Alexei asked Ekaterina if she wanted to go for a walk in the garden, and she hesitated, almost glad to oblige.
“It would be my pleasure, Big Brother, but I think you’re busy.”
“That’s okay. Thanks to you, I can spare some time.”
“Am I of any use to you?”
“Of course.”
Alexei took his sister’s hand and gently grasped it.
“Your beauty gives me strength. When I hear your kind words, I feel a sense of comfort. I’ve never believed in God, but I’ve realized through my interactions with you that it’s a joy to worship something.”
“Oh you…Big Brother.”
This morning was another siscon time!
As the siblings walked off, Regina, the leader of the hounds, followed them.
She seemed to understand Alexei’s words completely, and she snuggled up to Ekaterina and never left her side. Igor, the hound keeper, seemed to have a deep trust in Regina, patting her head when she showed signs of wanting to go and sending her on her way, telling her to be sure to protect the little girl.
Alexei’s eyes narrowed at his sister, who happily stroked Regina’s fluffy fur.
“If you like animals, would you like to see the horses? If you prefer flowers, I can take you to the flower garden.”
“I like horses, too. They are beautiful creatures.”
I would enjoy anything with Big Brother.
But it’s true that I adore horses, so seeing so many of them was a treat. Come to think of it, I always wanted to do some horseback riding to improve my fitness. …I was unable to do it at all since I became so busy….
But, because I walk a lot every day, I think I’m getting stronger. Because both the Imperial Capital and this place were so large, I was walking a lot more than I had in my previous life. As there were no elevators, I had to go up and down the stairs a lot too.
The stables at Yurinova Castle were large and full of horses. It seemed that not only the horses of the duke’s family, but also those of the knights who were staying at the castle, were being cared for. There seemed to be a large number of attendants.
Alexei knew the duke’s horses well. Not only their names, but also their personalities, characteristics, and even their parents or pedigrees.
“Big Brother likes horses, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, I enjoy riding horses.”
…I sometimes wish we could just run away into the distance.
It wasn’t surprising, but it was natural to feel that way because we were in a position of too much responsibility.
All horses had large, luminous eyes and long eyelashes, and were cute creatures despite their size. But when I compare them to each other, I think that the duke’s horses were more beautiful and well-proportioned.
In this world, horses are also a mode of transportation, so this stable is a huge garage, as it was in a previous life. The duke’s horses were on par with supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis. The knight’s horses were luxury cars, not super-luxury cars like the Fair Lady or RX or something like that.
And the sturdy-looking farm horses that we sometimes saw on our travels were light trucks.
Ekaterina thought of Hokkaido’s Ban’ei horse (which weigh twice as much as thoroughbreds, making them huge), but perhaps such a horse is not the case.
However, horses were expensive animals, and not something that most common people have, like cars in my previous life.
Perhaps it was the sight of a knight riding such an expensive horse that drew admiration from the lords and ladies. In Yurinova’s knighthood, even if you were a commoner, you could become a knight by passing an entrance examination and presenting your sword to the duke, the head of the Order. At the same time, a knight was given enough money to keep a horse and hire a stable steward.
It would not be a title that could be passed on to one’s descendants, but it would be a status above that of a commoner, and one’s life would be much better. It would be a dream come true.
