Chapter 43: Horseback Panic

"Princess Mia? What are you doing here?"

"My, Prince Abel? What a coincidence."

Mia's eyes widened a little in surprise. She hadn't expected to see Abel here. Digging through her memories of the previous timeline, she recalled that Abel had been a member of the card game club — which she'd actually considered joining herself in an attempt to better acquaint herself with him. However, upon discovering that the club was actually comprised of a bunch of good-for-nothings who spent all day gambling, Anne adamantly refused to let her anywhere near it.

I thought for sure he'd be loafing around like his fellow degenerates.

The Abel of old resurfaced in her mind. She remembered how his face had always looked a little pallid. Everything about him, from his listless smile and flippant laugh to the sloppy way he wore his uniform, spoke of someone who did not take his life seriously. And yet...

"Did you join the horsemanship club?"

"Hm? Oh, uh, yes. I figured that since I'm, you know, technically a prince of Remno, I'd at least try to get my horse- and swordsmanship brushed up."

...The face she saw now was nothing like the one she remembered. There was no degeneracy in his spirited smile, and his neatly-worn riding clothes exuded an aura of vitality.

"And what brings you here?"

"I was curious about horsemanship, so I came to take a look around."

"You? Horsemanship? Well, that's not what I expected to hear..."

"Hey, Abel, you're a friend of the miss here?"

"Ah, Malong. Yes, I had the good fortune to be her partner for the party the other night."

"You don't say. Good timing, then. Here, why don't you take the miss for a ride?"

"...What?"

Abel blinked a few times.

"She was curious enough to come all the way here. Can't have her leaving empty-handed now, can we?" said Malong with a suggestive wink.

"But..."

Abel took a quick glance at Mia before immediately looking away. His cheeks turned ever-so-slightly pink.

My, is that...

Which did not escape Mia's notice.

Now would you look at that. He's embarrassed to get on a horse with me!

She could see why Abel was getting nervous. Riding a horse in tandem was rather intimate.

Oh ho ho, now isn't he just the sweetest thing!

Her inner twenty year old reared its head, and she regarded him with a look of haughty worldliness. Though she'd never been in a relationship, she was a grown woman — provided you count the previous timeline. The mind of a mere tween could hardly pose a challenge for her. She knew she was reading this boy like a book.

For the record, her hunch was actually right this time, but it should definitely be attributed to beginner's luck and not romantic insight.

In that case, I suppose I'll have to take the lead here. I am the older and more mature one, after all.

Feeling rather good about herself, she smiled at him.

"I'd appreciate it very much if you could, Prince Abel. We barely got to know each other at the party. I'd love to have the chance to talk some more," she said, shamelessly angling her head down so that she was looking up at him with wide, limpid eyes.

"Uh, well, I mean... If you insist, sure..."

"My," Mia said with a sweet smile, "what an absolute gentleman you are."

The smile didn't last.

Eeeek! No! No no no no! This is too high! This is much too high!

It took every ounce of Mia's restraint to stop herself from shouting those sentiments out loud. After Malong helped her onto the horse, she immediately noticed something was amiss: the back of a horse was much higher off the ground than she'd expected.

Worsening matters was the fact that she was in her school uniform. Conceptualized by those at the forefront of the fashion world, the uniforms of Saint-Noel Academy were rather avant-garde. A white blouse was worn under a blazer, which was further complemented by a pleated skirt with well-defined folds. It was nothing like the dresses traditionally worn by female nobility. It also meant she had to ride a horse in a skirt, which forced her to sit sideways with both legs together. For obvious reasons, this was terrifying. Had she been able to straddle the horse normally, she would have been looking forward over the top of the horse's head. With her body turned to one side, every downward glance was a stark reminder of her distance from the ground. It was also an extremely unsteady position; the slightest lapse in concentration would result in a swift and involuntary dismounting. As a result, there was a dramatic reallocation of mental resources. All her prior considerations — the romantic air, taking the lead, being the older and more mature one — were abandoned in favor of one singular goal: not having a nervous breakdown on the spot.

"All right, Princess Mia. Here, make sure you hold onto me tigh— Wah!"

Having lost all her composure, she wasn't even listening. The fear of falling caused her to wrap her arms around the nearest object — in this case, Abel's waist — and hold on for dear life.

"U-Um, Princess Mia, are you.. okay? Y-You don't have to hold on that tigh—"

"I-I-I know! I-I'm totally fine, s-so feel free to proceed!"

By the time the horse took its first step forward, both riders had completely lost their cool. Being in such close proximity to the girl he liked had turned Abel into a nervous wreck, while Mia was simply in a state of panic from sheer fear. Thus began their horseback date that was heart-stopping for all the wrong reasons.