Winter's Warmth
There was one particular form of healing that always came to mind when I thought of winter. Hot springs. Especially an outdoor bath while watching the snow fall. A glass of milk on the side would be perfect. Grilled meat cooked over a campfire outside wouldn't be bad either. Campfires were something we enjoyed year-round, but there was a different feeling to one in winter. The warmth felt more desperate somehow. That's why I settled on winter. Besides, autumn had been rather ambiguous anyway, and the timing felt vague enough that there was no need to rush. At least, that was what I thought.
"Understood."
Gunter accepted it without much objection. Maybe he had no particular opinion, or perhaps he agreed that opening in winter would be best, just like me.
"Good. Anything else?"
"Ahem. Nothing that requires Your Lordship's direct attention, but a few minor matters remain."
"Then that's fine. Write up a report and send it to Father."
"A report, you say?"
Where did he learn such a baseless joke? I was genuinely taken aback.
"Where did you pick up that kind of talk?"
"I learned it from a slave who was working on the resort construction. He's a decent person, so I plan to grant him commoner status soon."
"I'll leave it to your judgment."
A mere administrator didn't have the authority to free slaves. That right belonged only to the imperial family and nobility. So he exercised it through a proxy authorization. Naturally, since it was a proxy, the authority could be revoked at any time if he made a mistake. Fortunately, Gunter hadn't abused the power he'd been given. Just as expected from a loyal subject. Even when Father secretly investigated behind his back, not a speck of dust was found.
"Understood."
"Good. We're done talking, right? I'm tired, so I'm going to rest."
I stood up immediately. It was a clear expression of my intent not to listen even if he had more to say. Please, just handle it yourself.
"Ah! My apologies. Please rest comfortably."
Gunter quickly bowed his head. It seemed he'd gotten carried away while discussing work without realizing it. It was tiring, but also reassuring.
"Yeah. You've worked hard too. Thank you for always doing your best."
"...Yes."
Gunter, sniffling, headed toward the Marseille administrative office. I went to my room on the third floor. We each went our separate ways.
"Ughhh...!"
I took a shower in the bathroom attached to my room and changed into pajamas. The moment I lay down on the bed, pure bliss washed over me. I couldn't stop the moans from escaping.
"Young Master? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? I heard groaning—is everything alright?"
"Huh? Oh! I'm fine!"
Because of that, I'd caused unnecessary worry. How embarrassing.
Let's just sleep.
Lying quietly in a peaceful place, my mind quickly settled. Thanks to that, my eyes grew heavy.
From a position overlooking the beautiful cityscape, with the sea visible through the window in the distance, Amelia sipped water from the balcony of the room she had dreamed of during her days as a noble lady. She felt bad about asking for a drink. The more one received hospitality, the more accustomed to it they became. Sometimes it led to arrogance. This was why the saying about falling into old habits was treated like truth.
Even so, she didn't want to leave. She didn't even have the confidence to do so. The warm affection she'd felt after so long left her unable to come to her senses. The soldiers she'd fought alongside in the war. Her friends. The emotions and trust built with them had been deep, but they were far from cozy. They were reliable, something to lean on. Closer to a driving force that pushed her to find strength herself.
Is it really okay to stay here like this, doing nothing?
The role of a noble lady was decoration. Nothing more than a medium for political marriage. Being pretty. Cultivating appropriate refinement—those were the only actions considered valuable and dutiful. They had been, at least.
But I can't think of anything helpful to do...
First, marriage. A political marriage needed to offer benefits, yet she was only in a position to receive. At least she could serve as an escort. With the strength and experience she'd honed in war, she could certainly do her part. After all, she was a war hero in her own right.
Now that I've thought of it, should I ask him properly?
From the family's perspective, they would welcome it. They might harbor vain hopes, but it would mean she stayed by his side longer. And Yohan seemed to like her, so it should be fine. He often looked at her with eyes that held not just respect, but desire. It was embarrassing, but not unpleasant.
I'll tell him tomorrow.
Amelia made up her mind as she gazed at the sea dyed by the sunset. A relationship where only one side gave. A relationship tilted to one side was bound to collapse far too easily.
Meals for nobles in typical romance-fantasy stories were luxurious. After all, nobles had plenty of money. Even so, eating fish freshly caught from the seaside was something special. It was the same in modern times. Just like the difference between a neighborhood sashimi restaurant and one by the sea.
Freshness, huh...
Refrigerated trucks. Live fish transport vehicles. What would be needed to ship fish across the country while preserving their freshness in a romance-fantasy world? Magic was the only answer. However, he didn't have enough authority to forcibly mobilize mages, nor was there any reason to go that far. It would only result in losses.
Let's just eat for now.
I ate sashimi with my hands at a restaurant near the pier. Using a fork and knife to pick up or cut sashimi just didn't taste as good.
It's delicious.
Fresh, in-season sashimi tasted good even on its own. It was definitely not a launchpad for dipping sauce.
"How is it? Does it taste alright?"
A man approached cautiously and asked. He was the fisherman who had sliced the fish caught fresh that morning. Fishermen usually knew how to prepare fish well.
"It's delicious, so don't look so nervous. Stand tall."
"Thank you."
The fisherman’s eyes sparkled as he let out a long sigh. He looked much more at ease now. I dipped the sashimi in the specially prepared sauce. It was something like ceviche or carpaccio—roughly that kind of feel. The sweet and sour taste provided a nice variation. Thanks to that, it didn't get boring.
