A Certain Winter’s Tale Chapter 3.11 - Elia Winter

It was no illusion, what he had seen upon opening his eyes in bed this morning was real. Leaves had suddenly sprouted on those white branches, turning them lush. Noah carefully raised his hand and stroked a leaf.

Because it was as white as snow, he worried for a fleeting moment that it might melt if he touched it. However, he felt relieved when it felt like any other leaf to the touch.

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?”

Noah nodded and looked back at Michaelis, who was now watching him.

“This is a tree that has been with Elia’s family, the House of Winter, for a very long time. Do you remember what I said when I went to the Sun Territory where you lived to find spring?”

“Yes. You said you came to bring spring into the Sovereign’s heart.”

Michaelis smiled faintly and approached him.

“You remember? I thought you’d completely forgotten your original duty after falling for a wolf breeder.”

Seeing Noah scratch the back of his head, Michaelis gave another bright smile.

“Along with that, there is one more prophecy circulating in the world.”

“Mmm. I think I’ve heard it in passing.”

Only when a warm breeze blows into the Sovereign’s frozen heart will spring come to this Winterfall. Noah remembered the mysterious story of the tree that circulated in this country along with that prophecy. Even if one weren’t a nobleman, any resident of the Empire would have heard that fairytale-like story at least once.

“Then this tree is…”

“That’s right. This is the snowflake tree that will bloom when his second generation is conceived.”

Noah looked down at the pretty wolf that resembled its master, then looked back up at the tree. Here was another entity that resembled Elia just as much as Snow did. Staring at the tree, Noah tilted his head and murmured as if to himself.

“There were no leaves last night.”

“Since it’s been a very long time since things turned out like this, I don’t know for certain. But perhaps it’s because Elia spent the night with you, Noah.”

Noah’s face flushed bright red. As his white face turned rosy, Michaelis spoke mischievously with a voice full of laughter.

“Since you aren’t a nobleman, Noah, there is no possibility of pregnancy, so no flower buds will form. Still, it’s the first time in a hundred years that traces of life have grown on this tree.”

Nobility. Pregnancy. These were words far too distant from him. Noah felt a bit daunted. Yet, when he looked up at the pretty tree again, that tension vanished for a moment.

“What kind of flowers bloom on this tree?”

“I haven’t seen them myself, but records state they were silver flowers as transparent as glass.”

Noah nodded quietly. Michaelis smiled softly and added.

“Since the leaves have become this lush thanks to you, Noah… perhaps we might actually see the snowflakes that are only passed down in literature.”

Michaelis had just said that Noah, not being a noble, could not make the tree bloom. Which meant…

A strange anxiety began to catch up with him. A sigh of “No way…” surfaced in his mind and vanished several times. Finally, Michaelis pronounced it gently yet firmly.

“Yes. That is, if a second generation is conceived between Elia and his eleventh wife.”

Until then, he had felt warm and light, as if walking on clouds. But that feeling soon melted away like snow and vanished in an instant. Because of that single sentence from Michaelis, he plummeted from the sky to the ground in one breath.

The words Michaelis had subtly conveyed were easy for even a fool to understand. He was issuing a warning to Noah.

❄️🐺❄️

“…Sir. Master Noah?”

“Ah, ah! Yes! Matilda, did you call?”

He had been spacing out without realizing it. Matilda’s green eyes examined Noah with concern. Noah forced a smile.

“I, I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked if the pain below from serving the Sovereign has lessened at all.”

“Ah…”

As his thoughts drifted to the pain caused by that embarrassing event, Noah’s cheeks stained red. However, Matilda seemed truly worried about him. He felt shy for no reason.

“Yes. Thank you for your concern. Thanks to the good medicine you sent, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“That is a relief. The Sovereign is also very worried.”

“Haha, that’s right. El… no, the Sovereign tries to make me eat so many things at every meal that it’s difficult sometimes.”

“Of course. You must recover your strength quickly so you can serve the Sovereign again, shouldn’t you?”

“That…!”

Noah was dyed red from his chin to the top of his forehead. Because the young man, who was surprisingly innocent and quick to show his emotions, was so lovely, Matilda laughed out loud, quite unlike her usual self. Then she joked mischievously on purpose.

