At that moment, Leticia leaned on me and whispered.
“Dietrian, look at the horse’s eyes. They’re large and sparkling, just like the night sky.”
Not far away, stable hands were soothing dozens of horses, their coats as white as snow.
A dark blue saddle with the Big Dipper drawn on it was placed on the horse’s back, the symbol of the Benedict family from Eastland.
“Didn’t you say Eastland is famous for its vast plains and fine horses?”
“That’s right. For generations, they’ve been training horses for the royal knights.”
The horses we were looking at had been sent by the head of the Benedict family as a wedding gift. The head of the family wanted to offer one of them to Leticia. We had come out to choose a horse for her.
“Which horse do you like the most?”
“I’m not sure yet. They’re all so beautiful that I don’t know which one to choose…”
As Leticia said, all the horses sent by the lord were magnificent.
Though they varied in size, their eyes sparkled with vitality, they stood tall, and their coats gleamed with shine.
Even though they had arrived in an unfamiliar place after a long journey, they were incredibly gentle, a sign of their excellent training.
“Do you want to take some more time to decide?”
“Of course.”
Even though it wasn’t her first time seeing horses, Leticia couldn’t take her eyes off them. Seeing her so happy, I forgot my own worries and smiled softly.
“Let’s make some time to visit Eastland soon. There, you can see even more horses than these. It’s truly a sight to behold, hundreds of horses roaming together across the green plains.”
“They raise hundreds of horses at once? How is that even possible?”
“The Benedict family is one of the places that originally inherited the power of the Guardians. Those who inherited the Benedict power could communicate with animals.”
“But the power of the Guardians is gone, isn’t it? Oh, except for Gilead’s power.”
I chuckled softly at Leticia’s quick addition.
“The Benedict power disappeared long ago as well, but the techniques remain.”
Like other families that lost the Guardian power, the Benedict family initially fell into chaos, but eventually, they overcame the trials with human strength. Through continuous effort, they developed techniques that surpassed the Guardian’s power.
Until just recently, I thought that Lord Sigmund had abandoned us. But after meeting him in person, I realized that wasn’t the case.
For a moment, I looked at Genos Castle. The arch at the entrance of the castle was adorned with statues symbolizing the twelve Guardian families. As I gazed at the symbol of Gilead in the center, many thoughts crossed my mind.
‘What will become of Gilead’s power? Will it disappear again? Or will it remain as the only returned Guardian power?’
Will a new Guardian power return? I wasn’t sure. If I had to guess, I would say no. Lord Sigmund preferred to avoid the involvement of dragons.
‘If Gilead’s power remains…’
If Gilead’s power doesn’t disappear, then my child will inherit Gilead’s abilities.
My thoughts flowed without hesitation.
What kind of future will that child see?
What choices will they make?
“Just ask Leticia. That will solve your dilemma.”
“If you’re curious, be brave.”
I wondered if the child, like me, would hesitate when making decisions.
“Dietrian, can we ride that horse?”
Leticia’s voice brought me back from my thoughts. Following her gaze, I saw a horse with a particularly white mane.
From the way it didn’t resist human touch, it was clear that the horse was very gentle.
I, too, liked the horse immediately. Since it was a horse for my wife to ride, a gentle temperament was the most important thing.
“Of course. Bring that horse over here.”
“At your command, Your Highness.”
With my help, Leticia mounted the horse, and after making sure her posture was stable, I swiftly got on as well. As soon as I settled into the saddle, I wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Is your posture alright?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s take a round.”
“Sounds good.”
We slowly urged the horse forward. The rhythmic clopping of the horse’s hooves echoed pleasantly. As we followed the outer wall of the royal castle, we came upon a secluded pathway.
Perhaps because no one was watching—though, truthfully, I’d play pranks even if someone was—I suddenly wanted to tease her. I leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Leticia’s temple. She flinched in surprise but soon burst into laughter.
“What was that for?”
“I couldn’t help it. You’re just too lovable.”
In response to my playful comment, Leticia pretended to scold me in a stern voice.
“We are on a horse, Your Highness. You could make us fall.”
“You don’t have to worry. I will always protect you, my lady.”
Resting my chin on her shoulder, I asked softly,
“By the way, my lady, your posture is quite stable. Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“Horses? You know I can ride. On the way from Rosantine, I clearly…”
Leticia paused. I smirked. Leticia’s eyes widened as she realized my intent. My smile deepened.
“If you already know how to ride a horse, why did you pretend you didn’t? Care to explain?”
Her cheeks flushed slightly at my question. Oh. I must confess, every time I saw Leticia get embarrassed, my heart felt like it would burst.
In the past, it was her shyness itself that was adorable, but at some point, it was her unexpected boldness that drove me mad.
