Nine

Author's POV

"I will take you around our vineyard and ranch on horseback. I hope you know how to ride; if not, I can—"

"I can," Summer replied quickly, before Luxian could finish his sentence.

"Okay," Luxian said, rolling up his sleeves, seemingly not wanting to argue with Summer, even though he was actually worried she might struggle. But it seemed Summer didn’t want to listen to him. So he decided to stay quiet and let her mount the horse on her own, even though he had been about to offer his help.

The stable hands brought two horses to them. Luxian handed her a white horse.

"Her name is Leslie."

"Okay..." Summer answered with a hint of unease. Truthfully, it had been a long time since she last rode a horse. And facing the horse directly made her panic. She was worried about what would happen if she couldn’t control the horse properly.

"You can give up now and ride with me," Luxian whispered to Summer, as if he could read the anxiety in her heart.

Summer shook her head. "No. I can do it," she insisted. But as soon as she touched Leslie’s reins, the white horse moved restlessly, letting out a small, annoyed whinny. Summer realized she might have been too rough.

"Summer, you don’t have to push yourself," Luxian muttered. Summer ignored him and asked the stable hands to help her mount Leslie.

"Leslie, sweetheart... don’t be afraid," Summer said, gently stroking the white horse named Leslie.

Seeing Summer’s stubbornness, Luxian could only shake his head in frustration.

"Alright, let’s go!"

Luxian tugged the reins of his black horse, and the horse he was riding slowly stepped out of the palace’s backyard. Summer followed, though she was clearly struggling to control Leslie.

---

After leaving the palace grounds, they entered a path surrounded by lush trees. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful, but Summer was still nervous. Leslie, the white horse she was riding, seemed to sense Summer’s unease and began to move faster, even though Summer tried to calm her with gentle strokes.

"Leslie, calm down... calm down," Summer whispered, trying to control the horse. But Leslie only became more unruly, her steps growing faster and more erratic. Summer tried to pull the reins, but her hands were trembling, and Leslie only grew wilder.

"Luxian!" Summer screamed, her voice filled with panic. She tried to hold on, but Leslie suddenly broke into a gallop, speeding away from Luxian, who was still behind her.

Luxian immediately realized the dangerous situation. His eyes widened as he saw Leslie running uncontrollably toward a large tree ahead. "Summer!" he shouted, his heart pounding. Without a second thought, he pulled the reins of his black horse and spurred it to chase after Summer as fast as possible.

Summer screamed in fear, her hands gripping the saddle tightly, but her body was tossed around on Leslie’s back as the horse grew wilder. The large tree was getting closer, and Summer knew she couldn’t stop Leslie. She closed her eyes, bracing for the inevitable crash.

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted off the saddle. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her swiftly away from Leslie. Summer opened her eyes and saw Luxian’s tense face, filled with worry. He had saved her just before Leslie crashed into the tree.

"Are you okay?" Luxian asked, his voice heavy but gentle. His arm was still tightly around her, making sure she was safe.

Summer nodded, though her face was pale and her breathing was ragged. "I... I’m fine," she said, but when she tried to stand, a sharp pain shot through her leg. "Ouch!" she groaned, her body swaying.

Luxian quickly steadied her, his eyes full of concern. "Your leg is sprained," he said, his voice firm but soft. "You shouldn’t push yourself."

Summer tried to smile, even though the pain was unbearable. "I... I’m sorry. I thought I could do it on my own."

Luxian sighed, then gently lifted Summer into his arms. "You don’t need to apologize," he whispered, his voice warm. "What matters is that you’re safe."

Summer felt her face heat up, her heart racing not from fear but from Luxian’s close presence. She felt the warmth of his body, and for the first time, she felt completely safe.

Luxian carried Summer to a safer spot, away from the tree and Leslie, who was still agitated. He carefully set her down on the ground, then sat beside her. "I’ll call a doctor to check your leg," he said, but Summer shook her head.

"No, wait a moment," Summer whispered, her hand gripping Luxian’s arm. "I... I just want to sit here with you for a while."

Luxian paused for a moment, then gave a small smile. "Alright," he said, sitting closer to Summer. They sat side by side under the shade of the tree, the peaceful atmosphere surrounding them once more.

Summer looked at Luxian, her eyes shining with unspoken emotions. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You saved me."

Luxian looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness. "I won’t let anything happen to you," he said, his voice firm yet full of affection. "You mean a lot to me, Summer."

"Yeah, I know what I mean to you," Summer said bitterly.

"Yes, you’re right. Very much so," Luxian replied sternly.

Hearing those words, Summer felt her heart wanting to melt, but remembering the reason Luxian had married her, her heart froze again. She gave a bitter smile.

Luxian reached out her hand, gently touching Summer’s cheek.

"Come on, let’s go back to the palace. I’ll take you home," he said, his voice full of certainty.

Summer nodded, and with Luxian’s help.

"I’ll carry you!" Luxian swiftly lifted Summer’s body.

"Hold on tight!" He grinned.