Magic or not, there is no possible chance I would've believed you were a horse.

[So Maple is out as a candidate, but he certainly means that as a compliment. He's also relaxing a lot now himself, both because there's no need for second-guessing or overthinking in terms of hiding his identity or trying to figure out hers, and because it's Hilda. Out of everyone in this world, he feels most at ease around her.

But speaking of being at ease--]

The effects of the tree weren't enough to counter your concerns? Was it weighing on your that much, or did something more specific happen?