47 Short Break Before the Entrance Exam [Part 2]

"Big Brother."

"Yes, Chloe?"

"Can I ride in the front this time?" Chloe asked as she gazed at the saddle with a determined expression.

Ciel looked at Chloe with a serious expression. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Very well, but you have to hold the horn in front of the saddle to keep your balance."

Chloe nodded her head happily. Just to be on the safe side, Ciel held Dorothy in place while Chloe mounted her. Chloe deftly placed her left foot in the stirrup and mounted the saddle successfully. Dorothy was a very gentle mare, and since Chloe always rode with Ciel, Emily decided to pick this horse as their mount.

After Ciel deemed that Chloe was safe and secure on the saddle, he also mounted the horse and sat behind her. Ciel's left hand held Chloe's waist, while his right hand held the reins. The little fox had a very satisfied expression on her face, because her Big Brother was hugging her from behind.

'What a good plan.' Kate nodded her head as she sat comfortably on Lancelot's saddle.

[Indeed,] Stella agreed. [When it comes to taking the initiative, Chloe wins hands down.]

Kate didn't say anything else, but instead looked at the 'Brother and Sister' pair with a smile. Ever since Chloe and her became close friends, she no longer felt jealous when the little fox was together with Ciel.

In fact, she was close to treating Chloe like a little sister, just like how Ciel treated her. Kate was an only child. Although Stella was always around her, she always wanted to have a little sister or a little brother. Kate couldn't possibly treat Ciel like a little brother, so she looked at the younger girl as her little sister candidate.

Chloe was a very kind and sweet girl. It was very easy to become friends with her as long as you didn't steal her "Big Brother" away from her.

Seeing that his friends were ready, Ethan, nodded his head and made Casper go into a canter. The group followed behind him, while the adults kept a good distance away from them. Kate wanted to make Lancelot go into a gallop, but she reigned her excitement in. She didn't want to cause a commotion because the adults were supervising them.

In time, they arrived at the hill overlooking the valley with beautiful flowers. They chose a comfortable place to tie the horses and spread their picnic blanket. It was a bright and clear day, but it was not too hot.

"Big Brother, is it ok if I pick some flowers?" Chloe asked while wearing sunglasses.

"Of course. Do you want me to accompany you?"

"Un!"

Kate, Claire, and Ethan watched as Ciel guided Chloe to the field of flowers. As usual, Chloe was holding unto his arm because the footing was uneven. Claire decided to open the book she brought along with her. It was a different book this time, she already finished reading "The Webnovel Writer's Chatgroup" and decided to read a fantasy romance story that was recommended to her by her Aunt Andrea.

Ethan glanced at Kate who was looking at Ciel and Chloe with gentle eyes. "They look good together don't they?"

Kate nodded her pretty head and gave Ethan a sidelong glance. "Yes, they do."

"Do you think the two of them will get married after a few years?," Ethan probed. He wanted to know how Kate would react to his question.

"Maybe. Or maybe not." Kate grinned. "The only thing I'm sure of is that whoever marries the two of them will be very lucky."

"I disagree."

"Oh?"

"I think the one who will marry you is the lucky one."

Kate's body stiffened at Ethan's cheesy comment. It took her a moment to regain her bearing and admonished the boy for his cheesiness. "Oh hush, I bet you say that to all the girls."

"I don't!" Ethan denied firmly. "I'm not a loose person who compliments every girl I see."

"Heh~ so you say," Kate replied with a grin. "But didn't you compliment Claire that she looked very pretty in her riding clothes when we arrived at your house?"

Claire, who was reading two meters away from them, narrowed her gaze at the book she was reading.

"Don't drag me into this," Claire muttered under her breath as she turned a page. Her voice was very low and no one was able to hear the words she said.

Ethan glanced at Claire with a look of appreciation. He believed that the compliment he gave her was well deserved. Claire was wearing white breeches and a black jacket. Her light-brown hair and clear green eyes made her look like a noble lady out on a trip in the countryside.

Since their ages were not too far apart, the children got along really well.

"Hehe~ Do you like what you see?" Kate teased from the side. "Claire is very pretty, right? Give her a few more years and she will be an outstanding beauty!"

"Not as beautiful as you," Ethan replied in a heartbeat.

After the words left his mouth, a book hit the side of his head. The poor boy grimaced in pain as he held his head with both hands.

"Sorry, the book slipped from my hand," Claire said in a monotonous voice. "Are you hurt?"

Kate quickly averted her gaze. Her body shuddered from time to time as she held back her laughter. If she were to believe Claire's excuse that the book she was reading "slipped from her hand" and went flying to hit Ethan's head then she would have questioned her intelligence.

'Although this miss, is not that smart, I'm not stupid either!' Kate thought with a grin on her face.

"Ow! Ow!" Ethan exclaimed. "Why are you pressing on the spot where the book hit with your fist? It hurts."

"Don't you know? Adding pressure to wounds stops the bleeding," Claire replied with the same monotonous voice she used earlier. "If first aid is not administered early, it could lead to brain damage."

"If you continue kneading my head with your fist, my brain will really get damaged!"

"Are you really a man? Why are you acting like a sissy."

"Correction, I'm still a boy," Ethan countered. "Not yet a man."

Claire nodded her head in understanding. "I see. That explains it."

"Explain what?"

"Your stupidity."

"Y-You!" Ethan held both her wrists with his hands. "Did you just say I'm stupid?"

"Yes," Claire replied. "If you didn't hear it then that would make you deaf as well."

Kate made herself scarce and snuck away from the two quarreling kids. She headed towards Ciel and Chloe and joined them in their quest to pick flowers. Although she didn't know how Claire felt about Ethan, she didn't want to be dragged into their children's spat.