Chapter: 696
I should have seen it coming when the heavy snowfall hit during the New Year’s Ball.
This winter wasn’t just a regular winter; it was a true winter thick with cold and more cold.
“Brr, it’s cold.”
As I woke up in the morning and stepped barefoot onto the floor, just the chill rising up was enough to give me a rough idea of the day’s weather.
And if I could feel that chill on my skin, it was no ordinary cold. Outside the mansion, I can bet the guards of the capital were shedding tears while clearing the snow. No, they might be too frozen to even cry.
“Good thing it got cold after the wedding.”
If it had been this cold during Erich and Zenobia’s wedding, that would have been a disaster. Erich and Zenobia would have likely caught colds since they had to dress lightly.
– Kee-eeeng…
“Titi, if you’re cold, come onto the bed.”
– Woof!
While I was lost in thought and pulling the curtains back, Titi, who was sleeping in the corner, whimpered.
Even Titi, all fluffy and warm, was shivering from the cold. Just how cold must it be outside—
“Oh.”
I couldn’t help but admire the view outside the window.
The capital had transformed from a city of splendor to a city blanketed in pure white snow. And it was a pristine white city, untouched by any marks.
‘This is going to be tough on the snow removal crew.’
For just a brief moment, I appreciated the beauty of nature, but soon my sympathy shifted to the poor guards who would have to deal with that white mess.
I should send some snacks to the guards soon. They ought to enjoy some good food to ease their burdens.
“Titi.”
– Woof?
“Want to go for a walk today?”
When I jokingly asked Titi, who had hopped up onto the bed, she buried herself back into the covers without saying a word.
So, it turns out Titi wasn’t resistant to the cold; she simply didn’t want to feel it!
‘What a relief…’
I was genuinely relieved. If Titi had reached the level of not feeling cold, she would have insisted on going for a walk in this weather.
Just the thought of it made my hands and feet tremble—it would have been a terrible disaster.
The cold that even silenced Titi struck the children hard too.
However, unlike my worries, the kids had plenty of ways to keep warm.
“It’s warm!”
“So cozy! So warm!”
“Fuzzy~”
Take, for example, the triplet girls cuddling up close to Prosper, laughing merrily.
Indeed, sheep’s wool is overwhelmingly warmer than that of any other animal. Is it any wonder they make clothes out of it?
“How are my daughters? Did you sleep well?”
“Ah! Daddy!”
“Yeah! We slept well!”
“Did Daddy sleep well too?”
The triplets responded cheerfully to their dad’s greeting, but the cold seemed to hold more sway over them than their love for their dad, as they showed no intention of leaving Prosper’s side.
I was a little sad about it, but I understood. Honestly, if I could snuggle into sheep’s wool, I wouldn’t leave either.
“Sweet dreams.”
Meanwhile, Prosper was curled up in a ball, soundly asleep. Was it because she liked to sleep? Or was it because she had been exhausted by the kids?
“Should I wake her up?”
Staring blankly at Prosper, Maria poked her nose.
“It’s okay. Let her keep sleeping.”
She was already doing a fantastic job as the kids’ biological heater. There was no need to wake her up and tire her out.
Besides, that fluff of her fur really did look cozy. Honestly, if I didn’t have the kids, I might have snuggled up to her too.
“Huh?”
Just as I confirmed the triplets were playing well, I noticed something strange.
“Katrela?”
“Uuumm?”
“Where did the spirits go?”
The spirits usually clung around Katrela but now seemed to have vanished.
More specifically, it was the fire spirits with the red glowing flames that were gone.
“Mom took them away!”
“Mom?”
“Yup!”
That was an unexpected answer. Considering the spirits were often regarded as friends of the elves, they usually stuck close to Katrela, who had an extraordinary affinity for spirits.
Of course, if someone forced the spirits to leave, they would have no choice.
“Mommy says she’s giving them to the other moms! To Brother Pedi and the two younger siblings!”
“Oh.”
My understanding clicked into place with that explanation.
So that’s why only the fire spirits had disappeared. Since it was freezing, they must have been distributed as personal heaters.
‘From fireflies to biological heaters…’
I can’t tell if the spirits are losing or gaining standing in their world these days.
It seems like they’re gaining ground since they’re being used for multiple purposes, but is it really okay to treat spirits like heaters? The spirit kings won’t have a comeback for that!
Still, since the spirits chose to come to our mansion, I believe they would understand this level of cooperation.
“Ugh… so heavy…”
“Oh.”
Just as I was petting the triplets, Prosper groaned and opened her eyes, buried under the kids.
You’re struggling, too, huh? Just hang in there through the rest of this winter.
The mansion’s interior was surprisingly cozy and warm. Perhaps it was because a few dozen, maybe even hundreds of fire spirits that had been hovering near Katrela had spread throughout the mansion.
“Whoa! It’s warm!”
