Ch.188Chapter 188

The Wendigo, who had chased away—or rather, seen off—the gods, returned to the cabin.

The bright morning sunlight had already descended, and birds flew about, making the cabin roof their resting place as they chirped.

And the white smoke rising from the chimney on that roof announced that Skadi was awake.

“Skadi, are you up?”

The Wendigo crossed the threshold of the cabin, looking for Skadi. Though no voice answered, that didn’t mean there was no response.

I don’t know where she got the ingredients, but the smell of well-roasted meat and vegetables stung his nose.

The Wendigo followed the scent to the kitchen… or rather, as if it were natural to be there, he headed to the backyard of the cabin.

Given his size, it wasn’t easy to eat inside the cabin, so he often had meals outside.

Sure enough, Skadi was there, humming as she set food on an ice table.

Flinch.

Skadi froze when she felt the cold air. She straightened her back with a squeak and turned around neatly like a strict soldier.

“Ahem, I’ve been waiting for you, Lord Wendigo.”

With an awkward cough, Skadi greeted the Wendigo. But her expression wasn’t stiff.

Rather, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the most beautiful smile he’d seen from her so far…

“Hmm, sorry to keep you waiting. I was delayed dealing with Alfodur and Frigg.”

The Wendigo cleared his throat and headed to the table. Skadi was shocked to hear that not one but two gods had appeared and asked the Wendigo:

“Oh my, did they plan something strange…?”

“Well, it’s a bit complicated to explain. It might be a long story, so let’s talk while we eat.”

“?”

Someone who usually found matters related to gods distasteful was acting differently today?

Skadi nodded curiously… and naturally approached the Wendigo’s side and sat down.

“It’s deer I hunted while you were away. The vegetables I abandoned long ago have grown well too, so I roasted them with onions and green onions. It should be delicious.”

She picked up some meat with her fork and offered it to the Wendigo as if it were the most natural thing.

The Wendigo was quite taken aback, though he didn’t express it in words.

Occasionally in the past, Skadi had fed him food, but those times were coincidental—she hadn’t sat down with that intention.

“Skadi, I can eat by myself, so if you’re uncomfortable, you can move—”

“How could I be uncomfortable? Don’t you understand why I made the table this big but only created two chairs? Now, hurry and say ‘aah.'”

Skadi smiled broadly and opened her mouth, as if telling him to follow suit. There was no retreat for a woman who had confirmed her love.

Unable to resist her sparkling eyes, the Wendigo gave up and accepted the food she offered.

The Wendigo ate what Skadi selected for him while sharing what he had learned from meeting the two gods. The food was indeed delicious.

After finishing the meal with fruit that Skadi had peeled herself, the Wendigo asked her:

“That’s what happened. Are you okay with it?”

“So that’s why my heart has been so turbulent lately—it was because of Lady Frigg. Still…”

Letting her words trail off, Skadi looked up at the Wendigo and smiled as if just seeing him was enough, then rested her head on his shoulder.

“Lady Frigg is like a benefactor to me. Thanks to her, I was able to convey my true feelings to you, and we were able to share the ni-night together.”

She had become more honest, but that didn’t mean she could overcome her embarrassment.

Mentioning their intimate night in her own words seemed still too much for her, as Skadi blushed and stammered. Even that was adorable, though there was nothing more to say about it.

“Yes, we could say she’s a benefactor since we were able to understand each other’s feelings thanks to her.”

The Wendigo nodded. It was only right to acknowledge help received, even if it had been done on a whim.

Of course, wanting to watch lovers share their affection was a bit unsettling… but among the twisted tastes of the gods, that was relatively normal.

‘I should treat her more respectfully next time we meet.’

“Um…”

“Hmm?”

Lost in thought, the Wendigo turned to Skadi as she hesitantly called out to him.

“Are you going back… now?”

Skadi asked the Wendigo while fidgeting with her hands.

The Wendigo nodded. He had told Geron he was going for a night walk, so being away wasn’t a problem, but he couldn’t wander around carelessly.

To be direct, he felt self-conscious. With some exaggeration, it seemed like he spent more time wandering outside than sitting on the throne.

Perhaps it wasn’t even an exaggeration but the truth.

“If there’s no problem, I should probably head back. Or is there something bothering you?”

It was entirely possible. Receiving a blessing didn’t always prevent all problems.

But Skadi shook her head.

“Th-that’s not it…”

“?”

