When The Moon Tilts West - Chapter 6-3

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Chapter 6 – Part 3

Leon and Olivia got into a carriage and moved to the outskirts of the capital. Her curiosity was stimulated by a place full of wild trees, not the usual landscaping trees in the garden. Then, Leon brought a horse.

The horse he gave was bigger than the horse that drove the carriage. The horse was just as shiny as silver and had a nice black mane. She admired the handsome appearance.

“Your Excellency, will it bite me?”

“I brought the most gentle guy. If you don’t offend it, it won’t bite you.”

As she looked at the horse, it blinked its eyes with a gentle gaze. Reassured then, she carefully reached out her hand and caressed the snout of the horse.

“Kyaak!”

The horse laughed and revealed its yellow upper teeth. Surprised by the bizarre appearance, she jumped into Leon without knowing it, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and grinned. The horse’s laughter was so shocking that she didn’t even realize he was laughing or that he held her by the shoulder for a moment.

“I do it because I feel good. I like being petted.”

“really? Be excited.”

When she plucked up her courage again, the horse pricked its ear and rubbed its snout at her. Although her nostrils still haven’t gotten used to it, Olivia likes this gentle beast. The horse had a characteristic odor of straw.

When she had become somewhat familiar with the horse, Leon put her on the saddle first. Because she was wearing a skirt, she had to sit facing the side, not in front, and it was so unstable that she was pretty scared. He jumped on her horse when in the high view, she pondered whether she should give up now.

As he grabbed the reins in position, she was naturally locked in his arms. Olivia felt comfortable in the arms protecting herself.

“Your Excellency. Would the horse be heavy? It might be difficult to carry me, too.”

He laughed at her words.

“Don’t worry. It can carry even two armed soldiers.”

“Wow…”

She was genuinely amazed. She knew that horses pull carriages, though it’s really strong. She stroked the horse’s mane.

“Let’s go now.”

At his words, she nodded her head.

As he lifted the reins and slammed it down, the horse began to walk slowly. Olivia couldn’t get used to the high visibility, although as the horse moved, she closed her eyes tightly, unwittingly frightened.

“Miss Claudel. It’s fine. If you are afraid, take my arm.”

At that, she grabbed his arm that was holding the reins. A low laughter was heard above her head. When Leon laughed like this, she looked like she was very funny.

Her cheeks were stained red.

“Are you very scared?”

“I can stand it.”

“You can endure it, is it that much, then we stop even now…”

“Oh, no! It’s okay! I didn’t mean it!”

She opened her eyes and gazed at Leon. Perhaps, it was because of the sunlight, his eyes seemed to look at her warmly.

As she tried to make sure that what she saw was right, he opened his mouth as she did.

“Miss Claudel. Would you like to see the side?”

As Olivia, who was only looking at the front, when told, turned her head. Her eyes immediately opened wide.

“Wow.”

When she arrived, she saw the nature she had never known before. The dark green grass glowed yellow-green in the sunlight and dark green in the shaded areas. The sky was bright blue and clear, and white clouds were playfully decorated.

She was walking there on a horse. A breeze blew and tickled her hair. The scent of her hair brushed the tip of Leon’s nose.

Olivia, looking in front, was unaware that Leon’s gaze behind was on her. Leon’s gaze turned to her slender neckline. With the defenseless, exposed collarbones, every move of the horse revealed a glimpse of her breasts that had been veiled by the clothes.

When his gaze at it turned to the front again as if blaming himself, she glanced behind her.

“Your Excellency.”

She smiled as she looked back at him as if what was going on.

“Thank you so much. Really, I feel better now.”

Olivia’s melancholy was washed away and blown away. Blue sky and open fields. It was the happiest thing for her to have such an experience with him. She liked this better than mixing bodies. It was as though she had returned to the days as a little girl when he and she rejoiced in dancing.

A little, yes, she wishes she could live like this a little longer. What if he misunderstands her or sells her? Doesn’t she still have time until he gets married, anyway?

She wished he had a little more mercy.

Sometimes mixing bodies, and sometimes living like this.

Olivia gazed at his handsome face and suddenly thought that she wanted to kiss him on the face. She hesitated for a moment.

However, when she realized that he had promised to cater to her needs, her hesitation vanished.

Then, he stopped talking. As he was about to tell her something, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He seemed startled, but did not refuse the kiss and accepted it naturally. She felt Leon’s arms supporting her waist, which might have lost her balance.

After a deep kiss, Olivia looked at Leon’s face.

“Your Excellency. Can you be with me tonight?”

“….”

She wants to have him. She wants to own some of him. She wanted to make his night her own, which is not owned by anyone now. That was her desire.

Leon stared at her with an unknown expression on his face, then nodded his head and whispered.

“Anything you want.”

