Snow here, snow there.
White snow was piled softly everywhere.
“It’s cold.”
Eunice scooped up handfuls of snow from the railing with a childlike smile. Watching her, Hannah asked with curiosity:
“Do you like snow that much?”
“It’s pretty.”
It looked fluffy like white cotton, but when touched, it offered a cool, melting sensation. She had never seen anything so white and beautiful before.
“In the south, snow doesn’t pile up like this. Even when it falls, it just swirls around like dust and disappears, so I never get to touch it like this.”
“That sounds incredibly enviable.”
It was meant as an expression of envy from Eunice’s side, but the response was oddly flat. Turning her head in confusion, she saw Hannah muttering with an unimpressed face.
“Just wait a week. You’ll be sick of the sight of it.”
“Why are you so devoid of sentiment, Hannah?”
When Eunice asked teasingly, the response was remarkable.
“The knights call it trash falling from the sky.”
“What?”
It was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard. How could something so beautiful be called trash?
The protest that rose to her throat faded away at Hannah’s next words.
“Who do you think has to clear all this snow?”
“…”
Eunice carefully looked around.
The vast land. The enormous city of Berzan built upon it.
She recalled the neatly cleared snow on both sides of the road leading to the palace. Not just the path the escort had traveled, but all the numerous streets of Berzan, intertwined like a spider’s web, would need snow removal.
‘I see. People have to clear all of this.’
Thanks to years of experience overseeing the vast Pavlone duchy, Eunice immediately understood how troublesome snow management was in Nordish.
Something that seemed natural when done consistently, but immediately noticeable when neglected.
She could envision herself involved in snow removal operations in the near future. Perhaps it was already starting to look a bit like trash.
Ah, no. There was no need to understand this so quickly.
The childlike wonder she had briefly enjoyed crumbled instantly.
“You won’t have to clear it for a while. It will melt on its own when summer comes.”
That’s when a deep baritone voice arrived. As she turned her head, Johannes was approaching with a fur-lined cape draped over his shoulders. Eunice’s green eyes trembled slightly.
Oh no. She wasn’t mentally prepared yet.
Embarrassment and shame washed over her like a flood. Despite wanting to run away and hide somewhere, her feet remained rooted to the ground as if they had grown roots.
She desperately wanted to hold onto Hannah, who was bowing and withdrawing, but could only send her a pitiful look.
And so, only the two of them remained in the garden.
Whoosh. His elegant silver hair swayed gently in the breeze that came from somewhere.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
Overcoming her embarrassment, Eunice bowed her head gently. Thinking that he had seen her n*ked body the night before made her face burn like fire.
What was Johannes thinking? What had happened while she was asleep? The tumult she had barely managed to suppress began to run wild again like a foal.
“Enjoying the snow?”
“Yes. With Hannah…”
Her voice trailed off as she stole a glance at his expression. Unfortunately, nothing could be read from the cold-featured man.
Johannes acknowledged her with a slight nod, glanced at the railing she had disturbed earlier, and then looked back at her face.
He stared silently… as if searching through her green eyes, then gazing quietly at her tightly closed lips.
Finding his gaze burdensome, Eunice swallowed nervously. Her breath grew hot and an uncomfortable thirst arose.
“I’m glad you seem to get along well with Hannah. You were laughing heartily.”
His voice, when it finally came, was neutral. Perhaps closer to cold. But Eunice felt relieved just because the silence had ended.
“Thank you for providing such an excellent maid.”
“Any discomforts?”
“I only arrived yesterday. Everything has been fine.”
“That’s good.”
It was a plain answer. But Eunice couldn’t be so plain about it. The only services she had received since arriving yesterday were a bath and morning preparations…
“Um…”
After some hesitation, she spoke. Eunice tried to maintain her composure as much as possible.
“I apologize for last night’s impropriety.”
At those words, one of Johannes’s eyebrows quirked up. As if asking what impropriety she was referring to.
“Hannah told me. Because I fell asleep while bathing…”
“Ah, that.”
