NOVEL SIMPLE
Chapter 584
Xiaolei’s Pride
As Mia and her group marched across the dimly lit grasslands, they caught sight of a faint glow from an open fire.
“What is that?”
Xiaolei initially looked puzzled, but then, as if she had realised something, she turned to look at Mia. However, Mia feigned ignorance and urged her horse forward, heading towards the fire.
Xiaolei, who was about to ignore the fire and move on, followed Mia, urged by the riders surrounding her.
As soon as they dismounted, they were given steaming containers. Inside was a milky white liquid, emanating a wonderfully sweet aroma.
Mia held the container with both hands and blew on it gently. Every time the hot steam touched her cheeks, she felt the stiffness in her body disappear like melting ice. She blew on it again and then took a sip.
‘Ah, this is wonderful… the perfect drink.’
The thick, hot liquid rolled over her tongue. It had a texture similar to a soup made with beaten eggs, but the flavour that hit her palate was a rich, sweet taste like honey.
As the heat travelled down her throat and reached her stomach, it gradually warmed her body. Mia sighed contentedly, “Ahhh…”
‘I see. Not only did they prepare a sweet drink, but it can also warm the body. What a wonderful and considerate thought—just what one would expect from the people of the Equestrian Kingdom.’
“Princess Mia…”
When Mia glanced over, she saw Xiaolei gripping her steaming container with both hands and directing a look of deep dissatisfaction at her.
Mia feigned ignorance and said, “To avoid any misunderstanding, let me explain. I asked for this drink purely because I wanted to have it myself. According to the fairness rules, I couldn’t have it unless I provided it for you as well. That’s why I had the same drink prepared for Xiaolei-san.” She declared nonchalantly.
Xiaolei stared intently at Mia’s face before finally bursting into laughter.
“Princess Mia, you truly are a very kind person.”
“Well, that’s not quite it, because…”
“I understand now. Your actions reflect your words. The horse match-up is not a battle where we aim swords at each other. Once a conclusion has been reached, we must cooperate. You showed consideration and ensured there would be no regrets or hard feelings.”
Then Xiaolei looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them repeatedly.
“It would be dangerous to continue riding while my body is in this cold state. If my hands get numb, holding onto the reins will be difficult, and I might end up falling off Rakuro. If I get injured, I won’t be able to resolve the horse match-up properly.”
Xiaolei declared with a confident and smug look on her face.
“Is that it?”
“Yeah, well, that’s about it.”
Of course, that wasn’t Mia’s intention. However, it seemed like it would create a better atmosphere if she left it as it was, so she decided to go along with it. Mia, the flexible jellyfish, knew the folly of going against the tide.
Xiaolei then took a sip of the Arutsue.
“Mm, it’s so sweet and delicious.”
She sighed softly, then turned towards Mia with a somewhat relieved look on her face, indicating that she had overcome all her doubts.
“Princess Mia, the horse match-up is an important ceremony. That’s why I won’t be going easy on you.”
Xiaolei’s expression turned serious. With a very dignified look on her face, she said, “Therefore, to face the horse match-up with everything I’ve got, I will warm myself up by the fire. It would be quite dangerous to continue riding in this state.”
“Oh, in that case, I will too…” freēwēbηovel.c૦m
“It’s fine if Princess Mia goes ahead, okay?”
“Eh…? No, but…”
“I am doing this because I believe it is the best course of action for me to win. I want Princess Mia to also do what’s best for her to win.”
She then gave a determined smile.
“There’s no need to worry. Rakuro is the finest of horses. I will catch up to you soon—definitely before the final slope. So be prepared, okay?”
From her tone, Mia could guess what she meant.
‘I see, she’s doing this because she doesn’t want to owe me any debt.’
Yes, that was definitely Xiaolei’s way of handling things without any hard feelings.
Mia acknowledged Xiaolei’s pride with a nod.
“I understand. Well then, I look forward to it. I’ll be heading off now.”
With that, she leaped onto Tofu and galloped away.
‘Well, in any case, I’ve managed to get on good terms with Xiaolei-san. So, it shouldn’t be a problem even if I lose. Now I can lose without any worries…’
For a while, Mia continued forward with a smile on her face, following Tofu’s rhythm…
‘Huh? Lose?’
Suddenly, Mia had a jolt of realisation. It hit her abruptly.
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Mia looked back and noticed that Xiaolei wasn’t following. The gap between them was widening rapidly.
‘Oh my! Perhaps this is my chance?’
At that moment, Mia realised the possibility of a brilliant and glorious victory. What flashed through her mind were the faces of her attendants, who had no doubt about her victory and cheered her on with complete faith.
‘In this situation where victory is clearly within sight, if I become a coward and give up, it could lead to future misfortune…’
“Well, we have no choice but to aim for victory, Tofu!”
Mia saw the opportunity to ride the wave and her voice was filled with energy.
She gripped the reins tightly and stroked Tofu’s neck. As if responding to her words, Tofu neighed!
And then?
Tofu continued to gallop at its usual speed. After all, Tofu was a horse that always did things at its own pace.