25. A visit to the stablehouse

Mona was stomping her foot deliberately while walking behind the Grand Duke. Her lips were pouted, enough to hang a pot on them. Annoyance was clearly visible on her face. The very reason was the Grand Duke currently leading her to the stable house.

The irritating man shows up just when her conversation with her maid is getting more interesting. And abruptly reminded her of her forgotten worries about staying on his territory. The path to the stable went beyond the training grounds, and the garden where she was earlier was on the opposite side of it. So obviously, the Grand Duke really went out of his way just to annoy her.

When they passed the knights practicing and doing their own stuff, the joyful atmosphere on them fell silent at their sight. It was only the captain, Sir Lionel, sitting leisurely on the ground, who nodded in her direction.

The same thing happened whenever they would bump into a servant. Instead of acknowledging the presence of their master, they were left speechless and too stunned to bow their head. Every time it would happen, Mona couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"If a bad wind blows, your eyes will be crossed forever."

She snickered at the words. And stomped her foot harder. His people were to blame if that happened since they were all so exaggerated.

What's so wrong with seeing their master with her?

When her limbs got tired from her deliberate heavy steps, she stopped being sulky and walked normally instead. But her face remains as it was.

"I'm fine being a maidservant. I'm not very good at handling horses." She replied to him.

The Grand Duke looked back at her and smirked.

"You rode one just fine before."

"Riding them and taking care of them are completely different things."

"I don't think so." He looked ahead. The path they were now threading had become rough and dust-covered. Luckily, her former white clothes were changed into a cotton floral dress reaching just below her knees paired with her strapped knee-high boots. "You have to take care of the horse, so they'll let you ride them."

At a distance, she can already see their destination. A large building was divided into separate stalls for individual horses, whose perimeter was surrounded by fences and wires.

Inside were a few horses walking languidly and eating their ground from time to time, while some were just sitting and chewing their food on their stalls. There are also a few horse grooms carrying buckets of water and brush to bathe some of the horses.

When they reached the fence, a burly man in his early thirties came rushing and greeted the Grand Duke. The man was wearing just a plain brown shirt and plaid trousers tucked inside his boots.

"Good day, my lord! Are you here to check on Frost?" The man inquired cheerfully. He failed to notice that his master just brought his probable future colleague.

"Yes. But I also want you to meet someone, Ed."

The Grand Duke looked at her and grinned, which she just answered with a frown. The man named Ed finally glanced her way and was astonished. His jaw dropped at the sight of the infamous woman of the capital, standing beside his master. The horse grooms from afar suddenly halted at their work and listened to them.

"W-Wha-at..."

"This is Mona. I think she might be helping you tend the horses in the future, Ed. So, make sure to get along well." The Grand Duke replied to the stuttering reaction of the stable master.

"Please to meet you, sir." Mona bowed despite being reluctant. She guessed she had no choice but to adhere to the Grand Duke's command if she wanted to remain in his land. She glanced at the wide meadow beyond the building and thought that it wouldn't be that bad to run horses there frequently.

She glanced back at the man still stunned in front of her. To assure the man that she was harmless, she flashed a wide smile. But her effort was in vain when the Grand Duke's back abruptly stepped forward and covered her front. Her smile fell on his wide back instead.

"Take Frost out. Now." The deep and serious tone of him echoed.

The stable master, sensing that his master's mood was dropping negatively, followed his order immediately. He dashed back inside the stable and picked the most beautiful horse in the house. But even before he pulled out the horse, footsteps from the direction of the entrance caught his attention.

There was his master, walking gracefully even on a path surrounded by horse dung, and glancing around. He seems to be finding something. So, the stable master lifted his hand and waved at him. Assuming his master was looking for the one he was holding.

"This way, my lord!"

Kyden heard the man, but his attention was already on a stall at the end of the third row. There stands a black horse with a thick mane and tail, with feathers on its lower legs, and powerfully muscled. It was nudging the bolted door of the stall, showing its eagerness to run freely outside. Its dark color is shiny, yet as black as the night. When the horse noticed his presence, it flung its head toward him and snorted.

