Chapter: 335
As expected from the Cheness Principality, home to the continent’s finest granaries, most of it is expansive plains. Believe it or not, there are even whispers that the plains of Cheness stretch wider than those of most small nations. It sounds exaggerated, but really, that’s just terrifyingly true.
Anyway, vast plains, a majestic horizon, lush green grass—Cheness is an environment as ideal for horse riding as the Northern Region.
“Guests! How do you like it? The plains of Cheness are said to be one of the treasures of the Empire!”
Well, it seems the only problem is that it’s too nice.
“It’s magnificent. It really does feel like a treasure,” Louise replied.
“I’m glad to hear you like it!”
The centaur, sitting in the front, burst out with a hearty laugh at Louise’s response. Even Louise smiled shyly at the centaur’s professionalism.
This centaur could easily trot around with three adults without breaking a sweat. In fact, most mixed races wouldn’t even think of stepping outside the Protected Species Zone, which makes this one riding around as a driver pretty unique.
“People tend to shy away from traveling at night, but nighttime has its own charm! Galloping alone under the stars is a whole new kind of thrill!”
But looking at this centaur blabbing away while carrying us along, it seemed like she had truly found her calling. Loving to run, loving to talk, and getting paid for both? That’s just the best.
“Unfortunately, since we’re in charge of the horses, riding at night while stargazing is a bit too risky for us.”
“Oh dear! I didn’t think of that! If you come at night, I’ll take you for free as an apology!”
This time, Irina, who was an equestrian enthusiast, responded with a sly smile, and the centaur let out an exaggerated sigh of disappointment.
What’s with the free service? Is this centaur a savvy business owner or something?
“Ah, esteemed guests! Would you like to visit the sea? For an extra fee, we can take you all the way to the ocean!”
‘Oh.’
That caught my interest. It’s quite a distance from Santoria to the sea, but she offers to take us there?
“Well, we’d love to, but running all the way to the sea must be tiring, right?”
“No problem! We can use the teleportation magic circle!”
The way she said it made me chuckle; it was almost as if she was saying, “Why even ask? Of course, we have that!”
But hey, this isn’t some backwater village; this is a tourist destination in a principality. Of course, they’d have a teleportation magic circle.
“A magic circle? Isn’t that pretty expensive to use?”
Louise spoke up with a worried expression at the mention of the magic circle, but the centaur just shook her head, laughing heartily.
“That’s not a problem either! The duke has made a contract with us centaurs, so while we’re transporting guests, we can use it at a discount!”
I didn’t want to pry too much, but this gave me some intriguing info.
A contract between the duke and the mixed races. This wouldn’t be something you’d think of easily, even for the Cheness duke managing the Protected Species Zone. Perhaps the wise duke has some genius ideas that others can’t quite grasp, which means the line between genius and madness is more blurry than I thought.
‘As long as he doesn’t drink, everything’s perfect.’
I can’t shake the feeling that the wise duke is definitely suffering from some debuffs. A sober wise duke is a genius even gods would struggle to handle…
So, we unexpectedly ended up heading to the ocean, but I had nowhere else to go, so I had no complaints. Plus, it turned out cheap because we’re on the centaur’s ride, much less than the usual magic circle cost.
“Ugh, the sandy beach never becomes familiar, no matter how many times I step on it…”
Upon arriving at the beach, the centaur, who had been smiling the whole time, finally grimaced. It’s clear that trotting through the sand while carrying people isn’t easy.
“Oh, that ship over there is the airship operated by Apels!”
Still, the centaur quickly returned to her guiding role, proving she is indeed the golden duke of centaurs.
“I think its official name was something like Apels’ Glory! Isn’t it funny to see such glory buried in the ground?”
“Absolutely ridiculous!”
It was a relatable comment, making me nod automatically. It’s an unspoken taboo on this continent to name ships after nobles or countries. Imagine naming a ship after an emperor and it sinks—awkward, right?
But Apels had the audacity to name it after a nation, and not just any name, but a grand one! The result? A gloriously buried ship. It might be a foreshadowing of their own future.
“Thanks for the explanation. But it seems like walking on sand is tiring for you. Would you like to take a break?”
Seeing the centaur struggling to walk on the beach while explaining about Apels’ Glory, I offered a rest. This friendly and detailed centaur guide is great to follow, but today is supposed to be a date with just the three of us. It’s a bit awkward continuing with someone else around.
“I appreciate the kindness! But having been paid, I must give you the utmost service─”
I dropped a few coins into her hand.
“Have a great time! I’ll be nearby, so just call if you need me!”
Watching the centaur quickly bounce away from the sandy area was quite cheerful.
