A Certain Winter’s Tale Chapter 3.10 - Elia Winter

Elia fell silent. He hadn’t expected the nickname he had used to mock himself to be brought up here. Moreover, since the sight of Noah clinging to Elia’s neck to escape the bathtub had caused his “little son” to twitch and become erect, it was difficult to deny.

“Impertinent fellow. Just bring a towel.”

“Yes, yes, as you wish.”

Smiling as if something were deeply amusing, Michaelis left the side of the tub. Only then did Elia check Noah’s face and ask softly.

“Does it still hurt?”

Noah shook his head slowly, enduring the pain. Just a moment ago, watching him speak bluntly to Michaelis, Noah had been wondering if he might be angry.

“Sovereign, I am…”

“El.”

“Pardon?”

“I allowed that name only to you, so please call me that.”

“But…”

“Hurry.”

Noah’s eyes darted back and forth as he hesitated, but soon he carefully opened his lips.

“El.”

As if he were proud of him, El immediately leaned toward Noah’s lips, gave them a suck ‘mwah’ and then stood up.

“I will go and bring some clothes.”

Perhaps it was because of the kiss; heat rushed to his face. He worried that he had flushed unseemly, so Noah nodded his head quickly. With a smile that bloomed as brightly as the morning sunlight, Elia left the side of the tub.

Still unable to recover from the shock, Noah breathed vacantly inside the tub. Elia, who said he was getting clothes, did not return immediately. Before long, Michaelis returned carrying a pile of towels.

“Snow?”

A large wolf that reached Michaelis’s waist trudged over to the side of the tub. Discovering Noah inside the tub, the wolf craned its neck and sniffed at Noah’s scent. Seeing this, Michaelis wore a face that looked as if he had seen the most amazing thing in the world.

“He was whimpering in the garden, unable to enter the inner palace. This fellow doesn’t usually take to anyone’s hand except Elia’s. Truly fascinating.”

Noah raised a wet hand to pet and wipe Snow’s face. A smile broke out as Snow closed his eyes still and enjoyed the touch. Watching this, Michaelis approached and held out a towel.

“Here you are, Noah.”

“…”

Noah could not wipe the suspicious expression from his face. Michaelis smiled at him affably.

“Didn’t I tell you that you would eventually end up in the Emperor’s arms? How was it? Was the Emperor as the rumors say?”

Noah bit his lip and took the towel. As soon as he rose from the tub, his white body disappeared behind the towel. Having wrapped the front well, Noah said bluntly.

“Why didn’t you tell me El was the Sovereign?”

“I figured you were a bit light-headed, but I didn’t know it was that friend either. And I also didn’t know our concubine would be so clueless. In this castle, there is only one man with silver hair and ash-gray eyes who resembles a snow wolf.”

“…”

How could Noah, who had only lived in the countryside, have known what was happening in the castle? However, looking back, he felt foolish for not noticing even though he had plenty of clues, so Noah kept his mouth shut tightly.

“I heard you two fell in love in that flower garden or whatever. Didn’t the palace servants mention it while passing by?”

Noah’s eyebrows arched slightly. Snow rubbed his body against Noah’s legs as he stepped out of the tub. Come to think of it, Elia was not a wolf breeder but the owner of this wolf. No wonder he seemed strangely authoritative and stiff for someone supposedly caring for an animal on behalf of its owner.

That wasn’t the only clue that came to mind now.

Every time he went out to the flower garden to spend time with Elia, Johnny had seemed restless and uncomfortable, which had been a bit suspicious. Also, the few maids who knew Elia stopped by there had worn meaningful smiles. Only now did Noah clearly realize the meaning.

“I was a fool.”

“Oh, come on. It’s disappointing if you say it like that. At any rate, thanks to that, it’s a happy ending that satisfies everyone, isn’t it?”

A happy ending. Was this really the end? Noah couldn’t easily answer and just pursed his lips.

