Ch#61
The winter wind is cold.
They say the temperature usually starts to rise around this time, but this year’s cold snap is exceptionally brutal.
Thanks to that, the fields have frozen solid.
To make matters worse, heavy snowstorms have been blowing in, paralyzing the fief.
It was the season of silence.
All the residents of the estate often stayed indoors, huddled by their fireplaces.
The only sign of life was the small footprints left in the snow by the estate’s children as they ran around giggling.
It was on such a day.
“My Lord! The cloak is finished!”
The cloak, ordered using the hide of the demonic beast he had set aside during the previous hunt, was complete.
The jet-black fur radiated a sleek luster.
The texture was soft.
Elric smiled faintly, thinking of the person who would wear this cloak.
At the thought of having to do something so cringeworthy, Elric’s behavior became slightly different from usual.
It started from breakfast.
“There won’t be much work for a while. It’s a period where the entire estate takes a rest.”
Bread, bacon, and eggs.
Despite it being a simple meal, unlike other days, he picked at his food and didn’t eat much.
Elric just stole glances at her, letting her words drift past him.
Naturally, his mind was occupied with the fur cloak.
How should he give it to her?
Should he just tell her to wear it and hand it over? Or should he act like he put a lot of thought into making it and take some credit?
Neither option felt right.
The former seemed too indifferent, while the latter felt too pathetic.
Elric wanted to take just the right amount of credit.
He wanted to show that he cared about her through the gesture.
If someone asked why he didn’t just say it in words, he would have no answer.
If he had to give a reason, it was embarrassment.
‘What should I do?’
The dilemma stemmed from the fact that he had never had a reason to give someone a gift in his entire life.
In his youth, he was a spoiled young master; as an adult, he was a killer who put blades into people.
Expressing gratitude or goodwill to others in the form of a physical object was a quite foreign and difficult task for him.
He ended up agonizing over it for a long time.
Thanks to that, today’s nightmare was being erased from his mind quite quickly.
“Head of the family.”
“Hmm, ah.”
“You seem exceptionally absentminded today.”
“That…”
Elric trailed off, then let out a hollow laugh and offered an excuse.
“My bed was a bit cold. I tossed and turned because of it.”
“I will tell them to stoke the fireplace more strongly.”
“Thank you.”
Actually, the bed had been hot.
If it got any hotter, he truly wouldn’t be able to sleep because of the temperature.
He felt he should mention it separately to Aldio later.
The claim that there was no work must have been true, as for once, Tiria did not come to the office.
When he asked Aldio where she was, the answer came back.
“She is in the library. She is reading.”
Come to think of it, she was a woman who loved books enough to read an encyclopedia even while she was ill.
“Shall you go see her?”
“Since I have nothing to do, I might as well go read a book myself.”
“You, young master? A book?”
Aldio made a face as if he had seen a ghost.
It was an expression Elric hadn’t seen in a long time, not since he left the battlefield.
Elric narrowed his eyes.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
The way the butler checked his body here and there as if truly worried grated on his nerves more than a little.
But he couldn’t snap back in anger.
Even in his own opinion, Elric Portman and reading were a pair so mismatched they had never crossed paths in his life, and likely never would.
“…I’m going.”
Limping away, Elric arrived in front of the library.
He could sense her presence inside.
When he knocked on the door, an answer came.
「Come in.」
A voice that was appropriately dignified and firm.
It was the tone she used when commanding servants.
Even though he had heard this voice quite often, the mere fact that he was the recipient felt strange.
Elric opened the door with a faint, involuntary smile.
Then, he saw Tiria.
「…Head of the family?」
Her eyes widened.
She was dressed differently than usual.
Above her wide eyes sat a pair of round-rimmed glasses. A brown shawl was draped over her comfortable dress, and her hair was braided and pinned up in a bun.
The stray hairs peeking out from behind her ears caught his gaze for no reason.
「What brings the Head of the family here?」
She, like Aldio, made a face as if she had seen a ghost.
Elric felt a bit hurt for no reason, but he couldn’t show it.
However, he thought that from now on, he might have to make a show of reading books in front of others.
「I heard the Madam was here, so I stopped by. I was bored since there is nothing to do.」
With that, Elric went and sat beside her.
Fortunately, the sofa was large, so there was space left.
「But what’s with the glasses? Was your eyesight poor?」
When he asked the question he was curious about, she let out an “Ah.”