"Thanks. I ate well."
I got up after eating my fill. Eating sashimi from the morning put me in a refreshing mood, so I gave him a generous amount of money.
"Oh my, thank you so much."
"You've been working hard since early morning."
I patted the fisherman on the shoulder and stepped outside. The morning sea came into view.
"Aren't you being a bit too diligent? I didn't expect you to come all the way here just to eat raw fish."
Escort knight Aaron complained lightly. Since he was my escort knight, he had no choice but to follow me from the morning. It couldn't be helped.
"Things like this taste better when eaten at the shop. The flavor drops a bit if you eat it at home."
"Your tastes are quite unique. But it wasn't spoiled, was it? It would be terribly inconvenient if you got a stomachache."
"It's fine. Gunter manages the quality thoroughly."
Most of the fish consumed within Marseille were raw. If that trust crumbled, the market would shrink too. That's why they strictly controlled quality in advance to maintain discipline. Not just for the villagers, but for outsiders, sailors stopping by briefly—anyone who enjoyed raw fish.
"Were you conducting market research?"
Aaron asked in a heavy voice. It was more like interpreting the dream than the dream itself, but it wasn't entirely wrong.
"Among other things."
"I see. No wonder you seemed so energetic from early morning."
"You ate well too, so what's with that? Isn't it nice to have some leisure?"
The leisure here didn't refer to time. It meant the situation of being alone, temporarily away from the family he had built.
"Ahem! Well, that is..."
Aaron cleared his throat and trailed off. He clearly liked it but was pretending otherwise.
"Stop being so fake. Anyway, since we've eaten breakfast, let's head back."
"Really? Thank you very much."
"Being so openly unwilling to work is quite admirable. Keep living like that from now on."
When I tossed out the light joke, Aaron became extremely flustered. Did he think he was going to get fired?
"No, that's not it! I will devote myself fully to escorting you!"
Aaron shouted in a small but powerful voice. He was so tense that the veins on his neck bulged. It would probably feel like a nightmare if his vacation suddenly ended.
"Very good. Let's keep it that way."
"Yes, Young Master!"
I teased the now-relaxed Aaron as we walked toward the mansion on the hill. It was a kind of WWE.
"Young Master. The honored guest wishes to see you. She asked me to inquire politely."
After walking for about forty minutes, the moment we arrived home, mansion manager Glock greeted us with slightly concerning news.
"That person? Where is she now?"
"She is waiting in the drawing room. It's been about twenty minutes."
"That's too long to have kept her waiting, isn't it?"
I hurried toward the drawing room. It wasn't my fault, but I couldn't make her wait any longer. What could it be so early in the morning?
"Excuse me. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long."
The moment I entered the drawing room, I bowed my head first. In situations like this, it was right to lower yourself and see.
"Not at all. I'm the one who should apologize for rushing you."
Amelia, who had been seated, quickly stood up and apologized. She looked so sorry that it made me feel sorry too.
"No, it's fine. Please, sit down."
I calmed Amelia and took a seat. I had to hear what she had to say.
"I heard you came looking for me early in the morning. Was there something unsatisfactory? Or perhaps something you desire?"
"Not at all. It's so excessive that I feel guilty."
Amelia shook her head. There was no sense of pretense, so it didn't seem like empty words.
"That's a relief. It's better to give too much than too little when hosting."
"That may be true, but... you're treating me so well, yet there's nothing I can do for you in return."
"There's no need for that at all. It's enough if you simply stay here comfortably."
Expressions of respect and reverence had to come from a pure heart. They shouldn't expect anything in return. The moment compensation was received, it became a transaction rather than respect. So I firmly refused. To keep the pure intention from becoming clouded.
"I'm truly happy and grateful, but... people's hearts are bound to change. If I keep receiving without giving, it will eventually become a burden."
However, Amelia's stubbornness was no small thing. Moreover, it was a sound argument.
"That... is correct. People's hearts do tend to change. However, there are also cases where they don't."
"I think so too. But I believe a relationship where one only receives isn't healthy."
Amelia presented another sound argument and refused to yield. I had nothing to say to that.
"...I understand the lady's will. In that case, what would you like to do?"
"Though I may be lacking, please give me a role where I can stay by Young Master Yohan's side."
"Are you saying you want to be my escort?"
My eyes widened without me realizing it. I never imagined Amelia would bring this up first. I really hadn't even considered it.
"Yes. I want to repay you, but the only thing I learned was how to fight. Will you allow it?"
Amelia asked politely. Looking at her eyes trembling with earnestness, it was clear she really wanted to do it. Would she cry if I refused?
"Using a war hero as my personal escort would be presumptuous. However, I'll consider it positively."
So I put it on hold for now. It was a good thing, but it was difficult to decide immediately. It felt burdensome.
"Yes."
Amelia answered in a much brighter voice. I felt burdened, while the person who made the suggestion felt relieved of her burden. How strange.
Should I go get some air?
Playing around was my job anyway. To cool off this good yet burdensome feeling, I should go out. To the resort.
Is it okay to go alone?
Just as I was about to leave, Amelia caught my eye. Was it proper to leave the guest I'd brought here alone while I went out to enjoy myself? It didn't seem very courteous.
"Ah. I was thinking of going to the resort today. Would you like to come with me?"
So I threw it out there. Whether she liked it or not, I'd get an answer.