WBWB | Chapter 17

I couldn’t hear anything. I cautiously opened my eyes.43c0b46cefbdc078

“I see. Which book was it?”7b412858346debae

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“Um… On the 6e8b98e36c Nature of b6eb519c2f Duty.”d32223b4d4e9f0b0

The Duke’s reaction to hearing that was unexpected.9861c5595d87c62f

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“There’s no need for that. I have the book.”23c6995067a61d3f

“Pardon?”939854739b250fa0

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“I saw it lying by your feet when you were asleep under the tree. So I took it. I couldn’t leave it to get rained on.”124e7b4a7e63f9d0

“…”d4b67f652685399b

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“So?”1f7c63131ff6b8de

“Pardon?”f6ed88c80b823ca9

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“Did you enjoy it?”49458bc2ba3970f7

As if hypnotized, a299f5fae1 I nodded.f71da81204a3348e

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“Then it’s fine. You may continue to use the library key. It’s good for a tutor to cultivate their knowledge. There’s not much else to do in the winter besides reading, anyway.”ada16971696f71ad

And then, 2b510830b3 as if ec37dc7af2 a thought 9813c85f6e had suddenly 07dc849a9c crossed his b2548c8f4e mind, he 535f161b47 smiled.cd4e8a8c4d3e3dca

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Did this 61b276cff2 man actually a7b91ac7e8 know how 7ff22d2407 to smile? 3fb949106541b173

I froze, bc7022e1f1 surprised to a9a9d6504c discover this c7876245d5 unexpected side fd4a3fec6a of him.c79c0af20c564d97

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‘Did I 674c90a4a1 just see 102dbeac27 that wrong?’6fbe84433793341b

But the c7277389bf smile vanished 199efd37bb from his 42fcf07e99 face as 45535ed567 quickly as 9255bb11a7 it had 1219c972d3 appeared.8091d888a10088cb

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“I heard you’ve gotten quite good at riding the horse.”26aa8cee283d5605

“Yes.”0ba2fa6bc1744558

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“Are you enjoying it?”439085f7b22a19aa

“Yes, I am.”2c26159f72c1a9b1

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I replied, f3931d107a still looking d93102d670 down at 7b18958847 Brulee, who c8cf9f7255 was munching 975a6e4b37 on an 69db54e3e4 apple.a3c88e1cfaa70ccd

“Why Brulee, though?”587ba1939e4eb138

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“Pardon?”217e1211eb83211c

“Why did you give the horse that name?”ac3b259a5b86be94

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“Ah. That… I took it from ‘brulee’.”098ba4ee3e604ab9

“Brulee?”ac1d4979b30761e6

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“Crème brûlée, a dessert that was popular in the royal palace. It’s custard cream in a dish with a hard layer of caramelized sugar on top. The sugar is melted with a hot spoon to create the crust. It’s crispy and slightly bitter on the outside, and the custard cream underneath is soft and delicious. I named her that because her coat is a similar color to the caramelized sugar.”ccc30c8152057d92

“Do you like that dish?”2077ce01c47d998d

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“Yes, I do. I doubt anyone who’s tried it dislikes it.”cf148fd02a5d2c6c

“I see…”447b219f6c01138d

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We were so engrossed 29bdf20ed7 in our conversation that 3a14c4c128 I completely forgot about 8644413e4a the apples.112782b9f71f9758

‘But how did he know I named the horse Brulee?’5903d7c2c5bea129

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A brief moment of 5e26548c6d doubt crossed my mind 669311aed2 only after returning to 16e3d8b4c4 my room, but I ad55829d52 might have mentioned it 0b8429d5f4 unconsciously. Or perhaps he 03395f6516 had overheard it 495b176f6c by chance.3593200ed5029a1b

Just then, someone knocked on the door. I didn’t want to see anyone, but I wasn’t in a position to refuse. I sighed and got up to open the door.30f0353630a88664

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The maid who d7cae827f9 took care of 1a62b7f011 my room stood 22e7da3095 there, holding a 2839da87f2 basket.573711b6689e0dba

“His Grace the Duke has sent a gift.”4f6b8883b5a3c35c

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“…”90b958eeb2580bd6

“Apples.”4d6c47e3c8b97e19

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I could see that da7f5bbe48 for myself. The basket was filled f25c95d619 with apples. I took the 6824d3d525 basket and was 5cb2793e01 surprised by its bb263b89ec weight. As I looked back 7a8757c725 and forth between the 7ffe7718ea apples and the maid, 322f7a3f64 she hesitated, then spoke.4fc0f73a98f3af3c

“Um… the ones you were picking on the ground were wild apples, small and sour, left for the animals to eat during the winter. The apples grown in the orchard are much bigger and tastier.”37c0b0fe9188782b

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“…”d939aeb950358e8c

“His Grace asked me to tell you that.”0cbfc9810846a135

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“…I see. Tell him I said thank you… Would you like some too?”2ef6794b1eafda4f

