The Stepmother Has Left - Chapter 46

A few days later, it was time to go horseback riding again.

 

Same as last time, Sophie and Cassia headed to the horseback riding field outside the capital and entered the changing room.

 

It was the time when Cassia was alone in an empty dressing room, taking off her dress and changing into riding clothes.

 

Someone appeared in front of her.

 

“Hello, nice to meet you again.”

 

It was her.

 

She was the one who dropped her necklace the other day, which Cassia found.

 

A person who rode a horse so fast that the viewer was frightened.

 

“How are you doing?”

 

She looked clean, as if she had just come to go horseback riding.

 

She was wearing the same riding clothes as last time, and her long hair was tied in a ponytail.

 

“Thank you for finding the necklace. I prepared a present for you when I meet you.”

 

She held out something to Cassia.

 

They were riding gloves.

 

Cassia looked at them. The black leather of the expensive-looking gloves was full of luster.

 

“…It’s okay. You don’t have to give me this much.”

 

Cassia had only found thenecklace, but accepting such expensive gloves were not needed.

 

But despite her polite refusal, the girl shook her head.

 

“For me the value of that necklace is incomparable to these gloves. You found something as precious as my life, and I would have given you all of my possessions if you asked for them.”

 

“…”

 

“My arm hurts. Could you please acceptthem?”

 

Cassia couldn’t refuse the smile on the girl’s face. After thinking about it for a while, she accepted it.

 

“Thanks. I will take good care of these.”

 

After she bowed her head once, the girl turned around. Then she turned to Cassia.

 

“Here, you know what?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“If you don’t mind… would like to go horseback riding with me?”

 

* * *

 

The sound of horses walking side by side resounded through the riding ground.

 

Cassia was walking with her, riding a horse and having a simple conversation. The girl continued as if she were relaxed.

 

“My mother passed away early when I was young. I’m staying with my father and younger brother, and sometimes when I’m stressed, I come to ride a horse.”

 

“I see. Horseback riding is perfect for relieving stress.”

 

“How did the lady end up enjoying horseback riding?”

 

She asked in a friendly way.

 

As they met at the horseback riding course, they talked a lot about horses.

 

It wasn’t such a bad thing to make friends because there were times when Cassia was bored riding alone.

 

“I’m learning something, and I came to try horseback riding while looking for an exercise to increase my physical strength.”

 

“Oh, I see. May I ask what you’re learning?”

 

“…I’m learning painting.”

 

At Cassia’s words, the girl opened her eyes wide and uttered “cool”. Cassia just smiled.

 

The girl was full of curiosity as if she wanted to get acquainted with Cassia.

 

“But you seem to be a good rider to be someone who just started horseback riding.”

 

She went on.

 

“Have you ever learned to ride when you were young?”

 

“…Yes, I come from a small aristocratic family. Although I am almost like a commoner.”

 

“I see.”

 

She smiled brightly.

 

“…So did I. I like horses, but I can’t ride them. Horses are too expensive for me to have.”

 

Actually, Cassia felt a little strange.

 

Even if you have no choice but to borrow a horse because you are poor, you must prepare horseback riding equipment separately.

 

The fact that horseback riding equipment could be purchased was proof that horseback riding was a sport that could only be done with the money.

 

It was also because of this that the perception that horseback riding was the exclusive property of the nobility spread.

 

Moreover, the riding gloves she gave as a gift were too expensive for ordinary people to buy.

 

No matter how much you found something precious to yourself, could you have prepared such a gift if you were really poor?

 

But Cassia only thought about it, and didn’t say them out loud. Instead, she continued.

 

“Is that why you come to the horseback riding course and borrow a horse? The horse is also very fast.”

 

“That’s right. I get stressed out, and this is the only way to relieve it.”

 

“…I see.”

 

Cassia was going to say something, but she stopped. The girl looked back at her, recognizing that she had stopped.

 

“Why?”

 

“Oh, well, that’s it.”

 

She pondered for a moment.

 

‘Is it okay to say this? Isn’t that too presumptuous?’

 

But she decided to say what she thought. Most of all, it’s about safety.

 

“At that time, you passed by and I saw you riding the horse dangerously.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

“When you are running at that speed, your body becomes rigid. If you are like that, you may end up causing an accident.”

 

Cassia was careful not to seem too intrusive and she carefully continued.

 

Fortunately, the girl nodded and listened to her well.

