Chapter 9- A Day At The Stables

The tea party ended off pretty smoothly. Alex and I got to try the luxurious desserts and they were delicious, really putting my family's desserts to shame. I should try to remember some recipes from my last life so I can give my family business a push. Anyways, I got to refuel my Claudium gauge and the rest of Saturday was wasted away on doing assignments. Sunday was supposed to be my relaxing day before classes start again, but…

"Seriously?" I asked.

"I really need help."

"But today is my relaxing day."

Alex gave me the puppy dog eyes, "Please! If I could ask someone else I would, but you're the only one!"

I only sighed, "Fine. Just let me get changed into something else. I don't think wearing a dress would be suited for what we're gonna do."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Alex hugged me out of gratitude.

"Yeah, yeah, get off of me."

After changing into a black blouse and some shorts, Alex and I walked out of the dorms and towards the back of the main campus where the stables are located. There was a large fenced off field with hurdles and barrels. Entering the large wooden building, I was met with rows of different colored horses. It's been a while since I saw so many horses in one place.

"So which horse are you having trouble with?" I asked.

"Angel." Alex walked over to the white horse. "I was assigned to this horse named Angel."

Angel snorted as it nodded her head. I smiled and held up both my hands. Once the horse got a clear view of having nothing in my hands, I walked up to her and gently petted the side of her neck. "What a good girl."

"How did you do that so easily? I always have trouble petting her. She would sometimes try to bite my fingers."

"I made sure to show her that I wasn't bringing her food. Most horses assume that you are either here to feed them or ride them. If you just suddenly reached out your hand, there's a good chance the horse might bite you. It's better to show that you have nothing in your hands and go for the side of the neck."

"Oh! That's a horse expert for you!"

"Anyways, is it just petting that you have trouble with?" I asked.

"Just letting me near her is the problem."

"How do you even approach her?"

"Like this…" Alex slowly walked up to Angel. I could tell that her form was very tense and she was nervous. Angel moved back and neighed. She stomped her foot and swayed her head side to side.

"Alex, back away," I ordered.

"Angel acts like that every time I get close to her," explained Alex as she moved back.

"It's because you're too tense. Angel can sense that you are nervous. Animals can sense human emotions through our body language. Because you were nervous, Angel became nervous. You should relax your muscles more."

"Relax. Okay, I need to be relaxed…" Alex took a deep breath and stood up straight while extruding confidence. She walked forward like how she would normally, only that she had a really stern look on her face. Angel snorted and moved back. This caused Alex to pause and look at me with crying eyes, "Reiré…"

I only sighed. "You look like you were gonna yell at the poor horse. Calm your expression."

"Right." Alex turned back to Angel and smiled. She smiled so bright that it could put the sun to shame. It honestly ticks me off. Why do all these characters' smiles make you feel so inferior? I don't have that skill. Why am I the only one without a sparkly smile? Oh, it's because I don't exist in this story in the first place. No need to smile like that when you don't even have screen time.

"Hey, Angel." Alex held up her hands as she walked up to the horse. "Can I pet you. Sorry, I didn't bring you any snacks this time."

Angel softly neighed as she nudged Alex's cheek. Alex giggled as she petted the horse's mane. So she can be good with animals. I guess it was just the nervousness that got in the way. Alexandra had a calming aura that animals loved, that's why she was good with animals. As long as Alex stays relaxed, her natural aura will draw in the animals. At least, that's how the novel explained it.

"Oh, I didn't think I'd see anyone here on the seventh day of the week."

Hmm? Turning around I was met with a young noble boy in a white dress shirt and black pants. He had light brown hair and deep blue eyes. He looked familiar, but I don't think I've met him before…

"Ah! Philip!"

When Alex called out his name, I almost choked on air. Philip Martin, the son of Viscount Vaine Martin who's also the leader of the Royal guards. No wonder he looked familiar. His face was on the cover of the novel, but he was drawn pretty small in the corner so he didn't really stand out. Now that I remember, didn't the heroine first meet Lord Philip in the horse stables? Doesn't that mean this is a scene? I missed Alex's first encounter with Lord Raphael, Prince Clovis, and Prince Leonhardt, I'm not gonna miss this. I should've bought some popcorn and sat down as I watched their encounter unfold. Wait… Do popcorn even exist yet?

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked.

"I'm here to do some practice. I don't think I've seen you ladies around here before."

