Who Names Them?
Tichite watched the horses with a lingering smile. Most of the stable hands who worked at the Masan probably came up with the names, she thought. It didn’t seem as though any single person had been put in charge of naming them all. The white horse was easy enough to understand, but the gray spotted one with its absurd name made her lips twitch every time she looked at it.
Nyx’s gaze kept drifting toward her.
…Do you like horses?
He asked carefully. Tichite hesitated. The smile faded slightly from her lips as she searched for an answer.
I wouldn’t know how to say whether I like them or not. I’ve never had much chance to be around them. I don’t know much about horses, and I’ve never seen ones like these before. Well, not until the tournament. That was the first time I saw a Mountain Horse.
…You were there?
Yes. I watched every match until the very end. They were magnificent.
A bright, genuine smile returned to her face as she recalled the event. Every time she smiled, Nyx felt his chest tighten and throb.
Magnificent? Who? Me?
Nyx desperately wanted to know if he had been the subject of that admiration, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask. It would have sounded too pathetic. Maybe that was why his chest felt so heavy.
She said she watched until the final match. Of course she meant me.
You were the winner, after all, Your Grace.
The man felt an absurd urge to pat himself on the shoulder for reassurance.
I’m not used to horses, but I like animals in general.
Before Nyx could dwell on her words, Tichite moved on to the next topic, forcing the conversation back to its starting point.
Do you like them, Your Grace?
She asked, stroking Bush’s mane. Her warm gaze, which had been fixed on the horse, now turned to Nyx.
Uh…
Unable to meet those sparkling dark eyes, Nyx glanced away. His heart pounded violently against his throat.
Y-yes. I do.
The moment the stiff words left his mouth, his ears burned.
Tichite had no way of knowing what was happening inside that dark armor. Even Nyx himself struggled to understand the strange symptoms. She simply smiled playfully and spoke.
It shows.
Her face lit up at his answer. The sight stirred something strange and pleasant inside him. For the first time, he realized he could talk to her without anyone else acting as an intermediary.
His heart was pounding hard, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Talking to her might not be as difficult as he had thought. Courage and joy welled up within him.
I want to get closer to them, but this one doesn’t seem interested in me at all. It doesn’t care whether I touch it or not.
Watching Tichite’s disappointed expression, Nyx thought:
…I’m interested in you.
He immediately clenched his fist.
Damn it, what am I thinking…
You seem to know all their names.
Ah, well, I suppose so. They’re horses that serve the knights, after all.
Tichite kept praising him, and Nyx felt his chest swell with pride. But she quickly doused it with cold water.
In that case, could you remember my name as well? I’m not “the woman.” And I’m certainly not “the girl.”
The corner of her mouth curved into its usual arc, but this time the smile felt strangely formal.
She had long been quietly displeased that the Duke and his knights referred to her only as “the woman” instead of using her name. Now she asked in a cool but polite voice:
Do you remember my name, by any chance?
Huh? Uh…
I can tell you again if you’d like. It’s not as fun as “Galloping Thunderbolt,” but still.
She tried to soften the potentially rude request with a touch of wit, but it wasn’t enough to ease the discomfort she had stirred in Nyx. She had forced him to confront something he had been avoiding.
Th-that’s not it…
The Duke opened and closed his mouth several times before finally speaking.
I know it. I do know it.
His voice was barely louder than an ant’s whisper as he hesitantly mumbled her name.
Ra… Ranlam…
He had never once spoken her name aloud before. The moment he forced it onto his tongue, shame overwhelmed him and he burst out:
Damn it, my tongue keeps twisting. If I can’t say it properly, I might as well not say it at all.
It wasn’t because he didn’t know it, nor because he disliked it. He had simply avoided saying her name on purpose because it was difficult to pronounce.
Tichite’s expression brightened noticeably when she realized this. She smiled with the same genuine warmth she had shown when learning Bush’s name.
She slowly pronounced her name again, as if inviting him to try once more. Nyx obediently repeated after her.
Ran-lam.
…Ramram.
Ran, lam.
Nannam. No, Ranlam. Ranlam.
Most people would have given up and called her whatever was easiest by now, but the Duke kept trying. His persistent tongue, which kept failing yet refused to quit, was oddly endearing.
Watching him like a child learning a new word, Tichite found herself thinking he was rather admirable.
It’s difficult, isn’t it? If you prefer, you can call me by my first name instead of my family name. It’s much easier.
She pronounced the syllables slowly and clearly, as though teaching a child.
Tichite.
…Tichite.
The name slipped cleanly from between his teeth without a single mistake.
That’s right. Tichite.
She smiled brightly, as if praising a student who had done well.
Will you call me that from now on?
She kept smiling. Nyx’s own lips were slowly curving upward as he watched her, though neither of them noticed how foolishly he was grinning.
He simply moved his tongue silently, repeating the name he had just learned.
Tichite. Tichite Ranlam.
His tongue felt strangely ticklish, as if it were shortening with every repetition.
While the man tested her name on his tongue, Bush’s tongue curled to drink from the stream.
Tichite watched the horse. Her gaze followed its long muzzle. The lowered head drank while still breathing, nostrils flaring. Bush’s nostrils were particularly dark. The way they twitched was oddly funny and cute.
Then she noticed the aquatic plants swaying in the water. The smile vanished from Tichite’s face.
…Just a moment.
She plunged her hand into the water and grabbed the drifting plants without hesitation, pulling them up by the stems while leaving the roots behind.
To an untrained eye, it looked like an ordinary underwater plant. Its small, dense leaves, like those of a fern, glistened when wet, and the vivid green leaves took on a reddish tint toward the tips.
She held the plants in one hand and pushed the horse’s head away with the other.
Your Grace, I don’t think the horses should be drinking this water.
Her tone was so grave that Nyx instinctively pulled on the reins before he could even ask why.
He called out to the other men as well.
Zama. Milvian.
The commander’s alert tone made the soldiers spring to their feet.
Bring the horses over here.
Water dripped from Tichite’s hand. Nyx realized it was because of the plants she was holding.
It’s Ari Moss. The plant is poisonous to certain animals.
Despite its name, it was a floating aquatic plant with roots, stems, and leaves.
What? Really? Did one of them eat it?
Zama asked, sounding ready to pry open Galloping Thunderbolt’s jaws. Tichite shook her head and answered calmly.
They didn’t eat it directly, but Ari Moss releases toxins from its leaves. It’s best not to let animals drink water where it grows. It’s harmful to them.
I didn’t even know such a plant existed.
Neither did I.
What kind of symptoms does it cause, exactly?
Huh? Are they going to die or something?
It’s not that lethal. Since I stopped them from drinking any more, they should be fine. They might have a bit of stomach pain tonight, though. Ari Moss causes abdominal cramps.
She gently stroked Cream’s white belly, her voice tinged with regret.
Usually animals know better and avoid water where Ari Moss grows…
Sometimes animals were wiser and more sensitive than humans, able to distinguish safe water from dangerous water with uncanny accuracy.