Commonly, people say that nothing flows faster than the past.
This was also true for Rudell and Leje.
After the two became friends, several seasons passed…
And soon, it was a cold winter day in the year the two turned fourteen.
Tap-tap.
In the small library of Count House of Weinstein, the sound of crackling logs spread a warm glow from the fireplace.
Sitting in front of the fireplace, Rudell flipped through the pages of a book with a flap.
“Rudell. I’m bored.”
Leje, who was watching him, said in a whiny voice.
“…”
However, Rudell remained silent.
He kept his eyes on the book.
If others were to see this, they would be shocked, but instead of getting angry, Leje jumped onto Rudell’s lap.
“Rudell…”
“I’m bored!! So bored!!”
Only then did Rudell tear his gaze away from the book and let out a short sigh.
“We promised to stay quiet today.”
“But!! The snow isn’t falling! I want to go play outside!!”
As Rudell turned his head toward the window, he saw a bright blue sky sparkling with sunshine, just as Leje had said.
It was a rare clear day in the duchy, where it usually snows more than eight out of ten days in winter.
“I want to go out!! Let’s go play!!”
“No way. A promise is a promise.”
Leje began throwing a fit like a little child, but Rudell flatly rejected her.
And it was reasonable enough for him to do so, as Leje had made a promise while staying at Count House.
It was nothing grand.
Just one day a week.
To spend Sundays at home together.
That was the promise between Rudell and Leje.
“Ugh…!!”
Faced with Rudell’s earnestness, Leje let out a low groan.
Even though Leje was a bit wild, she well understood the importance of promises, being the daughter of the Duke.
“Hmph!! If you’re not going out, then I’ll go out alone!”
Thinking she couldn’t back down now, Leje declared as she stood up.
“Do as you wish.”
Still, Rudell remained unbothered.
The truth was, Rudell had a valid reason for his reaction.
This wasn’t the first time Rudell had faced such a situation.
‘You think I’ll get caught in your pace again?’
That was how Rudell felt.
After staring at him for a moment, Leje turned around and slammed the study door shut as she headed outside.
Having been through this before, Rudell dismissed it with a huff and returned his gaze to the book.
But.
“…”
Five minutes…
“Umm…”
Ten minutes…
“Uuuumm…”
About thirty minutes passed since Leje left the study when Rudell finally let out a short sigh and closed the book.
In situations like this, Leje’s patience usually maxed out at around ten minutes.
However, even after thirty minutes, there was no sign of her coming back.
“Did she really go out alone…?”
Given Leje’s energetic personality, it couldn’t be ruled out.
Just then, as that thought crossed Rudell’s mind…
‘Oh no. This is really bad.’
Feeling a chill run down his spine, Rudell stood up.
And it was for a good reason—what was Leje’s identity?
She was the only daughter of the noble and prestigious Lagrind Dukedom.
Letting her roam outside alone?
If the duke found out, the Count House of Weinstein—a mere low noble—could be annihilated without a trace.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
On such a clear day, monsters would also start moving about.
The winter of the duchy was harsh, but it also served to keep the monsters at bay.
“Is anyone there!?”
As Rudell yelled after putting the book down, the door opened and a nervous handmaid entered.
“Did you call, young master?”
“Have you seen where Leje went?”
“She went out a little while ago, but… she told me not to follow her…”
The handmaid responded with a flustered look on her face to Rudell’s anxious question.
“Thank you!”
If he hurried now, he could catch up with her.
Please let nothing happen.
With that desperate thought, Rudell started moving faster than ever before.
*
A bit away from Count House stood Dunes Lake.
It was one of the five largest lakes in the kingdom.
And along the lakeside, a cart piled with bundles of hay rattled as it rolled forward.
“Phew… ”
Lying on the soft hay, Leje let out a short sigh.
Her breath turned into white puffs as she stared vacantly at the scene before her before slowly getting up.
“What the hell…”
After glancing around, Leje muttered to herself.
Is going out for a walk that difficult?
The weather was nice, and staying indoors felt like a waste.
“I don’t care. I’ll do as I please.”
In hindsight, Rudell hadn’t done anything wrong.
But her pride wouldn’t allow her to admit that.
“Huu…”
“Looks like something’s bothering you, young lady.”
Just then, while she lay on the hay and gazed at the sky, the old coachman sitting on the driver’s seat spoke to her.
Not having revealed his identity, he didn’t realize she was a noble—specifically, the daughter of the famous Lagrind Dukedom.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Is that so? You look like you’ve just had a fight with your husband…”
“H-husband!?”
Startled, she shot up.
“It’s not like that!?”
“Of course it is. The expression you’re making is just like my wife’s when we used to argue back in the day.”
Normally, she would feel offended that someone would dare talk to her like that, but strangely enough, she didn’t feel that way at all.
“Let me say something, young lady. Relationships between men and women are like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“People are different. Some like what others dislike, and vice versa.”
“…”
“Life is all the same; you just have to give and take a little.”
At his words, Leje turned her gaze away in silence.
Giving.
Thinking about it, she had never given way on anything, except for her promise with Rudell.
No, to be precise, Rudell had always adjusted himself for her.
If we think logically, it seems only natural for a count’s heir to yield to a duke’s daughter, but how Leje felt was a little different.
It was not the forced etiquette due to status, but genuine consideration for a friend.
Such feelings, which she couldn’t sense from anyone else, she could feel from Rudell.
“Grrr…”
As chaos filled her mind, she felt a strange sensation wrap around her body, letting out low groans as she reclined back onto the hay.
“It’s nothing but unnecessary meddling.”
“If that’s the case, I have nothing more to say.”
The old man chuckled softly in response to Leje’s grumbling.
As the cart rattled onwards with the sound of hoofbeats…
‘Maybe I should apologize when I get back to Rudell.’
With that thought in mind, Leje stared up at the blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds.
Just then…
Creeeak!!
“Ow!?”
Moooooo!!
As the cart entered a small, snow-covered thicket, the trees on either side of the path crashed loudly to the ground.
Startled by the sudden noise, the oxen pulling the cart halted with distressed mooing.
“Grrr…”
“It’s warm. I’m hungry… I’m gonna eat.”
Emerging from the fallen trees was something enormous, about the size of three adult men.
With long, drooping, smelly skin, and clothes crudely made from animal bones and fur, it was grotesquely formed beyond description.
In its muscular arms, it held a massive club made from wood and bone.
An ogre.
Known for its brute strength and resilience, despite its stupidity, it was a feared monster.
“O-Ogre!?”
Seeing the ogre emerge from the forest, the old man let out a terrified shout.
And it was no surprise; it was the middle of winter.
During this time, most monsters either hibernated or stayed cooped up in their lairs.
“It’s warm. I woke up. I’m hungry. Food just walked in.”
“Ogre eats. Cows eat. Humans eat.”
“Lady! You should run!”
The old man shouted, as the ogre spoke with a drowsy voice.
However, there was one thing the old man overlooked…
“Run? You must be joking.”
With her eyes sparkling at the sight of the ogre, Leje lightly sprang from the cart.
Then, with a light stretch, she loosened her body and said to the old man:
“Stay back. You might get caught up in this.”
