Winter Field Chapter 21

Rensley couldn’t erase his troubled expression, but in the end he subtly turned away and began taking off the rest of his clothes. As he removed his shirt, a damp, sleek back was revealed, and when he pulled down his pants, long straight legs and firm, rounded buttocks appeared. Though somewhat lean, it was a body that could be recognized at a glance as quite well-trained. Pale and deep shadows scattered here and there across the skin bathed in vermilion light, undulating softly.

He roughly wiped the moisture from his body and draped a loose robe over himself. Having finished changing and turning back around, Rensley wore a face that seemed to ask, ‘Is this enough now?’ Gisel stepped forward and offered some advice.

“Warm yourself by the fire a bit more.”

Rensley nodded and moved closer to the fireplace. In the meantime, Gisel opened the door and brought in the dining table that the maids had left outside.

The table was prepared with a more varied and luxurious array of food than usual. It was not a particularly welcome sight for Gisel, who had little interest in eating, but it was an inexplicable occurrence. Perhaps the maids had paid special attention because Rensley was someone who enjoyed his meals.

As he pushed the table closer to the fireplace, the man warming his body by the fire turned his head. Eyes brimming with curiosity—as if wondering what reason had brought him here—looked up at Gisel.

“I received a suggestion that it might be good to visit a guest’s room from time to time, and as that advice seemed sound, I came up.”

“Such undeserved consideration! Your Majesty, truly, thank you.”

“It seems this visit has turned out to be an uncomfortable one for Lord Malosen, after all.”

“No. No, Your Majesty.”

Rensley shook his head, then bowed deeply once again.

“I truly don’t know how to beg your forgiveness. The grace and goodwill, as high as the heavens and as deep as the sea, which you bestowed out of pity for this lowly wretch—I, in my thoughtlessness, have so lightly and rashly…”

“Stop that and have your meal first.”

Gisel sat down on a chair and pushed the table. Resting his elbow on the armrest, he lightly propped his chin on the back of his hand.

“There is no problem with going out in itself. However, did you not get spotted by someone the last time as well, while coming and going through the window? If such an incident occurs again, it will become troublesome.”

“Ah, I am aware. So this time, I made sure to set things up properly so that absolutely no one can approach the backyard where the window is visible. I built a fence that can be opened and closed with leftover lumber and piled up straw bales, so that especially children cannot recklessly enter…”

Though he began to doubt whether the outings had truly been limited to just twice, Gisel refrained from asking. What was already done could not be undone, and if he hadn’t been caught by anyone, it was simply a matter of being careful going forward.

When Rensley closed his mouth, there was no more conversation passing between them. The meal began in silence. It felt as though the ticking of the clock hands and the sound of firewood burning in the fireplace were especially loud today.

Rensley swallowed bread, cheese, a few sausages, and tea in sequence. Perhaps the maids had prepared so much food thinking he had a good appetite, yet he also picked at his food and didn’t eat much. Similarly, after sampling a few dishes in small amounts, Gisel soon stopped eating and rose from his seat.

“Then, rest well. For my next visit, I will make sure to inform you in advance before coming.”

“You’re going, going already?”

Rensley sprang to his feet. Gisel straightened his cloak and nodded.

“Resting alone seems like it would be more comfortable, so please do so. I will ask just one thing. From now on, when you go out, please inform Head Maid Samrit first, and step out as the Grand Duchess.”

“Please wait, Your Majesty. Madam Samrit knows nothing. It was something I did secretly, so please, do not hold her at fault. I beg of you.”

He had no intention of holding her at fault from the start. If she had known beforehand about the act of sneaking out of the bedroom, she wouldn’t have advised him to go meet the Grand Duchess. If one had to assign blame, the greatest mistake lay with Gisel Siebendad himself, who had not assigned a personal attendant and had instead left the management of care to the head maid alone.

It was an order he had given thinking that having an attendant might actually be more inconvenient for someone who would be guarding the room all day, but seeing the events of today, it seemed he might have to change his mind. So that he could provide someone to talk to for Rensley Malosen, while simultaneously being able to restrict his actions.

