Subliminal Wayfarer

04. The woman who renders any sense of ‘control’ impossible

 

Startled, Grace turned around to find Selena waving at her with an elegant smile.

“Hello, Grace.”

Her eyes genuinely sparkled with delight to see Grace.

Grace had never before received such a warm gaze from an older woman.

She stared at Selena for a moment, dazed, before quickly composing herself and responding with proper respect.

“Elder Madam.”

“I saw you over here and rushed over. Were you about to go in? Let’s enter together.”

Selena’s touch was gentle as she naturally patted Grace’s back, a contact distinctly different from being escorted by men.

It was soft, tender, and warm.

Was this what it feels like to be touched by an older woman you look up to?

Or, perhaps, was this what the touch of a mother felt like?

The area where Selena’s hand had brushed felt particularly conscious to her.

This intimate contact was unfamiliar, stirring strange feelings within her.

“Oh, are you nervous? Don’t worry. I’m not going to eat you up.”

Selena chuckled as she playfully patted Grace’s shoulder again.

As she glanced at Grace’s slightly flushed cheeks, Selena opened the door to the closed reception room.

Grace followed her into the room but stopped dead in her tracks.

An impossible presence occupied one side of the table, as if it belonged there.

Bhrrr!

‘No, but… Why is Luki here?’

In front of Luki was a cup of cold-brewed tea, its color suggesting it was black tea.

Usually enjoyed warm, cold-brewing black tea requires special effort to transform its typical bitterness into a refreshing taste.

Thus, cold-brewed black tea was usually reserved for the masters of House Blacke or served to distinguished guests.

But it seemed… House Blacke even offered cold-brewed black tea to horses?

“…Oh. Umm.”

Grace thought she wouldn’t be surprised by anything she heard.

But upon seeing the wild horse slurping the cold-brewed tea, she realized her resolve wasn’t as firm as she thought.

‘Ah… Right, that’s possible. Here, in House Blacke. A household that loves horses, being that they’re the loving Blacke family. Riiiight…’

“What are you doing, Grace? Come here quickly.”

Look at that.

The Elder Madam found her seat without a second glance at the horse’s presence, entirely unfazed.

Without noticing Grace’s quivering gaze, Selena browsed through the tea leaves and asked.

“Do you have a particular tea you prefer, Grace?”

“N-No, ma’am. I generally like all kinds of black tea.”

“Oh, you have similar tastes to Lucas. I personally prefer fruit teas over the stronger, bitter black teas. They’re sweet. My husband used to tease me for having a child’s palate.”

“I like fruit teas, too.”

“Oh! That’s wonderful. It feels like I’ve made a friend to share good tea with.”

Grace was truly, utterly bewildered.

It seemed she was the only one in the room concerned by the black stallion’s presence.

Whether it was Laura calmly pouring hot water, Jaime standing restlessly, or Selena selecting tea leaves, no one found the presence of the black horse odd.

As if it was only natural, everyone accepted the giant black horse’s presence as a matter of course.

‘Is… Is this right?’

Originally… do families this fond of horses typically share tea with them in the reception room…?

Like, a companion dog… or rather, a companion horse, something like that…?

As Grace stood at a distance, hesitant to approach, Selena gestured for her to come closer.

Luki’s gaze on Grace was unsettlingly intense.

‘No, don’t mind him. Just let it go.’

It was only a headache to fuss over something no one else seemed to care about.

Grace sat on the sofa like the others, not paying any particular attention to Luki.

Bhrr.

The black horse approached and nudged his head closer.

Grace tenderly stroked his forehead and cheek, but Luki seemed dissatisfied with just that.

He grabbed the hem of her dress in his mouth and tugged at it.

He looked somehow anxious.

Selena, who had been chuckling, handed her a cup of tea.

“Here, try this. It’s darjeeling, Lucas’s favorite. The leaves picked between spring and summer have a really wonderful flavor. I’m quite fond of this one, too.”

Indeed, as Selena described, the tea had a slightly tannic yet refreshing taste that invigorated the palate like champagne.

This tea was excellent.

Selena watched Grace quietly savoring her tea, then she continued speaking with a pleased look.

“I haven’t met a young lady while I was down in my territory, so I find Grace particularly beautiful. Truly, I keep catching myself stealing glances at you without even realizing it. I’m sorry if my gaze was a bit rude, Grace. Please understand.”

Grace blushed at her frank compliment.

“It’s alright. Your gaze wasn’t unpleasant.”

“That’s good to hear. Your mother must adore you to bits. She wouldn’t feel any pain at all as long as she’d hold you in her eyes. If I were her, I’d feel full without even eating.”

“That’s too generous of you. But actually, my mother passed away early.”

“Oh dear.”

