🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 65
“…….”
“…….”
W-what’s going on?
What is this awkward atmosphere?!
Leonardo, who was always teasing and joking, awkwardly turned his head, and Fleur hesitantly lowered her hands.
For the first time, the two—who usually never let a conversation die—were silently looking in different directions.
“We need to go up now.”
He looked up at the sky as he straightened his body.
“Y-yes?”
“The blizzard has calmed down.”
She lifted her head and checked outside as well.
The wind, which had been screaming like a child, had momentarily stopped.
“We have to leave now.”
Leonardo checked the straps tightly wrapped around his waist and back once more.
After finishing the inspection, he suddenly extended an arm toward Fleur.
Wait, just a moment ago he was shy about getting close, and now he wants me to hug him?
Fleur, flustered, slowly approached and climbed into his arms.
After patting his back a few times, she quickly stepped back.
“Ahem… Now that I’ve hugged you, will you take me with you?”
She muttered, embarrassed, avoiding his gaze.
Leonardo, who had been momentarily stunned, burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Did you think I’d leave you behind after coming all the way here?”
“You always joke around, so I thought you were just pretending to help me while teasing me…”
“Hehe, if that were the case, I would have just toyed with you from above and left.”
“Then why did you suddenly want me to hug you?”
“The straps are too short to tie us together. That’s why I have to carry you with one arm.”
Fleur’s face instantly turned bright red as she realized what he meant.
“Y-you should have said so! I didn’t know the situation, so I thought you were just asking for a hug…”
“Haha, yeah, that was my fault.”
“Yes! It’s completely your fault.”
“Let’s leave it at that. But tell me—if I ask for a hug, you’ll let me carry you like you did just now?”
“W-well… I was worried you’d leave me behind, wasn’t I?”
Leonardo, smiling with his dimples showing, reached out and gently brushed her chin before letting go.
“Where would I go leaving you behind?”
Even in the darkness, his violet eyes shone clearly.
The sincerity in his gaze made Fleur’s face burn with heat.
For the first time, she was grateful it was dark inside the hole.
“Then, will you hug me again?”
He extended one hand toward the rope and the other toward her.
Even though she knew it was just for getting out, she couldn’t help feeling a flutter in her chest.
She slowly approached and stood in front of Leonardo, hesitating on where to place her hands.
Noticing her hesitation, he took both her hands and placed them around his neck.
Suddenly, the distance between them shrank drastically.
When he had come to rescue her, she had hugged him in delight, but now, she was conscious of every movement.
Afraid he might hear her pounding heart, she held on timidly.
Seeing her hesitation, he wrapped her thin waist, pressing her close with no space between them.
“Hold tight so you don’t fall.”
“Y-yes.”
“You have to stick to me like my body, or we won’t get out safely.”
“…Understood.”
Yes, if I hesitate now, neither of us might make it out.
This is only for survival—just contact for escape.
Repeating it in her mind, she tightened her arms around Leonardo’s neck.
Even though they were both wearing thick coats, she could feel the firmness of his body and tried hard to suppress the creeping dark thoughts.
Whether Leonardo noticed her thoughts or not, he supported her by holding behind her knees with one hand.
Once she was completely dangling on him, he pulled the taut rope and approached the wall.
“You must have tried quite a bit to escape.”
“How did you know?”
“Your footprints are all over.”
“I was struggling to get up here on my own, no matter what.”
“Good. Thanks to that, I have somewhere to step on too.”
He pressed his feet on solid surfaces and continued wrapping the rope upward with his hands.
Even though Fleur struggled, they couldn’t go halfway alone—but somehow, they reached near the top of the hole.
“Ah…!”
Feeling the outside air, she instinctively buried her face into his broad shoulder.
Even in the trap, the wind was strong, but outside it felt completely different.
The cold wind cut through her face, nearly freezing her ears, leaving her gasping.
She was even more grateful that Leonardo had braved this weather to save her.
“Good. Stay like that.”
Patting her as if calming a child, he fully emerged from the trap.
Using a nearby dagger, he cut the ropes binding his own body and quickly moved between the trees to a place sheltered from the wind, gently setting Fleur down.
“Are you okay? Did you bump into anything on the way up?”
“I’m fine. Your Majesty, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine too. But there’s a problem.”
“What is it?”
“We can’t go down to the village right now.”
He pointed to the path behind them.
In that short time, so much snow had fallen that it was already piled up to their shins.
“If it’s this bad here, the square must be buried as well. Even if we try to go down, the path to the mansion will be blocked. It’s useless.”
“Then should we wait here until the snow stops?”
“No, if we go a bit further up, there’s a resting area for the lookouts on the mountain. Let’s go there.”
“Understood.”
Leonardo gestured for her to follow and set off ahead.
Fleur stepped forward quickly to keep up.
“Ugh…!”
Grabbing her swollen ankle, she collapsed to the ground.
“Fleur! Are you okay?”
In the narrow hole, she hadn’t moved much, so her ankle hadn’t been used.
Now that she was outside, walking properly, the pain hit her.
“I’m fine… ugh!”
Without a word, he lifted her into his arms.
“Your Majesty… I can walk…!”
“With those feet of yours?”
“I really can… I’ve already received too much help just to get here. Now I can manage on my own…”
“We don’t know when more snow might fall. If I try to match your pace, we could both get frostbite. So stay still.”
Fleur had no choice but to comply.
Leonardo carried her as if moving a lightweight doll, striding forward.
Feeling guilty about receiving so much help, Fleur reached her hands toward the top of his head.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah… Your Majesty, I thought you were getting snow on you…”
She was shading his head with her hands.
“I want to help too. Am I in the way?”
He shook his head.
“No, I like it when you help me.”
“Then I’m glad.”
They continued giving small considerations to each other as they headed toward the shelter.
Shane’s Mansion
The employees, along with Aiden and Colin, pressed against the living room windows on the first floor, staring outside.
They all hoped Leonardo, Shane, and Dylan—who went to rescue Fleur—would return safely.
As they watched the village slowly disappearing under the snow…
“Someone’s coming!”
A servant shouted, and the quiet mansion erupted in commotion.
They pressed against the window, straining to see silhouettes through the blizzard.
“Where? Where?!”
“How many are there? There should be five returning.”
“Bring warm towels first! And blankets!”
“Heat up the bath water too!”
They prepared to welcome the familiar faces back.
“Open the front door!”
Slowly, the door opened, and only two people came in.
Shane and Dylan.
“Your Excellency! You returned safely.”
“Advisor, you must be cold. Here, take this blanket.”
The servants, without question, locked the door again and tried to warm the two trembling men.
Aiden, who had been staring out the window, slowly turned and approached them.
Then, he punched Dylan, who was still shivering from the cold.
“Ugh…!”