As he briefly considered matters for the future, Rensley’s complexion grew darker by the moment, depending on how he interpreted the silence. Sensing the signs of him silently steeling himself, Gisel quickly opened his mouth.

“Do not prostrate yourself.”

At that, a face that seemed to have no idea what to do turned toward Gisel. There was no need for that. He was just about to say that there was no intention of interrogating Madam Samrit, so there was no need to apologize even going so far as to kneel.

The sky let out a great cry, and a thunderous roar that shook the world crashed down between them.

Gisel stared at the closed window, then walked toward it and opened the wooden shutter. Just then, lightning flashed. In the instant it took to blink, a silver light that covered all things in the world stained even the inside of the bedroom a pale hue.

After a numb interval, the sound of the sky splitting apart echoed once more. It was a sound so immense that one could almost mistake even the iron-walled fortress, which had stood firm for hundreds of years, for shaking.

‘It’s starting to strike in earnest.’

Thunder and lightning always accompanied the rain, but tonight’s lightning strikes were on a larger scale than usual. Gisel closed the window and even drew the thick curtains. While this did not completely prevent the sound of the sky tearing from invading the room, there was a slight difference.

“It will rain all night. Rain is not frequent in Oldenland, but once it begins, it lasts quite long and is accompanied by lightning. It will be somewhat noisy, but it can’t be helped.”

“Yes…”

Rensley had his gaze fixed on the closed window, looking startled. Gisel suddenly grew curious.

“Does the climate during rainy weather differ greatly from Cornia as well?”

He had a great interest in various fields of study, but most of his knowledge could only be learned in theory. This was especially true for geography, as the number of times he had ventured outside Oldenland could be counted on his fingers.

When it came to nearby geography, he had learned it from childhood by traveling back and forth, and recently he had become able to observe it without time lag through magic to some extent, but that was only limited to the immediate vicinity. Had he not yet even managed to extend that radius to the Tirgavaim mines? Descriptions of distant places, especially the weather or environment of foreign lands, were nothing more and nothing less to him than lines of text in a book.

“Ah, yes. It is different. In Cornia, even when it rains, the temperature doesn’t drop much, and it doesn’t last very long either. When I went outside, I saw that people in Loudkhen would all go inside their houses or workplaces when it rained. In Cornia, adults usually take shelter from the rain as well, but it’s common to see children playing in the rain. When I was young, I also loved playing in the rain. At that age, isn’t it fascinating how water pours down endlessly? If a puddle formed, we’d play in the water there too. Of course, thunder and lightning happen occasionally as well, but lightning this intense is not very…”

The explanation that had been continuing eagerly came to a halt. It was because another clamorous roar had pierced through the walls and burst in, as if intent on destroying the world.

The story, once stopped, did not resume. As the sound of thunder subsided, Rensley’s throat bobbed once, as if he were hiccuping, and then he let out a large sigh, as though he had been holding it back.

Without continuing his words, he lowered his eyes. He had an air of hesitation, as if he had something he wanted to say. Even without hearing it, Gisel could roughly guess what he was about to bring up. Since he had said he had never seen lightning like this, he probably wanted to say he was startled by the massive lightning strike.

“I can cast a spell on you.”

“Pardon?”

At Gisel’s words, Rensley raised his head with a start.

“I cannot erase the sound itself, but it is possible to temporarily numb your hearing. You should be able to sleep quietly, at least for tonight.”

“…”

“If you wish it, I will cast it.”

As expected, it seemed to be a tempting offer, as he appeared to have shifted the direction of his hesitation. An expression that seemed to ponder which of two items it would be better to choose lingered on his face for a moment, then Rensley narrowed his eyes slightly and asked.

“I wouldn’t be able to hear any other sounds either, not just the thunder, correct?”

“That is correct. It will lift by tomorrow, but. You will be plunged into complete silence.”