"Ah, my name is Alexandra Bailey. I'm actually in Horseback Riding I."

I greeted right after, "I am her friend, Reiré Norman. I'm only here to help her. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Philip."

"Philip Martin, the pleasure is mine," he greeted back. "So you are here to ride as well, Lady Alexandra?"

"Oh, no. I'm still on the bonding stage with Angel," Alex clarified.

"Angel, huhn…" Lord Philip walked up to the white horse and gently petted her muzzle. "She's a good horse."

Hmm… "Shall we practice together?" I asked.

"Eh? Reiré, I don't know how to ride yet," voiced Alex.

"You know how to put on a saddle?" I questioned.

"The teacher showed us how, but Angel never let me get close to put it on her," she explained.

"Well, now's your chance to try. And besides, I was a gold medal horse rider, I can steer Angel while you just experience what it's like to ride on a horse."

Alex was still hesitant, "I don't know…"

"Lord Philip can help us," I suggested.

"I don't mind. I'm in Horseback Riding III. Helping the underclassmen is the job of the upperclassmen."

"Okay. It could help me catch up with the rest of the class," said Alex.

"I'll go grab the saddles from the other building," Lord Philip offered.

"Thank you, Lord Philip."

We watched Lord Philip leave the stables in a light jog. He didn't need to rush, he could have walked. We have all day after all.

"I didn't think I'd meet Philip so soon," said Alex.

"Your dialogue with him was slightly different from the novel-"

"The game too," she added.

"But Lord Philip was the last male lead you met. With this, you have encountered all the love interests."

"I'm still going for Prince Leon. So having these encounters aren't helping. It's not like I'm trying to get the reverse harem ending."

"Is it bad to get the reverse harem ending? Isn't that where everyone avoids heartbreak?"

"Yeah, but I don't want so many boys. I just want one, where he can give me his undivided attention, like what a good boyfriend does."

"Uh… I don't think that's how it works."

"Whatever the case, it's bad that I'm raising the flags of the other targets, I need to avoid them so I can avoid the reverse harem ending."

I only shrugged, "I don't really care what ending you get, because, in all of them, Lady Claudia dies. My only objective is to make sure she avoids that."

"If I were you, I just make sure that the protagonist doesn't get close to the targets then, since they are the trigger for Claudia's death. I'm surprised that you have not sabotaged any of my encounters yet."

"It's not like I'm an antagonist, I'm a side character," I stated. "Besides, I'm not that shallow as to ruin a thirteen-year-old's chance at love."

"Fifteen!" she corrected. "I might have remembered my thirteen-year-old self, but biologically, I am fifteen right now!"

I rolled my eyes, "My mistake."

Alex sighed, "At least, you aren't a bad person. It'd be bad for me if we were at opposite ends like what you read in mangas with this kind of plotline."

Now that I think about it… "That's actually true. In almost all light novels I've read with this kind of plotline, the reincarnated or transmigrated are always put against each other. But they're always in the heroine and the villainess position, so I guess it would make sense that they are put at odds? Though, even as a side character, they somehow still get into trouble with the person that became the heroine."

"Right? I'm so glad that's not the case in real life." Alex sighed with relief. "I feel like you could easily beat me, Reiré."

I giggled, "Fufufu. I may be fifteen, but I have a brain of an eighteen-year-old thanks to regaining my past memories of my past life. I have way more experience in the love department than you, Alex."

"You say that, but have you actually dated anyone?"

I smirked, "As a matter of fact, yes."

"Was it a girl?" she asked curiously.

"No, it was a boy," I answered. "Every girl I liked, turned me down because they were straight. I've only gone out with guys."

"Ooooh! So mature!" Alex praised.

"That's right, I'm your senpai when it comes to love!"

"So then you must be sad that you left your boyfriend right? I would be sad too if I suddenly died without saying anything."

"Guh!" I gloomily looked down at my feet. "Actually, he broke up with me during the start of senior year. He said he couldn't handle long-distance relationships since we'll be going to different colleges."

"Ah… I'm sorry for your loss?"

"Like hell I care! I'm not hurt at all!"

"But Reiré, you looked super hurt," Alex said.

"I'm not! I have Lady Claudia now! I was reborn! I shouldn't care about my love life in my past life. Nothing is better than the present!" I stated.

"Sooooo, did you date anyone in this life?"

Losing my enthusiasm, I dropped my head and answered, "No."

Alex chuckled, "I guess getting another partner isn't all that easy."