And, as if breaking through the thick wall of snow, the Crown Princess stepped into the mansion, eyes wide open in delight.
Thanks to Trixie’s quick thinking, the Crown Princess was spared from playing in the coldness of the mansion. Thank goodness for that.
“Why is Daddy’s house so warm? It’s amazing!”
“The spirits are working hard because they knew Your Highness was coming.”
“The sparkly ones?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At that, the Crown Princess’s eyes began to gleam like the spirits.
“So, if I take the sparkly ones with me, my house will be warm too!? Carolus will be warm too!”
Just thinking about how the young little sister wanted her younger sibling to stay warm with those spirits made me smile.
What a kind older sister she was!
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. They need to stay here to keep their strength.”
“Aww…”
I knew the spirits could act as heaters in the royal palace, but I doubted they would want to go that far.
The spirits were based around Katrela. It would be quite the rebellion to bring them outside the mansion. Plus, in the past, it would have required forcibly capturing them and stuffing them in a bag just to make it happen. I don’t want to do that to them twice.
“Your Highness, the royal palace will soon warm up thanks to the magicians’ efforts, so don’t worry.”
“Really?”
“Of course! It’s where you and your family live, after all. The magicians will work as hard as our fireflies.”
At that, the Crown Princess’s expression brightened again.
I felt a little bad for treating the royal magicians like fireflies, but if it put a smile on the Crown Princess’s face, they would probably be happy too.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
“Yes, Your Highness. What is it?”
“This! Daddy gave me!”
With that, the Crown Princess pulled out a small box from her arms.
Red wrapping paper, a black ribbon, and in the upper right corner, a picture of a white bear.
…
?
‘What is this?’
That color arrangement looked familiar, and so did that beast logo. Red, black, and a polar bear? This must be that thing!
‘No way.’
Despite my racing heart, I could practically hear my mind screaming “no!” You can’t be serious! I searched high and low for it but never found it!
Though they might have soda water, that ‘dark thing’ doesn’t exist in this world. I could crudely replicate soda by blasting sugar into soda water, but there was no ‘dark thing’ to be found—no way!
So, no way they would suddenly show up in the world!
“It’s chocolate from afar!”
“Is that so…?”
But oddly enough, even while knowing it wasn’t what I thought, hearing confirmation from the Crown Princess stung a little.
Damn it. Why wrap it like this to make it so confusing? I get the colors, but why throw a polar bear into the mix?
“More importantly, where is this from?”
With that, my attention was glued to the box the Crown Princess had produced.
I knew all the famous chocolate brands in the Empire because I had been feeding it to the Crown Princess and the kids. Recently, I had even been checking out places like Ainter and Jerano. But this kind of packaging and brand was completely new to me.
“Umm… uuhh…”
At my question, the Crown Princess pouted her lips, thinking hard, and then said,
“Loo… shen? Nu-shen? Something like that!”
She named a place much further away than I expected.
The Lucen Kingdom. A small country located at the northeastern edge of the continent, known for its extreme cold and perennial snow.
Although it was a remote area with narrow territory and a small population that didn’t hold much influence on the continent, they produced top-notch vodka that was quite known among the Empire’s nobility.
‘…Please tell me it’s not vodka-infused chocolate.’
That thought suddenly made me uneasy. After all, it just had to be the Lucen Kingdom’s gift from the Emperor. It wouldn’t be absurd to have vodka in the chocolate.
*
As I sipped the vodka gifted by the Lucen Kingdom’s delegation, I tried to collect my thoughts.
‘This is delicious.’
No, not that thought—there’s something else I need to focus on!
As soon as the vodka hit my tongue, I quickly shook my head. I needed to concentrate on something other than vodka right now.
‘…It’s really well-made.’
But then again, the Lucen Kingdom was famous for its vodka. It only made sense they’d create a special vodka for me, considering the Emperor, which made the taste even more exceptional.
And they had even brought chocolates for the Crown Princess! At first, I worried it might be chocolate with alcohol, but it turned out Lucen had developed a chocolate culture to sustain itself against the bitter cold using limited resources. I was so focused on the vodka that I hadn’t even noticed.
Anyway, the Lucen Kingdom sent a delegation to celebrate the New Year, presenting their specialty and pledging unwavering respect and admiration for the Empire. Such an admirable gesture indeed.
Had they stopped there, my mind wouldn’t be as confused anymore, but—
‘The united nations, huh.’
It wasn’t just the Lucen Kingdom; the delegations from the Kingdom of Stynia and the Kingdom of Nosgor, which borders Lucen, were bringing up something strange as they dubbed themselves the “Winter Trio.”
They were pleading for permission to unify as one, a request I could never have imagined.
‘Three countries wanting to unite…’
Even though these nations were far from the Empire, it was still a complicated request for three countries to come together as one.
I still pondered over how to handle this situation.
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