DSB 17

“Something like me could be killed with one hand by him.”

“Young Master Yutis has no reason to kill Your Highness!”

“It’s just a figure of speech. And…. he’s safe. He’s healthy, so no need to worry.”

What do you know to be so sure? Contrary to Mahan’s doubt, Lebel could feel Yutis’s energy.

Because the mate ceremony was performed, he could know where he was, and he could guess if his life was in danger.

“Do you respect him?”

“Of course you know that? There’s no one in this north who doesn’t respect him. Young Master Yutis is……”

The taciturn-looking man praised Yutis with shining eyes, and Lebel looked at him quietly.

The exploits poured out like a dam burst were so many that he couldn’t see the end. To summarize, he’s strong enough to defeat violent and rare demonic beasts, and he achieved greater feats and merits than the head of the family when he was young.

Thanks to that, the north could advance south, secure abundant food, and the number of people starving in winter decreased a lot. No wonder he doesn’t want to give him to me. There must be quite a few people in the north who admire him.

“It’s natural to like the strong.”

“…You know well.”

He said that in front of the northern castle too. Mahan wasn’t there, but he heard from those who were.Lebel said to Yutis, ‘For someone weak like me, becoming the bride of the strong is a blessing.’

“You’re lucky to serve him.”

“…Thanks to Young Master Yutis’s consideration.”

“Well, he seems unnecessarily kind.”

Mahan’s eyes widened slightly. It seemed like praise, but it also had a nuance of disapproval. Mahan decided to acknowledge it. He was different from he had imagined, the imperial capital’s rumors, and the currently spreading rumors.

“Don’t close your eyes and get up. Your body will stiffen.”

“……”

“Please at least get some fresh air outside.”

“I didn’t know, but I seem to hate the cold.”

In a completely different sense.

***

Northern territory. The loyalty of the lord’s castle servants was tremendous.

There was no one who didn’t love the head and young master who developed this cold region, didn’t yield to the endless demonic beasts invasions, and protected the people.

“I really don’t know. Why did Young Master take that prince….”

“Hey, shh! Still, he’s a prince.”

“There’s no one to snitch here.”

“That’s….”

In the kitchen, the maids gathered in a huddle and talked about Lebel. He, who became Yutis’s wife in an instant, was at the center of the servants’ stories.

“But did Young Master fall for Your Highness?”

“What?!”

At one maid’s remark, one widened her eyes and refuted that it couldn’t be.

“No….Young Master didn’t say he hated it. Many people saw him eagerly accept when Your Highness asked if he’d marry. And honestly, he’s incredibly pretty. I wondered if he fell in love at first sight.”

“Even prettier than me, a woman….”

Since what she said was all fact, she couldn’t refute.

Even wrapped in thick clothes and blankets like a snowman, it was close to a ridiculous appearance, but his beauty not only didn’t fade but shone more.

“Hm, but he doesn’t seem as bad as I thought. I thought he’d wander around wildly without Young Master, but he’s quiet.”

“It’s to lower our guard!”

“I heard from the cleaning servant….”

The maid peeling potatoes put down the potatoes, lowered her body, and lowered her voice to speak. Everyone concentrated on that maid’s voice.

“He only sleeps.”

“Huh?”

“Every time she cleans, he’s sleeping. She said he’s like Sleeping Beauty. And when he woke up, she was startled and made a mistake, but he let it go.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Rather, when she was trembling in fear, he told her to leave.”

“…Come to think of it, there are no servants who said they suffered because of the prince.”

“Not many people have seen him?”

“He doesn’t come out of the bedroom.”

In fact, few people had met Lebel. The servants only saw him on the first day he came to the northern castle, and others hadn’t even seen him. Thus, he was still a being shrouded in veil.

“Only in the bedroom?”

“Seems so.”

“Ah, I heard this story too. When attending his bath, he was sleeping, so she washed him and put him back in bed. But his body was so light that she even worried.”

“…Is he sick somewhere?”

“When I first came, I saw him, he was incredibly small. Even wrapped in a blanket, he was this small. Smaller than me.”

“He eats little! He needs to eat a lot and gain strength, but since he eats little, he’s frail and only sleeps!”

