Chapter 92 Copper
\[Lilia\]
The weeks passed more quickly than I had anticipated, and I still hadn't heard anything from Kael, nor had Val brought him up as a topic in any of our conversations. On the other hand, I was making the most of my time outside rather than remaining cooped up in the terrible confines of my room. It makes dealing with time easier for me. Aya and I went on for a horse riding the very next day after we finished visiting all the places around the mansion, of course, not without a plethora of guards following around us.
The pavilion that runs alongside the man-made pond has quickly become one of my top picks for places to hang out in this area.
In addition, riding horses was at the very top of my list of things to do.
It never occurred to me that Kael's stable was filled with so many different kinds of stunning horses. They were beautiful and placid, but I had to remember that they were still wild animals anytime I was in their presence because I could easily hurt myself when handling them.
It was my first time riding a horse, and it took time before I got the hang of it. Mikanor, Kael's hostler, was a big help to me while I worked through the process of taming one of them.
“She’s the most friendly mare ‘round here,” he said, holding the horse’s reins as he guided it out from the stables.
“Her name’s Copper. Isn’t she beautiful?” He continued while running the palm of his hand down the length of the mare's neck.
I was awestricken with astonishment soon as she got nearer to me, and I immediately got why she’s named Copper.
“She is without a doubt one of the most beautiful horses I have ever seen,” I dreamily gasp, clasping my hands to my chest as the tips of my fingers begin to itch with the desire to touch her beautiful brown mane that flows smoothly at the back of her neck.
It bounces into waves with each prance, matching the hair on her tail, flitting back and forth enthusiastically as though she was excited to be out from the stable to stretch her strong legs.
In a few days span, I finally get to ride Copper. She’s indeed a gentle steed and didn’t give me a hard time learning how to maneuver her.
It was an exemplary experience. To have the wind whipping across my face. The thrill thrumming all over me as my body synchronizes with Copper to move as one and rush through the undulating fields, giving me a taste of freedom and a breath of fresh air. A sensation of one having wings, soaring with the wind.
Copper has been my mount for the past three days. I would get up every morning and put the saddle on her as soon as the first ray of sunlight hit the earth and then be back after an hour of laps to let the mare rest. I didn’t have the heart to exhaust Copper to her limit.
I was right about one thing, though. The fences stretch kilometers away from the mansion, and now that I have to think of it, it made me realize something. If circumstances were given differently and there were no thunderstorms that day I tried to escape, I will never make it. Kael had installed an electric fence all around his property, and one of the main reasons why Val told me not to cross it or dare to even get close.
It has a rather high voltage and could swiftly kill a man as massive as Val if he were to tread in the wrong places. Yesterday when we were riding the horses, we came across hundred meters away from the fence, and even with that distance, I could still hear a low electric hum, a sheer warning to never step dangerously close to the indicated distance at any time.
It’s quite scary, but I could make sense of why it has to be done. Kael was going through the motions of living his life with one foot already buried deep into the ground. Even though he may have given the impression that he does not care, he was never careless with regard to his personal safety or the welfare of his people.
Though that danger seemed to have followed me as well, and that is why I couldn’t leave this place even if I wanted to. However, after everything that had transpired between us, it felt hard to leave him so suddenly. I don’t know why, but I am starting to see him differently than being the asshole monster I knew.
After everything that he had done to me, the last thing I should be doing is romanticizing him. He hurt, violated, and humiliated me in front of many people, having me parade in front of him like his prized possession and seen nothing more than an object. Nevertheless, in spite of all of these things, I saw something behind those pair of penetrating mossy hues that I was unable to interpret, but at the same time I was aware that it was a powerful sensation. But if I can't even make sense of my own emotions, how can I possibly expect anyone else to grasp what I'm trying to imply?
I drew out a huge sigh, taking myself back to my present surroundings, and adjusted the sunglasses perched on the bridge of my nose, then reached for the juice on the dessert table next to my pool chair. The summer sun is high, beating down its blaze, painting the sky with azure. While I lazily stretch my legs and take a leisurely sip from the refreshing melon juice, Aya prepared for me. I am currently lounging about in my bikinis and enjoying the gentle warmth of the sun as it tans my skin. Even though I'd rather be at the beach, swimming in an Olympic-sized pool is still extremely appealing to me. Even more impressive are the towering diving boards, which I certainly would not attempt to scale. It was a high drop, and for the love of God, I still value my life much more than risk the thrill of jumping from one of those devils.
Just gazing at it had me mentally cringe. I could imagine the pain it could cause if someone landed on the water ungracefully. It could be a disaster.
Well, Kael would surely love the thrill of it. I bet, even Val too. The sole reason why it was installed in his pool. Now that I have thought of it, I am certain that it would be an intriguing sight to watch either one of them jump from the top, perform some flawless flips while plummeting in the air, and then glide down to the water like a dolphin.
I was minding my own business, had my eyes closed, and listened to the sound of nature around me while indulging myself in my imaginative mind. The pool area was located on the west side of the mansion, pretty near the back lawn and the forestland behind. Everything was peaceful, but that sense of tranquility was shattered when I suddenly heard someone yell out a command, which was immediately followed by a cacophony of people shouting their responses.
Soon after that, I heard a succession of thuds, groans, and clanging of metals that resounded near to where I was lounging peacefully, as though someone was sparring with swords or being in a duel.