Chapter 129 Chapter 129: The Silent Fence
\[Lilia\]
I forced myself to tear away from my reflection and walked into my closet, staring blankly at the rows and columns of clothes. If I were an ordinary woman, things like this could have brought me joy. But for some reason, I only felt a void looking at them—a feeling of no attachment.
I don't want to stay in my room for the rest of the day. I want to be away from this place for a moment, to be by myself without being caged within the confines of my room. It will suffocate me if I stay here and gloom in the corner. I could simply not do that to myself. As much as the glee of life is slowly fading out of my system, I still have a very little bit of self-righteousness left in me.
And for the first time in this moment, a thought entered my mind. I pulled out the appropriate clothes I should wear if I wanted to go outside under these weather conditions. Then, I hurried downstairs, ignoring everyone and everything that crossed my way as I headed toward my destination. As soon as I went outdoors, the dry and chilly air immediately began to burn my lungs, but I chose to ignore it and carry on nonetheless.
“Is Copper groomed enough for a run?” I asked loudly as soon as I reached the stables. Mr. Mikanor wasn't in sight, but then a moment later, he appeared from one of the cubicles with hay bundled in his arms, covering most of his face.
“Yes, dear. You’re going for a run in the snow?” He mused, dropping the hay into the cart and pushing it to the side as he turned his attention to me. His face immediately shifted into concern as soon as he zeroed his gaze over my countenance. “Oh dear me, are you alright? There's a puffiness around your eyes.” He motioned his finger around his own eyes, referring to mine. I simply nodded and smiled.
“Yes, I'm quite alright. Where is Copper now?” I immediately changed the subject and got straight to the point of why I was there. I wanted to ride—to run and feel the thrill of galloping along the snowy path. I wanted to forget that this cruel world existed, even just for a moment.
Mikanor stared at me for a moment, but he eventually nodded. “I’ll get her for you. You’d better stay on the trails and watch out where you are going. The snow can be slippery.” He cautioned me first before going to fetch my mare.
“Don’t worry. Copper will take care of me. She's a smart mare,” I said, meeting them halfway in the aisle as soon as I saw the magnificent creature. I rubbed the mare’s nose, loving her nostalgic scent as it wafted into my nostrils. “Right, Copper?” I asked, as though she understood what I said. The mare snorted and nodded her head, earning a little giggle out of me.
Mikanor watched us with amusement as I petted Copper, then he moved to my side, giving her a couple of sugar cubes. “Alright, off you go,” he muttered after saddling her up and assisting me into perching myself on her back.
I tipped my head at him in gratitude, then clicked my tongue, urging the mare to trot. We came out of the stable at a slow pace, letting Copper adjust her hooves to the soft cushion of thin ice above the ground. My nose was immediately tipped with red as the frigid air kissed my face, though I welcomed the stinging sensation burning in my lungs as I took a deep breath.
“D’you like it, Copper? The biting wind and the flurry of excitement every time we go out?” The mare snorted again at my question as her hooves crunched against the thin layer of ice. I wanted her to run, but I couldn't; both of us would most likely skid into our untimely deaths if I did. A controlled trot was enough for me as I bounced gently against the saddle.
The snow continued to drift down to the ground, swirling wherever the soft gusts of wind would take it. The trees in the forestlands had shed their leaves, decorating themselves with frost. The ground was barely visible underneath the blanket of soft snow, and Copper left a fine trail of hoofprints along the way. I held on to her reins, though even without guidance, she already knew where to go and what path to take. We have run laps through this vast lawn multiple times, skirting the forestland and venturing a little too near the fences.
I clicked my tongue twice, gently tugging the reins, and Copper immediately throttled to a halt. This was the spot where Val and I had last gone on our ride. The sloping hill just beyond the fences provided me with such scope. However, there wasn’t much to see now that winter had come, aside from the endless white view. The chilled air was actually quite likable, having my hair whip at the back of my head and cooling the sting right on my cheek.
However, something caught my attention. I don't know if I just imagined it or if the cold muted my hearing, but strangely enough, I didn't notice the whirring sound of electricity buzzing. From where Copper was standing, I ought to be able to sense the low-frequency vibration. Just a hundred meters away from the electric fences, it is impossible that Kael would lower his defenses.
Curiously, I climbed off the saddle and guided Copper slowly toward the danger zone, seeing if she was alerted by the electric hum. I took a cautious step forward and placed one foot on the other side of the clearly marked line that no one is permitted to cross. My boots crunched into the ice; a huge part of me expected to feel a jolt of electricity traveling up my legs, but there was none.
I shifted my attention to Copper, noticing how relaxed she was, her wide eyes blinking at me confusedly, wondering what I was doing. I'm not sure why, but the mare's apparent lack of fear made me a little uneasy. She was supposed to feel the danger even if we were away from the line. It was expected that the buzzing sound produced by the electricity would make her uneasy, and that her natural instincts would alert me to the fact that the line was powered by high voltage.
Has there been a blackout around the estate? Has the power line gone off?