CHAPTER 4

Seulgi stood satisfied in front of the brown mare. Her face enlightened up with a pleased smile although her hair was slightly dishevelled as the mare exhale in a loud manner earlier. Seulgi the mare’s nose and the latter seems to like it as he tries to sniff Seulgi’s hand. Yes, the mare was a male-horse that’s for sure.

As Seulgi was lost in thoughts for a moment, the mare suddenly neigh, its head pointedly nodding at the open. Trying to indicate something—trying to indicate that Seulgi has a trainer waiting to be called outside.

“Oh, right,” Seulgi mumbled, “How can I forget? Thanks boy!” Seulgi promptly jog to the other exit of the stable, leading to a wide meadow. And there, she saw a remarkable view.

Maybe it would be just a mere sight to somebody else—but not for Seulgi. For she has never seen someone looking so stunningly beautiful while riding a horse, galloping on the grassland. Irene’s hair swept behind as the wind rush according to her acceleration. Her jade brown eyes looking focused and determined as she led her snowy mare jumped high above the fences, and landed on the ground beautifully while her face splits to a triumphant. Irene turned her horse around and their eyes met. Irene slowly rides her horse towards Seulgi, her eyes—too, still remain fix at Seulgi herself.

Seulgi felt that heart-tightening sensation once more. But it was a little different this time. Seulgi felt like all the blood in her body was gushing to her face, and her heart hammered hard—pounding in an abnormal way.

And that’s when Seulgi heard another heavy gallop from behind, she look back just in time to saw a black, fierce looking stallion charging in her way and Seulgi yelps before quickly moving aside. There was a rider, and his hair flaunts charmingly as he rode towards Irene.

The rider has eyes like a dagger, hollow cheeks, with a deep jawline and a pointed chin. That was what initially that came into Seulgi’s mind. But he was dashing—that’s for sure. He wore a red armour protector on his chest, with a picture of a vulture crafted in the middle. He stopped his horse beside Irene who looks a little flustered somehow.

Seulgi did not manage to hear what the rider said towards Irene but they exchange a few words before the rider departs once more—this time, not in a rush, as the rider bores his eyes lazily upon Seulgi’s in an expressionless manner, before whipping his horse and gallops away.

“Is it because he’s so good looking that you can’t tear your eyes away from him?” A silky voice came from the back, as Irene approached her and unmounts from her horse.

“N-No, I wasn’t—“

“Do you think he’s hot?” Irene seems to ask a theoretical, her eyes staring in Seulgi in a slight cold manner.

“I- I don’t”

“You don’t?” A confuse look showed upon the beauty’s face but then she squints her eyes at Seulgi and asked once more, “you’re lying aren’t you?”

“I’m not.”

The words slipped out from Seulgi’s tongue quickly without her conscience. Although she has to admit that the rider wasn’t really that hot, compared to the angel in front of her. Irene’s expression remains fazed for a moment before she stares upon the brown mare behind. A small smile twitch at the corner of her rosy red lips, “You’ve done quite a good job with Agron. He isn’t really the friendly type.”

“I guess he likes me, huh?” Seulgi grins proudly as Irene’s praise hit her chest like an arrow.

“Such a bear,” Irene mumbled

“Sorry, what?”

“Walk Agron outside and mount him,” Irene turned away, ignoring Seulgi’s question as she led her horse in the grassland once more.

Mounting Agron was already quite hard for Seulgi, as she tumbled on her back shamefully quite a fair few times. Seulgi swears she heard a laugh escaping from Irene as she tumbled for only gods know how much. And when she finally manage to mount Agron, Seulgi accidentally yank the reins on the horse too hard and Agron suddenly becomes a little too wild as he neigh and fiercely tried to toppled the rider—Seulgi of course, while she yelled as she hug Agron’s neck like her life depends on it.

Agron stop fidgeting as Irene firmly told him to stop. Alas, the blessing power of charmspeak. Seulgi who still remains slightly shock, still has her arms wrapped on Agron’s neck while she breathes heavily. Seulgi heard a thud from her left and a soft pair of hands touched her arm. Seulgi twitched before her eyes met with a worried looking Irene.

“Are you okay?” the question slips out from the velvety lips.

“I—yeah,” Seulgi tried to form words, “It’s my fault actually. I kinda pull this rein too hard, you see…”

“You’re not hurt aren’t you?”

“Uhh, no. Just my back—you know, the fall, earlier.” Seulgi embarrassingly admits as the many tumbles of herself in front of Irene earlier flashes into her mind.

“Unmount the horse and stay here,” Irene ordered and Seulgi carefully got down from Argon and in return, Irene mounts him and gallops him away to the stable, leaving Seulgi and the snowy horse.

The white horse neighs, rubbing her face at Seulgi’s cheek, as if to comfort her. And Seulgi gently caressed her and said, “Your owner is quite caring isn’t she?” The horse neighs back, as if answering to Seulgi’s query. Seulgi stood there for a while, patting the horse and asking it silly questions with neighing being replied as answers. Oh, how she wish she could understand what horses were saying.

“Snowy is nice isn’t she?” Irene came from behind and pats Snowy’s nose.

“So her name really is Snowy?” for all this time, Seulgi has been describing the horse as snowy, without even thinking its actual name is, Snowy.

“Yeah, I’ve been taking care of her since I first arrived here,” Irene gave out a little piece of information, “Anyway, since Agron isn’t being quite well today, you’ll just have to practice riding with Snowy.”

“Okay!,”  Seulgi sounded a little too enthusiast.

By practice riding with Snowy, Seulgi didn’t think that Irene would sit behind her all the way through their lessons. Irene’s hand kept slapping Seulgi’s shoulder as she countlessly told, “ Shoulders, keep your shoulders straight and even.”

Or that time when Irene taps Seulgi’s back and stated, “Your back—must be in a straight manner too. You must sit upright if you’re controlling the horse.”

As Seulgi gradually gets used to it, Irene didn’t point out and remains silent behind Seulgi, as she led Snowy walk around. Seulgi flinched as she felt her waist being gripped from either side. Her heart pounds frantically once again, and how she hopes for Irene to not hear the hilariously beating sound.

“Make sure you put ointments at your bruises,” Irene tapped gently over Seulgi’s