"You could say that again. What's worse is that I'm also babysitting you."

Alex took offense to my words. "Hey!"

I sighed, "Well, I guess it's better than being alone. I don't know how long my sanity would take if I didn't have anyone to talk to about this."

"It is nice to have someone in the same situation as you. Though, I always wondered if we're the only ones. It's already rare enough for one of us to reincarnate but for both of us to end up in the same world is like a long shot."

That's kind of true… What would happen if we met another reincarnator? Would they be an ally or a foe? Would they think that this world was based on Fight for Love and Acceptance too? Would they start spreading the twenty-first-century knowledge to try and get rich? What if they used that knowledge to gain power? There are so many possibilities that can happen depending on the type of person that was reincarnated.

I stared at Alex to see her giving me a cute head tilt. I'm just happy Alex isn't like that. It would be a pain to deal with someone that has ulterior motives. "Alex, I appreciate you so much. So so much."

Alex blinked in confusion. "Eh?"

I clasped her hands in mine and voiced, "So so very much."

"Reiré, you're scaring me."

"I got our protective gear and the saddles and reins," Lord Philip called out as he entered the stables.

Once Lord Philp returned, I quickly recomposed myself. "Thanks," I voiced as I took the helmets from him.

"I'll prep Angel," Alex said as she took one of the saddles and reins from Lord Philip.

"Which horse are you riding, Lord Philip?" I asked.

"I'll be riding with Noir. He's been my partner since Horseback Riding I." He walked up to a black horse and petted his neck.

"Reiré, can you help me with Angel?" Alex called out to me.

"I'm coming," I replied as I grabbed a bucket of grains that was nearby.

Alex had already entered Angel's stable and was waiting for me. She waited until I grabbed Angel's attention before putting the saddle on her back. Angel snorted but continued to eat the grains I presented to her.

"How do I do this again?" Alex mumbled.

"Want to switch?" I suggested.

"Nah, I think I got it. And there." Alex smiled when she fastened the saddle.

That was kind of fast… "I don't want us falling off Angel, so make sure that the saddle is fastened correctly."

She pouted, "I did it correctly. We're not gonna fall."

"I don't believe you. Put the bit in Angel's mouth as I check the girth on the saddle," I ordered.

"You're so mean, Reiré," Alex whined.

"I know, I know," I subconsciously voiced as I placed the bucket down.

Alex and I switched positions. I checked the saddle by gently tugging on it. Then I looked at the girth that's wrapped around Angel's belly to make sure it was tightened correctly. It was pretty tight and it doesn't look like it was hurting Angel, so everything was fine.

"I'm done with the reins," Alex announced.

"Okay. The saddle looks fine, so let's get her out."

Alex gave me a smug look. "See, I pay attention to class."

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry for doubting you."

Alex chuckled as she pulled on the reins leading Angel out of the stables. Lord Philip was already out riding on Noir. "You two need some help getting on?"

"We should be good," I said as I buckled up my helmet, getting ready to ride. I placed my feet on the stirrup pad and hoisted myself onto the saddle. Alex followed my lead and did what I did, hoisting herself up behind me. "You good?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. This is so cool. We're up so high!"

"Hold on tight, we'll start with a slow walk. Make sure you observe how I command Angel," I informed her.

"Okay!" Alex wrapped her arms around my waist and I began to gently wave my legs. Angel didn't really move, so gave a light kick instead and that got her walking forward.

"Woah!" Alex was a bit surprised by the sudden movement and tightened her hold on me. It was very uncomfortable. I have never ridden with someone behind me before.

"This is so amazing," Alex squealed.

"I was a bit nervous since I have never ridden a horse with this body before, but I'm glad my memories are helpful, it's like I've been riding all my life."

I lightly tugged my right hand to guide Angel toward the training grounds where Lord Philip was already at. Seeing us approaching, Lord Philip moved next to us and slowed Noir's pace to Angel's.

"Looks like you are doing good. I don't think you need my help."

"Probably not, but having you here is more of a reassurance if anything goes wrong," I said.

"Nothing wrong with that. Shall we pick up the speed? You're going awfully slow."

"Alex isn't used to riding," I said. "So I thought I'd start out slow so she can get used to the movement."

"I think you can increase the pace a little. She looks to be already used to the small movement."

"Yeah, this is way too slow," agreed Alex. "Let's do a jog around the track."

