WBWB | Chapter 19

Therefore, a strict procedure and order were established for the hunt. When the animals were driven in, the Duke would hunt first, followed by the lords in order of rank, each taking three animals.

Among the approaching prey, the most prominent was undoubtedly the bear.

A black bear, fattened on rich food in preparation for hibernation, looked three or four times larger than  the other bears. As the bear, startled by the hounds and the hunters’ horns, charged down the mountain towards the lords, Baldr thought about how nice it would be to make a coat from its sleek, soft-looking fur.

A coat for whom? Hers, of course.

‘She’ll freeze to death in those clothes. I warned her repeatedly how cold the winters are here.’

The woman had only experienced the summer and autumn of Skadi, so she knew nothing of winter. No matter how much he explained, she wouldn’t truly understand until she experienced it herself. That’s why she would fall asleep under a tree in thin clothes, even when it looked like it would rain, and gather apples with her white, delicate legs exposed.

To Baldr, Jeanne seemed far too vulnerable. He was worried about the tutor.

“Your Grace, step back! The archers will weaken it first!”

By the time that thought crossed his mind, the bear had charged almost within reach, and soldiers tried to block its path. But Baldr, instead of retreating, raised his crossbow from horseback and aimed for the bear’s mouth. The crossbow bolt struck its target, and the bear, thrashing, tumbled down the mountainside. 

He took a spear from a nearby soldier. And, careful not to damage the bear’s fur, he approached and thrust the spear into the bear’s eye. Then, from among the prey driven towards him by the beaters, Baldr chose a gray wolf.

The hunt continued for three days, and the preys piled up like mountains under the banners of each noble house. 

The commoners, conscripted from the villages, immediately processed the hunted animals, separating the meat from the hides and salting them generously to preserve them. Some of the meat was distributed among the villagers and some to the soldiers. And the valuable hides, produced in large quantities, were taken by the lords as spoils.

Baldr distributed half of the hides to the lords but kept the best one for her.

* * * 

The bear coat was a magical item. While it didn’t grant me the strength of a bear, it was so warm that it made me sweat just wearing it indoors.

‘People actually wear such warm clothes?’

Summers were cool, and winters were dry. That’s how I had always perceived the seasons. But a season cold enough to require fur coats? And so much snow that could prevent you from going outside?

‘Why can’t you go outside when it snows? Doesn’t it all melt when the sun comes out?’

It didn’t make any sense to me. But I was soon to learn what winter truly meant in this place.

About a month after the first snowfall, a massive amount of snow fell while I was asleep.

‘It’s cold!’

I woke up with my nose and ears stinging from the cold. The fire in the fireplace had gone out during the night.

I tried to rekindle the embers with the poker, but no matter how much I stirred the ashes, nothing but ashes flew up. I shivered uncontrollably. I exhaled, and a white puff of breath appeared in front of me. As I approached the window, I heard the wind howling outside. It was a menacing sound.

Looking outside, the world was a blinding white, and I couldn’t see anything else. It was a beautiful but terrifying sight.

Having failed to rekindle the fire, I stamped my feet and rubbed my arms to warm myself. That’s when I remembered the coat I had recently received. I immediately put it on, and the chill subsided somewhat. Somewhat!

I buried my cold nose in the sleeve of the coat. I stayed like that until the maid brought in water for washing, which was hotter than usual. She explained that the pipes that brought water were frozen, so the water had been made by melting snow.

“But why is it so dark? Hasn’t the sun risen yet?”

“The sun is hidden behind the snow clouds, and the windows are covered.”

“The windows are covered? Why?”

The maid tilted her head, as if I had asked a strange question.

“To keep the wind out, of course.”

I went outside and saw that thick tapestries were indeed hung over every window, and wall lamps emitted a soft glow.

But even so, the mansion was cold. I put on my newly ordered winter clothes and the bear coat and went to the study. The fireplace there was lit, and a charcoal brazier was burning, but it wasn’t exactly warm.

“Good morning, Teacher.”

Lady Ana was already there, sitting in a chair by the fireplace. She was also bundled up like a bear. Seeing me, she greeted me with a cheerful smile, her breath puffing out in white clouds. She didn’t seem bothered by the cold at all.

“Aren’t you cold, Ana?”

I now called Lady Ana simply “Ana.”

“It’s just the first snow squall, Teacher.”

“Snow squall?”

Excited to teach me something I didn’t know, Lady Ana explained. 

A “snow squall” was a phenomenon where heavy snowfall accompanied by strong winds occurred simultaneously with ground blizzards, where snow already on the ground was whipped up by the wind. Going outside during a snow squall was extremely dangerous, she said, because the blowing snow caused you to lose your way and rapid loss of body heat, leading to freezing to death.

“If this is the ‘first’, does that mean these snowstorms happen often?”

“Of course. They happen until the end of winter! There will be even more blizzards when winter really sets in.”

“Really sets in…”

‘So this isn’t even the real winter yet?’

I couldn’t believe it.

“So, Teacher, on days like this, it’s the perfect time to sit by the fire and knit. And eat roasted potatoes.”

“Potatoes?”

Lady Ana explained that potatoes roasted until their skins were charred, then split open and topped with salty cheese, tasted like heaven.

“Just roasted cheese is also delicious!”

So, we tried it.

That day, we sat by the fireplace, having our lessons while eating roasted cheese and potatoes. We even put a kettle on to boil water. Indeed, the potatoes with cheese were heavenly.

After lessons, I returned to my room to find a thick tapestry hung over my window, and the fireplace, which had been out earlier, now roaring with flames. I slightly lifted the tapestry and looked outside.

Even though it was midday, the world outside was a hazy gray and I couldn’t see anything. The blizzard howled, as if threatening to shatter the windowpanes.

The blizzard continued for ten days, without stopping.

During that time, the mansion remained dark, without a single ray of sunlight. 

Relying on lamp oil, candles, and the light from the fireplace, we naturally went to bed early. Even when we woke up, it was still dark, so it didn’t feel like morning. It felt like we were living in an eternal night.

‘Winter here is not only cold but also dark.’

It wasn’t as cold as before because every possible opening was sealed to keep out the wind, and every fireplace was blazing. However, the monotonous routine of not being able to go outside for fresh air or sunlight and having to go to bed early was much harder than I had imagined.

Of course, there were also pleasures. 

Sitting by the fire, reading, and roasting cheese, potatoes, and apples. As long as I didn’t mind the smell of food permeating my room, I could roast anything over the fireplace. Roasted apples were the best. 

We dipped apples in a thick batter made of flour, milk, eggs, rum, and salt, roasted them, and then sprinkled them with sugar and cinnamon. Lady Ana and I devoured these treats during our lessons.

And what was the result? One day, I woke up and tried to put on the clothes I had warmed by the fireplace, but they wouldn’t go past my waist.

‘Uh… what?’

After struggling and sweating profusely, I somehow managed to squeeze into the clothes, but I couldn’t bend over or even breathe properly. 

I gasped shallow breaths and thought,

‘My body is all lumpy. Like a ham tied with string…’

The moment I inhaled deeply, I felt like I was going to burst out of my clothes.

In disbelief, I touched my stomach. I felt something there, on my usually flat stomach.Something like a handle. I fumbled and then brought my hands up to touch my chest. I felt something there too. Flesh, which I had never felt before.