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Chapter 38
“If you don’t mind, how about we go outside?”
“Outside?”
Instead of me, Kaelen asked in response to Isaiah’s words.
“The weather is quite nice today. I haven’t been here long, but during my stay, I’ve rarely seen such clear weather.”
At Isaiah’s words, Kaelen pulled back the thick, coarse curtains.
He was right. The snow clouds that had been raging as if spring would never come were gone, and a blue sky was hanging above.
As the dark clouds that had been covering it vanished, the sun grew triumphant, pouring a light so bright it made the eyes sting right into Kaelen’s office.
No wonder my hands felt less cold than usual today.
Being buried in work, I hadn’t even realized what the weather was like.
“Right! Let’s go out!”
I bent my knees to match the eye level of Princess April.
“Princess! Let’s go on a picnic!”
“Pi… picnic?”
“Yes!”
Although there were still many documents to review and things to handle today, how could a person live only working? Besides, right next to me was a child who needed to run around and grow.
Furthermore, I absolutely couldn’t miss this kind of weather in Winterford during winter! Let’s just replace the year-end party with a picnic!
I smiled brightly as I watched Princess April’s face fill with joy.
Even if the weather was mild today, this place was still Winterford.
I put on one more layer than when I was inside and even wrapped the scarf my mother had knitted for me, so…
“Eri! Fat!”
April looked at my appearance and burst out laughing.
Right. As long as April was laughing, it was fine. I smiled along with April and held out my hand. April was now quite used to walking while holding my hand.
Outside, there wasn’t a single breath of wind. Puffs of white breath still came out of our mouths, but because the sunlight was good, it felt warm.
Excited about going out for the first time in a while, I reached out to help April into the carriage. Just then, April’s eyes grew wide.
“Brother!”
Shaking off my hand, April waddled over and tightly hugged Kaelen’s leg.
Didn’t he say he was busy?
When I told Kaelen that I was going on a picnic with April, he had looked troubled.
Looking at the desk piled high with stacks of documents, Kaelen had narrowed his eyes, but I told him repeatedly not to worry and that April and I would return safely on our own.
Did he not trust me?
Knowing the reason why he, who claimed he couldn’t possibly find the time, had shown up made my mouth taste bitter.
“Haha. We thought we would accompany you on your outing.”
Isaiah poked his head out from behind Kaelen. April, who had been dangling from Kaelen’s leg, realized Isaiah’s presence and rushed over to me.
“When on earth will the Princess open her heart to me?”
Isaiah’s silver eyebrows drooped sorrowfully.
Thanks to that, April and I had gotten close quickly, but April was still wary of Isaiah.
“Be satisfied with the fact that she doesn’t cry.”
“Even though you won the Princess’s heart thanks to me… you are cold-hearted.”
Isaiah defiantly raised his golden eyes.
Is he trying to pick a fight right now? He used to run away while walking on eggshells whenever he saw me…
I also put strength into my eyes as if I couldn’t lose, but Kaelen blocked the space in front of me.
“Where are we going today?”
“Ah. It’s a place recommended by Benjamin. He said it’s a spot the lords and vassals of Winterford frequently visit.”
Nodding his head, Kaelen lightly picked up and held April, who was gripping the hem of my skirt.
“Let’s have fun today, April.”
“Yes!”
Laughing brightly, April wrapped her arms around Kaelen’s neck, her voice cheerful.
April, Kaelen, Isaiah, and I all climbed into one carriage. Horses were extremely precious in cold Winterford. Because it cost a lot of money to maintain them, using multiple carriages was a waste.
Even so, I looked down at April’s small head and wondered why we had to travel in such cramped quarters.
Sitting comfortably by himself on the opposite side, Isaiah could not hide his hurt feelings.
“Princess. I am not that bad of a person.”
He tried to smile as harmlessly as possible, but April, who hid her face in Kaelen’s side, had no intention of looking.
April had seated Kaelen on her right and me on her left. When Kaelen tried to go and sit next to Isaiah, April shouted with a lot of force in her eyes.
“No!”
Having no choice, I tried to move next to Isaiah, but April shouted once more.
“No!”
Isaiah, looking truly hurt, was still handsome today. Just in case, I narrowed my eyes and opened them wide, but his beauty was still shining.
