“Haha … of course, he was worried about Miss Fiona.”
As I had promised earlier, I was building a snowman with Sigren while I had some time left. Abel had gone back to the castle first, and Jeron was helping us build the snowman to catch his breath. When I asked Jeron why Abel had come here, that was the answer he gave me. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Worry? I’d sooner believe that the world would be destroyed tomorrow than that.”
I responded honestly while rolling a ball of snow to form the head of the snowman.
“Well… It’s understandable. His Excellency is certainly a twisted person.” With a thoughtful expression, Jeron unexpectedly spoke lightly about Abel. Naturally, I joined in the gossip about the boss.
“I know. Honestly, his personality… is not that good.”
“It’s not just ‘not that good’… it’s very bad. Moreover, the way he expresses his thoughts is even more twisted. So, it’s hard to understand him in many ways. But this time, he came because he was genuinely worried. I don’t think he ever intended for Lady Fiona to handle the execution.”
“Really? He’s not here to monitor me?”
“His Excellency does not delegate tasks to those who require constant supervision from the beginning.” Suspicious subordinates were those who could cut off their superior’s head. Jeron then added in a friendly tone, “But that doesn’t mean he’s done well. How could he entrust such a job to an underage girl? To be honest, he must have iron running through his veins instead of blood.”
For me, honestly, I didn’t mind. It was actually pretty good. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I… I see.”
“Anyway, it’s okay for you to be more confident, Lady Fiona. Although it’s hard to understand what His Excellency is thinking,” Jeron squinted as if pondering something, then added, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Jeron then brought the snowman’s body he had been rolling in front of me and said, “The weather is cold. I’ll get something hot to drink. And this, I’ll leave to you, my lady.”
Saying that, Jeron walked toward the stall. I watched him for a moment, then turned to Sigren, who had been quiet all along.
“Sigren, I want to lift the head and join it with the body. Can you help me?”
“… Okay.”
Sigren then lifted the snowman’s head by himself and placed it on the body. Looking at the nearly finished snowman, I smiled inwardly. I didn’t have to build this on my own with Jeron and Sigren beside me; I could just watch them work. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. But where was the fun in that? So, I stepped in and asked Sigren for help with tasks I couldn’t manage myself.
“Thank you.”
It had been a long time since I had shown my artistic spirit, so I evened out the surface of the snowman’s face with my hands and made it smooth.
Sigren, who had been watching me from the side, suddenly spoke up.
“Fiona.”
“Hmm?”
“What are you going to do from now on?”
“Well, I’ll live as I do now for a while.”
Sigren shook his head slightly, looking awkward.
“That’s… not what I meant.”
It was then that I realized his behavior was different from usual. So I looked at him more closely.
“If not, then what?”
Perhaps because of the cold, Sigren’s face was a little red.
“Will you go?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you going to come with me?”
Unlike usual, Sigren’s voice was so low that I couldn’t hear him.
“Sigren, what did you say?”
When I asked again, Sigren spoke louder.
“Will you come to visit me?”
At his sudden remark, I asked again, stunned.
“Uh, what?”
“ME!”
Gradually, I began to grasp the situation. Was Sigren asking if I was going to visit him? But before I could respond, Sigren looked away, bowing his head as if trying to hide his expression. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Forget it… I didn’t mean to trouble you. It’s fine. I know you were just being sympathetic. I shouldn’t have said that.”
I hurriedly grabbed Sigren’s hand as he tried to walk away. Why did he always jump to conclusions on his own?!
“No, it’s not like that! I’m going to meet you!”
As I held his hand tightly, Sigren’s face flushed red.
“Y-Your hand…”
“I’ll come every day!”
Sigren muttered, avoiding my gaze.
“You don’t have to come every day…”
“It’s okay. I’m the one who asked you to be friends.” I smiled brightly. “So, I’ll definitely come to see you.”
Sigren’s face stiffened, his eyes wide, as if he had heard something unexpected. I had only asked him to be friends—why did he look so surprised? Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“….”
“….”
For a moment, the two of us were silent. The sound of snow falling on the branches was heard in the distance. As I counted sheep in my heart to bear the awkward atmosphere, Sigren finally spoke.
“Fiona…”
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, with a serious expression on his face, Sigren grabbed my hands.
“For the time being… you should come see me.”
“Of course.” I definitely would do that. He couldn’t come to the Heilon Manor.
Sigren’s hand wrapped around mine completely. The warmth from his body was noticeable.
“But I’ll do something so that one day I can visit you,” Sigren added hurriedly. “Well, we’re friends, so it’s unfair that you’re always the only one who comes to see me. I’ll try my best, even though it might be difficult.”
“….”
This time, it was my turn to be surprised.
The place where I was staying was Heilon Manor, a place where no one was allowed to enter freely. To come there meant having a certain status within the Heilon Duchy. And he said he would come there to see me?
Also, this was the first time Sigren had used the word “friend.” It was, of course, shocking.
“Of course, I’m an orphan with nothing, so even if I say something like this, you might not believe it—”
“No, I believe you, Sigren. I’m sure you can do it.”
I smiled mischievously as I looked into his blue-grey eyes, which wavered helplessly. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Besides, it’s not just that. Someday… you will definitely have everything.”
This was the truth. He would have a dazzling future—wealth, fame, power, and… a happy life with a loving partner who would heal his wounds.
“I promise.”
After a moment of silence, I muttered as if making a vow.
“No, I’ll help you make that happen.”
The moment I saw his wounds, I made that promise.
“….”
Seeing Sigren’s hardened eyes, I smiled a little sadly.
This winter marked the day when I truly became Sigren’s friend. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
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