“Actually, I kind of regretted telling you I could ride a horse.”
“Hm?”
“I mean, I wish I hadn’t told you. Then, I could’ve learned to ride from you again.”
Leticia spoke with a slightly flushed face. For a moment, I was at a loss for words. We both remembered the same moment. The time I had practically begged to teach her how to ride when she was avoiding me.
‘No, it’s not exactly the same.’
Back then, I had been desperate to save the woman I loved. I wanted to give her anything, even the smallest thing, so I taught her how to ride a horse.
Meanwhile, Leticia probably believed I did it out of kindness and affection, fulfilling my duties as a king.
“Whoa, whoa.”
“Dietrian?”
“Shall we stop for a moment?”
I patted the horse’s head gently as it came to a halt, then slowly stood up. I smiled softly at Leticia, who was looking down at me, puzzled. Her healthy and radiant face was a stark contrast to the frail, desperate look she had in the past. The mere sight of her back then had torn my heart apart. Now, only the present remained.
Looking into her green eyes, which were filled with affection solely for me, I whispered.
“I have something to say, Leticia.”
“Something to say?”
“Hold my hand. Wait, lean on my shoulder for a moment.”
Carefully, I helped Leticia down from the horse. Maybe it was because she was carrying our child, but lately, her body felt warmer than usual. Every time I held her warm body close, I felt her presence more deeply.
I led Leticia to a nearby bench, sat her down, and tied the horse nearby. Then, I sat beside her, playing with her hands as I spoke.
“You know I’ve regained all my memories from the past, right?”
“Yes.”
“There’s actually a secret from the past that I haven’t told you yet.”
“A secret, you say?”
“As a matter of fact…”
I pressed a firm kiss on the back of her hand. It was just another expression of love, something I did often.
All I had to do was confess that I had loved her in the past, that I had loved her from the moment I first saw her, and that I had always loved her.
But the words wouldn’t come out easily.
I suddenly realized the weight of my own heart.
“When I taught you how to ride a horse, it wasn’t because I was kind. Nor was it because I, as a king, was concerned about the safety of you, the Saint’s daughter.”
“Then… why?”
“The truth is, I loved you.”
“…What?”
“From the moment I first saw you, I loved you. I have always loved you. There has never been a moment when I did not love you.”
Leticia seemed bewildered by my confession. It made sense. How could I have loved her from the first moment when our first meeting was nothing short of disastrous? As I carefully chose my words, she asked,
“You’ve loved me since the moment we first met?”
“That’s right.”
“Are we remembering our first meeting differently?”
“No. I’m sure it’s the same. The first time I saw you, you were standing beside the Saint.”
“Then why… back then, I spilled tea on you. How could you…?”
Leticia’s expression hardened slightly. I, too, grew tense as I watched her. At that moment, I regretted coming here alone. Perhaps I should have brought Kailas with me. If Leticia were shocked or distressed, her healing power could have soothed things quickly.
“Dietrian, you don’t have… that kind of preference, do you?”
“What?”
“You don’t enjoy… being treated like that, do you?”
For a moment, I didn’t understand what she meant. When I finally realized, I quickly shook my head.
“No, absolutely not. It wasn’t because I liked getting drenched with tea.”
“Then why…?”
“It’s a long story. The truth is, even before we arrived at the Empire, I had already been dreaming about Gilead. I had dreamt of you.”
I slowly began recounting the events of my past.
Enoch’s death, the girl who had been my only comfort in the depths of despair, the shock of meeting you, who looked just like her, and the love that blossomed in my heart.
I told her about my inner turmoil, how my feelings grew as I healed her in the desert, and how I finally resolved to love her no matter who she was.
The explanation went on.
I thought I had made peace with all the memories of my past. But that wasn’t entirely true. Some scenes still caused me pain.
Not because of my own suffering, but because of how pitiful she had been in those memories.
In those moments, I drew strength from looking at my wife, who now gazed at me with eyes full of love, entirely devoted to me.
I reminded myself that the past was behind us, and that we were happy in the present.
Still, it was difficult to be completely honest with her. Yet, I gathered the strength to do so. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity again. I wanted to overcome this, too.
“When I realized you were cursed, I resolved to save you, no matter what it took. That was the most important thing to me at the time. So I ran to Josephina, and everything that followed, you already know.”
By then, tears were streaming down Leticia’s cheeks. As I gently wiped her silent tears, I whispered.
“I know my choices must have hurt you, but I don’t regret them. To be honest, loving you has been painful for me as well. I believed you hated me. But in the final moment, I finally understood the truth—I had misunderstood your feelings all along. Perhaps, deep down, I already sensed it. That you loved me, too. Especially when I learned that you were willing to die for me.”
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