Ch.30Before the Snow Falls (1)

When I felt the cold wind on my cheek, I realized the window was open.

Perhaps there was still some time left before it would snow.

As I stared blankly at the sky, still tinged with grayish white,

I noticed the sun peeking through the white clouds and realized it was morning.

“…Ah.”

A cracked voice escaped my throat.

Whether it was because I went to bed late or simply slept poorly, my stiff body left me in a less than pleasant mood.

Maybe it was also because today was my birthday.

At least I could be thankful that I no longer had a phone to receive calls.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I opened the slightly ajar window wide and looked outside.

The wind that entered through my nose was cold. Why did last night’s events feel like just a dream?

Both then and now, the wind remained equally cold.

When I closed my eyes gently, a bright light brushed against my eyelids.

As the sun emerged from behind the clouds to shine on my face, I opened my eyes again,

and the sky, which had been grayish white under thick clouds, finally began to reveal its blue hue.

It was morning. I shouldn’t just stay still like this; I should do something.

I moved my feet, leaving the light streaming through the window.

After lightly dusting off the curtains, I strapped the sword on the desk to my waist and left the room.

The corridor was filled with sunlight, the gloomy atmosphere from last night had disappeared, replaced by vibrant energy.

Perhaps it was thanks to dealing with the dark mage.

If I hadn’t taken care of that dark mage yesterday, I probably wouldn’t have been able to see this sight again.

As I let out a light sigh at the suddenly overwhelming emotion, a familiar voice came from beside me.

A bright and lively sound, like a sparrow chirping from a tree branch at dawn.

When I turned my head, it was, of course, Rofena.

“Good morning!”

“…Yeah.”

My sunken mood seemed to lift again, so I smiled faintly and waved my hand slightly.

How could anyone dislike a child who smiles so brightly?

I thought it was fortunate that I had caught the dark mage and Rofena hadn’t been hurt.

“I heard you injured your shoulder. Are you okay?”

“Yes, it’s not bleeding anymore.”

It was quite a severe wound compared to before, but after a night, it had naturally healed.

Now it wasn’t bleeding anymore, and I thought the scar would disappear without a trace in about a week.

Rofena’s expression suddenly turned gloomy as she looked at the bandage still stained with blood.

It was funny how she seemed to be in more pain than I was, even though I was the one who got hurt, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m being serious, why are you laughing?”

“Because there’s no need to be serious. It’s not like you’re the one who got hurt.”

“Still…”

I’m really fine. As I smiled and ruffled Rofena’s hair, she finally frowned, then relaxed her expression and glared at me.

Yes, this expression suits you better.

“Heh.”

“Oh, really. Stop laughing.”

“You look better when you smile than when you pout.”

“…Really?”

Apparently pleased with those words, she suddenly started grinning brightly after pouting her lips.

She’s not a clown or anything. Still, thanks to her, my mood had improved considerably.

There should be at least one person like this. Someone who energizes others just by being nearby.

Perhaps it’s also thanks to Rofena that Aileen hasn’t completely broken down yet.

“So, is the lady awake?”

“Yes. She woke up a while ago and is reading a book now. It’s already past 10 o’clock. You know you overslept, right?”

“The sun did seem a bit high…”

No wonder the air felt different from usual.

My body wasn’t feeling great, probably because I had used quite a bit of mana.

Or maybe it was due to exposure to dark magic.

As I slightly frowned and massaged my shoulder, Rofena’s expression began to darken again.

“…Are you still in pain?”

“Ah, no. I’m fine now, really. By the way, have the swords I ordered arrived yet? I heard they were all supposed to come this morning.”

“Swords?…Oh, right!”

As if she just remembered, Rofena clapped her hands once and then hit her head while exclaiming.

There must be more than just one or two swords, and I wondered when she was planning to check them all.

Following Rofena as she ran off, I soon spotted boxes piled high in front of the mansion’s entrance.

“Sort the boxes! By the Duke’s order, they must be sorted and delivered to the lady within two hours!”

“Yes, sir!”

People were bustling about, dozens moving together, yet there were even more boxes piled up like a mountain on one side.

Were all those boxes from that weapons dealer?

I sighed and rubbed my face, still feeling dizzy at the thought of why all of these were purchased.

“Let’s go help…”

It seems I had a significant part in why these weapon boxes were piled up like this.

#

After organizing all the weapon boxes, some of the most expensive ones were moved in front of me.

While I was wondering why these were brought to me, Rofena looked at me with a twitching corner of her mouth.

“I think the lady wants to give them to you as a gift.”

“…A gift? Ah.”

Come to think of it, Aileen knows my birthday.

So when she asked if there was anything I needed, was she asking to give me a gift?

It might not be the case, but if it was, I would be grateful.

…But.

“Sigh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“No, just remembering something embarrassing.”

To ask for a smile as a birthday gift.

At that time, I was caught up in my emotions and blurted it out, but thinking about it after waking up, how could I say something so embarrassing?

Aileen would probably laugh at me. Truly, just recalling what I said made my face feel hot.

But that didn’t mean my words were a lie.

I said it thinking how nice it would be if she could laugh freely someday.

If I could prevent both the dark mage and the future tragedy, and if the day came when she celebrated her 22nd birthday.

