Chapter 189
Chapter 189
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Morning in Nordal and the Snowy Plain
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The banquet prepared by the Nordal Family came to a fitting end.
Everyone was tired from the long carriage ride, after all.
In truth, it was little more than having dinner with Ivana, joined by our family's servants and knights as we all enjoyed a fine meal.
Afterward, we decided the three of us would share one of the rooms we'd been shown earlier. Lize unpacked our things just enough, then went straight to sleep.
Staying at inns hadn't let us recover properly, and after finally savoring gourmet food and sleeping in a great place...
"Yaaawn..."
We ended up sleeping straight through until the next morning.
I couldn't even recall when I'd properly drifted off, but one thing was certain—I'd slept like a rock.
"Ugh..."
Rozalin and Lize lay beside me on the spacious bed.
I'd assumed there would be separate bedrooms available.
But the bedroom Ivana had given us was huge... big enough for all of us to share.
Of course, since we were all the same gender and practically family, it made sense.
I understood Ivana's intentions... but I was hardly a pure soul.
Waking up to the sight of beautiful bodies right away felt strangely thrilling.
"...Hmm."
I always thought this, but...
The negligee Rozalin wore to bed—wasn't it a bit too sexy?
It wasn't overly revealing.
Yet it didn't hide her figure at all—her thighs and cleavage were casually on display.
Of course, to her, I was just her daughter.
It made sense that she felt no caution around me in that regard.
"...Not fair."
I'd deliberately worn pajamas last night, proper sleepwear.
But here was Mom sleeping in something that showed off her figure so blatantly—wasn't that a little unfair?
And the way she'd laughed so freely in front of Ivana yesterday...
Yeah, kinda unfair.
......
Lize was behind me, sleeping quietly with steady breaths.
Rozalin didn't seem likely to wake up suddenly in this situation.
I could tell if someone was truly asleep or just pretending.
"Yeah."
We shared the same blanket, and it was so soft that sounds carried well... but I scooted closer to Rozalin under the covers.
Her sleeping face, oblivious to everything.
A bit more expressionless than her usual gentle smile.
"Pretty."
It was pretty in its own way.
Hmm.
She really was stunningly beautiful. No wonder Ivana had gotten the wrong idea last night.
But separate from that, I didn't like how casually she'd smiled and acted so kindly toward Ivana.
Logically, I understood why, but I just didn't like it.
"Pfft..."
I hugged Rozalin's sleeping body tightly.
The feel of it was nice, and even though she was asleep, I couldn't help laughing at myself for doing this.
"...Feels good."
Warm.
The room's heating was surprisingly good to begin with, and the blanket was warm.
But holding Rozalin's body was a different kind of warmth.
Soft and warm—how best to describe it?
I didn't know.
But hugging her like this felt better than I'd imagined, and I felt my lips curving into a smile without realizing it.
"Whew..."
There was still a bit of a height difference between Rozalin and me.
165 cm.
Despite that, my gaze was forced toward her chest area.
More precisely, just a tad above her cleavage, making it impossible to miss.
"Oh."
The negligee made her cleavage so visible.
Not just the valley—even a slight shift, and I'd see right inside.
This was... pretty damn sexy.
...What can I say.
I admired Rozalin's body up close, like a work of art.
The way it moved with each breath she took in and let out.
Her skin, smooth in a way that gleamed even to the eye.
The delicate features of her face when I lifted my gaze a little.
She was just too beautiful.
......
I spent the time until Rozalin woke still holding her.
Once I sensed she might stir, I closed my eyes, pretending I'd unconsciously hugged her like a pillow in my sleep.
Lize behind me had slept in late too, exhausted from the long journey, so I didn't get caught.
Not that I would've minded much if I had.
"For today, I plan to show you around the Northern Region—what it's like here."
"I'm fine with that. Vacation just started anyway, and it's better than jumping into something without knowing the lay of the land."
"Yes."
"Oh, the room Ivana gave us was amazing. The heating was perfect, so I slept great. Loved the other rooms too."
"Treating guests with utmost hospitality is only natural for us Northerners."
"Hehe, is that so?"
"Even without that, there's no reason to neglect Camellia."
"True enough."
Afterward, Ivana and I ended up having breakfast alone, chatting like that.
Rozalin and Lize were supposed to join, but Ivana had suggested just the two of us first.
We were eating together now.
Well, we hadn't touched on real business talk at dinner last night.
If we were going to discuss it, this was inevitable.
