The carriage traveled smoothly through the streets outside the city, the wheels making faint, crunching sounds as they rolled over the accumulated snow.
The air outside the city was exceptionally fresh. The sky was so clear that not a single cloud could be seen, and the sunlight spilled down lazily… It should have been a perfect day for an outing, and it would have been even better if the carriage wasn’t so crowded.
“So, why are you here?”
Loran struggled to adjust his sitting position, trying to carve out a little more room for himself in the limited space. He looked at Ophelia, who was leisurely sipping black tea opposite him, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.
Ophelia set down her teacup and replied in a matter-of-fact tone, “Because this is my carriage.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Loran rubbed his temples. “I’m asking why you were standing at the entrance of the Lufenias Mansion so early in the morning?”
“What, is it strange for me to be there?” Ophelia tilted her head slightly. “I came to play with Vivi. Besides, if it weren’t for me, do you think you’d even be able to step out the door today?”
The girl’s point was actually quite valid.
Ever since a certain someone was “scouted” by the Dean of the Altras Institute yesterday, the entrance to the mansion had not known a moment of peace.
Less than twenty hours had passed since the Holy Ceremony ended, yet no fewer than a dozen noble families had sent messengers, either delivering invitations or bringing congratulatory gifts. A few impatient noblewomen had even brought their daughters directly to the door for a visit.
If Ophelia hadn’t picked them up from the back door, today’s activities would likely have been ruined.
Thinking of this, Loran could only curl his lip and turn his gaze toward the scenery receding outside the carriage window.
The matter with the Academy was already set in stone, but because of it, his original strategy of keeping a low profile to grow was completely shot. He felt certain that people must have seen something during yesterday’s mana test, but the only person currently in the know was bound by a vow and couldn’t say a word.
“Hey.” Yuna, sitting next to Loran, suddenly poked him with her elbow. “You’ve been spacing out for a while. What are you thinking about?”
“I’m wondering how exactly I offended you for you to drop such a huge mess in my lap.”
Loran spoke irritably.
It was rare for Yuna not to sleep in today; instead, she had insisted on coming along. This unusual behavior forced Loran to stay on high alert.
Their destination was a forest somewhat far into the outskirts of Valgard, surrounding a small glacial lake.
“A lake?” Ophelia said with some surprise. “How did I not know there was a place like this outside Valgard?”
“I found it in a book about local geography and travel,” Loran said nonchalantly. “It’s quite a secluded spot.”
Of course, he couldn’t say that this was one of the locations he had scouted in his previous life to complete a mission. Deep beneath the lake lay ancient ruins, which caused a natural mana barrier to form around the perimeter. Although he didn’t plan on exploring it so early, it didn’t hurt to get familiar with the environment first.
As for the accompanying party, since they were using Ophelia’s private carriage, they hadn’t brought any guards. Ophelia herself had come under the guise of playing with Clovie, so she naturally didn’t bring guards either.
It was only natural for Elia to follow as the head maid. Yuna, on the other hand, was an uninvited guest; Loran suspected she only came because she was bored being alone.
“We’re here.”
Loran signaled the driver to stop.
The group got out of the carriage one by one. Elia took the prepared items from the compartment and carefully put a fluffy hat and scarf on Clovie. The girl was wearing deep blue winter clothes today, accented with white fur decorations, making her look like an exquisite porcelain doll.
Yuna was still wearing her thin mage robes. When she stepped off the carriage, she casually deployed a layer of invisible mana shielding, sealing out the external cold.
“How convenient.” Ophelia looked at Yuna, a flash of envy crossing her eyes.
While this kind of spell wasn’t difficult for her, her mana reserves couldn’t yet support such reckless squandering.
“Your Highness, take this as well.”
Elia tucked a small hand warmer into Clovie’s hands.
When Ophelia got out of the carriage, she happened to see Yuna stretching her body, the girl’s graceful curves faintly visible under the mage robes. She froze for a moment, looked down at herself, and then looked at Yuna’s rather mismatched face.
“What is it?” the girl said lazily. “Have you never seen a mage warm up before?”
“I just didn’t expect you to be so enthusiastic.”
Ophelia coughed lightly to hide her awkwardness.
“Well, it’s a rare outing, after all~” Yuna stretched. “I was about to go stir-crazy in the Academy.”
“…Even though you’re a total slacker yourself.”
Loran’s voice drifted over from a distance.
The group followed a snow-covered path deep into the forest.
Loran took the initiative to hold Clovie’s small hand. Her hand was a bit cold, so he gave it a gentle squeeze and whispered for her to mind her footing.
The girl didn’t speak, simply letting him lead her, though her fingertips secretly tightened their grip. She could feel Ophelia’s gaze lingering on her from behind, which made her lean closer to Loran instead.
The snow in the forest was deeper than outside, with every step sinking into a shallow footprint. Everything was quiet, save for the crunch of feet on snow and the occasional bird call.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, the view ahead suddenly opened up, and a vast lake appeared before them.
The surface of the lake had frozen over, the ice shimmering with a pale blue luster under the winter sun. The mirror-smooth surface reflected the sky and the surrounding trees, possessing an almost surreal beauty.
“Whoa—”
The group walked to the lakeshore one after another, gazing at the serene scene before them.
Loran let go of Clovie’s hand and asked Elia to settle everyone down for the time being. He then walked to the edge of the ice lake to find a suitable spot to cut a hole.
Before long, Loran had carved a hole the size of a basin in the ice. He took out his fishing rod, dropped the line into the freezing water, and sat quietly by the hole to wait patiently.
The winter sun felt warm on his body, carrying a touch of laziness.
In the distance, Elia had already started a small campfire. Yuna was huddled by the fire heating up the drinks they had brought, while Clovie and Ophelia sat in comfortable chairs, whispering to each other.
The lake was calm, the forest was quiet, and time seemed to become slow and gentle at this moment.
Life is good.
Loran’s gaze drifted from his float to the group of girls nearby. The irritability brought on by that old geezer of a Dean seemed to be gradually smoothed away in this tranquility.
The figures of Yuna and Elia became slightly blurred, and the faint clicking of game pieces falling onto a board drifted over, accompanied by the scent of marshmallows being heated.
After a while, he felt a slight crunching sound beside him as a figure lightly sat down next to him, bringing a familiar scent.
Loran turned his head. Clovie was sitting beside him, a few strands of silver hair peeking out from under her fluffy hat. The girl’s eyes were fixed on the stationary float in the ice hole, and her eyelashes seemed to catch a tiny bit of un-melted frost.
“Why did Your Highness come over?”
“Yuna and the others are playing chess,” Clovie said softly. “Elia is roasting marshmallows. I was bored by myself.”
The girl’s cheeks were slightly flushed. Taking advantage of her lack of attention, Loran reached out and poked her cheek.
Clovie snapped her head around, her pupils clearly reflecting Loran’s slightly mischievous face.
“There is a boundary between superior and inferior. You aren’t allowed to just touch me whenever you want.”
“Alright, I won’t then.”
“…I didn’t say you couldn’t touch me.” After a few seconds, Clovie’s voice drifted over airily. “What I said was… you can’t touch me whenever you want.”
“Then what counts as ‘whenever I want’?”
“If I haven’t given permission, then it’s ‘whenever you want’.”