A Certain Winter’s Tale Chapter 2.12 - Winterfall

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“Mr. Noah, do you have any idea how surprised I was then? You suddenly… engaged in a display of affection with… with him…”

“…Sorry, Johnny.”

Unable to lift my head, I ended up just staring at the dirt floor for no reason. It was partly because I felt as if I was being scolded by Johnny, who had worked at the castle for a long time. However, in the moment our lips met, it was strange how nothing in my surroundings mattered.

Johnny gazed at Noah, who had rolled up his sleeves and was tending to the flowerbed with a trowel, with worried eyes. On the opposite side, Snow had quietly approached at some point. Seeing him wagging his tail with a playful look in his eyes, he seemed ready to pull another prank on Noah.

“Really, I’m sorry.”

“Haaah, what are you so sorry about?”

Johnny let out a short sigh. Noah, feeling awkward, touched his still-warm nape and said.

“For doing such a… thing… inside the castle.”

“What kind of thing?”

This time, Johnny was the one being mischievous. His question, asking if I even knew what I had done wrong, made me shrink back even more for some reason.

“Ah… you know.”

“I don’t think I do?”

“Johnny…”

Noah’s face finally colored as if it would burst. The clever wolf, Snow, noticing his fluster, bit the collar of the crouching Noah’s clothes and yanked hard.

“Ugh!”

Johnny helped up Noah, who had ended up falling on his butt, with a bitter look on his face.

“I’m not trying to get angry with you, Mr. Noah. Take my hand.”

“Thanks. Is it not something I should be scolded for?”

“Something to be scolded for?”

“For public indecency within the castle, or something like that.”

Noah, who got up with Johnny’s help, brushed the dirt from his bottom and let his words trail off. Before answering, Johnny quickly looked around. After confirming that no one was there, he lowered his voice and spoke.

“Haha. There are so many young people among the palace staff who are seeing each other.”

“Really?”

A smile returned to Noah’s lips. Seeing that smile, Johnny shook his head slightly.

“Of course, that excludes the concubines who have entered the Sovereign’s private palace.”

“Ah…”

Noah clamped his mouth shut like a clam. He was struck anew by the reality of his situation, having come to the winter castle in a position not much different from selling his body.

“But… But, they said the Sovereign has no room in his heart for anyone. That it’s been a long time since he even visited the private palace.”

“Well, that is true.”

“Didn’t you also say that the people who have entered the private palace now are here to strengthen friendly ties?”

Johnny nodded. However, seeing his expression, which wasn’t entirely positive, Noah grew anxious for no reason.

“Just because the Sovereign doesn’t desire it, what do you think would happen if all the concubines who entered the private palace were to share affection with others? They would be punished and then kicked out of the castle.”

“That’s…”

Noah couldn’t finish his sentence and hung his head. Seeing this, Johnny reached out and patted his shoulder.

“Well, you won’t be punished for betraying the Sovereign and sharing affection with another person, Mr. Noah.”

“Huh?”

I thought he was chiding me, saying that kissing Elia was a huge mistake. But to say I won’t be punished for it. Unable to understand the logic of Johnny’s words, Noah tilted his head.

However, Johnny didn’t give him a more detailed explanation and changed the subject.

“There is a more important issue than that.”

“An important issue?”

“Yes! The noble child who is to become the Sovereign’s wife has entered the castle!”

He must have thought that Noah, who had entered as a concubine, no matter how low his status, would be worried about that. However, Noah instead smiled lightly. Seeing this, Johnny became frantic.

“No, this is no time to be smiling like that!”

“I’d rather the Sovereign meet a beautiful wife and forget about me.”

“Gasp, Mr. Noah?”

Seeing Johnny’s face turn deathly pale, Noah smiled bitterly. But he had no intention of lying. He had been brought to the castle by the hand of Regent Michaelis to protect his home, the Red House. So no matter what fine clothes he wore or good food he ate, he couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t entirely welcome.