“It was so early that I don’t remember much of her… But I do remember her carrying me a lot. I think she would have loved me more, just as you said, if she were still alive.”

Selena watched Grace’s calm smile and nodded sympathetically.

“I’m sorry. I got carried away and didn’t lead the conversation thoughtfully.”

“No, not at all. It’s a normal topic of conversation.”

“You must have been very sad when you were young.”

“I was… but I’m really okay now.”

Selena nodded as if recalling something at Grace’s words.

“…Right.”

She was someone who had sent a loved one across the river of death before.

She quietly sipped the darjeeling tea her husband had also liked.

“Time is really incredible. It manages to tidy up the world’s silent sorrows. It’s cruel and yet something to be thankful for.”

It made her unwillingly okay, when she didn’t want to be.

She didn’t want to forget his hair’s scent, his laughter, his little habits, but time cruelly snatched away those trivial memories.

It was both heartless and merciful.

For forcing her to dust herself off and stand up again.

For reminding her of the people still around, just as important as the ones who had left.

Huff.

Grace turned her head at something nudging her side.

‘What a surprise.’

Without her noticing, the giant black horse had come beside her, pushing his head closer.

Deep, radiant blue eyes gazed at her.

His large eyes were as clear as the ocean.

Hiing…

Luki gently bit and pulled at her dress, as if urging her to go out.

She smiled and gently scratched under his chin.

“Why? Are you bored? Want to play?”

At her whispering words, Luki shook his head sharply and intensely.

His blue gaze then sharply turned and fixed on Jaime.

Prompted by Luki’s look, Jaime fumbled with his words.

“L-Lady! It seems dinner is almost ready. Shall we go to the dining room?”

Yes, well done, Jaime!

As they moved to the dining room, Lucas thought it might be a good opportunity to whisk Grace away.

But, regrettably, time was not on his side.

“Cote just asked if we could spare a little more time,” Gabriel requested politely.

Since the teacups hadn’t even cooled yet, Selena happily agreed.

“Cote is putting in some effort. Well, why not. It’s not like we’re tired from a long journey. Right, Grace? Shall I pour you another cup?”

“Yes, thank you.”

‘Oh— gosh darn it!’

Lucas fidgeted impatiently, his hooves clattering.

Grace glanced at Lucas with the sound.

She smiled and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

‘This is maddening.’

Unaware of everything, Lucas was internally burning up due to Grace’s tickling touch.

—Grace, Grace! Ah, please listen to me, please hear my voice.

He had been trying to communicate with her, but all efforts were futile.

Grace’s attention had been completely drawn to Selena, who had suddenly appeared.

‘I can’t allow Mother to reveal the truth first.’

His thoughts and Jaime’s weren’t in sync.

So, the letter sent through Jaime wouldn’t contain all these details.

Moreover, Jaime and Gabriel didn’t even know that Grace and Lucas could hear each other’s voices.

‘Damn it, I should’ve just told Jaime and Gabriel that she could hear my voice too.’

Then he would have been able to ask Grace to relay his words to them.

But it was too late. The damage was done.

At this point, Lucas was just flustered and anxious.

Feeling like a fool in this situation was both a new and terrible sensation.

‘Huu.’

His mouth turned bitter with anxiety.

Above all, he was worried that Grace might feel betrayed after learning the whole truth.

That guilt became a thorn in his heart, deeply embedded.

Lucas had missed the timing to remove it, and now he was just standing there foolishly.

It was the first time he felt this level of anxiety.

He rubbed his forehead against Grace’s nape in a desperate move.

It was an act stemming from an inability to part with her.

“What’s this? Why are you being so cute today?”

Lucas was already so happy that they had gotten so much closer than before, ever since their minds had become connected.

 

—Thank you, Your Excellency.

 

But the sweet voice he heard last dawn seemed to vanish into thin air.

‘Haa… This is indeed the grave I’ve dug for myself, a calamity I’ve called upon.’

Bhhrrr…

At the horse’s resigned sigh, Grace rubbed his forehead worriedly.

Its anxious and uneasy demeanor had been bothering her.

She quietly observed Luki.

Wondering if something was hurting him, she looked closely.

And off to the side, while observing the two silently, Selena quietly remarked.

“You two are just too adorable. It’s such a beautiful scene.”

“That’s too kind. Being such an elegant horse, he’d look picturesque wherever he stands.”

Selena looked at Grace with admiration in her eyes.

“Goodness… Grace, you’re truly brave. So great.”

“Me?”

As Grace looked puzzled, wondering what she meant, Selena added her thoughts.

“When I first saw him transformed into a horse, I was so shocked that I cried. He barely managed to stop me from running away.”

“…What?”

That…

What did that mean exactly?