The Princess and the Black Forest

Hehe, plan successful.jpg

My plan was to gradually work my way up to Maple, starting with his ponytail.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait for me!”

I hurried out of the tent, observing him mount his horse in one fluid motion.

When it was my turn, I found myself in a predicament. The horse’s back seemed impossibly high for me to reach.

“How did you manage that, being so short?” I asked, craning my neck to look up at him.

Maple replied with an air of righteous confidence, “Because I’m a boy! I’ve been training since I was little.”

‘I’m a boy too (scratch that).’

From atop his horse, he extended a hand towards me.

I paused for a moment. “Ah, I see. So this is your legitimate excuse to hold my hand?”

“If I don’t pull you up, how will you get on?”

“Hmm… borrow a ladder? Never mind, that’s too much trouble.” With that, I grasped the hand he offered.

“Step on the stirrup,” he reminded me patiently.

“If I lift my leg that high, won’t I expose myself?” I couldn’t help but worry, carefully pressing down my skirt as I clumsily clambered up.

Without his pull, I truly wouldn’t have made it. Ah, we’re both boys, yet it seems all my skill points went into cross-dressing, didn’t they?

A chill ran through my crotch as I settled onto the saddle, my face flushing scarlet. I should have worn safety shorts!

“What’s wrong?”

I secretly tucked the back of my skirt beneath my buttocks. “Nothing, it’s just a bit uncomfortable.”

I glanced around. “Um, aren’t there any handholds?”

“How could there be?”

“Then where should I hold on?”

Maple stammered, “If you don’t mind… you can hold my waist…”

‘Men and women shouldn’t touch each other casually~’

‘Wait? No, that’s not really an issue here…’

“You said it yourself, you know.”

I clutched a tiny corner of Maple’s clothes, my heart pounding with nervousness. The feeling was incredibly subtle! I wondered if Maple felt it too.

“Are you holding on tight?”

‘If this could even be called holding on tight…’

“Then we’re off! Giddy up—”

From his tone, I could tell he was merely feigning composure.

“Your waist truly feels like a girl’s,” I remarked.

“Hey! Don’t say such nonsense!”

The atmosphere instantly became lively. It seemed we were only ever less awkward when we were bickering.

Western Suburbs, Black Forest—

“Is this the Black Forest from Black Forest cake?”

“This is your home, why are you asking me?”

“Hmph, this Princess has always only ever stayed inside the castle!”

“Actually, it’s my first time here too,” Maple said, scratching his cowlick.

Hearing that, I immediately grew agitated! “Gah, you’re not going to get me lost, are you???”

“Don’t worry, have you heard the saying, ‘An old horse knows the way’? My horse will lead us home.”

“Isn’t your home in Britannia? Your horse will drive us straight into the sea then!”

“Can you not be so humorous?”

“Don’t you always emphasize that you’re a boy? Shouldn’t boys have a good sense of direction? How could you get lost?”

“If you think you can do better, then you lead!” Maple retorted indignantly.

“I should have memorized the way from the start! Ever since we entered the forest, we’ve been separated from the main group, and now I can’t even see a soul!”

“Who said we’re separated? Aren’t those people—?”

Maple pointed, and from the depths of the forest, a group of people emerged on horseback. They rode past us, smoking and chatting merrily, dragging a bruised and battered Deer Man behind them.

The Deer Man was seen pleading, “Stop hitting me, I’m a unicorn!”