I’ll Raise the Tiger Cub as a Squirrel
I answered, glaring with resolve in my eyes.
Of all people, I was the one who wanted this journey to the North to be over as quickly as possible.
Having the Duke intrude upon this trip was inconvenient in more ways than one.
If it meant getting out of this situation even a moment sooner, there was nothing I couldn't endure.
Tsking softly, the Duke was the first to push open the inn door and step outside.
‘Oh dear. I haven’t fed my Jackjack yet.’
I had been too on edge to think straight.
I hurried to feed Jackjack, then made sure Hokan finished all of his soup as well.
By the time we finished our meal and left the inn, the carriage had already been entrusted to the innkeeper.
The knights were all mounted and prepared to depart.
Hokan, who already knew how to ride to some extent, sat steadily in front of Gale.
And a knight named Halo had bundled Jackjack sideways in a cloth wrap, fastening it securely across his chest.
Jackjack whined a little at the tight fit, but he refrained from throwing a tantrum and stayed quietly nestled in the knight's embrace with only his head poking out.
As I watched the boy with worry, the Duke suddenly extended a hand toward me.
Concealing my discomfort, I took his hand with trembling fingers.
I hitched up my skirt with my other hand, put my weight into the ball of my foot, and swung myself up on the rebound—or so I intended.
I had put my foot in the stirrup and hopped to mount the horse, only to end up dangling helplessly by my grip on the saddle because of my lack of height.
“Aaaah!”
Terrified of falling, I clutched the saddle for dear life and flailed my legs.
The Duke pulled my foot free from the stirrup, gripped both of my calves firmly, and hoisted me straight up.
It seemed he had chosen to lift me by the legs because he could hardly push me up by the rear.
His bruising grip pinched so hard that tears welled in my eyes.
“Hngh.”
Groaning under my breath, I barely managed to scramble onto the horse.
The Duke mounted behind me in an instant, the sound of his tongue clicking endlessly in my ear.
Ugh. Does he think I stayed short on purpose?!
A wave of sorrow washed over me at having my genetics blamed like this.
As I whimpered between words, the Duke’s tone softened slightly.
With a resounding snort, Baltan surged forward, jolting my body with a violence that made the carriage’s rattling seem like nothing at all.
I lost my balance and nearly tumbled over.
Instantly wrapping an arm around my waist, the Duke clicked his tongue without pause.
Grief and indignation surged through me at once, but I had no choice but to grip his thick forearm tightly.
‘To think I have to ride like this all the way to the North….’
Before long, I felt Baltan pick up speed.
‘Hey, you clueless beast of a horse, I’m a beginner rider! Take it easy!’
Oblivious to the curses I poured upon it inside my head, Baltan broke into an exuberant gallop.
The wind whipping against my cheeks grew fiercer and fiercer.
And the arm the Duke had wound around my waist tightened its hold even further.
***
Aside from a single rest stop beneath the shade of a colossal oak tree, our journey was a relentless ride.
Around the time the sun was sinking low, we reached the threshold of the North.
By the time we cleared the forest path, I was utterly spent.
My backside felt raw enough to burst into flames, and my thigh muscles were in such shock that they ached as though I had been flogged.
When I took the Duke’s hand to dismount, my legs gave out completely, and I sank straight to the ground.
The Duke awkwardly caught my arm and helped me back to my feet.
I was not all right in the slightest, but complaining of exhaustion to someone who had ridden the exact same distance felt like playing the weakling.
Besides, having to support me with one arm the whole way must have made it twice as taxing for him.
Unable to bring myself to admit how much I was hurting, I simply nodded.
A cry of ‘I’m saved!’ nearly slipped out of my mouth, but I barely managed to swallow it down.
Fortunately, we were able to hire a carriage at a large inn at the northern border.
Recognizing Kuhn as the lord of Blanders, the innkeeper bowed until his head touched the floor and gladly brought out a carriage in haste.
I climbed into the carriage with Jackjack in my arms.
Sitting down while holding a child sent an excruciating pain through my rear.
“Agh.”
As a tearful groan escaped my lips, Hokan looked at me with wide eyes.
Blantiger genetics really were built different.
I marveled at Hokan in silence while lamenting my own stamina, which was worse than a little child's.
Hokan and Jackjack must have been exhausted too, for they both drifted off to sleep shortly after boarding the carriage.
With the sun now completely vanished, the knights lit torches in hand to illuminate our way.
Yet, perhaps because this was their native soil, they steered the horses and carriage with such certainty they could have navigated it blindfolded.
There was no other way to describe them than remarkable.
The northern Blantiger Knights were reputed to be the finest military force in the empire, and I could finally feel a fraction of their renown firsthand.
After what felt like quite some time, the carriage began to slow.
I instinctively realized we had arrived at our final destination: Blanders Castle.
Perhaps because their lord had returned after a long absence,
the sea of servants standing in line with torches to welcome him despite the late hour was a magnificent sight.
Tension and gladness mingled in their eyes.
A man around Maurice’s age bowed with crisp discipline to greet him.
At the Duke’s command, the servants and knights moved with seamless order.
Guided by the castle staff, I hurried toward the dining hall with the children in tow.
***
The food at Blan Castle had been wonderful, but the feast at Blanders Castle, enriched with local northern delicacies, was truly a banquet fit for kings.
Perhaps because of my hunger, every dish looked so delicious that my mouth watered before I even took a bite.
The chefs had clearly poured their hearts into it, celebrating the lord’s long-awaited return.
Sitting beside Jackjack and Hokan, I ladled food onto the children’s plates and served myself a generous helping.
As we ate contentedly, Jackjack burst into giggles while looking at Hokan.
Hokan narrowed his eyes at Jackjack.
Huh? Not catching his meaning, I looked over at Hokan.
A smear of tomato sauce was stuck right over Hokan’s chest.
Finding Jackjack’s phrasing hilarious, Hokan rested his forehead on his hand while clutching his fork, laughing away.
The knights seated nearby began chuckling softly as well.
Sauce that had dripped from his fork was now smeared on Hokan’s temple as well.
The knight sitting across from us laughed heartily, praising Jackjack.
I offered an awkward smile as I dabbed the sauce off Hokan’s face and clothes with a napkin.
Hokan was a completely different person from who he was in the capital.
It was a face untouched by worry, the kind seen only in the place where one feels most secure.
Seeing Hokan look so at ease made me grow fond of this place, too.
The knight beside me kept chatting in my direction before asking Jackjack his age directly.
Though he had a rugged, intimidating face and a hulking build, his voice was unexpectedly deep and gentle.
Jackjack held up his chubby little hand, straining to press his thumb and pinky together as he parted his lips.
I quickly drowned out Jackjack’s voice with my own.