Perhaps I might see such a sight.

“Still, I’ll only use one sword. I should take some to Sir Chris.”

“Aren’t you being wasteful? These are all items that would be hard to buy with a lifetime’s savings.”

“…Then maybe two swords?”

As I said that with a slight smile, Rofena smiled back and picked up the lid of a box.

But wasn’t Rofena Aileen’s personal maid? She seemed to move around quite freely for someone in that position.

Noticing my stare, she tilted her head curiously.

“Are you allowed to be here? What about the lady?”

“Ah, I’m on vacation. I could go home, but this place is my home.”

“…I see.”

Vacation, come to think of it, didn’t Sir Chris mention he had to meet with the Duke today?

He doesn’t seem to have called for me yet. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to meet Aileen first.

After all, I should thank her for these swords.

As Rofena struggled to open the lid of the box, a cloth-wrapped sword was revealed underneath.

About 70cm? Something around that length. The blade, engraved with elegant patterns, had a clear silver hue.

I stared blankly at the sword that exuded such a refined atmosphere, as if it had been carved from the moon, and when I picked it up, my mouth opened slightly in surprise.

“…It feels like I’m holding nothing.”

Even the sword I usually carried was very light, but this one felt so light that it was as if my hand was empty.

Is this how it feels to hold a dagger? However, a light sword couldn’t be considered an advantage.

A sword needs weight to properly deliver force when cutting; with something this light, I might accidentally make shallow cuts.

“Adamantium.”

I’ve heard it’s the lightest and hardest metal that exists in this world.

The more it’s processed with magic, the lighter it becomes, so it’s often used for armor.

While making a sword from such metal might be good for its lightness, it wasn’t something I particularly preferred.

“…This.”

But when I opened the next box, I slightly frowned.

A box with just a handle, no blade.

Rofena was angry, calling it a complete scam, but I picked up the handle with a serious expression.

A handle engraved with tooth-like patterns, as if bitten by a beast.

This was definitely the sword mentioned once in “To You, the Rose Thorn.”

The sword Aileen wielded when she fought the female protagonist in the territory battle.

Unlike other swords, it was a magic sword that neither broke nor wore out, said to be the only one of its kind in this world.

With a hopeful heart, I infused it with mana, and suddenly, from the empty space where only the handle had been, a blue blade emerged.

A sword with a deep blue color, like blue waves rippling.

Although its appearance differed from what I knew, there was only one sword in this world with such a function.

“…Ha.”

The sword Aileen wielded, now in my hands.

There was no other explanation except that I was incredibly lucky. The value of a magic sword was beyond comparison with any treasure in this world.

An unbreakable sword. No matter what mana it held or what attack it received, it would block anything it was brought against.

“W-what is that?”

I stared blankly at Rofena, who had her eyes wide open, then grinned and tucked the handle into my pocket.

It seems my harvest was much better than I had expected. I should properly thank Aileen.

“I’ve decided on this one. Send the rest to Sir Chris.”

“I asked what that was just now?”

Looking intently at Rofena, who was questioning me as I turned my back, I brought my index finger to my lips and quietly spoke.

“It’s a secret.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Rofena, who was staring at me blankly.

If she asked how I knew about this, it would become quite troublesome.

As I walked down the corridor, my destination was, naturally, where Aileen was.

I was still quite embarrassed about what I had said, but since I had received such a gift, I should at least say thank you.

“Ah.”

As I walked, the memory of yesterday suddenly came to mind, and I let out a sigh.

What was I thinking? It was probably the moon’s fault.

Because of that moon, I was caught up in my emotions and said such nonsensical things. It was my mistake.

In this state, if I saw her, I would probably be unable to manage my expression.

-I just wish you would smile.

After beating my innocent chest, I started walking again with a bitter smile.

Even that didn’t last long as I soon reached Aileen’s door.

I closed my eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them and spoke calmly, hiding my trembling voice.

“My lady, it’s Evan.”

But as time passed without an answer, I became puzzled.

Even after knocking, there was no response, and my expression began to harden.

“My lady.”

According to what Rofena said earlier, she was reading a book, so she shouldn’t be sleeping. Could she have been attacked?

If so, what was Sir Chris doing, not paying attention to what Aileen was doing?

My mind became complicated for a moment, and I let out a heavy sigh.

This was not the time to be like this.

My thoughts scattered, and I immediately opened the door, searching for Aileen with my eyes.

What on earth was she doing-

“…Ah.”

And when my gaze fell upon a woman,

that is, when I met those blue eyes clearly rippling with embarrassment.

I blankly parted my lips.

It was quite amusing to see Aileen looking in the mirror, pulling the corners of her mouth with her fingers.

Covering her twitching mouth corners with her hand, she carefully opened her lips.

“My lady?”

Doesn’t she look like someone practicing how to smile?

At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind, and my brow furrowed slightly.

Could it be because of what I said?

“…Evan.”

Aileen’s voice calling my name was trembling incomparably more than usual.

This might be the first time I’ve seen her so flustered.

That expressionless face she usually wore had completely disappeared, and with her face slightly flushed, she quietly opened her mouth.

“Get out.”

How should I interpret this situation?

All I could do was stare at her blankly.

I was genuinely dumbfounded.

Truly blank.