"For now, preparations are underway for building roads not just in the central area, but elsewhere too. We're talking with noble houses in the east and west."
"Good news."
"Especially in the east, we're negotiating with Melnik—where the Rosaki sisters are."
"Oh..."
News to me.
But better than expected.
Melnik was the top family and city in the east—not just anywhere.
We had some familiarity from the club, but this was still great news.
Especially since Ivana had reached out on her own, without me saying a word.
"You did well."
"You think so?"
"Yes, incredibly well. I'm glad to see Ivana getting the hang of this field."
"...I'm relieved."
My praise brought out her signature subtle smile.
It was nothing special, but seeing her pleased was adorable.
If I praised her often during our stay up north, would I get to see it more?
*
"Whew... I bundled up as warm as I could, but it's still cold."
"Should I prepare even warmer clothes?"
"That'd be appreciated. But for now, let's head to the place we planned."
I'd come out of the castle with Ivana.
As we'd discussed at breakfast, I needed to see the Northern Region for myself to prepare for the business.
"In your opinion, Ivana, what's the most pleasant, beautiful, appealing spot in the Northern Region?"
"Hmm..."
"A plain?"
"A plain?"
Not what I'd expected at all.
I'd figured something like a stunning building or mountain.
A plain, though.
"A bit west of here, there's a vast plain. That's the one I find... pretty."
Ivana's expression as she said it was serious, reminiscent, like she was lost in memories.
Probably a place tied to her past.
At the very least, not somewhere unrelated to her.
"Let's go there then."
"Shall we? There are flashier places than a plain..."
"No. We've got time. Seeing the plain doesn't stop us from checking others after."
And so, we headed to the plain Ivana mentioned.
About thirty minutes by carriage later.
Closer than I'd thought, but not crowded with people.
"It's vast."
"Isn't it."
"And... so white."
That was my first impression.
The broad plain was blanketed in unmelted snow, pure white.
The whole Northern Region had struck me as white overall, but this place was beyond—nothing but white snow and blue sky.
"It's a landscape you don't see just anywhere."
"Right."
"So expansive, no grass, trees pretty far off."
Nothing flashy.
Just endless land covered in pristine snow.
No overwhelming beauty or grandeur.
But... calming somehow.
Deeply...
"A nice place to look at."
That was my take.
Nothing fancy, but it fit this snowscape we were viewing.
"Right."
"Is this your favorite?"
"Yes."
"Why do you like it so much?"
I was curious why Ivana had brought me here.
It didn't seem like mere tourist bait.
She had her reasons.
"Northerners... spend most of their lives in snow-covered lands."
Ivana kept gazing at the snowfield, not turning to me, as she continued.
More earnest than her usual soulless eyes and expression.
I decided to just listen quietly without responding.
"Even as the Nordal Family's heir... I lived the same life as other Northerners from childhood. Windows blanketed in white snow, daily flurries... just the same."
What was she getting at?
I'd never heard her speak so seriously about this sort of thing.
I usually played it cool in most situations.
"Northerners come to places like this when life's chaotic, when they're worn out. They just stand still and stare."
Hearing that, I got it.
From just a few meters ahead where we stood, no footprints or traces marred the snow.
What this place was.
Why Northerners—and Ivana—came here.
The spot we stood on was a sanctuary.
A place to zone out, mind empty, just taking in the endless white snowfield.
"A kind of... tradition, you could say. Nothing special."
"That's why you brought me here?"
"Yes."
I understood why Ivana had led me here.
Through her words and the view, I grasped what Northerners were like.
"...I get it."
A lot clicked.
Her intentions, Northerners themselves.
Even the direction for our tourism business up north.
"Hehe... No need to touch this place, I think. Actually, leaving it be is way better. For Northerners and the business alike."
"You think...?"
Ivana looked puzzled at my words.
She must've thought I'd develop it blindly for tourism.
Well, it was so vast... suitable for building something new.
But...
"It's important to you, in your own way."
"...?"
"I don't want to see you saddened over it. No need to touch it."
Places like this were best left natural, letting tourists stumble upon them on walks.
A single signpost later on would suffice.
Messing with it wouldn't just hurt Ivana—it'd upset Northerners too.
"Shall we head to the next spot?"
"Ah..."
"Tell me another place you like, Ivana."
I turned from the snowfield to face her as I spoke.
Hearing that, Ivana just stared at me steadily, for some reason.
I'd always thought so, but she seemed unaccustomed to direct words.