In a hurry, Cadmus dug into the snow and dragged Blair out.
He pulled her by the arm, horrified to see her trembling with lumps of snow melting on her head. Her skin seemed to have gained a blue tint, causing his state of panic to worsen.
Blair started sniffling. Cadmus went still.
"S-So cold…" she stammered out while rubbing her hands together.
"Uwaaa. Huhuhu."
His hands must've had a mind of their own as they suddenly reached out to her before she collapsed on the ground. Her body went falling forward into his arms while her face ended up buried in his scarf.
"Warm. You're so warm, Your Highness," she mumbled with a sigh of relief.
His heart skipped a freaking beat, and he nearly stumbled backward. He's so at a loss he couldn't even bear to wrap his arms around her.
This couldn't be happening. This shouldn't be happening.
He's making physical contact with her, and she's hugging him, and she's cold, and he knew his heart was going to burst, and he's going to die.
Cadmus hastily scooted away from Blair.
He could feel his blood pulsing in his ears, making it difficult for him to think. Worse, since she's so close to him, she might be aware of his speeding heartbeat
"I-If you're freezing, then stay indoors, moron…!" Cadmus bolted out but then remembered that Blair had in fact tried to.
"I'll explain it to the teacher!"
She blinked and stared at him in puzzlement, probably finding his behavior unusual. He swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat before facing the other direction, suddenly nervous.
Puffing out her chest, she brushed the snow off her head and said, "I'm alright. That's not enough to hurt me. I'm tough and strong. Thanks for the concern."
His mind began overheating again, and he was trying so hard to stop his train of thoughts. He spun away from her, feeling a sudden need to take a moment to cool down his reddening cheeks.
"W-Well?! Aren't you gonna get revenge for that?!" he exclaimed.
Before she could even give a response, Cadmus was already furiously flinging snowballs at his opponents, channeling his anger and frustration at himself for acting so stupid. Also, he had to get back at those who hit Blair in front of him.
"Oh, cool! You're like a snow canon," she marveled.
Her compliment made him even more flustered. At this point, he could no longer understand himself. He threw more and more snowballs to get rid of his nervousness.
The opposing side was thrown into shock and rage.
"What's that snowball rush for?!"
"Is it already the finisher attack?!"
"Hmph! We've got to retaliate!"
So, the next time Cadmus popped up from behind the snow wall, he was smacked in the face by five or so snowballs. His face and nose had gone numb from the cold, and he staggered backward much like how Blair did.
He flopped to the ground, utterly defeated. His heart sank to the pits of doom, and that's because he embarrassingly fell. Not because he hadn't managed to avenge her, of course.
"That was glorious, Your Highness. You fought well for this country."
Blair brushed the snow off of his hair with a straight face. Cadmus froze then combusted.
His cheeks became so warm that the snow on his skin almost started melting.
'W-Why did that feel so good?! Is this what they call a head pat?! A-Another one of her seduction techniques?!'
For the rest of the period, Cadmus and Blair crouched behind the snow wall together.
He couldn't just leave her by herself. Else, she would get hit and probably freeze to death.
Of course, he was concerned for her as a classmate.
'There's definitely, absolutely nothing else going on!'