Chapter 49 Living As A Noblewoman
Only a few minutes' walk from the mansion, Rebecca was already saddling up her horse in the stables. Since noblewomen don't ride horses in dresses, Rebecca was wearing pants-style horseback riding clothes. Of course, Sara was also instructed to wear the same style.
"Did I keep you waiting?"
"No worries. I wasn't waiting that long."
"You're putting on the saddle yourself. I thought that was the groom's job."
"Most nobles, even men, have their grooms do it. But I love taking care of my horse myself. I even brush them myself."
"Let me pet them, what a beautiful horse!"
Rebecca nodded and led Sara closer to the stables' fence. Rebecca's horse was chestnut-colored and had a similar build to Sara's horse, but with a more slender physique.
"This is Rovi. I named her after Rob, since he loves girls and is a bit of a handful."
"Nice to meet you, Rovi. You're incredibly beautiful."
Rovi then nuzzled Sara's face, as if asking to be petted. Sara stroked Rovi's nose, and Rovi looked pleased.
"He definitely sounds like a womanizer, doesn't she?"
"Indeed?"
Rebecca smiled mischievously as she petted Rovi, looking no older than a beautiful 10-year-old girl. It was as if she was blessed with fairy-like charm.
'By the way, the name Rovi is Uncle...'
Rebecca lifted Sara up and put her on Rovi's back, then mounted behind Sara, holding her securely. The 2 of them began to trot around the track beside the stables.
"Ms. Sara, you have good balance!"
"I've actually ridden horse-drawn carriages before."
"Really? Did Arthur teach you?"
"No, I just got on one and my shocked mother taught me afterwards."
"Speaking of which, Adelia was better at horseback riding than Arthur, wasn't she?"
"Yes. Father would often complain about it after drinking."
"Haha. When Arthur, Rob, and I went on a horseback ride, Arthur got startled by a fox and fell off his horse. He claimed that the horse got scared because it sensed a monster, but it was clearly a fox, okay?"
"Indeed, Father can be quite boastful, can't he?"
"Especially in front of women."
"So, you're saying he's a lot like his brother?"
"That's right!"
After checking on Sara's condition and deciding she was okay, Rebecca gradually increased their speed from a trot to a canter.
"I think we're getting used to this, so let's head out soon, okay?"
"Yes!"
Now, the Grandchester territory was welcoming early autumn. The trees were gradually changing colors, but the forest was still lush and green. Sara and Rebecca were galloping through the forest, or rather, on the mountain road that had been built by cutting through the forest.
After riding for a while, they arrived at a small spring surrounded by steep cliffs. Sara and Rebecca dismounted their horses and peered into the spring. The clear water was bubbling up, and colorful flowers were blooming around it. And, as it turned out, many fairies lived here too.
"I met Fey near here."
"So, the fairies living in Grandchester territory, right?"
"Yes. When Arthur fell off his horse near here, I thought I had to save him no matter what. He was bleeding badly and had passed out. Until Rob went back to the castle to call for help, I sat beside Arthur, praying to the gods of creation with all my might."
"Is this the story about Father's fall from his horse earlier?"
Rebecca nodded.
"I don't know if my prayer reached the gods, but suddenly, a light-attribute healing magic appeared and cured Arthur's wounds. However, since it was my first time using magic, I couldn't control my power at all, and I ended up startling Fey who was taking a nap nearby. He flew in and scolded me, but eventually, we became friends."
"Miss Rebecca is the one who saved Father's life, isn't she?"
"Even if I didn't do anything, he might have been okay, but I did treat his wounds. In fact, his arm was broken, and he lost a lot of magical power, too!"
"But, despite that, Father ran away without even saying thank you, and in the end, he died young, even though he was riding a horse... What a selfish father I have... I'm sorry."
Rebecca floated a gentle, girlish smile and softly stroked Sara's head.
