* * *

Now that Ashton mentioned it, that did sound plausible.

Thinking it over, Remy realized he’d never actually ridden a horse before.

What was he planning to do alone anyway?

For once, Ashton made sense.

“I’ll just teach you. Come with me.”

“I could just learn from a servant…”

“Ha. The Remy Wesley who’s been riding since age nine suddenly forgets how and asks a servant for help? You think that makes sense, Remy?”

Oh. Right…

Easily swayed, Remy nodded vigorously.

One person discovering his suspicious behavior was enough.

“See? Now you get why you need to come with me.”

“Uh… Yeah.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“Where else? The stables.”

“Oh. Right.”

Remy had never heard of Omega dynamics affecting intelligence, but this… this felt wrong.

Ashton wondered if something was seriously off.

“Um… Uh…”

But for some reason, Remy stopped after a few steps.

What now?

Ashton looked at him curiously.

“What is it now?”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“Yeah?”

Looking as innocent as could be, Remy glanced up at Ashton, his big eyes scrunched in embarrassment.

“The truth is…”

“Yeah? What?”

“I don’t know where the stables are.”

Ah. At that moment, Remy wished he could crawl into a hole and disappear!

But he couldn’t pretend to know what he didn’t.

And it would be ridiculous to suddenly ask where the stables were after living here for years.

“Ha.”

Ashton sighed, exasperated.

At this point, he was starting to doubt his assumptions.

He used to think Remy just had patchy memory.

But no—this was serious. It had to be amnesia.

“You really don’t remember?”

“Uh, yeah. Guess not.”

“Remy, have you talked to the doctor about this?”

“Of course.”

He hadn’t.

“Yeah, I did. The other day…”

“And what did they say?”

“Something about… post-manifestation aftereffects. It’ll get better with time.”

Sure. By then, he’d be more adapted to Original Remy’s life.

“If the doctor said so…”

Even as he spoke, Ashton seemed genuinely concerned.

“I know where the stables are. Follow me.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Kindly, Ashton led Remy toward the stables.

They were just as grand as the mansion itself.

The two of them stood in the spacious courtyard in front, waiting for the stable hand.

Soon, the stable hand appeared with two horses: Harrington—Remy’s favorite—and another fine steed.

The horses were ready to ride, their noble figures inspiring awe.

‘Oh. Is that white horse Harrington?’

“Here you go.”

The stable hand handed them the reins.

Remy realized his guess was correct.

The white horse with its shimmering mane was indeed Harrington.

“Enjoy your ride.”

After handing over the reins, the stable hand left to tend to the other horses.

Remy eyed the white horse warily.

Horses were fascinating creatures.

He’d never seen one in his old world.

Since coming here, though, he’d ridden in horse-drawn carriages.

He was somewhat familiar with their appearance.

But still… riding one?

---

‘Still, I’ve never seen it this close before.’

Harrington was truly a beautiful horse.

“As a start, Remy, should we try getting on the horse first?”

Ashton spoke gently, looking at Remy, who was in a daze.

Remy, mesmerized by Harrington’s stunning appearance, snapped out of it and nodded.

“Alright, Remy. Do you remember how to mount a horse?”

“Um. Nope!”

“…Ah. Okay. Then let’s start with getting you on the horse. First, place your left foot in the stirrup.”

“Like this?”

“That’s right.”

Following Ashton’s instructions, Remy placed his left foot in the stirrup.

At least he had seen this done somewhere before, so he had a vague idea of what to do next.

He figured his other foot would need to go into the remaining stirrup.

“Now, swing your right leg over and straddle the horse. It might be hard on your own. I’ll give you a hand—try it.”

‘Pfft, I got this.’

Ignoring Ashton’s outstretched hand, Remy swung his right leg over by himself.

Even with his scrawny body, he was glad he could manage this much.

“Good. Now put your right foot in the stirrup too.”

‘Piece of cake!’

Feeling triumphant, Remy perched on the horse and glanced down with a smug expression.

He was always looking up at Ashton, but seeing him from this angle was a refreshing change.

It felt good to be on higher ground.

“Before we start moving, let’s fix your posture. Balance is key. First, straighten your back.”

Ashton placed his hand on Remy’s waist.

He traced up along his spine, his hand gliding over the thin fabric of Remy’s shirt.

The touch made Remy tense up and flinch.

“Straighten your back,” Ashton repeated.

Biting his lip, Remy tried his best to comply.

“Listen carefully, Remy. When riding, always keep your ears, shoulders, hips, and heels in a straight line. Spread your shoulders and keep your weight centered on your sit bones.”

Remy didn’t catch all of Ashton’s detailed explanation, but it seemed like he just needed to keep his body straight.

“Got it, Remy?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Got it.”

“Now, let’s go over your leg position.”

Ashton’s hand slid from Remy’s waist to his thigh.

His fingers lightly touched the upper part of Remy’s thigh, clad in white summer trousers.

The fleeting touch sent a shiver through Remy’s body.

‘What the hell? Is my body broken or something? How can I be this sensitive to an alpha’s fingertips?’

Remy could hardly contain his frustration.

“Bring your legs in, like you’re hugging the horse. Bend them inward.”

As Ashton patiently explained, he physically guided Remy’s legs, adjusting them himself.

From thighs to calves, every time Ashton touched him, Remy flinched involuntarily.

“Good. Keep your legs like this. Point your toes up and keep your ankles firm so your heels face down.”

Finally, Ashton’s hands pulled away.

Remy let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Now that the alpha’s hands were gone, he could breathe a little easier.

“Now, let me show you how to hold the reins. Make a fist, and let the reins run through it, with the loops facing upward.”

Ashton took Remy’s hand with one of his own while demonstrating with the reins.

“Then lift your pinky and hold the reins on the outside. Place your thumb on top and press down to secure it.”

Remy followed Ashton’s instructions carefully, trying not to miss a step.

“Great. You’re all set. Now, let’s get the horse moving, shall we?”

Remy swallowed nervously.

Until now, he had been too distracted by Ashton’s physical closeness to think clearly, but now, the fear of actually moving the horse took hold.

The horse seemed much higher up than he had expected, and sitting on the saddle didn’t feel particularly secure.

If he slipped, he’d fall right to the ground.

‘I’m scared.’

Gripping the reins tightly, Remy took a deep breath to steady himself.

“Now, give the horse a nudge with your heels. Not too hard, just gently.”

Frozen stiff, Remy awkwardly tapped the horse’s side with his heels.

Perhaps it was too gentle, because Harrington didn’t react.

He simply let out a soft snort and stood still.

“Remy, a bit harder. Try again?”

A bit harder…

Repeating Ashton’s words in his mind, Remy pressed his heels into the horse’s side with more force.

But again, Harrington remained unfazed.

“Remy. Harder.”

“L-Like this?”

Remy kicked a little harder, but Harrington still didn’t budge.

“No, even harder!”

“Wait, you told me not to kick too hard!”

Frustrated by Harrington’s lack of response, Remy finally snapped and kicked with all his might.

At that, the once-placid Harrington neighed loudly, rearing up on his front legs.

“W-Whoa?!”

Remy’s scream rang out.

And then—

“Remy!!”

Before Ashton could react, the famed and spirited Harrington took off like a shot.

* * *