“Sigh.”

Eventually, he let out a sigh and began to move. Although he had bathed in medicinal water, there was still a sense of discomfort below, causing him to stagger. Seeing him stumble, Michaelis made a fuss, oops!, and helped support him.

Just then, someone knocked and opened the door. The woman, carrying a large bucket, was a maid who served baths somewhere in the palace.

“Ah! Excuse me. I was hoping to get some bathwater for Mr. Lux; would that be alright?”

Water was precious in a country where winter continued. There was a large river flowing around the central territory, but water could only be obtained by breaking the frozen ice. Even then, if a cold wave struck and the surface froze 20 or 30 cm thick, fetching water was like catching a star in the sky. Therefore, it was common to see servants serving different masters wandering to other buildings in the winter castle to find water.

The situation was the same in the brothels of remote rural areas. So, Noah, who easily guessed the circumstances, looked up at Michaelis and waited for him to express his intent. However, Michaelis looked at Noah instead and asked.

“What shall we do?”

“…?”

“Is it alright if she draws some water from this well?”

“Uh, I am also in a position of borrowing this place.”

“Then, what would you do if this place were yours?”

“Gladly.”

As soon as Noah answered with a faint smile, Michaelis nodded to the maid. With a slightly flushed face, the maid bowed and approached the well in the corner of the bathroom to begin drawing water.

Noah tried to return to the room with slow steps. Snow kept nudging him from the side, making him stagger even more. Eventually, Michaelis, unable to watch any longer, clicked his tongue and supported Noah once more.

“Tsk. A few more rounds of that and it’ll be the death of you.”

“Qu, quiet.”

“Yes, yes. That sound is quite nostalgic. It’s something I hear very often from my friend. It seems you are already growing to resemble him.”

Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Noah just let out a dry cough. He was ashamed of the cause of his staggering, and he felt extremely out of place at Elia’s attitude, which treated Noah more gently than before. Moreover, perhaps because the Sovereign treated him that way, Michaelis’s attitude also became as respectful as if he were treating a superior, making Noah feel even more awkward.

When Noah reached the door slowly but surely, the maid, who had finished drawing all the water, bowed and passed them with a bright face. Perhaps Noah looked unfamiliar to her, as she kept glancing this way while walking busily.

At that moment, Elia, dressed in a fancy indoor robe embroidered with a gold-leaf wolf face, entered the room. The maid, startled, bowed her head low. Elia ignored her and immediately came over, taking Noah’s shoulder and hand as if snatching him from Michaelis’s grasp.

“Can you walk?”

“Don’t worry, El. I’ve already come this far.”

Elia chuckled, pfft, and carefully stepped in pace with Noah. Watching them, Michaelis shook his head and laughed as if they were quite a pair. Although it was somewhat embarrassing, Noah silently entrusted himself to Elia’s hands since his movement was uncomfortable for now.

The maid, leaving the bathhouse with the large bucket in hand, was staring this way with wide eyes as if surprised, but Noah simply dismissed it as nothing special and kept taking steady steps.

❄️🐺❄️

“I shall return after attending to official business. Michaelis, since the nanny is away today, you stay with Noah.”

Elia, having given a short command, left Noah in the snowflake tree garden deep within the inner palace and disappeared. Noah was thus left in the garden with one of Elia’s chancellors and one of his wolves. Michaelis opened a book he had brought from somewhere and sat across from Noah at a table.

“…”

“…”

What on earth should he do here? He felt awkward. Furthermore, thinking about what had happened last night in the bed hidden by the canopy made him feel even more bashful.

So Noah shifted his gaze here and there before standing up to look again at the pure white tree he had failed to observe in the morning. Seeing him stand, Snow, who had been sitting with his rump to the ground, followed along.

A bright smile. Noah, who smiled at the pretty wolf that resembled its master, approached the tree that boasted a mystery like a being from another world because its entire body was pure white.

“Wow!”