They say children aren’t shy around strangers but rather shy around certain faces, but it seemed April was truly just shy around strangers.
Thinking it was a bit pitiful, I was about to give Isaiah a secret weapon to get close to April when the carriage began to slow down.
We arrived at our picnic destination, Lake Taikal.
A spectacle beautiful enough to make one’s mouth drop open naturally unfolded before our eyes. Looking at Lake Taikal, one question arose in my mind.
If it’s this close, couldn’t we have just walked?
Getting out of the carriage, I tilted my head as I looked at Winterford Castle, which was just a stone’s throw away. However, looking at April held in Kaelen’s arms, I soon changed my mind.
No matter how good the weather was, this place was Winterford, and it was not a distance to walk with a five-year-old child.
According to Benjamin, Lake Taikal was a place where people enjoyed boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter.
Perhaps because the capable Benjamin had prepared various things, luggage kept coming out of the other carriage continuously.
The nanny, Rhea, approached holding small skates that had appeared from somewhere.
She said they were skates worn by the children of the previous lord. Rhea expressed her regret, saying that because it was a sudden outing, they couldn’t get new ones custom-made.
“They are as good as new.”
Taking the skates from Rhea, Kaelen sat April down on a chair the servants had quickly set up.
“Brother. What is this?”
“Skates.”
“What is that?”
“Something to play with on the ice over there. It will be fun.”
April couldn’t take her eyes off the shoes with blades attached to them, which were being fitted onto her small feet, finding them fascinating.
“We have them for the Grand Duchess and Lord Isaiah as well.”
Looking down at the skates Mia brought over, I spoke firmly.
“I’m fine without mine.”
Beside me, Isaiah, who had received his skates, tilted his head, and soon curled his red lips dangerously.
“Perchance…”
“No, I’m not.”
“I haven’t even asked yet…”
“No.”
I walked past the smiling Isaiah and sat down on the chair prepared for me. Asking Mia for some coffee, I took in the scenery before my eyes.
The image of April skating on the tightly frozen lake drew itself in my mind. The scene drawn in my mind was like a place where fairies in a fairy tale lived.
Wanting to see it quickly, I needlessly raised and lowered my heels.
In the white world, the only thing that possessed its own color was the sky. Perhaps because of that, the sky felt even bluer.
Staring at the blue sky, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to take a walk along the lakeshore once April started skating.
It would be nice to have sunglasses… Should I ask for a parasol?
Frowning because the sunlight reflected off the white snow was too dazzling, a large shadow fell in front of me.
It was Kaelen.
He put down the skates made of white leather that he held in his hand right next to my feet. As he straightened his bent waist, our eyes met.
“If it’s because you don’t know how to skate, I can teach you.”
“No. It’s fine—”
“Since you are bundled up like that, it doesn’t seem like you’ll get hurt even if you fall.”
At his tone, which was mixed with a hint of laughter—whether it was mockery or something else—I lowered my chin to check my attire. I let out a deep sigh and took off my shoes.
Let’s just try it.
I put my feet into the skates Kaelen had brought over, one by one.
“Ugh!”
Again.
“Hah!”
Ah. Did I layer up too much?
Because my waist wouldn’t bend, I couldn’t tie the laces of the skates. I turned my head to ask Mia for help. However, seeing Mia blowing on her hands while hurriedly preparing a place for us to rest, the words just wouldn’t come out.
While pondering whether I should wait a little, Kaelen bent one knee and knelt down.
“A-Ah, it’s fine!”
“What kind of psychology is it to say you’re fine when you don’t look fine at all.”
Looking at the crown of his head as he meticulously pulled the shoelaces, I thought to myself that this was exactly why people talk about male protagonists being tsunderes.
Tsundere.
My lips twitched as laughter threatened to burst out.
His blonde hair, reflecting the vivid sunlight and glittering, looked like the dazzling sand spread out on a summer beach.
Seeing the crown of his head, which also had a pretty shape, made something inside my body tickle.
As I needlessly wriggled my toes, he raised his head.
“Is it uncomfortable?”
It was uncomfortable. My slightly quickened heartbeat was uncomfortable, and the tickle that had started somewhere in my body had now moved all the way to the palms of my hands.