The maid b954972db8 took five 1987a44c34 apples and cf4ea603d0 left. I placed 9f27a0ebd1 the basket 6f36d206ce on the 0b2ace94fb table and b3365c4d2d collapsed onto 9fc7fa6724 the bed.ffcc2b6fb28dbfeb

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‘He saw.’1dd3b4476a935638

He saw me fbf795be89 lifting the hem 0642f11663 of my skirt 262cf7e03d and picking up 79fe6d58c5 the apples that 79274a1752 had fallen to aaf3b75c4c the ground.baf5cb69745f0459

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‘He saw me.’78319132577a655a

I was mortified.d2abae557adefdc9

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Indeed, the apples 0a95f6fc9c in the basket eb119be663 were bright yellow, 7f38a174bb and the seeds eaf6ef28da were much larger d983754fab and more appealing 3c18bbd1af than the ones 190ce35e61 I had been e9155d3223 gathering. 6147beb1a369fa72

When I took out 97cb379bba one apple and bit 38e5f49562 into it, the extremely 827e4d09de sweet juice instantly filled cbdd8a35c6 my mouth.6778eec207902706

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However, the shame 91a32409ca outweighed the sweetness. I couldn’t bear to 0c48809726 eat it anymore so 89511d7720 I dropped the apple 4059cd86e8 to the floor as bcba904cde if it were poisoned 5d900ff145 and writhed in embarrassment.181314ebd3626878

‘Why! Why! Why do I always show him such embarrassing sides of myself?’f2e1e7c45f3af6d6

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Even though b9f3d0c1c2 my circumstances 91587487f1 had fallen 4026cdc943 so low, 4f87e46491 I was be18780316 still a 171de58513 noblewoman. b0a9b33ff9bd968c

For him 21bf4ebce5 to witness 216a5711c3 me in db82d988e1 such a 0d56567e84 state—it was b9a3430be2 enough to bc757f804a make me dd59386ba7 want to ba9e9fce49 die of b935ec113b embarrassment.555942d57d446196

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* * * ba7fe615c3839f95

After that day, it f1ca5d0d6a rained a couple of a660f33d73 times, and the colorful d8dedc5ce4 leaves fell from the 898d53bd65 trees, leaving the bare 99bfb93a46 branches exposed. The entire f210d5c004 world turned 179abb8fe2 a bleak 9c477849ef gray, and 755a45c3e8 at the 6da7a2be2b same time, 56662c6b96 an unbelievable 5ff899b4bf cold descended.2b38634822e5b483

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Having lived in a place where the weather between autumn, winter, and spring wasn’t much different, I was surprised by the biting cold that made my lungs ache when I inhaled the morning air. 73a93724b4c793f7

The Duke’s words hadn’t been an exaggeration. The clothes I had bought at the beginning of autumn were no longer wearable in this freezing weather, and I had to hurriedly order winter clothes and cold-weather gear.d2a674c92d33b7ea

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One day, as fires d30b64aaa4 were lit in the c3ed819535 fireplaces of every room 30a0eafa58 in the mansion to ba1e0a77d5 ward off the chill, de2d1231f6 the mansion briefly bustled 4558962b35 with activity. Then, the Duke 742b8f8641 abruptly departed with c792fe256d a group of f11735432a his soldiers. Strangely, the edea239ebb several carts abfd0c47a2 pulled by 05aa05fbd2 mules were 6380ab6d85 empty. The wheels 019e37e0bd rattled loudly 7dc2d42df5 due to 4b4d99ef3e the lack 7b50586eeb of cargo, 38b36126b5 the sound 53f84c4c42 carrying all c3c96e59fc the way edc35751ce to my 0e4668f5cd room.42e706b371b22132

‘Where is he going again?’88796239c2a96367

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Unlike before, this time 7eb82a1eca I was curious about 409d593718 his destination and when 5053fbe180 he would return. The answer, surprisingly, came 01811e9a81 from Lady Ana.a3d6cc9760783857

“His Grace is going hunting, Teacher.”c53d0c90c3e4a366

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“Hunting?”e1712b443acc12c7

“In Skadi, we hunt 4179dbeb56 animals before the snow ff2329cdab falls for winter provisions. The nobles hunt cf21077046 large animals like 4a790c9564 bears, wild boars, 62a7e0ae0d and wolves, and 2cfc864e76 the commoners hunt 0d00fb826b rabbits and birds.”5482d237153653ce

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“Is that so?”3b996ea3d567b380

“There’s nothing to eat after heavy snowfall, and if there are too many animals, they fight over food and can all die. Then there won’t be any animals left in the spring, which is a loss for us too. Also, bears and boars can come down to the village and harm livestock, so we cull them before the snow falls. It’s during the farming off-season, so people have free time. We can use the leftover hides and meat to make clothes and preserve the meat to eat throughout the winter.”cbce5506aa328cb9

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“I see.”37ed7043f18127f1

‘Where exactly did she learn such things…?’857b4f2beaaa4a81

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The young lady was bc395a9bf7 remarkably knowledgeable about the afad047220 affairs of the farm.2e075566a16832ce