Which made him laugh, thinking how similar the reaction was from a certain someone. He approached the door and unlocked it. The horse neighed excitedly and walked out of the stall. Kyden grabbed the reins to lead the horse, spotting Ed at the entrance holding other reins attached to a white and pristine-looking horse.

That one was his own horse, named Frost by him. At his sight, the white horse whickered and trotted toward him.

He rubbed its mane and it nudged him, while the black one was already pulling him outside.

"My lord, that one. Why are you taking it outside?" Ed asked him pointing at the black horse.

"Can't I?" Kyden answered, surprised at the light irritation in his own voice.

"O-Oh… of course you can, my lord. It's just that, that horse is quite hard to handle. It always runs around anywhere and is a bit vigorous, we always had difficulty in chasing it due to its agility and strength." Ed answered. Carefully choosing his words to not upset his lord any further. Although the man was still wondering what angered his master.

"Yeah. Just like someone I know."

Kyden pulled the black horse and walked towards the fence, where he left Mona. He saw her squatting on the ground while pulling some overgrown grass.

"What are you doing?"

Not bothering to look up, Mona answered. "Starting my first day of work, my lord." And she continued to pull some grass and throw them towards a horse standing nearby. The horse on standby will then eat the grass and urge her to pull some more.

"Pfft."

Upon hearing the suppressed chuckle, Mona harshly threw the fist of grass she pulled and it accidentally slapped the lazy horse's face and it grunted at her then. She glared at the ungrateful horse and inclined her head upwards.

The Grand Duke was looking at her with amusement in his eyes. His lips were lifted on both corners, and his white hair was swaying by the wind. Her retorts and complaints towards her wicked master were blown away. All she could think of was how dazzling he was now.

"I was just kidding you. I wasn't expecting you'd take my words seriously." His words brought her back from her thoughts.

She frowned at him and answered. "I thought the Grand Duke doesn't know how to joke with someone."

The Grand Duke fell quiet but replied at once before turning his back to her.

"There's always an exception." He walked away and ordered. "Follow me."

Mona stood up and rubbed her hands. Her eyes followed the Grand Duke, so she noticed instantly the two horses standing in the direction he was heading to. She quickly ran after him, in awe at the sight of the two creatures.

The white one was just standing and moving gracefully, while the black one was overzealous. Trotting here and there, and constantly nudging the white one to join him on his trot dance. And looking fed up at the jubilant fellow, the white one flung his tail and walked away.

'Now, that seems familiar...' She thought. Referring to the white horse's actions.

The Grand Duke rubbed the white horse's mane and mouthed a few words as if soothing a whiny child.

Mona approached the black one, jumping merrily at its spot.

"Is this horse deprived of freedom?"

The Grand Duke laughed at her words. Patting the white one, he replied. "Name it."

"It doesn't have a name yet?" The Grand Duke nodded. "Why didn't you name it? How about that one?"

"Frost."

"Wow. You're playing favorites, your grace." She joked which only earned a smirk from him. But in her mind, the name of the horse suited it. It was so white and pristine. Even the horse looks so noble and elegant. Completely opposite to the black one. She recognized the breed and was reminded of how Friesian horses are graceful and nimble.

Frost looked at her and snorted. Why does even the horse feel disgruntled towards her?

"The owner should be the one naming it." The Grand Duke then tugged on the reins of the black horse and handed it to her.

Mona looked a little bemused. The Grand Duke's words and actions imply that she is the owner. She carefully took the reins and whispered.

"Is this mine?"

"Yes." He answered. Looking at her with unreadable eyes. "One of the many things you'll own and belong in the future. So, name it yourself."

She heard a thump but was too afraid to acknowledge where it came from. She quickly averted her gaze, scared that he might see something from her eyes. He hasn't forgotten what she said that night. And he's only doing this to erase her anxiousness.

But Mona, unconsciously running her fingers at the black horse's silky and shiny mane, can't help but feel terrified. At first, she was only thinking of settling on this world through him. But now, she's terrified of being greedy. Soon, she'll desire more, staying not only in this world but in his world as well.

So, in her mind, it would be better to nip her sprouting feelings, or else she might get hurt in the end.

Because there was no way the respected, gracious, and noble Grand Duke would fall for a woman whose origin was unknown, like her.