"Alright, if you say so." I lightly kicked Angel's side again to increase her speed. I pulled the reins slightly just to make sure she doesn't go into a full sprint. It was only a slow trot, not even a jog yet, but Alex was already having trouble.

"Waah!" Alex's arms tightened even more around me as we gently bounced on the saddle.

"Alex, you're gonna crush my innards if you keep tightening your grip," I claimed.

"I'm sorry!" Even though she apologized, she didn't loosen her grip at all. "This feels so strange."

Lord Philip chuckled, "This is only a trot, not even a jog."

Alex gasped, "This isn't a jog?!"

"Nope," I answered.

"How do you feel riding a horse?" Lord Philip asked Alex.

"Feels amazing! But I feel like my lower half is gonna go numb," she revealed as her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"You're just not used to it," I said. "It took awhile for me too to get used to riding horses as well."

"When did you start riding horses, Lady Reiré?" Lord Philip questioned. "It is quite rare to see commoners owning horses unless you belong to a merchant family."

"Ah…" Can't exactly say from where, but, "Well, I learned how to ride when I was nine and I have been training since then." Not a lie, but I stopped training when I was sixteen and just rode for fun around the neighborhood.

"So six years. I still have you beat. I've been riding horses since I was eight."

"Oh, so it's a competition now?"

Lord Philip laughed. "I was just curious since I don't see many girls riding horses. Lady Charlotte was the only girl who knew how to ride horses properly before coming to Roseward Academy."

Alex hummed, "I forgot Charlotte knew how to ride horses. She's your childhood friend, right?"

"Yes, I met her at a social gathering back when I was seven. Because of our love for horses, we became close," he explained. "Even though she's a lady, she knows how to ride. We often had a lot of horse races when we practiced together."

"Do you two still ride horses together now that you guys are in the academy together?" Alex asked.

"Not as much, compared to the assignments we get and the parties we attend we just don't have time to ride together. We do try to find some time where our schedules wouldn't interfere and have a day for riding, but that is rare."

"That's so sad, you guys should totally be together more. You guys make a cute couple after all."

I flinched upon hearing that. Oi! Alex, you… I glanced back to give in her a panicked look. I hope he wasn't offended by that.

Lord Philip blushed as he became bashful. Oh… Didn't think I'd see that reaction. Kind of reminds me of Lord Raphael. "Really? I mean I never thought of Lady Charlotte in that way before."

"Eh? Don't you think Charlotte is pretty and cute?"

I shook my head disappointedly. This girl really is a troublemaker.

"Um… S-She's cute, I guess?"

"What do you mean, 'I guess?' Don't you like her?"

"I-I do!" Lord Philip answered when Alex became aggressive with her attitude.

"Alex, what are you doing?" I whispered.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she whispered back. "I'm trying to set Philip and Charlotte together."

"Why?"

"Less competition for my attention, you know?"

Oh… That does make sense. If you get the other male leads into a relationship then they won't even look at the protagonist… hopefully. Actually, going by all the cliche boys with engagements and the heroine still manages to steal the boys, I don't think that's gonna work. "I don't think it's that simple. I mean, most nobles are engaged and cheating still occurs."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Of course, because they are arranged, but if I make them fall naturally in love then it's foolproof!"

I have my doubts. "I guess that's pretty smart… for you."

"Right? Then I can focus on just Leo without these other guys getting in my way. Better to prepare for the future, so let's go with that plan. You set Rium and Raphael together-"

"Woah, woah, woah! You're asking me to interfere with Lady Rium's and Lord Raphael's love life? Why don't you do that?"

"But you're closer to them."

I grumbled in defeat, "Okay, that's true…" It's not really that hard since they already like each other but are too scared to even confess.

"We also need to get Sophia and Clovis together," she voiced.

"Those two are gonna be a bit hard. Do we have to work on them? I mean, Lady Sophia is gonna automatically be engaged to Prince Clovis anyways in the second half of the year."

"But there is no love involved! It's just a political marriage! We need them to be lovey-dovey!"

I sighed, "Easier said than done."

"This will also lower the chances of me getting bullied by the love rivals, so this is beneficial! Let's begin tomorrow!" Alex shouted.

"Fine, but if I get in trouble, I'm gonna use you as the scapegoat."

"Eh!? Don't do that! Reiré, why won't you praise me for once!?"

This girl will surely be the death of me someday. When that time comes, I'm dragging her down with me.