Chapter 69: Ch:69 The Crown and the Lie
The horses neighed and rattled their hooves against the marble road—spooked by the sudden shockwave of Dila’s punch that shattered the magical gate.
"Nehhh! Hehehehh!" they reared up in panic, nearly snapping the reins.
The masked man turned casually, as if he had all the time in the world. With his back still facing them, he raised one hand, waving it with a dismissive flair. "Calm down, boys... Easy now."
The horses, miraculously, obeyed—stomping less violently, their breaths heavy but stable again.
Then, without turning, the masked man let out a soft, theatrical sigh. "Tsk tsk tsk... Look what you’ve done." He finally turned his masked face back toward Dila, his tone mockingly calm. "You frightened my horses."
He lifted his hand again dramatically, palm upward as if he were announcing something to an audience. "You know how hard it is to raise them? One gets upset, the other thinks the world’s ending."
Dila, panting and furious, glared at him with a clenched fist still glowing faintly. "I don’t care about your goddamn horses!"
The masked man placed a hand over his chest, as if wounded. "Ohhh... you don’t like horses?" he pouted, mockingly devastated. "What a bummer... I was going to name one after you. ’Lady Kickstorm.’ Very fitting, no?"
"Shut up!" Dila snapped, her voice echoing across the now-silent plaza.
But the masked man wasn’t offended. Instead, he chuckled softly and suddenly clapped—just twice—then smiled with eyes closed beneath his mask. "Well then... Congratulations, Princess."
He gestured to the ruined gate behind her.