「It is a magic tool.」
「Hmm?」
「It was a gift from the Princess during my last trip to the capital. They say it relieves eye fatigue.」
Ah, so Elbus’s arrangements were coming back in such a visible way.
He certainly remembered that the Princess of Ferdin, who loved tea parties, had taken an interest in her.
「…Does it not suit me?」
She seemed embarrassed.
Elric shook his head immediately.
「You look intellectual. I was just a bit surprised because your atmosphere changes so much with just a pair of spectacles.」
「I see. I’m glad to hear that then.」
Before he knew it, Tiria’s book was closed.
Wondering what she had been reading, he looked at the cover; it was a novel.
And a popular one that circulated quite a bit among the common folk.
「You like these kinds of novels too? That’s unexpected.」
「They are good for killing time. I can read them without thinking.」
「I thought the Madam would read history books or poetry collections.」
As he spoke with a chuckle, Tiria replied softly.
「I do read those periodically. However, since refinement is a realm of study, I simply do not enjoy it during my leisure time.」
「That’s a relief. Knowing that I’m not the only one who finds them boring.」
「I believe you should read a bit more, Head of the family.」
Elric stared blankly at Tiria.
She’s joking, right?
「May I recommend a few?」
…She wasn’t joking.
Aside from a bit of uncalled-for disappointment, he actually felt a slight urge to read a book by this point.
When he asked for recommendations, Tiria stood up and picked out a few books without hesitation.
「Hmm.」
They were history books with titles that were sure to make him dreadfully sleepy.
「These are books that often come up as topics of conversation during gatherings with other nobles. They are easy ones, so you will memorize them quickly.」
「So it’s not about reading them, but memorizing them.」
「It is easier to pretend to know that way. Understanding is a much harder task than remembering, after all.」
She sounded just like Elbus.
Because that was funny, he let out a smirk, and Tiria tilted her head.
That sight was so adorable that the matter of the fur cloak came to mind again.
「Now, shall you try reading? I will help you.」
「Well, alright.」
For some reason, feeling his temperature rise, Elric couldn’t look at her any longer and turned his gaze to the book.
The letters were the size of millet seeds.
As he focused and swallowed each letter one by one, he began to notice his surroundings more.
Crackle, crackle. The sound of the fireplace devouring logs.
The sound of her breathing and the warm scent of her shawl.
And the soft words she would offer at certain points, saying, ‘This means this.’
So, to put it bluntly,
「…」
「…Head of the family?」
He was sleepy.
For some reason, feeling a cozy and warm scent, Elric opened his eyes late.
His vision was strange.
Blinking his eyes repeatedly, he saw the ceiling and Tiria’s face.
The back of his head felt soft, and for some reason, there were curves of clothing blocking his view.
With a dazed yet clear mind, he thought.
‘I didn’t have a dream?’
That’s how deeply he had fallen asleep.
How long had it been since he slept this deeply?
As he realized this, his mind felt remarkably refreshed.
It was at that moment his gaze returned to normal.
The visual information finally integrated into one, informing Elric of the current situation.
「Are you awake?」
It means he only realized late that he had been resting his head on her lap.
「Gah!」
At her greeting, Elric jolted upright in surprise.
Tiria said.
「It seems you truly couldn’t sleep last night. I let you be since you fell asleep so quickly. Was it a discourtesy?」
No, I’m the one who committed the discourtesy.
「…No. I have no face to show you.」
To fall asleep while reading a book, what an embarrassing sight.
He felt relieved that he had at least mentioned not being able to sleep properly.
Feeling his face flush for no reason, he checked the clock—good heavens, two hours had passed.
Had she been giving him a lap pillow that whole time?
The sensation at the back of his head began to bother him.
His gaze almost drifted to her thighs. Besides that, the curves that had blocked his vision came to mind.
His cheeks burned even more.
‘Think of something else… anything else…!’
While Elric was pulling himself together,
「Shall we go out for now?」
As Tiria asked, Elric looked out the window.
The snow had stopped.
Now that the dark clouds were gone, a clear sky was visible.
「To the outside, you mean?」
「Pardon?」
「Ah, that’s not what you meant.」
She just meant let’s leave the library.
He was about to nod his head.
‘…Wait.’
Perhaps his clear head helped, but a good idea occurred to him.
Come to think of it, wasn’t he planning to give her a gift today?
A good opportunity had finally presented itself.
「Madam.」
「Yes.」
「How about getting some fresh air? To shake off the sleepiness.」
When he tentatively brought it up, Tiria nodded her head.
It was his chance.