He did not receive flowers, applause, or the praise he deserved. Although dressage was not his strong suit, it was still part of the Olympic gold medal. His performance was far from mediocre, which left him somewhat disappointed. After tying the horse, he sat beside her, exhaling slowly, and said, “Only through time spent together can one appreciate that horses are humanity’s most loyal companions, a part of a rider’s life. When you are with this noble, spirited partner, you forget many worries and troubles. When the horse’s mane flows in the wind and gallops across the earth, that feeling of mutual understanding and unity is simply wonderful…”
Khanyi continued to stare blankly at the horse, listening to him speak softly in her ear. He noticed her distraction, paused his words, and slightly lowered his head to observe her profile. She remained silent, her striking black-and-white eyes blinking, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, gently biting her rose-colored lips as if pondering some profound question. He chuckled softly but did not interrupt her thoughts, turning his gaze towards the horse, aligning his sight with hers.
In her heart, she marveled at how well-designed this sporting competition was, maximizing the display of strength and beauty, elegance and rhythm, coordination and exuberance. She now fully understood why he was often referred to as “the elegant black knight of Atlantis.” Previously, she had only remembered his brutality, coldness, and unfathomable darkness, neglecting the essential meaning of that title—he was an elegant rider. She recalled her teacher discussing the chivalric spirit of medieval knights, the necessary humility and kindness, honor and sacrifice, bravery and faith, honesty and justice, which bore some resemblance to the “benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust” taught by her private school teacher, just with an added gentlemanly demeanor and a sense of narrow-mindedness…
The soft, warm spring breeze blew over the riverbank, and the unicorn-like pure white horse quietly lowered its head to graze, while the handsome man with golden hair and blue eyes gazed at her.
“I want to eat cherries,” she suddenly blurted out.
“Darling, what did you say?” He asked, somewhat puzzled. This little one had a quick mind; just a moment ago, they were discussing the Olympic equestrian competition, and suddenly she switched to food. He couldn’t recall any mention of cherries in his previous words. “Are you hungry?”
She flashed him a shy smile. What does it look like now? When will it bear fruit? I love cherries the most.”
“The cherry orchard?” He was taken aback by her words. “What cherry orchard?”
“Don’t you remember? It was when you brought me back, and you told me in the car that you had an estate by the Rhine, with an old butler named Martin guarding it. Spring comes early there; while it’s still chilly here, the trees there have already budded…”
He bit his lip, pondering for a long time, then smiled. “Yes, the cherry orchard. It should… have grown tall by now, but we have to wait until summer for the cherries to ripen.”
“Then promise me you’ll take me to eat cherries in the summer.” She stood up from the ground, brushing off her pink dress, which, it seemed, had not a speck of dirt on it. She appeared eager to play with the horse for a while.
He looked up at her, a clear stream flowing in his blue eyes, smiling without speaking.
“What? Is that not possible?” She turned back to ask him.
“Of course it is, darling.” He chuckled, but his tone was somewhat serious.
Hearing his promise, she turned around with relief, approaching the horse with light steps, cautiously reaching out to touch its pure white mane.
He watched her back, his brows slightly furrowed, silently thinking that the cherry orchard by the Rhine would not be hard to take her to, but before that, he needed to quickly plan to buy a piece of land, have cherry trees planted, and find an old servant named “Martin.”
A week of vacation quickly passed, and before long, it was the weekend. He had specially arranged this small gathering. To avoid drawing attention, he wore the black uniform of the SS but did not display any military rank or medals; unless one was an expert, they would never guess that the handsome man sitting by the window was a general of the Empire. The tall man who entered through the door also held a significant military rank, not to mention he possessed a silver oak leaf medal that would make any Imperial citizen envious. However, he did not wear it, opting instead for a low-key gray suit.
“Hey, Philip, been busy lately?” He raised his long fingers and greeted the newcomer.
The well-built man, who also had a somewhat refined demeanor, clearly rushed over. “Sorry, I’m two minutes late,” he said, taking a seat and slightly catching his breath. Reflexively, he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and answered the earlier question, “I was rushing to finish an experiment report when my assistant suddenly told me you were looking for me, and the reason was that you wanted to drink?”
“Yes, I just wanted to drink.” He tossed the menu aside and lazily leaned back against the wide sofa chair.
“That’s quite the excuse. Don’t you need to be at the base? How’s it going over there?” Philip scrutinized him. “It seems you’ve been quite free lately; you look much better than when I last saw you at the opera house.”
He chuckled softly, his gaze fixed intently on his friend. “It’s only natural for me to inquire about your work, but your curiosity about mine is a breach of discipline.”