 

“I’m not saying it’s bad to ride fast. However, I think you are too focused onspeed, not about actual horse riding.”

 

She was riding it as if all she had to do was speed up.

 

You could ride a horse that way to relieve stress, but it’s dangerous.

 

In fact, Cassia felt sorry that riding a horse that fast seemed to be linked to her stress.

 

It was like riding a horse fast because she didn’t know how to deal with stress.

 

So she wanted to let the girl know even more. How to speed up in the right way.

 

“Why don’t you run while communicating with the horse a little more? That makes horseback riding much more stable and enjoyable.”

 

Listening to Cassia seriously, the girl looked at her with her eyes wide open.

 

“Then how would you ride a horse?”

 

“Feel the movement and breathing of the horse as it is.”

 

Cassia stopped and stroked Agatha’s neck.

 

“It is important to ride with the feeling of becoming one with the horse. It becomes a harmonious unity according to the horse’s breathing and steps. Then, even when the speed increases, a much more stable postureappears.”

 

“…Feeling of becoming one with the horse.”

 

She recited Cassia’s words carefully. Soon she smiled at her.

 

“Thank you for letting me know, I’ll try that.”

 

* * *

 

That’s how Cassia got acquainted with the girl.

 

When she went to the horseback riding course, she had a friend to exercise with, so she was glad to go there.

 

When they went to the riding ground, they always rode horses together and talked about this and that.

 

The girl took simple lessons from Cassia and improved her riding skills.

 

In fact, Cassia wasn’t very knowledgeable about horseback riding either. She just gave the girl tips for riding a horse.

 

Nevertheless, the girl had improved her riding skill a lot. She can ride a horse in a more stable position than before.

 

She also thanked Cassia, saying, “I think I learned the right way to relieve my stress.”

 

One day on the way home from horseback riding with her, Sophie said.

 

“Miss Cassia, there’s someone who’s been riding with you lately.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think she is a commoner. You can’t be that familiar with her.”

 

No matter how much she thought about it, Sophie was saying that she couldn’t be familiar with the girl, especially when she had lived in the palace all her life.

 

“If you don’t want to be identified by people, you need to be careful.”

 

Cassia smiled and nodded.

 

“Thanks for your concern, Sophie. But maybe it won’t be a big deal.”

 

Cassia was also guessing the girl wasn’t a commoner.

 

She felt it in various conversations, and she also felt that she looked familiar to her too.

 

But she had the same reasons as Adolf that she thought that even if the girl were an aristocrat, she would be fine.

 

Because she didn’t want anyone to break the superficial relationship. Until then, they would keep their distance.

 

And as she expected, nothing much happened. Both became like sisters.

 

The same routine was repeated.

 

Cassia studied painting, read books, and rode horses. She met an unknown woman at the horseback riding course and talked for a while.

 

Sometimes she communicated with Michael.

 

Meanwhile, time passed quickly. When she came to her senses, it was well past several months.

 

***

 

A few months passed. The season has changed by one. The bright light that had been in the sky throughout the summer weakened, and the rather chilly weather felt on the skin.

 

Cassia was greeting Adolf who came to her house.

 

“How are you, Cassia?”

 

“Long time no see.”

 

On a regular basis, Adolf would come to her house.

 

Maybe once a month?

 

Adolf was strictly in a position to hire Mrs McKenna, and would periodically check with her about how her class was progressing.

 

Sophie and Cassia were constantly discussing her condition and always keeping a close eye on her condition.

 

Actually, Cassia didn’t know the details.

 

She just had to learn hard from Adolf.

 

And she was confident that she did her best last time.

 

Adolf was sitting at the table, drinking tea with her and talking.

 

“Your skills are improving dramatically, Cassia.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that.”

 

At Adolf’s words, Cassia answered with a smile.

 

Drawing had been removed from her lessons for a long time, and these days, she had been learning various painting techniques, including how to colour.

 

Mrs McKenna’s vitriol remained.

 

But a few days ago, for the first time, Mrs McKenna didn’t throw her painting in the trash.

 

It was the first time she recognized Cassia’s painting.

 

Cassia was very happy, but she decided not to be conceited.

 

She had also seen a lot of paintings, and had been feeling that her paintings were really lacking.

 

Her painting still had a lot left to fill. It was time to lift the cup for a sip of tea.

 

“It’s time to get ready for your debut.”

 

“…What? What?”

***