“Okay. Let’s do it this way.”

“Don’t get too familiar. He might get jealous.”

“Haha. They say the owner gets jealous originally, right? Who’s the owner of this horse?”

“It’s Commander Bain’s horse.”

“Ah.”

The moment I heard the name, I understood why the horse was named Sonipes.

Since it’s the stiff and formal Bain, he must have named the horse Sonipes literally.

“Wow, but does Bain ride such a gentle horse?”

Given his large build and sturdy appearance, I thought he would ride a very brave and majestic horse, but the white horse Sonipes, though robust-looking, was clearly quiet and seemed gentle-natured.

‘Perhaps it resembles its owner in being polite.’

Litania chose the white horse, Orbis the brown one. It felt like they had chosen opposite colors, but I didn’t dislike it.

The two led the two horses out to the riding grounds. Even though it was winter, the sunshine was gentle. The temperature was low, but the wind wasn’t harsh, rather soft. Standing under the shining sun, it felt somewhat warm.

“Litania, I will teach you how to mount a horse.”

Orbis approached Litania while holding the reins of the white horse Sonipes.

He explained to her the basic principles of horseback riding and safety precautions. As if he really had learned separately to teach Litania horseback riding, he detailed how to mount the horse, maintain balance, communicate with the horse, and even how to handle unexpected situations.

“Wow, you’re a one-shot instructor……”

“One-shot?”

“I mean, your explanations are easy to understand.”

Litania chuckled. Although learning with the mind doesn’t necessarily mean mastering with the body, Orbis’s teachings were certainly easy to comprehend.

Following his instructions, she waved her hand in front of Sonipes’s eyes so as not to alarm the horse, then slowly walked towards the saddled waist, careful not to leave its line of sight.

“But the saddle is higher than I thought…… I think I need a footstool.”

“I’ll lift you up.”

“Whoa!”

Orbis effortlessly lifted Litania and placed her on Sonipes.

Although she was somewhat used to him picking her up occasionally, the horse’s back was higher than expected, and Litania wobbled, unable to steady herself.

“Orbis!”

“It’s alright, stay calm, Litania.”

He gently grasped her slender ankle, pulled it down, and then pulled up the dangling stirrup.

“First, put your foot in the stirrup. Hold the reins with both hands.”

“O-Okay.”

“Horses are sensitive animals. They can feel if the person on their back is tense or relaxed.”

“I know that… but I can’t seem to relax.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’ve made sure it won’t act up unexpectedly.”

Does he mean he’ll soothe it well?

Feeling a strange confidence in Orbis’s gentle words, Litania felt her tension ease a little.

“L-Like this?”

“Yes. You’re doing well.”

Litania slowly assumed the basic posture as Orbis instructed.

Despite bearing the heavy saddle and Litania, the white horse Sonipes was definitely stable. It seemed the horse was stronger than she had thought.

‘Well, since they carry armored knights too, I guess I’m not too heavy for it.’

As Litania took a deep breath, the swaying beneath her hips gradually subsided. She could feel the horse’s breathing and pulse.

‘Even though it looks still, the horse is constantly moving.’

Just as a person’s chest rises and falls when breathing, the horse’s abdomen moves too. Litania sat on the horse, thinking of centering her weight on her buttocks rather than her waist, and breathed along with it.

Even though she was just sitting on a stationary horse, her energy was being drained unexpectedly fast. She could understand why horseback riding was considered an excellent physical training exercise.

“Still, this is surprisingly fun.”

“I knew you would enjoy it.”

Satisfied with her progress, Orbis gave the next instruction.

“Now, shall we start walking slowly?”

“How do I make it go forward?”

“Gently pull on the reins while bending and straightening your knees, and tap its sides with your heels.”

Wouldn’t it get upset if I kick it? Wouldn’t it get angry, wondering why I’m suddenly touching it?

Litania hesitated for a moment.

‘They say a horse’s hide is tough and doesn’t feel as much pain as humans even when whipped, so maybe it’s okay.’

