Please Answer Me - Chapter 147

The enormous arena, capable of holding over 50,000 people, was already packed with spectators. From the first floor to the fifth, people crowded every available space, and when the awaited royals made their entrance, everyone stopped what they were doing and erupted in cheers.

Rosetta hesitated briefly at the roar of the crowd, and Iselle gently took her by the elbow. He knew well that Rosetta was not accustomed to such noisy environments and didn’t particularly enjoy places like this.

“Follow me.”

Iselle led the way, and Rosetta walked beside him, accepting his escort. The nobles who had arrived earlier all stood up to pay their respects to the royals. The seats prepared for Rosetta and Iselle were prime spots on the first floor, offering the best view of the arena. Once they were seated, the others resumed their seats as well.

Then, a man’s voice echoed through the space.

“We are honored to have with us today Princess Rosetta Viard Lysa and her future husband, Duke Iselle Scallion!”

The voice was so loud that it reached every corner of the vast arena, thanks to a magically enhanced tool used by the royal family. The magic allowed the voice to carry without the need to shout.

That wasn’t the only use of magic here. The entire building was under a protective spell, ensuring that it would remain unharmed even in the event of an earthquake. Additionally, numerous magic stones embedded in the ceiling and walls served as brilliant lights. The dome-shaped ceiling, in particular, was studded with magic stones arranged to resemble a starry night sky. Looking up at it gave the illusion of gazing into the night sky itself.

This arena was built during Lysa’s most powerful era—when they had colonized all of Arden to the west and extended their influence to the Toulouse region in the east. The Lysa royals had poured all their knowledge of science and magic into constructing this iconic building that represented Terra.

The reason they had gone to such lengths to build this structure was simple. It was a warning to the world, to those who visited the Colosseum. It conveyed that Lysa was far more powerful than anyone imagined, a nation so formidable that it was unthinkable to challenge them.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a jousting tournament. It’s been a while for you too, hasn’t it?” Iselle asked.

Rosetta nodded. “Yes, the last tournament was my last visit.”

Jousting tournaments were regularly held here, along with various events depending on the king’s preferences. Under the previous king, it was known that cruel spectacles, like gladiatorial contests where men fought to the death or lion hunts, were common.

However, the current king had banned such meaningless slaughter, replacing it with athletic competitions like jousting. This change reflected his gentle nature. Although people secretly missed the more thrilling events, jousting remained a consistently popular sport.

“Rosetta, which horse are you betting on?”

As the racehorses appeared, each with a number, the spectators were busy placing their bets. The popularity of jousting was partly due to the legalization of gambling.

Rosetta smiled and shook her head. “They said they’d give the winning horse to me anyway, so I don’t need to place a bet. I’ll just watch.”

Iselle looked at her for a moment before smiling slightly. “I see. Alright.”

Soon, the sound of a horn signaled the start of the race. The atmosphere in the arena grew even more heated than before. As the crowd passionately cheered for their chosen horses, Rosetta continued to ponder her next steps.

If she couldn’t relay the current situation to Rashid, what other options did she have? What would Rashid do if she didn’t show up at the agreed time? Would he simply give up and retreat?

Rosetta clenched her hands, resting on her lap.

No, he would never do that. Knowing his nature, if she didn’t arrive, he would realize something was wrong and come directly to the Colosseum. He wouldn’t care about his own safety—this was the man who had climbed the palace walls.

And if he were caught by Iselle or his knights…

“I’ll be sure to sever his head and present it to you as a gift when I meet him again. I’ll even preserve it in salt so you can keep it beside you forever.”

The moment she recalled Iselle’s words, her body trembled involuntarily. When Rashid wasn’t here, those words seemed like a mere threat, but the thought of him being here now filled her with sudden fear.

She had to prevent Rashid from coming here at all costs. But how?

Although she had power, it was only useful for protection. Maiastra’s power was not meant for harming or killing; it was given to strengthen and protect what already existed.

The roar of the crowd grew even louder as the horses crossed the finish line. Amidst the excited throng, Rosetta carefully observed the magic stones embedded in the ceiling and walls. These stones illuminated the otherwise dark interior, making it as bright as day.

