WBWB | Chapter 21
by QuillThen he started scolding me again.
“Frostbite?”
“Have you never heard of frostbite?”
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I hadn’t.
Seeing my bewildered expression, he brushed his hair back from his forehead.
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“Didn’t you feel your hands go numb and stinging, losing feeling, while you were walking outside? If you stay out in that condition, your fingers will blister, turn black, and the flesh will die. That’s frostbite, and in severe cases, the necrotic tissue has to be amputated.”
“You lose your fingers?”
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Just from going outside?
“Just your fingers? You can lose any part exposed to the cold. Like your nose.”
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I unconsciously covered my nose with both hands.
“Just because the blizzard has stopped doesn’t mean the cold is gone. There’s a reason why people here don’t go outside, so don’t go out again. If you absolutely have to, don’t stay out long, and warm yourself with hot water when you come back inside. If that’s not possible, at least drink warm water! And never, ever touch exposed metal!”
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And then I realized.
‘That’s why he told me to take a bath!’
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Realizing the reason behind his order, I was mortified.
After his rapid-fire scolding, he asked, “So why did you go outside?”
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“…”
“And if you had to go out, why did you stay out there wandering around for so long?”
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I tried to evade the question with silence, but I couldn’t escape his sharp gaze. In the end, I had no choice but to confess.
“I… gained some weight.”
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He tilted his head, seemingly not understanding at all. It would have been cute if a puppy did that, but it wasn’t cute at all coming from the Duke.
“Well, sitting and eating all winter… I gained weight, and my clothes don’t fit… so I went for a walk… since the snow had stopped…”
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At my further explanation, the Duke placed his hands on his hips and opened his mouth. Then he looked me up and down.
“You gained weight?”
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He muttered to himself.
“You gained weight, just like animals fatten up to survive the winter… and you’re trying to lose it?”
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His voice and expression conveyed the sentiment, ‘Have I ever seen such a fool?’
He lowered his head and sighed deeply, and I wanted to die of shame. To think I had mistaken his intention to see me, with that ‘what a moron’ expression on his face, as a romantic advance.
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“Is that a reason to risk losing your nose or fingers?”
What had I been thinking? I had vomited in front of him during our first meal, and later, he had caught me gathering apples in my skirt.
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‘It’s a good thing… a really good thing I didn’t say anything about my misunderstanding.’
I was so relieved that he didn’t know what I had been thinking before when I came to his office.
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“You need to gain even more weight to survive the winter here. Fat helps retain heat. Besides, winter is a season when people easily get sick, and when you get sick, you lose weight quickly.”
“Yes.”
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“You wouldn’t know, being an outsider, but walks in the courtyard are forbidden until spring. Well, if you really want to lose weight… ride your horse. Didn’t I give you the horse for that reason in autumn? You haven’t gotten tired of riding already and resorted to such a reckless act, have you?”
His tone implied, ‘How much more considerate do I have to be?’
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Shame rendered me speechless. I shook my head, my heart pounding with mortification.
“Now leave, if you understand.”
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Looking back, I was indeed a fool, perhaps the biggest fool in the world. Because not long after, I disregarded the Duke’s warning and did exactly what he had feared. What if I had known the future? I would have gained weight, even if it meant having all my clothes altered. No, I wouldn’t have disobeyed his order.
After that, I heeded the Duke’s warning and advice and didn’t step outside the mansion. I didn’t want to lose my nose or fingers just to lose weight. So, what did I do about the weight?
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I reduced my food intake and rode Brulee longer. Fortunately, the weight I had gained quickly came off, and after about two weeks, I could comfortably fit into the clothes that had felt like they would burst at the seams.
‘Phew.’
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So why did I end up going outside again? About a month after that incident, the blizzard stopped, and a clear, though still cold, day arrived.
With the sun shining and the biting wind subsiding, the servants took down the heavy tapestries covering the windows in the hallways and opened the windows wide for ventilation. The incoming wind was chilly, but it swept away the stale air, replacing it with sunshine and fresh air.
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‘It’s cold, but it feels good.’
I took a deep breath of fresh air.
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Shivering, I looked outside and saw dozens of servants diligently shoveling the thick snow that blanketed the world. Lady Ana couldn’t focus during the lesson, constantly glancing out the window.
“Teacher! I’m going to Lake Argent to skate after the lesson. Would you like to come?”
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“Lake Argent? You’ll get frostbite if you go outside.”
I knew there was a large lake at the edge of the forest, but I didn’t know it was called Argent.
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When I had visited the lakeshore on Brulee in autumn, I had given up on approaching when I saw the wary stags drinking from the lake. They were larger than Brulee, with massive antlers, and I doubted I would survive being gored by one.
When I shook my head, Lady Ana pleaded with puppy-dog eyes.
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“It’s alright! Teacher, if we bundle up, we’ll be fine! The wind isn’t blowing, and the sun is out. This is the perfect time to go outside! Staying cooped up inside will make us sick!”
“Have you been outside in this kind of weather, Ana?”
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“Of course, Teacher! I used to play by the river near my house and come back for dinner!”
“Hmm.”
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‘Is that so? Is it alright to stay outside for a while if it’s not snowing or windy?’
I didn’t know, but I figured it would be fine if Ana, a local, said it was.
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“Will you go alone if I don’t go? What about your nanny?”
“My nanny is always busy.”
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‘Busy? Her only job is to look after you.’
Lady Ana’s words worried me. The lakeshore seemed to overlap with the deer habitat, and she might encounter wild animals like boars or wolves if she went alone.
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“You’ll be riding, right?”
“Of course! It’s too far to walk!”
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“Hmm.”
I frowned.
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“Teacher, come with me! I’ll teach you how to skate.”
“But I don’t have skates.”
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“Then we can just slide! The frozen lake is slippery enough to slide on with just our shoes!”
“Hmm.”
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“It’s really fun, Teacher!”
I hesitated to refuse outright, seeing how much she wanted to go. I also felt restless and cooped up. Judging by Ana’s words, it didn’t seem likely that her nanny would accompany her, and I wasn’t in a position to order the nanny to do so.
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‘I’m too worried to let her go alone.’
“Then promise me you won’t stay out too long. I’m not used to the cold, coming from a warmer place.”
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“Okay!”
And I would soon come to regret this decision bitterly. Regret taking a child into an unknown world.
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I set out with Lady Ana, oblivious to what awaited us.
Lady Ana’s horse was a dark chestnut pony, and she rode it as if they were one being.
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‘Wow…!’
As I rode Brulee, I realized how stifled I had been. The wind was biting, but the sun was warm, so it wasn’t as cold as I expected. It felt exhilarating. As if I were the one running.
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I opened my mouth and took a deep breath of the crisp air. My hair fluttered beneath my black velvet cap. Brulee, also enjoying being outside after being confined to the indoor arena, didn’t seem cold at all. Her long coat seemed to be protecting her from the cold.
It would have been a long walk, but it was a short ride. We soon arrived at the lakeshore.
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The lake was frozen solid, like a silver tray, its surface sparkling under the sun. Like the path we had taken, the lakeshore was littered with broken branches that had succumbed to the weight of the snow.
I was momentarily lost in the sight of this new world from atop Brulee.
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