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Side Story 12
The brief word was filled with such vivid feelings of relief, contentment, and happiness that Natalie could practically hear them in his voice.
Her heart swelled with emotion.
For nearly twenty years, the North had been a nightmarish place for Roger, haunted by the guilt of having caused his family’s deaths.
Natalie had wanted to free him from that nightmare completely and give him a place he could finally call home.
That was why, when she suggested settling down in the northern Crawford territory, she had worried whether he would be able to adjust.
Yet Roger had adapted to his homeland far better than she had ever imagined.
The North was no longer a source of trauma or nightmares for him.
It had become his one and only home.
Now, all that’s left is to enjoy a peaceful winter together.
After all, he had said there would be no need for him to venture outside for the time being.
Natalie let out a soft sigh before snuggling into his arms and burying her face against his chest. Roger chuckled and asked,
“Did you take good care of yourself while I was away? You haven’t been feeling unwell, have you?”
“Of course not.”
It was almost hard to believe that this was the same man who had barely spared her a glance earlier. His sudden gentleness made her want to tease him a little.
Putting on an intentionally aloof expression, Natalie replied,
“Well, you weren’t here, but I still had my fur blanket. Thanks to that, I didn’t even feel the cold…”
But before she could finish, Roger released her from his embrace.
He lowered himself onto one knee, then took out a large cardboard box—where he had been hiding it, she had no idea—and placed it in her arms.
“What’s this?”
Puzzled, Natalie lifted the lid.
Inside was a package wrapped in thin paper. She carefully unwrapped it, revealing a beautiful white fur cloak.
“That blanket looked too heavy for you.”
Roger removed the black fur blanket draped over her shoulders.
“Every time I saw you, there were marks pressed into your shoulders. I wanted to replace it with something lighter and warmer. But all the furs available in the North were too heavy for you.”
Natalie instinctively hunched her shoulders as the cold air brushed against them.
With practiced hands, Roger took the fur cloak out of the box and draped it over her shoulders.
Rustle.
The cloak had a subtle sheen on its outer surface. It was incredibly soft and light as a feather, yet as warm as a thick quilt.
The fluffy white fur trimming its edges and lining its interior looked as fresh and delicate as falling snowflakes.
“I considered having one made in the capital, but they didn’t have any fur suitable for surviving the northern winters. And none of the tailors in Luxor had experience working with Winter Fairies.”
Roger gazed at Natalie, now completely enveloped in the white fur cloak, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
It was a proud, satisfied smile.
“So I commissioned one in a neighboring northern kingdom. After we dealt with the sea golems and reopened the sea route, I collected it from a merchant who had been stranded nearby.”
The cloak Roger had given her was made from the fur of a magical creature known as a Winter Fairy.
In Luxor, these creatures appeared only in the Crawford territory, and even there, they were rarely seen outside the winter season.
Each was only about the size of a fist, but its fur was astonishingly light and exceptionally warm, making it an excellent insulator.
However, since Winter Fairies were special magical creatures, their fur was notoriously difficult to process and maintain.
Most Northerners, regardless of age or gender, were sturdy and well-built. They could easily wrap themselves in thick furs without being inconvenienced by the weight.
There was little reason for them to go through the trouble of making clothes from Winter Fairy fur, which was difficult to obtain and process in the first place.
But Natalie was different.
Having grown up in the capital, she was more sensitive to the cold. Her delicate build also meant that the heavier furs commonly used in the North were ill-suited to her.
Winter Fairy fur was perfect for her.
That was why Roger had gone so far as to search abroad for a tailor who specialized in working with it.
And now, he had returned with a cloak custom-made just for her—not only in terms of its warmth and practicality, but also its measurements and design.
“Something this difficult to find… And you’re already so busy with work.”
Overcome with emotion, Natalie gently ran her fingers across the cloak.
All the fur blankets she owned were so heavy that her shoulders often hurt. Yet she had never once mentioned it to anyone.
She had never imagined that Roger had noticed.
“That’s a little hurtful to hear. You’ve always been the most important person to me.”
Roger replied casually before pulling her into another tight embrace, cloak and all, then releasing her.
His words sounded almost like a childish complaint, which was so unlike his usual cold, blunt demeanor that Natalie burst out laughing.
“I know. Thank you so much, Roger.”
Natalie knew very well how hard he was working for her sake.
Roger needed to fill the void left by his long absence and establish himself as the undisputed lord of the North. Only then could she live comfortably in the Crawford territory without having to worry about anything.
“Thanks to you, I’ve been having a wonderful time while you were away. I’ve been practicing baking bread with Marilyn and taking care of the foals. Oh, did you know that Amber gave birth to Peter’s foals?”
Peter was Roger’s black stallion.
After arriving in the North, he had found himself a mate named Amber, and not long ago, she had given birth to two adorable foals.
