Winter Field Chapter 20

“Has he not been confined to his bedchamber all this time like a prisoner, meeting only me and a few attendants?”

“…He may well be bored. It would be best to remain only in his bedchamber if he is to avoid contact with people, but if necessary, he may attire himself properly and look around within the main castle at least.”

“Even so, the fact remains that he must cover his face and can converse only with me. Nor can the mage here or the knight commander be going in and out of Her Highness the Grand Duchess’s bedchamber.”

Gisel faced the madam without an answer. She sighed as if frustrated and spoke while looking at the book resting on Gisel’s lap.

“Your Highness, not all people can live contentedly, satisfied merely with studying and reading books.”

He knew that much. The other Siebendad, who was residing at the northernmost fortress beyond Loudkhen for the defense of the ramparts, had once said something similar.

Gisel looked down at his own lap for a moment, then closed the book. He placed the thick book, its dark brown leather embossed with gilt lettering, onto the table and rose to his feet. Whatever the reason, it was not difficult to spare a moment to attend to the guest he had decided to welcome himself.

“Very well. Then I shall have dinner in the Grand Duchess’s chambers. Have it brought up there.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Leaving the brightening expression of the head lady-in-waiting behind, Gisel exited the laboratory and ascended the spiral staircase. Attendants followed behind him.

While teleportation devices allowing mutual travel had been set up between the Grand Duke’s bedchamber, his office, and the underground chamber, no such device had naturally been arranged in the Grand Duchess’s bedchamber, where he had not had the slightest occasion to set foot until just recently—so he had to walk there himself.

When he emerged from the underground chamber and came up to the first floor, only then did the outside weather come into view. He had entered the laboratory early in the morning, but the sun had already set and it was dim. Halting his steps, he gazed out the window and murmured.

“It’s raining.”

“Yes. It began a short while ago.”

As soon as the attendant finished speaking, a distant rumble of thunder followed.

While snow fell more often than rain in Oldenland, there were times when rain fell too. On such occasions, lightning invariably accompanied it. Since the sky had begun to rumble, it would soon brighten the night, striking brilliant bolts upon the black forest and the snowy mountains.

Arriving before the Grand Duchess’s bedchamber, Gisel once again dismissed the people far away.

“Do not approach until I call. For the meal, knock on the door from outside once it is ready.”

“Understood.”

Creeeak. The heavy door opened. Gisel quietly entered the room.

The Grand Duchess’s bedchamber was not much changed from when it had first received its occupant. Firewood burned in the fireplace, and the candles lit the room to a moderate brightness. The curtains drawn upon the bedposts were meticulously closed without a gap for wind to slip through, and all around was still.

…Rensley Malosen appeared to be sleeping. It was still early to be seeking sleep, but for a person with nothing in particular to do, it would not be strange whether he had taken a late afternoon nap or gone to an early night’s sleep.

Gisel stood in place and hesitated. Deeming Madam Samrit’s words reasonable, he had visited for the first time in a while, but if the man was asleep, he did not wish to wake him. Thinking about it, he had become an uninvited guest who had shown up without even a notice that he would visit.

Though they had held a ceremonial wedding for show, he and Rensley Malosen were ultimately no more than lord of the castle and guest staying therein.

‘Barging in so abruptly like this is a breach of etiquette.’

Gisel quietly turned back toward the door. Thinking it would be better to give notice before visiting next time, he placed his hand on the door handle.

“Ugh, the rain’s suddenly pouring down like mad.”

Just then, the air of the room, which had been quiet to the point of stillness, suddenly trembled all at once. A cheerful voice pouring out complaints came rushing in like raindrops.

Gisel, who had been about to exit the bedchamber, reflexively spun around. The window that had appeared to be quietly shut flew open, and someone began wriggling and crawling in through it. The intruder, who had been struggling to wedge his body through the narrow window, tumbled down with a crash.

As though it mattered not at all that he had struck his body against the hard wooden floor, he picked himself up, dusting off his knees. The room was on the dark side as not many lamps were lit, but the wet blonde hair, reflecting the firelight of the fireplace, appeared to gleam even from afar.

“Cold, so cold. I thought it only snowed here, but it rains too. What a shame. If I hadn’t tripped, today was my winning roun—”

The grumbling monologue cut off abruptly. The arms and legs that had been moving boisterously stiffened as if struck by a paralysis spell. A deer meeting a hunter—such was the situation. Gisel, having met the violet eyes, gazed wordlessly at the intruder who had just sneaked in.

There was no veil covering the face, nor the Grand Duchess’s dress. Just as when they first met in the underground chamber, Rensley Malosen stood frozen like a statue, dressed in men’s clothing such as commoners might wear, water dripping from the hems of his clothes and the ends of his hair.

While they stood facing off at a distance, neither opening their mouth, a knock came from outside.

—Your Highness, the meal is ready.

“Leave it.”

Gisel answered the lady-in-waiting curtly and belatedly moved his steps. As he approached, Rensley remained rooted to the spot without so much as stirring.

When he had drawn completely near, the shoulders flinched slightly, but still he did not step backward or run away. Seeing him draw a breath as though about to bend his body down, Gisel quickly opened his mouth.

“Do not prostrate yourself.”

Rensley, who had been on the verge of flattening himself to the floor and begging for his life again, halted and stopped. His body, which had awkwardly begun to bend, slowly straightened again, and his deeply bowed head lifted as well.

His eyes, which had been busily rolling left and right as if not knowing where to rest his gaze, ultimately turned toward the floor. The lips that had been hesitating began to move hurriedly.

“I’m, sorry. Being alone in the room all the time, I was just too bored… weary…, no, lonely…”

“…”

“Today was the first time! It’s absolutely not a frequent occurrence.”

“Did you not say just a moment ago that ‘today’ was your winning round?”

Rensley’s head tilted downward little by little. His voice, too, steadily crept smaller to match the angle at which he hung his head.

“…In truth, this is the second time. Please believe me. Beyond that, I swear on my honor, it is not.”

“Did you go out and gamble, then?”

“Ga-Gamble! It was just a game. Not one where money is wagered…”

Achoo. Rensley stopped mid-sentence and let out a small sneeze. His soaked clothes and hair caught Gisel’s eye anew.

Gisel pulled down the large, thick bath towel hanging near the empty bathtub. As he laid it over the damp blonde hair and wiped away the moisture, Rensley stood still, doing nothing but silently blinking.

“Go near the hearth. Change your clothes first.”

“Yes, yes…”

Rensley nodded and stood before the fireplace. An indoor robe, likely shed when he went out, had been draped over the back of the armchair.

Under a gaze that watched him fixedly as if keeping guard, he fumbled self-consciously, hands fumbling as though he were a child undressing himself for the first time in his life, awkwardly undoing the buttons.

When he parted the front of the thick, padded outer garment, a tunic shirt, soaked by the rain and clinging damply to his body, was revealed. Through the white, thin fabric, his skin shimmered faintly.

Gisel’s brow furrowed faintly. Rensley Malosen still seemed to know little of the weather in this place. A single coat and a thin shirt? Had he been outside on this rainy evening in such attire?

As he looked on in disbelief, Rensley hesitated and drew his outer garment closed again.

“Sh-should I not undress?”

It was an incomprehensible thing to say. Gisel returned a question instead of an answer.

“How do you intend to change into new clothes without removing the ones you’re wearing?”

“Your Highness, you may look elsewhere. After all, a man’s unclothed body is surely not much worth seeing in the eyes of another man…”

“All human bodies are the same. There is no body worth seeing and body not worth seeing.”