「Right now, the horse I recommend most is this one, but…」
The one Mische brought over, with a branch still stuck in her hair, was a chestnut horse.
It looked gentle enough… yet the moment it saw Noie, it froze in place.
「It seems to instinctively sense someone it shouldn’t approach.」
「If you say those words one more time, I will bury you in the ground and turn the spot above you into a horse-manure dump.」
「Ehehe～. Then the smell of that thing would soak into every inch of me～」
Twisting her body happily like a worm, Mische released the chestnut horse.
The horse cautiously backed away from us and returned to the herd gathered in one spot.
Noie watched the sight with drooping shoulders.
Realizing she was hated by horses… it must have been quite a shock.
「Isn’t there any good horse?」
「We have plenty of good horses. It’s just that…」
I understood what Mische wanted to say. The real issue was whether any horse here didn’t fear Noie.
Strange. Back when I first met her, horses didn’t hate her this much. The way they started fearing her now… remembering that moment made my chest ache a little.
She had only wanted to save me. All those overlapping feelings had simply turned her into this.
「Is there really none?」
「There is one, but… can you keep it?」
「What do you mean by that question?」
Mische hopped up onto the fence surrounding the pasture and sat there, swinging her legs back and forth.
Today she wasn’t in her usual armor, just plain work clothes. The outfit made her look surprisingly young.
「It eats like crazy, for one thing. About twice as much as a normal horse. And it basically never listens to anyone.」
「Doesn’t that make it completely unfit as a riding horse?」
「Yes. Last year when Prince Halfren came, he tried to ride it and got thrown off.」
Serves him right. But if even that prince couldn’t handle it, there’s no way I could.
「Am I hated?」
The quiet words came from Noie.
Her face remained as expressionless as ever.
「It’s less ‘hated’ and more ‘feared’….. I think. It has a great build, but its legs are slow. Still, it’s strong, so in the worst case we’re thinking of using it for farm work or something.」
I shrugged my shoulders like some prince from who-knows-where.
Since it refuses to listen, working with it in that role must be difficult too.
Then Noie looked up at me.
「Arg-sama.」
「Want to see it?」
She gave a small nod.
Something must have struck a chord in Noie’s heart.
-0-
That’s right. I remember seeing it on a TV program. Ban’ei horse racing in Hokkaido, was it? Those horses pull heavy sleds, they’re massive, on a completely different level from normal horses in size and everything else.
「This is the one. Both parents were large horses, but… it seems to have inherited only the size.」
「It’s big, unlike Mische.」
「Ahaha. Since it’s a male, that part’s big too, you know? Way bigger than anything Argusta-sama could compare to.」
「That’s fine. I have a cute wife who doesn’t care about size at all. Was that too cruel a thing to say to a lonely single leftover?」
「Aha～! I’ll bring heavenly punishment down on you!」
After receiving my wife’s heavenly throw, the pitiful single woman vanished from sight.
With the idiot dealt with, Noie looked up at the horse that towered far above her own height.
She simply gazed in silence at the enormous creature isolated in its own separate area.
The horse, too, pointed its muzzle toward her and stayed quiet.
It felt less like communication and more like… they shared the same atmosphere somehow.
Feared by those around them, misunderstood. Forced to live alone.
「Noie.」
「Yes.」
「Is that one good?」
「……Yes.」
She reached out cautiously and gently stroked its muzzle.
The horse slowly lowered its head, making it easier for Noie to reach.
If Noie likes it, then I have no complaints.
Still, looking at this large horse… I can’t help but wonder. Could I ride this one too?
-0-
「Staying in an ordinary room like this feels like it’s been forever.」
「?」
「Ever since I got together with Noie, it’s always been the detached wing at the castle, our current mansion, or a villa.」
「Yes.」
Noie, already changed into the nightclothes the maid had prepared and fully ready for bed, sat on the mattress and pushed down on it insistently. The inn we stopped at in the town on our way to Mische’s family home was a high-class establishment, so there had been no issue, but surprisingly, Noie turned out to be quite particular about where she sleeps.
「Think you can fall asleep?」
「……」
An openly displeased aura drifted from her, but since it was only for one night, she would just have to endure.
「Come on, Noie.」
「?」
「Over here.」
I sat on the edge of the bed and beckoned her. She crawled across the mattress toward me. I caught her gently and sat her down.
When I rested my head on her small lap, Noie patted my chest happily with light taps.
「Fuu～」
「Arg-sama.」
「Hm?」
「When will your arm heal?」
「It was apparently a clean, complete break, so it’ll probably take a bit longer… Why?」
「……I want it.」
「A baby?」
「Yes.」
The hand patting my chest moved gently.
Noie really does want a child.
「Let’s do our best. We’ll definitely make one.」
「Yes.」
「But… wait just a little longer, okay? Until the bone fully heals.」
「……Yes.」
Did that sound a tiny bit frustrated, or was it my imagination?
-0-
In the middle of the night, Noie woke and looked at the man sleeping beside her.
「Hey, someone.」
「What?」
「Can this child bear children?」
「Noie would be fine staying like this forever, wouldn’t she?」
「Indeed.」
With a soft giggle, Noie gazed at her own hands and feet.
The same as back then… the form of the girl everyone had loved was right there.
「Kyahaha～. Glodia would probably writhe and die if she saw this appearance.」
「Most likely. Especially since she loved Noie’s looks above all else.」
「While she and Camieu were one step away from killing each other in their fights.」
「So… can Noie have children?」
「……」
No one, not even within her “inside”, could answer that question.
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