As Natalie chattered excitedly about the little horses, Roger listened attentively, his eyes fixed on her face.
It was a peaceful, heartwarming everyday life.
“We should head inside now. The wind is getting colder.”
“Oh, right. You should get some rest, too.”
Natalie took the hand Roger offered and rose to her feet.
She was about to tell him once again that she had barely noticed the cold thanks to the Winter Fairy cloak he had given her when Roger reached into his coat and pulled out a letter.
“What’s this? Another present?”
“On my way back, I met someone from the capital. It seems they sent a letter through a messenger. I wasn’t sure whether I should give it to you, but I thought the decision should be yours.”
What could it be?
Tilting her head in confusion, Natalie turned the envelope over. The moment she saw the emblem stamped into the red wax, she froze.
It was the crest of House Ailsden.
With mages now emerging as allies of the Imperial Family, magic was gradually becoming more commonplace in everyday life.
One prominent example was the magical communication orb, a useful tool widely employed by the Imperial Family and high-ranking nobles alike.
Yet House Ailsden still communicated through handwritten letters.
Rustle.
Natalie broke the wax seal and pulled out the letter.
While she read, Roger quietly waited beside her, keeping a respectful distance.
Several minutes later, Natalie slipped the letter back into its envelope.
Then she held out her empty hand to Roger.
“I’ve finished reading it. Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
Roger stepped closer and took her hand.
His large, calloused hand and her soft, pale one held each other’s warmth as they walked side by side through the corridor.
Step. Step.
As they walked in sync, Roger asked nothing about the letter.
Somehow, his silence made her feel even more at ease. Before she realized it, Natalie found herself speaking.
“My father and brother want to see me. They’re asking if I could visit home.”
She rested her head against Roger’s arm and murmured,
“Come to think of it, it’s been three years since I last went home.”
“Do whatever you want. You can leave for the capital tomorrow if you wish. And if you’re not ready to go back yet, you can simply ignore the letter.”
“Winter is almost here, though. If I travel to the capital now, the roads will become impassable, and I won’t be able to return to the North this year.”
That would mean they wouldn’t see each other for another nine months.
That was an unbearably long time for her—and for Roger, too.
Natalie had naturally expected him to say he was only joking.
Instead, his next words made her eyes widen.
“It would be difficult for me to bear being separated from you, but I don’t want to cut you off from the rest of your world just because of my own selfish desires.”
“What?”
“Your family is a world you deserve to have.”
Just then, a cold winter breeze swept between them.
Natalie instinctively narrowed her eyes as it tousled her long blonde hair. Roger gently pulled the hood, lined with thick white fur, over her head.
“Don’t think about me. Just do whatever your heart desires.”
Smack.
His elegant lips, carrying the faint scent of winter, left a warm kiss on her cheek.
Natalie stared up at him, momentarily dazed. His cool yet tender hand gently cupped her cheek.
His serious silver eyes met hers, but there was an unexpected hint of playfulness in them.
“If you want to go, you can visit whenever you like. I won’t run away. I’ll stay right here and wait for you.”
There was something rather endearing about the way he delivered a joke in such a solemn voice.
Suppressing a smile, Natalie replied with equal seriousness,
“I’ll think about it. But not this time. I’m worried you might disappear again while I’m away in the capital.”
“That…”
Roger immediately looked flustered.
The northern territory was vast, and unlike other regions where magical beasts had become increasingly rare, the North still suffered from frequent beast appearances.
During the three winters they had spent together, Roger had often left Natalie behind at the lord’s castle to lead short expeditions against the beasts.
“I’m sorry. Were you really that upset? From now on, I’ll delegate all the expeditions this year to my subordinates…”
“I’m joking! I was just teasing you. I got a little sulky thinking about how the magical beasts had stolen my man away from me for an entire week.”
Natalie giggled, released his hand, and dashed toward the castle.
With a series of light, rapid footsteps, the white fur cloak disappeared through the entrance.
Roger had been seriously wondering how he should apologize to her, but now he let out an amused chuckle.
Step. Step.
As he followed Natalie through the short corridor, he suddenly noticed something lying near the entrance.
He bent down and picked it up.
It was the letter from House Ailsden that she had dropped while running inside.
Out of consideration for Natalie, Roger carefully tucked it away without looking at the contents that had slipped partially out of the envelope.
Thankfully, she no longer seemed to be hurt or saddened by the past.
Relief washed over him, but another thought soon crept into his mind.
Family.
Something he didn’t have, but Natalie did.
Something he wanted more than anything to give her—and something he secretly wished to receive from her in return.
Yet Natalie deserved a world far greater than the one he could offer her.
He didn’t want to become the reason she had to give anything up.
As Roger made his way toward their bedroom, he once again forced himself to swallow those feelings.
And so, as he had done countless times before, he kept his deepest wish locked away in his heart.