“It can’t be helped even if you are embarrassed. The Sovereign’s physical and mental health is just that important to us servants.”

Noah was still shy, but he nodded vigorously. Noah himself did not want to be a hindrance to Elia. He also understood how important Elia’s mood swings were to the people here who were desperate for spring. That was why, even though he was endlessly bashful due to his lack of sexual experience, he cooperated his best with the things Matilda cared about. When Noah agreed, Matilda soon beamed.

“I am simply grateful that you understand.”

“Not at all. If I can be of help, gladly.”

A short silence returned between the two as they smiled at each other.

Noah turned his gaze back to his book. Recently, with Elia’s permission, he had been spending time in the library. Today, he sat in the armchair in front of the window where Elia enjoyed reading. But for some reason, the words didn’t register.

“Sigh…”

He let out a sigh without thinking. Hearing that breath, a worried voice spoke again.

“Master Noah. Is there truly nowhere you feel unwell?”

“Pardon?”

“No matter how many times I ask, you seem lost in thought. And you keep sighing.”

Noah scratched his head with a bitter smile. He looked down at the book he had brought out. Seeing that it was already nearly lunchtime, he had been in the library for several hours, yet he had only turned one page. With a deep sigh, Noah closed the book as if he had made a decision and gazed at Matilda with clear eyes.

“Matilda.”

“Yes, Noah.”

“Um… there is something I would like to ask, if you would allow it?”

Matilda gave a bright smile with her eyes. Seeing that smile, which somewhat resembled Elia’s, his heart eased. The middle-aged woman, with gentle wrinkles around her eyes, answered in a benevolent voice.

“Since you are someone the Sovereign treasures, you may command us even more freely.”

Noah scratched the back of his neck and gave a silly grin. Matilda now knew well that Noah behaved that way whenever he felt awkward. It was a fact she had learned after observing him quietly.

Matilda liked the character of the young man she had come to know over the past few days.

In terms of status, he was a commoner, but by sleeping with the Sovereign, his status became higher than that of the servants, and some people often took interest in brandishing that suddenly elevated status.

Noah did not do that. Rather, he treated people with even more warmth in his eyes than before. He was polite and soft-spoken not only to the servants but also to the other women and men of the Secret Palace who came to find him, having heard rumors and wanting to assert their dominance.

At first, it looked precarious. She thought it was a blessing that Noah stayed in the inner palace; had he lived in the Secret Palace with the other concubines, he might have suffered even harsher treatment.

However, even those who came huffing with faces full of jealousy and annoyance would go back feebly and awkwardly after sharing a few words with Noah, who smiled as brightly as a flower. It seemed they lost their momentum because Noah remained resolute and smiled calmly despite any provocation. Matilda realized then that a smiling face has more power than an angry one.

If Elia was the winter that overwhelmed people with a cold, frosty gaze, then his lover Noah was truly worthy of being called the spring that made people his allies with warmth and kindness.

Moreover, Noah always hesitated like that whenever he was given permission to use his authority unreservedly. It was clear he felt sorry that he couldn’t return more of the favors he received. And once he received help, he tried even more meticulously to look after them in return.

Simply melting Elia’s heart was enough to be deeply grateful for, but the young man who looked after his surroundings so gently and warmly was commendable. Was that why? Matilda wanted to keep looking after and caring for him, so she volunteered to serve him.

So, she was willing to answer anything sincerely. As she hoped, the answer she was waiting for finally popped out.

“Um, I would like to ask about the Sovereign’s eleventh wife.”

For a very brief moment, hesitation flashed through Matilda’s smile. Noah, noticing that split second, gave a bitter smile. Since it was nothing more than a confirmation of Michaelis’s cold warning, he didn’t want her to find it so difficult.

“I heard a bit from the Chancellor. That to marry the Sovereign and bear a second generation, the noble who will become his wife is currently in the palace.”

He tried to hold it back, but a bitter smile bloomed at his lips.

Michaelis had shown him cold kindness. Thankfully, he had drawn a clear line at a position that Noah should not greedily covet beyond his station. Melting Elia’s heart and making leaves sprout on the tree was Noah’s role. Michaelis had pushed Noah away slightly with a clear warning that the person to receive his seed and make the flowers bloom was someone else.