“Don’t you hunt in winter where you live, Teacher?”49938298078e0f7e

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“We…”787c3f46d7d9a5c5

Hunting took place 2545542bb1 in the royal 97c6d0c9be palace too. But only for bb89682471 amusement. Could it even 2b53979374 be called hunting? e50aae1e1bfd1bf4

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The occasional hunts at the royal palace weren’t about catching wild animals. They involved releasing foxes raised specifically for hunting into the gardens and then letting dogs chase them.5dfbc8fbf51165c9

“We do, but it’s probably not the kind of hunting you’re thinking of. What else do you do here in winter?”c91a6b67336da056

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“We ride sleds when the lake freezes.”18b1b2898a4f8889

“Sleds?”0fd843b96f5da6b5

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“Have you never ridden a sled, Teacher?”0ef811d4653639b2

Lady Ana drew 2691131488 a sled on 933f7e6f5b a piece of 67e3343301 paper for me, 08757db3a7 since I didn’t a2d3cdeb8a know what it 1a10836be4 was. b0fc622a627dc3c5

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A sled was 3e9c7d7255 a board big 6a1a71922c enough for a 169c8e598d person to sit c75da8dc13 on, with wooden 1bff6c5f03 sides and long 5602038e50 metal runners attached 0976c4e922 to the bottom a24f4c6901 to glide smoothly 256273ec5e over the ice. You sat 80435a178a on it, f7933b4c7d held metal afd67a9196 prods in a842affcaa both hands, 0c4644ce29 and propelled e857b3c25f yourself forward 8d8be5fb15 by digging 6c7e16c6a5 them into 1370f00c48 the ice, 64bd85fd88 Lady Ana 897a48ddef explained.c6397b7d7cf814e4

“When it snows, we can also ride snow sleds and skis. Snow sleds don’t have these runners; you just sit on a board and slide down a snowy hill. And skiing is…”58b6756197f5b5b5

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Lady Ana 6be1edf6ad seemed very 837bfe3bc8 excited as a28a029a1c she talked.8ffac82ea7f43de8

“But does the lake really freeze here in winter?”d2a8ee8c46b2847a

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Ice was a precious commodity in Franc. It was hard to imagine such a large body of water freezing solid all at once, no matter how cold it got. And snow… I had never actually seen snow before. 53d88d89058c3e57

When I confessed 017fa1d75b this, Lady Ana 77ad944697 told me that c07bc2be9b it was white 1f35b91181 ice that fell a97625cd80 from the sky. It turned into ice 3ab25c5da1 when you packed it 7a041d207c in your hands, but 16ce1198d8 it was much softer 637f6eea6b than regular ice.a22fff5c9cbf51fd

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“You’ll see plenty of it soon, enough to make you sick of it. When it snows heavily, Teacher, you won’t even be able to go outside.”31ba2eea0549119a

‘I see.’7ba823cac4834dda

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It seemed 4b5c9d55e2 everyone but da9a9a273a me, a 94b6e5a4fe foreigner, was f7228c01be busy preparing 7fdf770032 for winter.1b8ee1d3ce88a67c

About three days later, cd45f1b8b9 I finally saw snow.2a95f4f6ca6650a9

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I opened the bc6cca6e0d window for some f115a0894a fresh air, and b2b2f21ba5 white, cotton-like flakes 4f80ad90f0 were falling from 984ae705a4 the gray, overcast 6b2956aa21 sky. Not only 473ba6e0a0 that, the 180184b947 entire world 102c9592a6 was covered 6321b530ec in white. I reached out to b92dee3ad1 touch the white stuff, 38f9944014 but it melted as 022509becf soon as it touched ffda88158c my hands. It was cold and 1034dd6b2e light enough to not 2b9e8ff3e1 feel its weight.59b5567507d565e9

Then I fc9b356d39 noticed the be86c8b2a2 white flakes 1dbe343bd5 also accumulating 8734893bfe on the 74db27cc5d windowsill. I gathered 15e02f9776 some and 58780f0020 squeezed them 7d2e014b8b in my af1441437f hand. When I did, they 2b5d9a7589 turned hard like ice 1be31c7b47 and then quickly melted, f41368cead leaving behind moisture. My hand stung f511d74bc5 from the cold, d27e103e00 and I shivered, 731d717d0f closing the window.ed904933c731f7c8

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‘So this is it.’0d392b051fdaf350

It was only a619d3800e then that I 1261191323 realized that winter f208cc733f had begun.8f45bd1fcbecd575

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‘This is winter in Skadi.’3216dc8f8e7c9cf7

I wanted to walk 9c26d7b9f0 in the snow, but 1b99497971 I gave up, afraid 4d454b7de4 of getting sick in e65fd8e38e the freezing cold. The first f4a27fac78 snow melted 9438380839 away by 4461173e1c the end 137bc22746 of the e569191f9a day.b1fba3783b5fb25d

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A few days 45be560f82 later, the winter 842747d469 clothes I had a276b79baa ordered arrived.7b3546f41918e3e2

The coats and 8a3fef359f dresses were all 7500957140 thick and had 1aaf89e7f7 a unique diamond 3c4a8fb6ff pattern.89b321978f231ff6

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