Then, her timidity and intimidation disappeared a little. Rather than being demanded or forced by someone, she chose this relationship. When she was with Leon, she could have the bed she wanted.

Although it was a sad and a relationship with no heart, she didn’t want more than this in her relationship with him. She will no longer be depressed. Let’s be satisfied, let’s not be greedy in this relationship anymore. She pondered for a long time.

The horse started again. This time, Olivia silently looked at these green fields she might miss, engraving it in her eyes.

The horse stopped running in the field for a long time.

He got off the horse and stretched out his hand. Olivia grabbed his hand and tried to come down clumsily.

“Ah!”

But, her body lost her center and tilted, and she was held by him again. He should have taken her off right away, but for some reason, neither he nor she did.

That was then.

“Your Excellency!”

Their subtle atmosphere was broken by the sound of a man running. Olivia pulled off her body that had touched him.

There, she could see the face of the running man. He was the servant who always followed Leon. She knows he went to the battlefield together, but if he had come back, why hasn’t he been seen in the mansion until now?

Olivia glanced at him with curious eyes. In the meantime, the servant bowed to her and went straight to Leon.

“Long time no see, Bill.”

“I found ‘it’.”

At that, Leon twisted the corners of his lips and smiled. She also knew that that smile wasn’t something he did because he felt good.

As he rode the horse, she felt something cooler than the smile he had shown.

“Yes, I know it.”

A low, subdued voice. It was clearly a plain tone, but it gave her goosebumps.

Unknowingly, Olivia looked into Leon’s eyes. Perhaps, the servant also felt it, and with his firm face, he cautiously opened his mouth again.

“And…”

“What else?”

“It seems that Princess Grande has communicated that she is visiting tomorrow.”

“….”

Grande Princess? Why is the Duchy’s princess here? Her heart was pounding anxiously.

“It would be right for me to prepare for my fiancée, without any lack.”

Hearing his words, she felt her heart crumble.

Fiancée.

She never thought that he would have a betrothed. Come to think of it, it was strange that he, who was the heir of a large family called the Duchy of Deorc, did not have a fiance.

When did he have a fiance? As soon as he returns from the battlefield? Or, from a long time ago? Maybe she was the only one who didn’t know…

“In order not to go against the manners, no, to give the Duchy of Deorc the utmost hospitality possible.”

“All right.”

He hardened the corners of his curled lips and looked at Olivia and said,

“Let’s go in.”

She was awakened by the soft voice directed at herself again.

Does this person have anything to do with letting her know that he has a fiancée? No, it was she herself who gave this relationship too much meaning. Could she have been more miserable than this?

She laughed inside.

*** 

Olivia leaned her body against the window sill and stared blankly at the sky. Leon came to her as the sun went down, the moon rose, and began to tilt west.

He was looking at her as she stood under the window. She wrapped herself in white robes, and only the light of the lamp dimmed her. He gazed at it and moved his steps carefully.

His lips opened when he reached her.

“Will you be okay?”

He lifted his head and looked at Olivia. Her expression with her back to the moon could not be seen in detail.

“What do you mean?”

“Fiancé. Because your fiancée is coming tomorrow.”

Still, is it okay to mix his body with her? That’s what she was asking. When he saw it, Leon gave a puzzled look.

“Does that have anything to do with you?”

It meant, why does she have to care about his fiancée?

At those words, her heart sank. She fully realized what her own relationship with him was. Leon continued as she smiled sadly.

“The most important thing is that you want me.”

“Yes.”

She rolled her eyes down. This relationship, which was supposed to be taken positively, at least a little bit, felt more like an abomination than anything else as soon as she heard that he had a fiancee.

They crave only the body according to certain conditions, with no mind, no affection, no future to live together. Her existence to this man was not so serious to the point that he didn’t think she would be a nuisance to his fiancée.

Then, Leon opened his mouth.

“To be honest with you, engagement means nothing. I have no feelings for Princess Grande.”

“…I see.”

Isn’t that what an arranged marriage is? It was strange to say it again. She bowed her head.

“Are you upset?”

“Yes. I was upset.”

He widened his eyes at her words.

“Why?”

There was a certain expectation in those words, though Olivia didn’t know it.

“Because you are not being loyal to your fiancé.”

“Loyalty… It’s interesting.”

He let out a cold laugh. He raised one corner of his mouth. Come to think of it, today he showed a lot of different expressions.

Leon’s eyes lit up coolly.

“So, do you despise me? I come to hug another woman like this without keeping my ‘loyalty’ to my fiancée?”

“What do you mean despise. How could I possibly do that?”

She replied softly. This man doesn’t want her, he wants her not to defile Kevin. With that thought, a clear conclusion was drawn.

…Let’s stop. Here, let’s stop.

“Did I not keep my loyalty? Miss Claudel. You are…”

She didn’t want to hear that. Although she was disappointed with him, the feelings she had for him did not disappear.