Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Northern Welcome
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After casually submitting some paperwork in the central region, we began entering the road leading to the Northern Region.
There still wasn't a proper route to the Northern Region other than this one.
"The road itself is much cleaner than I expected. Doesn't it seem way better than the other roads?"
"You're right.... This road feels much better than the one coming up from the central region."
Was it because this was the only path heading to the Northern Region?
The quality of the road exceeded my expectations.
It was so impressively good that even Rozalin marveled at it as she looked out.
"Still, it seems like a lot of snow falls here, which worries me a bit."
"It's winter, after all."
"Hehe, the south was incredibly warm. It's fascinating how it gets colder the farther north we go."
"I figured I'd need to dress even warmer."
"Camellia, you're already dressed plenty warm, aren't you? You've layered so many clothes... Pffft...."
"...Yeah, I definitely dressed really warm."
I had to admit it.
My current outfit was laughably overdone in every way.
Of course, thanks to my looks, it came off as cute, but still, I was wearing way too much.
I'd put on thermal underwear over my regular undergarments, then warm clothes on top of that, another coat over the outerwear, and even a cloak to top it all off....
Of course, since we were inside the carriage, I hadn't put on the cloak yet.
My layered warm outfit looked drastically different from my usual clothes.
"Hehe, it's the kind of weather where you have to dress warm. Even if it's a little uncomfortable, you need to stay like that."
"...The carriage is heated anyway...."
"Camellia?"
"I know. We might have to get out midway, after all. That makes sense."
We weren't staying in the carriage the whole time, and there were plenty of times we'd stop to unload luggage or grab a light meal.
In conclusion, there was no reason not to dress warm.
And so, now past the central region and truly en route to the Northern Region, nothing much had changed.
I was just sitting quietly in the carriage, chatting with Rozalin and Lize to pass the time.
The only differences were that it was a bit colder and more snow was falling outside.
"Young Lady, how about some warm tea?"
"Sure."
"And for you, Madam? We have tea leaves prepared."
"Hehe, of course. I've been wanting something to drink anyway."
We exchanged casual conversations like that as we raced toward the Northern Region.
Traveling with servants and knights turned our single carriage into a full procession, but we'd planned everything beforehand, so there were no issues.
There weren't many other carriages heading to the Northern Region anyway.
We all got out of the carriages midway to enjoy some warm soup together.
Aside from the cold, it was honestly a little fun.
*
We kept traveling by carriage, stopping at inns spaced at regular intervals to spend the night.
They weren't exactly great, though.
After about three straight days of travel, we finally arrived in the Northern Region—in Nordal Ducal Family territory—just as the sun was setting.
"Whew.... It's cold."
"Want a magic tool?"
"It's not that bad. Putting my hands in my pockets makes it bearable."
"If you need it, just say so?"
Anyway, the Northern Region we arrived in was freezing cold.
It wasn't just low temperatures—the wind was brutally sharp too....
"Hoo...."
After hearing Ivana was on her way out, we got out of the carriage and waited like this.
It was really cold.
Honestly, if it weren't for the cold, I might have admired the scenery and chatted with Rozalin, but... it was too cold for that.
...Is this why so few people come to the Northern Region?
Roads aside, if you don't bundle up like this, you'd freeze to death.
Did everyone have their reasons for staying away...?
"It's just like Mother told me back then...."
"It's definitely very cold, isn't it?"
"Yes...."
I still wasn't used to seeing my breath so much every time I spoke.
Winter in the south was definitely nothing like this.
Having spent over ten years in mild winters, facing a real one wasn't easy.
"Sorry if you had to wait long."
"Ah, Lady Ivana."
After waiting outside the carriage for about five to ten minutes, Ivana appeared.
We'd come without much prior notice, after all.
I understood why she hadn't shown up right upon our arrival.
The cold from waiting for her didn't matter anymore. What was important was....
"Sorry for the rushed preparations to receive you. Shall we head inside first?"
"Wow."
"Camellia?"
"O...."
The uniform Ivana had mentioned before.
Back in summer, when she'd asked what kind of clothes I wore, her response had puzzled me at the time.
Now, I fully understood what she'd meant.
"That outfit suits you perfectly. It looks way better than any school uniform."
"Ah, that's what you meant."
"Hehe, let's go inside first. And sorry our family members showed up more than discussed...."
"There's no issue receiving Leonhardt Family members."
"Is that so?"
Well, that was a relief if that was the case.