Litania gently pulled on the reins and lightly tapped the horse’s side with her heel as Orbis had taught her.

It was harder than she thought to hit the exact spot with her heel, feeling more like scratching than tapping, but Sonipes seemed to understand the signal intelligently and slowly started walking forward.

“Wow. It’s moving forward!”

Come to think of it, Sonipes must have been trained as a war horse, so it was natural for it to understand her signals. If the diligent Bain had trained it, it would be even more so.

Feeling a bit more confident, Litania turned her flushed face to look back, and saw Orbis had mounted the brown horse and was following beside her.

“How does it feel up there, Litania?”

“The eye level is higher than when I’m in your arms, Orbis.”

“……”

She meant it was fascinating and fun, but for some reason, Orbis’s expression seemed to sink.

“I am taller.”

“Pardon?”

“I said I’m taller than the horse.”

“Ah, yes. Of course you would be.”

Orbis is a dragon, so naturally, he would be bigger than a horse.

Litania had never properly seen his true form, but recalling the silhouette of the enormous dragon reflected on the clouds during the rain ritual, she nodded.

“I should have let you ride me first.”

“No, that’s a bit…”

Riding a gigantic dragon and flying through the sky might look amazing in cartoons, but she didn’t want to experience it in reality.

Being above the clouds would be like being outside an airplane without protection, wouldn’t it be freezing cold?

“I’m not immune to extreme cold, you know.”

“I can make it hot for you too.”

“Are you saying we’d fly to a desert?”

“It might be more appropriate to say I’d send you to heaven.”

Flying naked in the sky at that height would certainly make it not unreasonable to go to the afterlife. Litania laughed a bit awkwardly.

“Your jokes can be a bit chilling, Orbis.”

“Indeed, there was a tendency to be frightened when I carried them.”

“What?”

“It’s an old joke.”

Shall we go, Orbis urged Litania. She nodded and firmly grasped the reins that had slipped.

“Orbis, how do I make it walk a bit faster?”

“Kick its sides harder. Adjust the reins accordingly.”

“Um, okay.”

Litania followed his instructions and pressed her feet more firmly. As she touched the sides with the heels of her riding boots, Sonipes’s speed increased.

Her brown hair swayed gently in the breeze. As she rocked her waist back and forth as Orbis had instructed, she gradually found her balance and felt the wind.

‘Am I actually talented at horseback riding?’

Litania’s eyes sparkled. She looked at Orbis with a slightly excited face. He met her gaze with a calm smile.

Though they were clearly walking close together, making eye contact, Orbis’s eyes seemed to be looking somewhere far away.

‘Why is he making that expression?’

Even after pondering, no answer came. If so, there was no need to dwell on it.

The two exchanged trivial conversation as they rode around the riding grounds.

Chatting on horseback was enjoyable in a different way from talking over tea.

“Ah, that was fun.”

The sensation of her feet touching the ground felt unfamiliar. Feeling a slight ache below her waist, Litania thought she might have muscle pain tomorrow.

‘Maybe I should ask Snow for a massage before bed.’

That would be necessary to avoid suffering tomorrow. Litania followed behind Orbis while planning her post-bath routine.

After bringing the horses back to the stable and closing the fence, Sonipes stuck its head out over the fence. It stretched its muzzle towards Litania as if saying goodbye.

“I’ll come again tomorrow. Rest well.”

They say horses are intelligent animals, and it seems they even know how to say goodbye. Litania was a bit impressed.

‘I wonder how that white horse is doing.’

Litania recalled the hunting festival from a year ago. The horse she chose then was also white. Rather than a choice, it was the only one left.

‘Not knowing how to ride, why did I open the fence then?’

While walking together through the Black Forest holding the white horse’s reins, she ended up losing grip. The white horse ran away just like that.

‘If I had known how to ride back then, I wouldn’t have lost that white horse.’

Was it because the princess had lost it? When Litania apologized for losing the white horse, the horse keeper just tilted his head without much complaint.

‘I guess it was overshadowed by my disappearance case… I wonder if that white horse is doing well in the forest?’