For northern people with a strong perception that they must eat sufficiently to prepare for times when cold blizzards blow or food can’t be secured properly, it was a situation they couldn’t understand at all.

“Eating only three pieces of bread and twelve spoonfuls of soup a day, does that make sense?”

“Ah! That was true?”

It was an unimaginable meal amount. Even a squirrel would eat more than that.

“Does our food not suit him?”

“He only asked for bread and soup.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Looking at the amount he eats, his appetite is small for sure. Next time, give sandwich instead of bread. He needs to eat meat.”

“Let’s tell the head chef.”

The ones who were cursing Lebel didn’t realize that they were thinking of ways to make him eat more, recalling the thin and small him they saw at first.

***

Lebel was amazed by the upgraded food today. Strangely, as days passed, things seem to be getting more and more interesting.

“What is this?”

“It’s a sandwich. You don’t know?”

“…Hm.”

Lebel bit into the vegetables and meat layered between the bread. He didn’t particularly discriminate tastes, but the various ingredients entering in one bite produced diverse flavors, pleasing his mouth.

“It’s good.”

“He’ll be pleased.”

Who exactly? Lebel thought that but didn’t ask.

Mahan asked while watching Lebel munching on the sandwich.

“Are you going to eat and sleep today too?”

Mahan’s cold gaze turned to Lebel. He nodded nonchalantly. Before he knew it, the malice surrounding Mahan was nowhere to be seen.

I don’t know why he erased the malicious intent. It’s good that my eyes don’t hurt, but it’s uncomfortable in a different way.

“If you lie down right after eating, your stomach will feel uncomfortable.”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s not up to Your Highness to decide. Your Highness’s body is weak, so you need to pay more attention. The weather is good today. How about a walk?”

“…Aren’t you busy with work?”

“Yes. I’m not busy.”

Lebel doubts if it’s the same man who said he was busy before and not to make him come for such things.

Moreover, today’s tone had a strong will to definitely drag him outside. Why is he so eager to get him out? Is there confidential documents in this room?

“I won’t look, so take it if you want.”

“….What are you talking about?”

Lebel looked at the scenery outside the window.

“There’s wind outside.”

“Wind always blows.”

“It seems cold.”

“Because it’s winter.”

“I hate the cold.”

“Wear warm clothes and go out.”

“Do I have clothes?”

Mahan was about to say of course, but fell silent at Lebel’s words. His eyes trembled slightly. Because he didn’t leave the room, Lebel was always in pajamas.

Since he didn’t move from the bed, there was no need to change clothes. Only when Mahan forcibly woke him for a bath last time.

If he could find appropriate clothes, there would be, but his build was much smaller and slender compared to northern people.

The clothes he wore when he first came had no fleece, so he couldn’t wear them in winter.

The north’s winter comes in an instant and gets colder as it goes. Moreover, it was colder now than then.

“In the luggage, there are clothes……. No. I’ll look for them.”

“Do as you like. By the way, is it time for Yutis to return soon?”

“Pardon? Not yet. It usually takes about half a month.”

“Hm.”

He said half a month, but Lebel couldn’t know how much time had passed. But he could tell he would come soon. The distance is getting closer.

“The place they asked for help is far. They have to break through snow-covered mountains, so it will take longer.”

Mahan looked at the large mountain visible outside the window.

The white thing covering the mountains is called snow.

“When does that disappear?”

“It melts when the weather warms up. Even now, some snow has melted. A week before Your Highness came, a blizzard blew. If snow falls more, it will pile up more and not melt. It’s convenient to think that in winter, snow is always covering.”

“I see. It’s less than half a month, but Yutis will arrive soon.”

“Yes…?”

“Mahan looked at Lebel, asking how does he know that, but he was gazing outside the window, feeling Yutis’s energy approaching from afar.

He pondered. He’s a mate from an incomplete ceremony, but a mate is a mate.

Since they’re officially husband and wife, should he go out to greet when he comes?

While Lebel was lost in thought pondering deeply, he heard noise outside.

Bang-!

The door opened so violently that the door frame seemed to fall. The ones who appeared were Iol and Damian.

Mahan’s eyes widened as he saw them.