Perhaps, through those stones, she could buy some time to escape.

“Indeed, horses from Ataka are different.”

Iselle’s remark caught Rosetta’s interest.

“Ataka? What’s that?”

“It’s a renowned breed known for its beauty and speed. Ataka is a region in the south, famous for producing these horses. Do you see that golden horse over there?”

He pointed to a sleek horse catching its breath, and Rosetta couldn’t help but gasp in genuine admiration.

“It’s beautiful…”

She had named the horse Rashid had given her Masha because its brown coat glowed gold in the sunlight, reminding her of Masha even subconsciously. But this horse’s coat was naturally golden. Its flawless body proportions and well-defined muscles made it worthy of being called a noble steed.

“So, a horse that beautiful is also fast?”

“Yes, it just won first place, leaving the others far behind.”

“Then won’t everyone bet on that horse?”

“There’s more than one Ataka horse, and there are other fine breeds as well.”

Iselle went on to explain the various breeds of horses. The further north they went, the larger the horses grew, while the horses primarily ridden in the Toulouse kingdom were smaller but had excellent endurance and agility.

In the meantime, several races concluded. At an appropriate moment, Rosetta stood up.

“I need to step away for a moment…”

Iselle, understanding what she meant, nodded. He knew better than to follow a lady to attend to personal matters, and neither did the guards.

Rosetta headed toward the private space prepared for her, accompanied only by her maids. After a short while, instead of returning to her seat, she suddenly changed direction.

“I’d like to see that horse up close.”

One of the maids stepped forward. “The horse? You mean…”

“The Ataka horse, I want to see it up close.”

“Oh… In that case, we should call for the guards…”

“There’s no need. I’ll just take a quick look.”

Rosetta immediately turned and walked away, leaving the maids no choice but to follow her, albeit in confusion.

When the princess suddenly appeared in the waiting area where the horses rested between races, the place was thrown into chaos.

“P-Princess?”

A man who was about to run out to call for someone was stopped by Rosetta.

“I’m just here to look at the horses, so there’s no need to make a fuss.”

“But, Princess…”

“Where is the Ataka horse? I’d like to see it up close.” Rosetta craned her neck, looking around.

The man, sweating nervously, tried to dissuade her. “This is no place for a princess, Your Highness. It smells, and the horses are still covered in sweat from the race… It would be better to give an order, and we’ll have the horse properly prepared for you…”

“It’s fine. I’m already used to such things.”

Without hesitation, Rosetta stepped into the stables. Her expensive skirt trailed on the straw-covered, dirty floor, causing the maids to gasp in horror. They quickly followed her inside, covering their noses with their sleeves to block out the stench of horse dung and the musty smell of animals.

“P-Princess…”

The maids looked as if they were about to cry. They couldn’t understand why the princess, who had never acted this way before, was suddenly behaving so impulsively. With no nanny or Allen around to intervene, they were at a loss for what to do.

Rosetta finally stopped in front of the golden horse that had just galloped freely around the arena. With a smile, she reached out her hand, but the man hastily tried to stop her.

“Princess! No matter how beautiful it looks, this horse has a wild temperament. If a stranger touches it, it will surely attack…”

But the man quickly realized that the horse was behaving differently than usual. Just by looking at its ears and eyes, he could tell the horse’s mood. Instead of showing discomfort or anger toward the stranger, the horse looked at the princess with sparkling eyes. The golden horse gently nudged its face against Rosetta’s outstretched hand and nickered playfully.

“Wha… This horse isn’t normally like this…”

Usually, the horse didn’t even glance at people offering carrots or sugar. It was particularly intelligent and knew how to play tricks on humans, often causing trouble. It would even deliberately act wild, knowing that people wouldn’t dare retaliate.

But now, this horse was behaving like a puppy, clinging to the princess’s hand. The man quickly realized that this behavior was a sign of submission.

Submission, to a princess who knew nothing about horses?

As he tilted his head in confusion, the lights suddenly went out.