“It’s true. I don’t really suit a glamorous place like this. Once the Sovereign gets a wife and loses interest in me, maybe I can go back home someday, don’t you think?”

“Mr. Noah…”

Johnny kept fidgeting. Noah just tilted his head further at his uneasy attitude.

“Are you worried that I’ll get in trouble?”

“Yes, well…”

“It’s fine. And I’ll try not to get caught for what happened with Elia until I leave the palace.”

Just trying to put the situation into words made his face flush once more. It was because Elia was so handsome, and because he smelled so good. He had kissed him as if possessed. Of course, Elia had insisted he was just trying to wipe off some dirt. All the way until Noah’s lips had not only turned red and swollen, but he had finally burst into tears. They had rubbed their lips together for a long time in the gardener’s hut while its owner was away.

The low voice Elia had used, flustered, when Noah started to cry, still seemed to ring in his ears.

[Don’t cry. It makes me want to devour you even more.]

Seeing Noah flinch his shoulders slightly, Johnny discreetly opened his mouth.

“Um… Mr. Noah. About Mr. Elia.”

“Yes?”

When he looked up, Johnny’s restlessness was obvious. It was always like this when he and El were close, but his symptoms were particularly severe today. Was he feeling unwell somewhere?

Johnny opened his mouth with a determined look on his face, as if he had made up his mind about something.

“Mr. Noah, the truth is, Mr. Elia is…!”

Just then, something warm, fluffy, and soft lunged at Noah’s waist. Noah, who had inadvertently lowered his gaze, spotted the top of Snow’s snow-white head and chuckled.

“What’s gotten into you? You didn’t even knock me over.”

“Uh… Mr. Noah?”

“Yes. I’m listening, Johnny.”

Noah’s attention remained completely stolen by Snow. But Johnny, determined to tell Noah what he knew one way or another, was about to open his mouth.

If only Snow hadn’t bitten and pulled on Noah’s sleeve rather roughly.

“Ugh! Hey, you little rascal! What are you so grumpy about now!”

“Mr. Noah? Don’t tell me… Snow is trying to bite you again?”

Johnny flailed his hands about in a flurry, trying to get Snow off. However, Snow glanced at the gardener with an indifference that suggested he was just a nuisance, then gave a sharp tug on Noah’s sleeve that he was holding in his mouth.

“Whoa!”

When the massive snow wolf, whose weight easily surpassed that of an adult man, suddenly pulled, Noah couldn’t break free. His body was pulled forward and he tumbled over, about to smash his nose.

This time, it seemed like his face would be properly scraped on the ground. He’d be lucky if he didn’t break his nose. Thinking this, Noah squeezed his eyes shut and tensed his body in preparation for the impending pain.

However, he fell—plop—onto something soft and warm.

“?”

When he opened his eyes, his face was filled with white, fluffy fur. Inhale. As he took a breath, the clear scent that brought to mind snow shining under the sun, along with the soft fur, filled his nostrils.

“Snooow…?”

Noah had landed on Snow’s back. He had always felt that this snow wolf was larger than his own body, but only then did he realize just how big he was, to the point that it didn’t bother him at all to be ridden on.

“Thanks, because of you… Aaah!”

He was about to express his gratitude to the kind and considerate snow wolf for preventing him from slamming his face on the ground. But the wolf, as if this had been his intention from the start, as soon as he confirmed Noah’s feet were off the ground, kicked off the earth and began to run ferociously.

Noah instinctively threw his arms around Snow’s neck to keep from tumbling to the ground.

“Mr. Noah! Snow! You rascal! Where are you taking Mr. Noah!”

He could hear Johnny’s shouts from far behind him, but he couldn’t look back. He was being shaken up and down so violently, matching the furious speed, that all Noah could do was keep his mouth tightly shut so as not to accidentally bite his tongue. Although he was hugging Snow’s sturdy neck tightly, he couldn’t apply more force for fear of pulling out the magnificent mane fur, which was so soft.

“Snooooow!”