Episode 56. Words Don't Lie (1)
It was the evening before departure. Martha was reviewing the travel preparations list in the study. A schedule letter to Lily, accommodation reservation confirmations, and the status of horse preparations. The documents were neatly spread out under the candlelight.
Claude sat opposite her, looking at his own papers. It was a quiet evening, with father and daughter sitting at the same table, each working on their own tasks.
Just then, the study door opened. It was Edward. As he entered, he looked at the list and spoke naturally.
"I heard you are going horseback riding with Mother tomorrow. I'll go with you."
Martha looked at Edward.
"It's fine. It's just the women going."
"If I send only the women, Father won't be able to sleep."
Claude remained silent, his eyes untouched by the documents. That silence was the answer. Martha looked at Claude.
"Father."
"Go with him."
"You don't have to go with me. Bianca is here, Lily is coming, and Mother is here too."
"Go with him."
It was a single word. A single word that left no room for further discussion. Martha opened her mouth and closed it. Edward added as he examined the list page by page in detail.
"Young Master Leon said he's coming too. A letter arrived earlier."
Martha looked at Edward.
"What about Young Master Leon?"
"Don't ask me. Father already told you. He said he's coming."
Claude said quietly as he turned a page of paperwork.
"That's good."
Hearing that brief remark, Martha thought to herself. Everyone in this house is in cahoots. Claude's expression hadn't changed at all, but that lack of expression looked as if it were all pre-planned.
Martha looked down at the list again. She tried to find something more to say, but couldn't. It was confirmed that her brother and Young Master Leon would be going together, without any changes.
It was the morning of the day of departure. They had agreed to depart from their respective mansions and meet at the estate where the Duke of Valois's horses were raised. Isabella, Edward, and Martha rode in a carriage, spending time on their own as they left the mansions.
"No, my brother alone would have sufficed. Why did Father call Young Master Leon as well? It makes things uncomfortable."
Isabella, who had been looking out the window, snapped her head at Martha's words and gave her a sly look.
"Still, we're staying overnight; if something big happens, Edward might have a hard time on his own."
"We have Karl and the soldiers escorting us. It's not like we're going through some really rough terrain..."
Before Isabella could even open her mouth, Edward chimed in.
"Serena, he's coming out of such good intentions; instead of being grateful, you should be thankful that he's coming. Don't make a mistake when we meet; you should be thankful that he's coming."
Edward finished speaking and met Isabella's gaze. Martha sensed that the two were sending an urgent signal with their eyes. She looked back and forth between their eyes several times, deep in thought.
"Don't even think about pulling any dirty tricks. We really are just going to practice riding. And don't come back early and leave me and Prince Leon alone once we arrive."
"Serena, haven't you read too many novels? Your mother loves horseback riding, too. That's a bit of an exaggeration, you know."
While Martha continued her passionate rant about not being played by this mother and son's antics, the three arrived at the estate. The carriage slowed down as it passed through the wide gate. Martha stopped speaking. The scenery outside the window changed. The carriage came to a complete stop, the door opened, and Martha stepped out.
The moment her feet touched the ground, the air felt different. It was a different air from the city where the mansion was located. The scent of grass brushed past her nose, and the smell of earth rose gently. Then, the wind drenched her entire body. It was a wind coming in unobstructed.
Martha looked around. It was vast. It wasn't just vast; as far as the view opened, it was all meadow. A grassy field of light and dark green mingled, spread out gently. Whenever the wind passed, the grass swayed to one side before standing up again. It was like waves. Even standing still, the scenery kept moving before her eyes.
To the right was the stable. The wooden pillars were thick, and the roof sloped gently. A horse was tied in front of the stable. It was a brown mare. The stablehand was brushing beside it. His hands were slow but meticulous. His movements were unhurried. The horse squinted as it accepted his touch.
And straight ahead. A villa came into view beside the rolling hills. It was not large. It was not grand, but that actually suited the scenery well. It was a stone building, and the passage of time had accumulated layer upon layer on that stone. With an exterior mixed of ivory and gray, vines climbed the wall in front of the building. They had grown naturally, not planted by anyone. The vines, having climbed along the window frames, stopped at the edge of the roof.
Martha looked at it and thought, 'So this is what the place where the Valois family's horses are managed looks like.'
She had served the Valois family as a head maid for decades, but this was the first time she had actually visited this place. As she stood there just watching, the wind blew again. The meadow swayed to one side. Inside the fence on the left, the young horses began to run again. The brown horse ran first. The gray horse followed. The zebra chased behind the slowest. Oh dear, being young is a good thing for both humans and animals; it makes you free.
The horses stood in a line in front of the stable. The sunlight heralding the afternoon was slanting over the stable roof. The air was cold and clear. The scent of grass and horses mingled.
Soon after, Bianca, Lily, and Prince Leon arrived, exchanged greetings, changed their clothes for riding, and met up again. Bianca's horse was white. As soon as Bianca mounted it, the horse nodded once and stood still. The way Bianca held the reins was a posture she had practiced for a long time. It was natural and neat.
