Chapter 130

The estate, embracing a small lake, was indeed a perfect place for a vacation.

Rodella was surprised by the scenery, which was better than she expected, thinking it might look a bit desolate rather than a lush summer lake.

The open sky and the clear lake reflecting the sunset.

Even a small boat floating in the middle of it.

“Wow…”

As Rodella took a deep breath, enjoying the gentle breeze and the pleasant natural scent, “Come here.”

Aivert led her to the boat.

Then he casually asked, “Are you okay to ride the boat?”

“Huh?”

“Because of what happened recently.”

Aivert spread his hand.

“Ah…”

That did happen.

Rodella looked back at the lake and the boat.

It wasn’t a lake but the sea, and it wasn’t a small boat but a huge ship.

But in terms of being a boat on water, it was the same.

“I’m not scared.”

But she wasn’t scared at all.

The memory of almost dying wasn’t that vivid. More than anything, she didn’t feel like she was going to die.

Because he was there.

And because he was here now too.

“That’s a relief. You get on first.”

Aivert seemed relieved then.

She wondered why he kept checking this way on the way to the lake.

As Rodella got into the boat, Aivert, who had pushed the boat into the lake, got on and took the oars.

“I originally planned to skip seeing the lake, but you seemed to like it on the way here, so we came.”

Rodella blinked at his words.

To sum it up, the vacation plan had been made a long time ago.

He wouldn’t have added a boat ride plan after she experienced the incident at sea.

“…When did you make the vacation plans?”

Aivert replied with a natural expression.

“Since you asked me to go together.”

“Since the first time we wore handcuffs?”

“Of course.”

Aivert’s answer came back as naturally and quickly as its content.

“It’s a rare chance to spend time with you.”

No wonder the plan seemed too elaborate for something made recently.

Rodella slightly opened her mouth.

“I didn’t want to waste it.”

It was then that Aivert, with a slight smile, looked at her.

—Tap.

Suddenly, something white landed on his golden hair.

“Oh,”

As Rodella’s gaze went upwards,

—Tap.

This time, it fell onto her hand, and onto the back of Aivert’s hand as he rowed.

And then.

“Ah.”

Aivert slightly lowered his gaze.

He saw snow falling on the tip of his nose.

“Snow?”

It was the first snow.

She looked around.

White things were slowly falling all around.

The snow, falling slowly, initially melted and disappeared when it touched the ground and water.

But with time, it would accumulate, creating a soft and pure white landscape.

Without knowing when the snow had piled up, it would happen quickly, yet quietly and naturally.

Rodella looked back at him.

She saw more snow carried by a slight breeze settling on his golden hair.

And below that, on his slightly reddened ears.

The melting snow slowly became smaller, then turned into faint moisture and disappeared.

“Your ear… it’s red.”

Rodella pointed at his ear.

“Ah, is it because it’s cold?”

Aivert slightly averted his gaze.

“You, in this weather?”

Rodella knew better than anyone that he wasn’t someone who would be sensitive to the cold to this extent.

Hadn’t he just taken off his outer coat for her before coming to the lake?

Aivert looked at Rodella again.

His gaze wavered as if he was a bit flustered too.

Then.

“…You look colder than I do.”

He cupped Rodella’s cheeks with both hands.

And at the same time.

—Splash!

The oar Aivert was holding fell into the lake.

It was a truly absurd mistake.

Rodella burst out laughing.

“No, wait a minute.”

Aivert also let out a chuckle, as if dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, the oar was quickly moving away with the current.

“I’ll go get that.”

Since he had to retrieve the oar before it went beyond the length of the handcuff chain, Aivert plunged into the water without hesitation.

—Splash!

He quickly swam through the surprisingly deep lake and snatched the oar from where the chain barely reached.

“Phew.”

Just looking at him putting his face above the water and pushing back his wet golden hair, it felt like summer, not a snowy winter.

—Splash!

Rodella smiled with a troubled expression as she watched him swim back.

“Now you must be really cold.”

“I’m not cold.”

But Aivert threw the oar onto the boat and began to push the boat by swimming.

“Aren’t you getting on?”

“I’m wet—”

—Splash!

A part of Aivert’s answer was drowned out by the sound of him swimming and splashing water.

“…like this.”

“What?”

But instead of answering, Aivert made louder splashing noises and began pushing the boat.

Rodella tapped his arm, and only then did he speak.

“It’s colder out of the water.”

Perhaps that was why, his ears, out of the water, were redder than before.

***

The unfortunate thing was that Aivert hadn’t brought a change of clothes, and the fortunate thing was that he wasn’t prone to catching colds.

“It is a bit cold.”

Rodella flinched when she saw Aivert emerge from the water.

It was because his sculpted body, barely hidden beneath his wet, clinging clothes, was now revealed.

Sometimes, she saw it sometimes!

No, was seeing it the problem? Rodella squeezed her eyes shut and opened them.

“First, this!”

Rodella quickly gave him back her outer coat.

“It’s wet, so what good would covering up do?”

Aivert looked at her, then touched a button on his shirt, and then.

“Just wear it yourself.”

He gave her back the outer coat that wasn’t wet.

‘Warm.’

The coat, which should have had no warmth since it had been exposed to the cold wind and touched his cold body, made Rodella feel wrapped in warmth.

Was it the inside of the coat, or her face, that was flushed, and why did his body keep coming to mind?

Rodella tried hard not to know.

“My Lord, this.”

Soon after, his exclusive servant, Denet, brought extra clothes and blankets.

He had clearly moved quickly as soon as he saw Aivert jump into the water.

“It’s been a long time since I swam during the first snow.”

Does that mean he’s done it before?

Rodella stared at him in disbelief, then.

“…”

His body, which was now hidden beneath his shirt and unseen, clearly came to mind, and she closed her mouth.

Why did that damn oar fly off!

Rodella gave a glance at the handcuffs in vain.

She had clearly seen the chain glint and bounce the oar away at that moment.

It seemed to be because of the handcuffs.

But even if she blamed them, she couldn’t help but have his briefly seen body constantly flicker before her eyes.

Finally, Rodella squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again.

And then.

—Clatter!

She opened the carriage window.

Let’s get some cold air and clear my head…!

“Are you hot?”

Then a voice came from the opposite side.

She looked at Aivert, and he was wrapping himself in a blanket.

“…Ah, no.”

Am I crazy in front of a wet person?

Rodella, her face flushed, closed the window again.

An afternoon with no sense of reality was passing.

***

That night.

Rodella, who had explored various parts of the mansion without a moment to think about work, fell into a deep sleep.

Unlike the complicated previous night, a soft breathing sound could be heard, and just as Aivert was about to smile.

“My Lord, a message has arrived from the Western Branch of the Knights.”

The call Aivert had dreaded had arrived.