Honestly, we'd said we'd come with a small group at first, but in the end, Rozalin came too, along with servants and knights....
"Let's head in for now."
"Yes, let's do that."
With Ivana's words, we got back into the carriage and entered Nordal Castle.
Not a mansion, but a castle.
It really hit me that a ducal family was a ducal family.
The Roses were dukes too, but... maybe because this place was on a completely different scale?
It wasn't as grand as the imperial palace I'd seen before, but Nordal Castle was still impressive.
"Camellia, was that girl just now Ivana Nordal?"
"Yeah, she's pretty, right?"
"First time seeing a Nordal Family member, and she really looks the part."
"Pffft...."
She did.
Ivana had the ideal look of a Northerner.
With her snow-white hair, red eyes, and cold impression, even non-Northerners would think she was one.
She wasn't extremely tall, but she was on the taller side.
Plus, her unique personality and expressions sometimes gave off an even more... intriguing vibe.
"She has a cold aura, but she's actually a really nice person."
"Is that so...?"
"Yeah. She feels much more innocent than her appearance suggests."
Anyway, we'd finally arrived in the Northern Region and met Ivana.
Honestly, I'd expected a full Viking vibe since I'd never seen the north before.
But it felt more ordinary than I'd thought.
Just ordinary villages and cities blanketed in heavy snow...?
In conclusion, it didn't feel like an entirely alien place.
The Northern Region was still home to people, after all.
"Have the servants and knights follow one of our family's retainers. We'll move separately."
"Yes, sounds good."
After entering the castle and getting out of the carriage, we naturally followed Ivana's guidance.
From the moment we entered the Northern Region, we had some obligation to follow her lead anyway.
Anyway, we sent off the knights and servants, and just Rozalin, Lize, and I started following Ivana.
"I've prepared a banquet for all the guests from Leonhardt in an hour. That's fine, right?"
"Of course."
"I'll give a brief tour of the castle. Then I'll show you to the rooms you'll use during your stay in the Northern Region."
"That works for us. It's our first time staying in the north."
And so, we began touring Nordal Castle with Ivana.
It wasn't imperial palace-sized, but because of its sheer scale, it took more time than expected.
Honestly, it felt like we didn't have quite enough time to fully explore the castle.
Anyway... we ended the tour at a reasonable point.
"Now I'll show you the rooms for your stay in the Northern Region. How do you want to handle it?"
"Handle what?"
"Room assignments. Whether the three of you want to share one room, or prefer separate ones. That sort of thing."
"Ah, I see."
We were three people, all the same gender, all guests from Leonhardt.
It was ambiguous.
At inns, the best rooms were scarce anyway, and even luxury ones were better alone, so we'd given Rozalin her own....
"Hmm... what do you think is best?"
"Personally, I think Camellia and Lize together, and Camellia's older sister in the same room would be ideal?"
"...Pardon?"
"The rooms aren't small—they're spacious. Even sharing won't be uncomfortable, and since you're in the Northern Region, why not use this chance for some cozy family time."
"Um... Lady Ivana?"
...There seemed to be a slight misunderstanding.
Yeah, probably.
"She's not my sister—she's my mother...."
"...Pardon?"
"Ahaha...."
"...This is my mother, not my sister."
Rozalin looked too young to have a daughter like me.
Her age was only a little different from mine anyway.
We were less than ten years apart....
"I'm Rozalin, Camellia's mother."
Rozalin gave a slightly awkward smile as she said that.
I was flustered, but Rozalin must have been too.
It was partly because I hadn't properly informed her that Rozalin was coming to the Northern Region too....
Still, I hadn't expected Ivana to mistake her for my sister.
"...I'm sorry."
"Hehe, no need. There's no reason for the Nordal Heiress to apologize like that. If anything, hearing I look young is a compliment."
Rozalin smiled brightly, showing no discomfort at Ivana's deep bow of apology.
She didn't need to smile that prettily while accepting it.
A simple "it's fine" would have sufficed, but she didn't have to flash such a beautiful smile.
Unknowingly, I had that thought watching them.
Even knowing it was weird and wrong to think that way.
"For now... let me show you the rooms first. You can discuss how to use them slowly...."
"...Sure."
Could Rozalin... be into girls like Ivana, with big chests and a cool vibe?
My body was growing lately, but... it still wasn't quite at Ivana's level.
I suddenly felt like I needed to drink more milk starting tomorrow morning.