Chapter 48
– Part 3
The cold air brushed past my ears and tangled my tied-up hair.
Even though it was already February, when the harsh winter had passed, the wind rushing while I ran at full speed felt cuttingly cold.
The world that had been completely covered in white seemed to be preparing to change clothes once again.
Sending small signals to Snowflake with my fingertips and legs, Snowflake immediately understood and slowed down.
I didn’t need to say “whoa” or pull the reins — she easily understood my intention, which made her very proud.
I patted her mane wildly.
“Ah, you’re so pretty. My Snowflake.”
Snowflake responded with a snorting breath.
Snowflake, who had turned three years old, could finally carry me and run at a canter or gallop.
Since she was not yet a full-grown adult, I couldn’t make her carry heavy people or run excessively.
Snowflake was smart but also sensitive and picky, and she didn’t follow anyone except me. I liked that very much.
I slowly walked along the small path surrounding the backyard and tapped a tree branch.
Half-melted snow scattered like sand.
Water dripped from the icicles that were hanging in rows.
“Winter is ending.”
After arriving at the stable, I jumped down from the saddle.
Snowflake whined, “neigh,” as if she was reluctant.
“I feel sad too. But you still can’t carry people for long-distance running. My ears also feel like they’re going to fall off from the cold.”
I coaxed Snowflake, who didn’t want to go inside, and led her back to the stable before returning to the mansion.
Thinking that a warm cocoa would be nice, I entered through the main gate, but the mansion inside was strangely noisy.
Simon noticed me from the second-floor railing and quickly came down the stairs.
“I was looking for you. Where were you?”
“In the stable. What’s going on?”
“I told you not to ride horses too much in winter, but you never listen. Let’s go somewhere warm first. Your cheeks look like they’re about to burst.”
Simon clicked his tongue and walked toward the dining room, and I followed while rubbing my numb cheeks.
“What a bother.”
Simon Brante, who was back in Pellen after semester break, had his military academy graduation ceremony scheduled next week.
Since I had asked him to listen to his graduation speech draft many times, I guessed this was about that again.
‘Soon I’ll be bombarded every day by the nagging king.’
Thinking about the gloomy future of having my older brother stay beside me all the time made me sigh.
The father sitting in the dining room reading a newspaper smiled brightly when he saw me enter.
“Did you hear the news, Riez? This is great!”
“Huh? What news?”
Confused, I asked, and Dad immediately placed the newspaper in front of me.
“The war between Drasil and Gartian has ended. This is the news you’ve been waiting for.”
Simon poured tea and answered indifferently.
After blankly chewing over his words, my eyes suddenly widened.
“What?”
I grabbed the extra newspaper that Dad had put down and read the headline and article on the front page.
The war between the neighboring countries Drasil Duchy and Gartian Kingdom, which started about two years and four months ago.
Among them, the allied country Drasil Duchy had requested support from our Erkalte Kingdom, and the queen appointed Selpius Diarne as the supreme commander and sent troops.
At that time, it felt distant from me, like studying world history, and I had no emotional reaction.
I only thought, “The Diarne duke will go on another expedition and win.”
However, last year the story changed after Darius, who graduated early from the military academy, was commissioned as a second lieutenant of the kingdom’s army.
Because he was assigned to the rear support unit.
“That kid Darius won’t be in danger. Besides, his father is the supreme commander. Do you think he would send his own son to a death trap?”
That was what Simon always said.
In the original story of , this expedition was briefly mentioned as a trivial past event.
Even knowing that, I felt sorry thinking my favorite character was actually fighting on the battlefield in real time.
It was good that the war ended safely as in the original story.
“Then Darius will be back in Pellen soon, right?”
“Well, within a month.”
“Is that so.”
Simon’s mouth also stretched slightly upward.
The two of them had fought fiercely to become top student during their second and third years at the military academy.
My brother worked extremely hard until he had nosebleeds and lost weight like a skeleton, but he still couldn’t reclaim first place.
As expected of the protagonist, Darius was a cheat-like character.
Since it was a fair competition, my brother acknowledged and accepted his defeat.
Because Darius graduated earlier last year, my brother became the graduation representative this year.
Anyway, Darius spent most of the summer vacation two years ago in Mitas while taking seasonal classes, and after graduation he immediately joined the army and went on the expedition.
That meant I had barely seen him for the past two years.
Sometimes I ran to the Pellen main house when he visited, but it was only once every three or four months.
After he left for the expedition, it had been nine months without seeing him at all.
‘I’ll see a more mature Darius.’
Next month would be Darius’ nineteenth birthday. Time really flies.
“More importantly, I revised the speech draft. Listen to it once.”
Soon, my housemate brother destroyed my sentiment.
Of course, I knew he sat down here for this.
I listened with one ear and let the speech draft flow out the other.
‘Darius, after a long battle, he will probably stay in Pellen for a while and rest.’
Even the world’s war ghost, Selpius, did that.
I could again see my favorite character more often. That was truly good news.
Milly, the Brante count mansion maid, had recently gained a new worry.
The trigger was a tea party from another noble family.
As Riez’s exclusive maid, Milly always accompanied her to tea parties she was invited to.
While chatting with the maid of that family, she received quite a shock.
“Keeping watch.”
When Milly asked what the maid was doing while hiding behind a wall and looking around, that was the answer.
“Keeping watch?”
The maid came closer and whispered.
“Our young lady is secretly dating the young master of the Colt family. If she gets caught, it would be troublesome, so I’m guarding so no one approaches.”
Milly covered her mouth in shock.
“Your young lady is only sixteen…!”
The maid laughed as if it was an old-fashioned thought.
“So what? Nowadays it’s normal to have a few secret boyfriends before debuting in social circles. It’s better to try dating before debut. After marriage, you can’t date for a while.”
“But still….”
“She never allows physical contact except holding hands. You have a boyfriend who has been dating you for more than two years too, right? Why are you acting innocent?”
The maid shrugged.
Was that so? Come to think of it, Milly herself was sixteen when she first met eyes with Luke.
At that time, Milly’s thoughts were still uncertain.
What made her feel more strongly was when she noticed that the young lady’s best friend, Kyle Diarne, was watching the young lady with unusual eyes.
‘The young lady looks completely innocent, but young master Kyle seems to like her….’
It was a gaze too deep and sticky to be just strong friendship.
After realizing it, the boy’s sad affection for a one-sided love kept catching her eye.
The young lady herself was also frustratingly insensitive when it came to her own matters.
Even when she helped Milly and Luke’s relationship, Milly thought she was a love expert.
Was it only theory?
Moreover, lately she seemed to be absorbed only in books and horses.
‘In three months, our young lady will turn fifteen.’
If she were sent into an arranged marriage without ever experiencing a proper romance, how tragic would it be?
When her imagination reached that point, Milly concluded that now was the time to repay kindness.
“Before debut, I must make our young lady awaken to love at least once!”
Although Kyle Diarne was a bit prickly, he seemed kind to the young lady, and above all, he was handsome.
Having made up her mind, Milly called Luke and solemnly declared:
“From now on, let’s start the Riez young lady romance success project.”