After hesitating for quite some time, Skadi grabbed the silk wrapped around the Wendigo and said:

“C-could you stay just one more day before going back?”

“……”

How could those sparkling eyes looking up at him be so lovable?

The Wendigo covered his eyes with one hand and lifted his head as their gazes met.

* * *

Happy moments pass without notice of time.

After spending intimate time with Skadi, the Wendigo returned to the palace after three days—one day longer than planned.

Naturally, having returned after three days instead of one, he sat on the throne in the audience hall prepared to hear all sorts of scolding from an angry Geron…

“So… I trust that since you were absent from the capital for three days, you’ve reached some sort of resolution. It’s harder than you might think to deal with people asking where Your Majesty has gone.”

Geron flipped through the documents in his hand and complained as if it were no big deal.

The Wendigo, who had expected him to grumble with a deeply furrowed brow, tilted his head in confusion. From the atmosphere, it seemed like the scolding was over and they were moving on to business.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“When have you ever heard that Your Majesty listens when I’m angry? And now I can’t even get angry. How could I possibly get angry with more than ten attendants waiting in this audience hall?”

At Geron’s words, the attendants glanced at each other. Depending on how one interpreted it, it could mean he was planning to get properly angry once the attendants left.

After a moment’s consideration, the Wendigo raised his hand and flicked it toward the door. It was a signal for everyone to leave.

The attendants carefully withdrew, watching the expressions of the Wendigo and Geron.

“…I didn’t particularly ask people to leave because I was going to get angry.”

“I didn’t send them away for you to get angry either. I just wanted to talk comfortably with you, so don’t worry about it.”

Once all the attendants had left and their footsteps had completely faded away, Geron heaved a deep sigh.

Though he trusted the Wendigo and Skadi, it would be a lie to say he hadn’t worried for three days.

How could he not worry when the pillar of Manheimr—no, Manheimr itself—had been absent without sending any news?

“Next time, please send some kind of signal. You could throw an ice spear into the sky, or roar loud enough to make the heavens collapse.”

“That would cause trouble for people… I’m sorry.”

The Wendigo, who had been about to answer seriously, closed his mouth when Geron gave him a dissatisfied look. Geron glared at the Wendigo for a long time before breaking into a faint smile.

“So… are you thinking of marrying Lady Skadi?”

“Did Dario tell you?”

“Haha, Dario does like to boast, but he’s not one to speak carelessly. Anyway, judging by your reaction, it seems I’m right.”

Marriage, marriage, he says.

Geron rolled the word “marriage” around in his mouth and nodded. His face couldn’t have been brighter, as if he’d heard good news.

It was only natural.

How could he not be happy when the two people he cherished most in this world had found happiness?

“At least this old man will be able to see you two get married before returning to the earth. I’m truly glad.”

“Joking about your lifespan at that age won’t earn you any praise. Besides, if you looked, there would be plenty of ways to live longer…”

“As long as Your Majesty doesn’t give me a stroke, I’ll easily last a hundred years, so don’t worry. When are you planning to hold the wedding?”

The Wendigo didn’t ask the tactless question of whether they shouldn’t start with dating first.

After all, if you added up all the moments they’d shared until now, they were more valuable than an ordinary romance.

After thinking for a moment, the Wendigo recalled the flowers he had seen at the cabin and spoke.

“Spring, on the day when the flowers are in full bloom—that’s when I’d like to marry Skadi.”

“That gives us plenty of time, so I’ll order the finest jewelry and clothes from the dwarves and elves. I’ll also tell the merchants to look for suitable items.”

When will the wedding be held, who will be invited to the wedding, when will the marriage announcement be made to the people…

Geron organized his thoughts while half-interrogating the Wendigo with pressure, and his demeanor was truly solemn, as if preparing for the wedding of a beloved daughter or son.

Only after completely exhausting the Wendigo did he seem satisfied as he organized his documents.

“I’ll ask Lady Skadi about the rest and make decisions accordingly. If there’s anything Lady Skadi doesn’t like, I’ll proceed with removing it if possible.”

The Wendigo, who had received a different kind of lecture than originally planned, nodded and waved his hand as if telling him to leave.

Geron gathered the organized documents and opened the door to the audience hall. However, as if remembering something, he closed the door again and turned back to the Wendigo.

“By the way, will you be able to have children?”

“……”

This was something he should have asked Frigg about.

Realizing a problem he hadn’t even considered, the Wendigo fell silent in bewilderment.