Lydia gave up the struggle to control the horse, letting go of the reins she held tightly. Despite not having ridden for a long time, she hadn't expected her skills to deteriorate so much.
The group she had been riding with had long since disappeared from view, and she doubted any of them would remember her. At least Amelia, who had insisted she join this ride, might notice her absence and send someone into the forest to look for her.
She would wait until then.
Struggling to dismount from the stubborn horse, Lydia barely had time to examine the trees around her before she heard a voice nearby. And the sky hadn't even darkened yet.
Before long, the rider on horseback appeared among the bushes.
Jumping over the bushes with skill, the rider approaching her was unfamiliar to Lydia. Without saying a word, he dismounted and tied his horse up, returning the gaze that had been following him.
Though his tousled dark hair covered his forehead, his blue eyes were bright enough to catch attention.
"I think there's a problem."
Starting to feel the cold that her fur couldn't ward off, Lydia couldn't hide her joy at encountering the stranger, despite his strange behavior.
"We got stuck here because I couldn't control the horse. If you hadn't found us, we would have had to wait out the night."
The stranger immediately averted his gaze from Lydia and turned to the horse, jumping onto it in a single move. As soon as he took the reins, the animal began to move in the direction he wanted.
Lydia blurted out in astonishment, "Even the estate's horse doesn't like me!"
As the stranger turned his head to hear this, Lydia, feeling embarrassed, averted her gaze from him to the horse.
"If you want, you can ride my horse. I'll finish the ride with this one."
"Are you sure?"
The stranger looked quite comfortable on horseback, his attention entirely on the animal, so he nodded in agreement.
"Thank you."
When Lydia managed to settle onto the stranger's horse, she was delighted by the animal's obedience compared to the one she had been given. Even its bright chestnut color set it apart from the others. However, the stranger had already ridden off into the forest, so she couldn't ask him about it.
When she finally caught up with the group, she had reached the end of the ride. Lydia was still in good spirits, at least because she had been able to ride for a long time. The situation remained this way until she brought the horse back to the stable hand, but that changed with the booming voice behind her.
"Ah, is this a Sherman horse?"
As she turned her head in the direction of the voice, she came face to face with a man of medium height, with beautiful fur and a wide smile. He immediately bowed respectfully and introduced himself upon meeting her gaze.
"I apologize, madam, I should have introduced myself first. Hector Durham, Duke of Swanson..."
"Lydia Lockhart. It's an honor, my lord."
Lydia had of course heard the name of the duke who was related to the royal family through his mother's side. Their engagement with Lady Amelia Cameron had been the talk of the society last summer, but as she had not been invited to the engagement ceremony and Amelia did not particularly enjoy spending time with her new fiancé, she was meeting him for the first time.
"It seems you must have gotten the horse from Captain Sidney Sherman."
"You must be referring to the gentleman who offered me his horse when he saw I couldn't ride my own."
Lord Durham burst into hearty laughter.
"Ha ha ha! I doubt Sherman is gentlemanly enough to offer his own horse for assistance, my lady."
"Since I haven't received a bill yet, I'll continue to accept it that way, my lord."
Lord Durham narrowed his eyes with pleasure and muttered slowly.
"I see."
Lydia couldn't ask him what he meant by that, so she simply bowed and started walking towards the estate. The fact that Amelia had never mentioned him had raised doubts about Lord Durham's character in her mind.
However, as soon as she reached her room, this idea left her. She was about to face a more important matter. Lizzy had delivered a kind message to her, saying that the princess wanted to meet her at the ball that evening.
"Which dress would you like me to prepare, Miss?"
Lydia sat down on the chair haphazardly and closed her eyes.
"What does it matter, Lizzy? I won't look beautiful in any of them. The princess wants to see that, doesn't she?"
Unlike the girl who remained silent in response, Lydia did not seem anxious or unhappy. Perhaps she could meet new people who, like the young rider she had encountered today, might take an interest in her. She could also receive a share of her father's inheritance, not all of it, but enough to build a calm and happy life for herself.
But would that satisfy her?
Her face wrinkled at the thought of the scene in the corridor under the moonlight. She wouldn't let foolish dreams destroy the modest and peaceful life she had built over the past ten years.
She couldn't.