“What a fun character!”
“Right? I wonder if other centaurs are like her?”
Louise and Irina seemed to share the same sentiment, chuckling softly.
I doubt every centaur is this friendly. If they were, they might’ve gone extinct back in Apels’ era, right? There have been plenty of mixed races that got too cozy with humans only to end up getting, well, them’d be rather sad.
“We should enjoy our time together now that we’ve got a centaur-free zone.”
Of course, now wasn’t the time to worry about a thriving race. It was important to cherish this moment just for us three.
*
Disembarking from the saddle left me feeling a tad disappointed. It was precious time where I could legally cling to my Oppa, not to mention I could cuddle from the back.
But I can’t overexert the centaur who carried three adults with her, so I quietly hopped off. Once the centaur leaves, it’ll just be me, Oppa, and Louise left, which would definitely set the stage for an intimate trio moment.
‘Honestly, this is better.’
Plus, thinking back, I never really had a good time at the beach with my Oppa. Sure, we went to the Boyar Principality for the school trip last year, but back then—
“Waaaaaaah! sniff sniff, hoo hoo!”
Oh no, I urgently shook my head at that terrifying memory. Though unforgettable, it was definitely not a good one. Just absolutely not.
As a noble lady, I had made a scene in front of my beloved person—essentially crying and throwing a fit. Totally not great. MY shared moments with Oppa at the beach had been, well, just that.
‘Must bury it.’
I felt a strange sense of mission. If I couldn’t overwrite this embarrassing and shameful memory with happier ones, I’d never come back to the beach again.
Of course, just being at the beach with my Oppa was already halfway to success. Now I could go for a stroll on the sand, dip my feet in the water, and grab some food from nearby stalls—then I could forever say goodbye to my trauma.
‘If only I had a swimsuit…’
A hint of greed peeked its head, but I quickly suppressed it.
Asking for too much at once is always asking for trouble. I’d save the swimsuit for another time. After all, I’ll have many summers to spend with Oppa.
“Ah, you’re here!”
Louise’s voice pulled my gaze from the shops, and I spotted Oppa approaching with drinks in his hand.
‘Wait…?’
The moment I laid eyes on the drink in his hand, I froze.
*
Working with these crazy people must’ve driven me mad too. A normal person would have at least a lick of common sense and basic awareness.
“Well, it’s not that I meant anything special, but while thinking about what to buy, I just went with a drink that matched my hair color…”
Holding the drink I got him, Irina stared silently at the ground. In front of her, I desperately splurted out my excuses.
“……”
Regrettably, it was of no use. Perhaps overwhelmed by the mental shock, Irina fell silent and showed no reaction to any of my explanations.
‘What a lunatic.’
I felt a wave of self-loathing crash over me. I came back with drinks and found Irina frozen, wondering what happened, but then I realized giving her lemonade was a terrible mistake.
It wasn’t just a matter of handing her a drink; it was the beach setting and the fact that I had witnessed her embarrassing moment that made the shock for Irina beyond comprehension. Even if she thought I was teasing, there was no way to argue.
‘What do I do about this?’
To cover it up, I steered Irina away from Louise, claiming she was feeling seasick, but I couldn’t go too long without raising Louise’s suspicions. I needed to hurry back.
But how can I do that in this situation…?
“Oppa.”
“Uh, yeah. What is it?”
Fortunately, Irina, who had been silent, opened her mouth again.
“I’m okay. Lemonade’s, delicious, isn’t it?”
Looking at Irina’s vacant expression, I immediately realized she was trying to wipe last year’s memories completely from her mind. No, she was likely working hard to pretend it never happened.
In a desperate escape from the extreme shame and despair she endured, Irina had started to mentally run away from reality.
“…Yeah, exactly. It’s delicious.”
Thanks to that, I was forced to give a vague response. Any further apologies or excuses would only serve to remind Irina of the previous incident, which could lead to tears rather than helping.
‘Sorry.’
I thought about it over and over; it was just a terrible trolling moment from my end. From Irina’s perspective, as a sensitive teenager, it must have been shocking to show that side of herself in front of someone she loves—not even in front of family. That humiliation and me bringing it back up? That’s just… beyond horrible.
“I’m sure Louise will be waiting, let’s hurry back—”
Thus, I scooped Irina up in my arms as an act of apology. If I stirred up her shameful memories, I needed to overshadow them with fond ones instead.
“Let’s tell Louise that we’re only doing this until your seasickness calms down.”
At those words, Irina vacantly nodded.
And even though this could be a triggering moment for her, considering this is right after showing her embarrassing side, now that we’re lovers, would it really transform into a good memory?
I want to believe that.
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