“…”
So he’s not denying it.
Eunice closed her eyes tightly. She wanted to die.
As if his previously too-composed attitude that confused people had been merely an act, Johannes acknowledged it with disappointing ease.
She wanted to turn to dust and disappear. Overcoming the terribly shameful feeling, Eunice painfully opened her eyes to face the man before her. Johannes was waiting for her next words.
“Did I have any… sleeping habits?”
As she asked the question, Eunice’s already flushed face turned bright red as if it might burst.
At that vivid change, Johannes’s blue eyes widened slightly. Soon his lips twitched, and he covered his mouth with one hand.
“…”
So did she have sleeping habits or not?
She wanted to threaten to open his head if he didn’t answer quickly, king or not. But contrary to her violent inner thoughts, her spoken words were gentle.
“If I snored or drooled… that was because I was too tired. I usually sleep quietly.”
“What?”
Johannes asked back as if he’d heard something absurd. Then he revealed his teeth and laughed out loud.
“Your Majesty…”
Eunice’s voice came out trembling like a goat’s.
Isn’t this too much? Laughing heartily in front of an embarrassed bride.
She was genuinely worried that she might have shown an unseemly appearance. She felt like she might shed tears from embarrassment.
“You slept beautifully, so don’t worry.”
“…!”
That’s when a sweet voice echoed in her ears. Eunice’s green eyes shook greatly. Johannes had regained his composure somewhat, but a pleased smile still lingered on his lips.
Was it a gentle breeze? Or tickling grass?
Eunice felt uncomfortable with the unfamiliar sensation tickling her heart. At the same time, she felt a ridiculous sense of relief at having slept beautifully.
Eunice placed her cold hands on her heated cheeks to cool them down. Playing with the snow earlier had turned out to be helpful.
“Ah…!”
Suddenly, Johannes grabbed her hand. A small gasp escaped between Eunice’s teeth in surprise.
The man who had been laughing cheerfully until just a moment ago was gone, and now he was frowning as if displeased about something.
Why again…
Before she could wonder, he clicked his tongue briefly.
“Not even wearing gloves. Tsk.”
Then he took off his own gloves, roughly tucked them into his coat pocket, and warmed Eunice’s hands with his own.
Perhaps due to the temperature difference, his hands felt burning hot.
When his large hands, covered with calluses, kneaded her soft hands, an unfamiliar sensation arose. Her palms tingled and electricity seemed to run up her spine.
“I understand that snow is fascinating, but you could get frostbite this way.”
“Frostbite?”
“It’s when part of your body freezes and becomes necrotic. If you miss the treatment window, even healing magic can’t reverse it.”
He was saying these gruesome words in such a plain tone. Trying to suppress her heart that was pounding loud enough to deafen her ears, Eunice looked at the man before her with a complicated expression.
“…Snow is frightening, then.”
“Well, you could say that.”
“To bewitch people with beauty and then cause necrosis—how terrifying.”
‘Just like you.’
“Is that so.”
As if he found her interpretation amusing, a light laugh escaped between his teeth.
Having thoroughly warmed her fingers to their tips, Johannes seemed to judge it sufficient and took out the gloves he had roughly stuffed into his pocket earlier, personally putting them on Eunice’s hands.
The ill-fitting gloves were loose, making for a comical appearance.
“You really need to be careful in midwinter. Death by freezing is common around here.”
“What season is it now?”
“Winter.”
“What does that mean?”
As if it’s winter all year round. Eunice burst into a small laugh.
Just then, Johannes reached above her head and snapped something off. With snow falling in clumps, a frozen white branch suddenly entered her field of vision.
“When the snow melts, it’s summer. Though it’s still cold even then.”
He placed what he had just broken off into Eunice’s hand.
“It’s fortunate you came while the snow flowers are still here.”
At the end of the branch, frozen snow had formed into a beautiful flower shape. Eunice, captivated by it, softly repeated the name he had taught her.
“Snow flower.”
It was a flower that bloomed only in Nordish.
