Chapter 43 – The Ridiculously Selfish Little Emperor
About two months had passed since the night of the meteor shower.
I stood at the edge of the pasture completely at a loss.
“…Hey.”
In front of me, a two-month-old colt was tearing around the field at an absolutely absurd speed.
Well, running around wasn’t the problem.
The problem was that he was yelling—
“Outta the way, outta the way! Slowpokes are gonna get trampled!!”
—as he scattered the other foals and completed another lap around the pasture at full speed.
“…He’s so damn noisy.”
I muttered.
Beside me, Yayoi, who was bundling up straw, tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
There was no way I could tell her.
How was I supposed to explain that a two-month-old foal was trash-talking the other foals for being slow?
But that was exactly what was happening.
“Waaah!!”
“Rudolf’s so faaast!!”
“Eeeek!!”
“Sakuuu! He’s scary!!”
The foals were squealing.
Well… half of them were genuinely running for their lives.
“Slow.”
Rudolf suddenly called out to a yearling trotting alongside him.
The older horse blinked in confusion.
“…Huh?”
“Aren’t you kind of slow?”
…He actually said it.
At only two months old, he’d already started criticizing other horses’ athletic ability.
“H-Hey! You were literally just born!”
“But I’m still faster.”
“You’re so annoying!”
The yearling stamped a forehoof angrily.
Nearby, another foal giggled.
“Rudolf said it again!”
“He’s gonna get yelled at again!”
“He called me slow too!”
“Me too!”
The fact that multiple victims immediately spoke up told me everything I needed to know about his daily behavior.
“Rudolf.”
I called his name.
He stopped dead in his tracks and turned toward me wearing an expression of complete annoyance.
“…Tch.”
“Did you just click your tongue?”
“No.”
“You absolutely did.”
I’d learned one thing over the last two months.
This little guy had a seriously bad attitude.
And yet—
He adored Grandpa.
Whenever Grandpa walked out into the pasture…
No matter where Rudolf was, he’d immediately look his way.
“Grandpaa!”
As the old man approached, Rudolf instantly straightened his posture.
“Hey.”
Grandpa seemed to understand without saying anything.
He simply reached over and gently stroked Rudolf’s muzzle.
And just like that…
All the bratty attitude Rudolf had been showing vanished as if it had never existed.
“…What are you?”
I muttered from a short distance away.
Rudolf glanced over at me.
“I don’t like Saku because he’s always angry!”
“That’s because you’re always getting into trouble.”
Just yesterday he’d buried his head into a pile of hay, knocked the whole thing over, and then happily curled up on the straw to take a nap.
The day before that, he’d snuck up behind a yearling and nibbled its ear until it cried.
Before that, he’d pulled the laces out of Yayoi’s rubber boots.
Before that, he’d yanked on the hem of my jacket and dragged it into the mud.
I scolded him every single time.
Naturally.
And he wasn’t any nicer to Yayoi-chan.
“Yayoi looks weak.”
Rudolf suddenly looked over at her and declared.
I froze.
“She’s weak.”
“Hey.”
“She walks slowly, talks quietly… looks like she’d trip over nothing.”
“Don’t you dare evaluate a hardworking high-school graduate when you’re only two months old.”
Yayoi looked at me curiously.
“What did he say?”
“…He said you’re very careful at your work and you have a gentle voice.”
“Oh my. That’s nice to hear.”
At that moment, I decided it was definitely better that she couldn’t understand horses.
But…
For all his arrogance…
For all his attitude…
For all his tantrums, pranks, insults toward Yayoi, and tongue-clicking whenever he looked at me…
Rudolf was actually a huge baby.
First of all…
If Grandpa disappeared from sight, he’d immediately get upset.
“Where’s Grandpa?”
he’d ask.
And if Grandpa took even a little too long to come back—
“Grandpa’s late.”
he’d grumble unhappily.
He was the same with me.
I’d think, Doesn’t he hate me? But if I went back to the house and stayed away from the stable for a while, he’d become visibly sulky.
“Saku’s not here.”
he’d mutter with a pout.
And then, when I finally came back—
“You’re late.”
…Seriously?
What is your problem?
He treated Yayoi-chan the same way.
He’d say,
“Yayoi’s weak.”
But if she disappeared to do other chores for a while…
He’d start fidgeting almost immediately.
“Where’s Yayoi?”
“She was just here.”
Then the moment she returned…
He’d complain.
“You’re late.”
You were literally looking for her five seconds ago.
“Saku and Yayoi are slow.”
“Don’t compare humans to horses.”
“Saku gets mad too easily, and Yayoi’s weak.”
What is wrong with this little guy?
“…Is he saying something mean again?”
Yayoi asked, apparently sensing something.
I couldn’t tell her.
As for his mother…
Well, he doted on her.
He’d shove his face underneath Stone’s belly and softly call,
“Mom.”
His voice was strangely gentle whenever he said it.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, don’t call me.”
“I just wanted to call you.”
Yeah. That was just the kind of colt he was: sharp-tongued, ill-tempered, cocky, prone to bullying the other foals and calling Yayoi weak, and forever clicking his tongue at me. But despite all that…
he was still incredibly affectionate.
He just wasn’t very good at showing it.
…
What an unbelievably high-maintenance little brat!!