“Balancing is most important when riding. Keep your body vertical from shoulders to heels, and use your hips more than your thighs to find the balance.”
Asha nodded and did as he said.
But the maiden, conscious of Asha’s hips at that word, blushed again.
Jackal glanced at it, and slapped her on the nose again with the palm of his hand.
The horse whined in pain.
Asha asked in surprise.
“What’s wrong? Did the horse do something wrong again?”
“Yeah. This one’s gentle but sly.”
“Sly horse…?”
Asha blinked her eyes with trepidation, and slowly took her hand off the horse’s body.
The maiden looked at the departing hand with large, plaintive eyes as if aggrieved.
When I heard the words I had said to him before, the maiden lowered her eyes in resignation.
…It meant she had done wrong.
Only then did Jackal wear a satisfied expression like a villain, and with the sound of tightening the reins, he slapped the maiden’s hips with a ‘snap.’
The maiden’s eyes widened, and following the horse’s instincts, it began to trot forward.
Asha rode the horse around the open space.
The horse was indeed frighteningly high, but the feeling of fresh upper air made her feel elated and invigorated.
From a distance, Jackal suddenly imagined lifting her onto his back as he watched her ride the horse with a childlike and cheerful face.
If she wanted to ride a horse, he felt he could offer his back anytime.
In his tribe, it was a tradition for a married man to only offer his back to his wife.
Reaching that thought, Jackal quickly shook his head to erase it.
In the meantime, Asha had arrived back at him and carefully dismounted the horse with his support.
“Thank you for today’s lesson. It was so enjoyable and informative.”
“I’m glad.”
Asha didn’t forget to say goodbye to the horse, either.
“Thank you, pretty horse.”
As she gently stroked its fur, Jackal, who was watching her intently, suddenly asked.
“Who’s prettier?”
“What?”
Asha and the maiden looked at him in surprise at the same time.
But Jackal, unashamed, asked with a serious face.
“Which do you like more, my mare or that ragged horse?”
At the words that described himself so insignificantly, the maiden’s eyes cooled down.
Jackal looked at him expressionlessly, with a look that said, ‘What. What’s the big deal.’
Asha smiled slyly and said,
“Of course, it’s your horse, Captain. That horse is very special to me. Of course, this one’s white fur is as lovely as an angel, but glossy bluegrey fur is really rare on a horse.”
“Indeed. It’s very rare. Unfindable anywhere. Even the Emperor might not have had it?”
Jackal agreed, and Asha answered seriously,
“That’s right! Very smart and brave, too.”
“Of course. The fellow is brave, despite being a horse, fearless and once even rushed into the enemy’s camp to save a comrade.”
“Is that really true?”
Asha exclaimed with genuine admiration.
A nearby officer turned away as if he couldn’t bear to listen any longer and fled from the spot.
Asha tilted her head slightly and asked,
“Where are you going?”
“Home, probably.”
“The stable?”
“Yes. Our horses are really good at finding their way home.”
Jackal answered mischievously,
“I see … Fascinating.”
At Asha’s serious and credulous response to his words, Jackal barely managed to suppress a twitch of his lips.
Asha was lost in her thoughts for a moment, then suddenly tilted her head and asked,
“But just now, didn’t it seem like it was crying?”
“Why would a horse cry?”
“Right … I guess so.”
Asha dismissed it as if she had mistaken, but in the eyes of the rapidly walking officer, there were large tears.
The tears dropped, plopplop, on the ground as he moved, sobbing with sorrow and shame, saying, “Heehee.”
Jackal thought it had been a very satisfying riding lesson, but he didn’t know that today’s actions would come back to haunt him…
[This is the time separator]As if jealous of the officer, Jackal, as evening came, transformed into a horse and with a proud stride, went to find Asha.
He did not doubt that she would be glad to see him, waiting for him to return from the outing.
But the moment he boldly kicked the door and entered, he came face to face with Asha, who was just changing her clothes.
“Oh.”
Asha was slightly startled, but soon came over with a happy face.
A flustered Jackal turned sharply, avoiding her gaze.
His eyes were shaking.
Asha then noticed her state of dress and said, laughing,
“Oh, wait a moment. I’ll change quickly.”
Seeing the horse turned its back and sweat profusely, Asha chuckled as she dressed.
“It’s really like a human…”
That sulking looked just like Jackal when he was undressing last time.
A horse certainly resembled its owner.
Asha, having changed, stealthily approached him from behind and gently touched his nape.
Jackal was startled, jerked his head up, and quickly turned.
That movement caused his bluegrey mane to flutter wildly.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
