill chance, their chests were not the only things pressed together. Something soft and warm brushed Elwin’s lips.

It was Leon’s lips.

[END of VOLUME 1]