"But because of that, I got to meet such a lovely student like you. The fairies are also happy, aren't they? In the end, people's lives and deaths aren't something they can control freely, after all."
Rebecca sat down on a small rock near the spring, gazing at the water. But if Sara looked closely, her eyes seemed distant, as if she were remembering the past. Sara kept quiet, not wanting to disturb her memories.
"Hey, Ms. Sara, why don't you live like a noble?"
"I'm a commoner, so..."
"That's a simple problem to solve, isn't it? You could become Lord Rob's adopted daughter, couldn't you?"
"I want to decide my own way of life. I know it's tough for a noblewoman, but..."
"If you revealed that you have an affinity for all attributes of magic and are blessed by the fairies, wouldn't that make things easier? I think you could even handle Ed and Liz with ease, Ms. Sara."
"That might be true. If I worked hard, I might be able to negotiate with the church and the royal family. But I'm not sure if I'd get what I want."
Rebecca tilted her head, looking at Sara.
"What do you want, Ms. Sara?"
"I have many things I want, but in the end, I think I'm seeking the freedom to decide my own life. For example, when my magic manifested, everyone was happy. Even my grandfather and Uncle were willing to give me their property."
"That's true, isn't it?"
"But not a single person asked me to show off my magic. Of course not. Women can't attend the Academy, and they're not expected to use magic, after all."
Sara stood up and dipped her hand into the spring, and the water that had accumulated in the spring floated up in a ball shape around her hand. As if pouring her thoughts into it, she whispered "Water Arrow," and the water ball split into numerous small arrow shapes, passing by Rebecca's side and getting sucked into the thicket behind her.
Then, a scream-like cry echoed. When Rebecca approached, she saw 3 Horn Rabbits, which resembled rabbits with horns, lying down. Since the arrows hadn't pierced them, they must have returned to the water.
"I apologize for showing you such rough magic. But I wanted you to know that magic attacks aren't limited to men."
"Indeed, just as Ms. Sara says."
"You're not surprised?"
"Do you want me to be surprised?"
"It's not that I don't want to be surprised..."
"Honestly, I'm getting tired of being surprised by Ms. Sara."
Rebecca flashed a noble-like bitter smile, pulled out the knife at her waist, and began to gut the Horn Rabbits, taking out their internal organs and starting to drain their blood.
"You're quite skilled."
"Hunting is something you do. And if you don't drain the blood quickly, it becomes unpalatable."
'As expected of Little Prince Revi. She's incredibly skilled at hunting!'
After finishing the blood drainage, Sara hastily used her water-attribute magic to wash the other Horn Rabbits, which were then washed clean in the small stream flowing from the spring.
While moving her hands, Rebecca resumed the conversation.
"For nobles, the manifestation of magic is a joyful thing. Men have hope for the future, and women can find a good marriage partner."
"A marriage partner... Is that the only joyful thing for noble women?"
"There are also women who, after getting married, take over the management of their territory or do business, supporting their unreliable husbands."
"That's true, if their husbands and families understand them."
"That's right."
"I don't find it appealing at all."
The cleaned Horn Rabbits were then tied up with cut vines from nearby plants and attached to Revi's saddle.
"You're right, Ms. Sara. But those ladies also have their own pride as nobles, and their own battles to fight. For noblewomen, their real lives begin after marriage, so they fight to find a good husband and then work to secure their position by having children and raising them as successors. Even if Ms. Sara thinks they're unnecessary and cuts them loose, there are people who cherish them dearly, so don't forget that."
"Yes, Miss Rebecca."
That's true. People's values vary, and what they prioritize differs from person to person. Sara doesn't have the right to deny the way noblewomen live their lives. But at the same time, there's no one who has the right to deny Sara's values either.
"Well, I'm a noblewoman myself, but I'm a weirdo who doesn't find marriage appealing, you know?"
"Is that so, Miss Rebecca?"
"I used to have a fiancé, you know?"
"What?!"
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