Lily's horse was brown, but. As Lily gently stroked its neck, the horse narrowed its eyes. Isabella's horse was a gray one she had ridden since her youth. They were old friends who needed no words to speak for. Isabella expressed her delight with her eyes, and her horse responded with a nod.
Martha's horse was a black stallion. It was a horse Princess Serena had owned since childhood, but in Martha's memory, Serena had come to ride only a handful of times. Consequently, far from remembering Serena's face, even when Serena was right in front of her, she was busy sitting down to lick her shins and groom herself.
Martha stood before the horse and faced it. A strange atmosphere flowed between them. It was an atmosphere that felt familiar, even though they were meeting for the first time, but it didn't feel like a good one. It was the moment Martha stepped onto the footrest to mount. The horse swerved slightly to the side. The footrest slipped. Martha nearly lost her balance. Barely regaining her composure, she thought. 'You rascal.'
Lucy covered her mouth from behind. Edward stopped just as he was about to run. It was because he saw that Martha had already positioned herself. Barely, precariously.
Martha looked at the horse. The horse looked at Martha. Its black eyes showed no sign of apology.
"This damn horse bastard."
She stepped onto the footrest again. This time, the horse wagged its tail violently. There was a thud on the hem of Martha's riding breeches. A low, short sound came from behind. It was Bianca. She was covering her mouth while on the horse, but her shoulder trembled slightly. Martha pretended not to notice.
On the third attempt, she finally managed to mount the horse. As soon as she mounted, the horse kicked its front legs in place.
Thump, thump.
It was a heavy and resolute sound. Martha held on tight to the reins. She didn't fall off. However, she wasn't comfortable either. Prince Leon quietly approached beside her, already seated on his horse. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Martha showed no intention of saying anything immediately. He was just watching. However, the way she looked at it was the way of someone worried.
Martha asked the coachman standing beside her.
"What is this horse's name?" The coachman replied.
"It is Grumpy."
Edward looked at the coachman.
"It is a name the Princess gave it a long time ago. Perhaps because it hasn't been handled much, it is the finickiest fellow in the stable."
Martha looked down at the horse's neck and thought. A name like Grumpy. Serena, how could you name it just like its own temper? This fellow certainly lives up to its name. Serena, who named it that way, is truly honest.
Prince Leon spoke in a low voice.
"Is it possible to set off? Or how about we hold the reins today and lead it as if we are taking it for a walk, Princess?"
"For now... I will try that."
As they moved, the procession naturally split. Bianca and Lily went ahead. Bianca handled the horse gracefully, and Lily followed closely beside her. Isabella followed leisurely behind them. Martha naturally fell behind halfway as she struggled with Grumpy. Grumpy would ride, stop, stop, then suddenly speed up and turn its head to the side. It lacked consistency. It seemed to move in the opposite direction every time Martha adjusted the reins.
Prince Leon and Edward were following behind. Edward brought the horse alongside Prince Leon and spoke cautiously.
"Leon."
Prince Leon looked at Edward.
"Aren't you curious about what kind of person Serena originally was?"
Prince Leon remained silent. Edward accepted that silence and looked straight ahead. Martha was wrestling with Grumpy up ahead. The horse veered off course again, and Martha pulled the reins to set it right. Edward continued.
"I waited because I thought you might be curious, but you didn't ask at all. You must know she has changed, but you didn't know anything beyond what was visible on the surface, either."
Prince Leon looked ahead for a moment and spoke.
"What kind of person was she?"
Edward looked thoughtful. It wasn't a long thought. It was the look of someone searching for where to begin. He seemed to have many memories, yet he appeared to be choosing which ones to retrieve.
"She was incredibly bright. To a frightening degree. She was a child who believed that anything was possible as long as she wanted it. And if it didn't work out, she would push forward until it did."
A gust of wind swept by. Short trees lined both sides of the path. The leaves rustled. Edward continued speaking.
"But things went in the wrong direction. What she wanted kept hurting people, and her pushing kept leading the family into ruin. In the meantime, I was also very exhausted. I didn't want to come home. So I stayed at the Imperial Palace quarters."
Prince Leon looked ahead as he listened. He saw Martha. Grumpy stomped her foot again, and Martha stood firm despite the swaying. The hand gripping the reins looked firm. It was evident in that hand that she would not let go.
"But now..."
Edward's voice changed slightly. It was the voice of someone who had found something.
"I don't know. She is Serena, but she doesn't feel like Serena. But strangely, I feel more comfortable right now. For me, and for the family."
Edward let out a smirk and continued speaking.
"For the first time, I feel like I'm an older brother. To my little sister."
Young Master Leon looked at Edward. Edward countered Leon's question.
"To you. How does Serena look to you right now?"
Young Master Leon remained silent. Edward nodded. His silence was an answer in itself. It was an answer he already knew perfectly well. Edward suppressed his laughter and turned his gaze straight ahead. A brief silence fell between them. It wasn't an awkward silence. It was the silence between two people who had already said everything they needed to say.
Edward spoke first. Young Master Leon looked at Edward. It was a sudden question, but Edward's gaze was light. It wasn't a look of trying to pry, but simply one of curiosity.
"Leon, were you good at horseback riding from the start?"
Young Master Leon said, looking straight ahead.
"I rode well "
"As expected. What about swordsmanship?"
"I wasn't good at swordsmanship at first."
Edward looked at Young Master Leon. Young Master Leon continued speaking while maintaining his gaze.
"My father taught me himself. If I did poorly, he would just leave me alone."
It took Edward a moment to accept those words.
"Without scolding you?"
"I think he thought I wasn't worth scolding."
Edward remained silent. It was the silence of someone who knew the weight of those words. After a brief pause, Edward spoke quietly.
"My father at least scolded me. I fell when I first learned to ride, and he scolded me for quite a while. He must have been interested."
Young Master Leon looked at Edward. Edward looked straight ahead and said.
"Maybe that's better. Getting scolded."
Young Master Leon took that remark and looked straight ahead. He did not answer. It was not that he couldn't find a response. It was because he felt that was the right thing to say. The father who left him alone because he thought he wasn't worth scolding, and the father who cared enough to scold him.
For the first time, Prince Leon was contemplating which was better. Edward drove the horse forward. Prince Leon followed beside him, thinking.
This is Serena's older brother. Someone who grew up warmly. Someone who grew up surrounded by care, not pushed aside. And strangely, for the first time, that fact felt good.
"Can I... call you 'Brother' comfortably?"
"Anytime."
Edward shook the reins and rode ahead first. After everyone rode a lap around the meadow, Martha sat down in the shade, pouting and clutching the reins of Grumpy. The others each rode a few more laps, and one by one, they approached Martha to rest, each in their own condition.
As the evening sunlight began to spread long over the hills, they decided to bring the horses into the stable together and have dinner. Six people sat at a long table. The food arrived. Warm soup, toasted bread, cheese, and roast meat. Wine was served. After taking a sip of wine, Isabella's face relaxed slightly. It was the unique sense of ease that comes with an evening on vacation.
As she set down her wine glass, Isabella looked at Prince Leon. Then she looked at Martha. And then she looked back at Prince Leon. Feeling the shift in her gaze, Martha thought, 'Mother. She looks like she is about to start something.'
Isabella offered Prince Leon some wine and spoke softly.
"Young Master, thank you so much for joining us on this trip."
Prince Leon nodded.
"Thanks to you, the family seems to have changed a lot lately. I think it's thanks to Serena. It looks like you helped out a lot too."
Martha quietly scooped up some soup. She felt like she knew where the conversation was heading. Isabella continued.
"Serena used to cause a lot of trouble when she was little, but now that she's all grown up, she even helps with Father's work... What do you think of her these days, Young Master?"
Prince Leon looked at Martha. Martha looked straight ahead while eating her soup. It was the look Isabella had when waiting for Prince Leon. Martha spoke quietly.
"Mother."
"Yes?"
"Please eat. The soup is getting cold."
Isabella briefly lowered her gaze toward the soup before looking back at Prince Leon.
"The Young Master has been visiting the Valois estate often lately. There must be a reason, right?"
Martha looked at Isabella.
"Mother."
"Yes, why?"
"What is it?"
Isabella raised her wine glass and spoke very quietly, yet clearly.
"Since you are already a Poop Princess, I don't think there will be any other suitable suitors for you. Shouldn't we try to win Prince Leon back?"
The table fell silent. Bianca lowered her head as she drank her wine. Her shoulders trembled ever so slightly. Lily looked back at Martha, then at Prince Leon, then at Isabella, not knowing what to do. Edward looked at the ceiling as he picked up a piece of bread. Prince Leon was expressionless, though he tightened his grip on the wine glass slightly.
Martha looked at Isabella. Isabella calmly scooped up some soup. Martha said.
"I didn't know you would say something like that, Mother."
"I should have something to say, too."
"To think 'Poop princess' would come out of your mouth, Mother."
"It is a phrase His Majesty the Emperor knows, so how could I not?"
Martha looked at Isabella, then averted her gaze. She scooped up another spoonful of soup. She muttered to herself. Oh my, this fool... Mother... please, just stop that mouth of yours.
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal - Episode 56]
The Princess encountered the word 'Grumpy' for the first time in a long while. Since she is someone who can do everything perfectly, I assumed she would be good at riding horses, but whether Grumpy was strange or the Princess couldn't ride, she circled the meadow once holding only the reins.
And Prince Leon has decided to call Young Master Edward "Brother." Isn't that usually a title a sister's husband uses for her older brother?
The word "Poop princess" came out of Lady Isabella's mouth.
My Princess, the real last line of defense... I won't bother writing down where it is. I am rooting for you.
Prince Leon... why didn't Lord Siegfried come with you today? If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have come either. Sigh.
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