I didn't even know the time was going by, so when I came out, the sun was setting.
Said Ran,
"The grocery store sells useless pretty things."
Eustaf thought about it for a while and agreed.
"That means the economy has improved. People started to spend money on things other than food."
"Yeah. Overall, It's changed a little bit."
"Yes, and."
Ran smiled lightly.
"I didn't know if the duchy uniform would be fashionable."
"There is no duchy sentence."
"If you follow that up, it will be a big deal."
Ran said so, glancing at a woman passing by in a dress similar to the maid uniform.
Ran looked at the sunset sky again and mumbled.
"The days are getting shorter. I realize winter is coming."
"I'm happy to be short. I'm also looking forward to a very long winter night."
As Eustaf whispered, Ran felt her body hot and said.
"Shall we race then?"
"Yes?"
"Are you coming after me after ten? Make a wish for the person who goes in first."
"All right."
"Can't you forget to count to ten?"
Ran said that and started running. The distance from the inn is not that far, so if you keep the distance while counting the numbers, you can-I saw the door of the inn, and the moment Ran applied the last spur, I checked and ran to the side, and Eustaf passed by.
'Unbelievable!'
Ran fell forward with a squeal.
Even though it was a made-up scream that anyone would have intentionally fallen, Eustaf ran in surprise.
"Ran, are you all right?"
"I fell down."
Ran opened her arms whining, and Eustaf carefully shook off the dust on her hands and asked after hugging her.
"How's your leg? Is it okay?"
"Yeah, it's okay."
Ran answered quietly because she was embarrassed by his concern. He was holding her and standing at the inn door, and Eustaf caught Ran reaching out and trying to touch the door frame first.
"Not this one."
After Eustaf said so and kissed her hand lightly, he first lightly hit the door frame and smiled.
Ran asked, wrapping his cheek in both hands.
"What the hell are you gonna make me do?"
When Eustaf whispered small to Ran, Ran's face heated up like a red beet.
"Eustaf!"
I shouted without realizing it, but Ran hurriedly blocked my mouth. The first floor of the inn is a restaurant, so there were quite a few customers who came down for dinner.
"Good to see this couple!"
When the innkeeper shouted, the people inside burst into laughter.
Taking Ran, who had no idea what to do, Eustaf proudly went upstairs, saying, "Because my wife was shy."
Ran hugged Eustaf's neck tightly, feeling ashamed and laughing at the same time.
Eustaf liked to introduce herself in front of others, saying, 'she's my wife.'
'I'm telling the truth.'
I was so happy that I didn't even think it was real.
"It's sad."
When Ran whispered quietly, Eustaf kicked the door open and asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Date, today's the end."
Eustaf replied curiously to Ran's words.
"We're going to do it a lot. It's just the beginning."
Ran opened her eyes wide and smiled and buried her face in his neck.
"Yes, it's just the beginning."
***
Ran and Eustaf changed the schedule after discussion that Ran said she didn't have to stay in the green arch.
She decided not to leave Lazia. It was Eustaf's opinion that the way back from the trip must be rough, but there is no need to come hard.
And Ran's opinion was that it would be better not to empty the territory during the winter preparation period.
Now that she has become a mistress of the duke in name and substance, it was Ran's job to carefully manage the Sky Mansion.
Until now, she had only played a role as a general secretary, not as a hostess.
Although there are overlapping parts, there are many parts that do not overlap.
'For now, I want to change the Duchess's bedroom to my taste.'
The duchess bedroom, called the shade of a tree, was too dim and colorful for her taste because it was the way her mother used it before.
"I wish I could lead the winter hunt."
Ran's words seemed to sparkle in Eustaf's eyes.
"That's ridiculous."
"I know, but-"
I wanted good at horseriding and swordsmanship....
'Like Sina.'
I know the comparison is the worst, but there were still times when it was compared. If it were Sina, she'd be wearing armor and commanding the Knights without Eustaf, right?
Doing-
"Ran, I already have enough."
As if he had seen through my heart, Eustaf said, so Ran was embarrassed.
When she blinked, Eustaf said, gently sweeping Ran's cheek.
"It's already overflowing. What the hell are you doing here? You wants me out of the duke."
Ran smiled softly at Eustaf's words.
"Okay."
That's right. You can't help thinking about what you can't do. It was more important to do what you could do well.
Ran said goodbye to Eustaf, and Eustaf nodded.
"I'll be back."
Since it was a report of the match against territory, Eustaf didn't take many people.
With three or four knights, Eustaf left lightly. Shortly after Eustaf left, the first snow fell in Lazia.
As always, it was a huge snowfall.
"He would have been in trouble if he left a little later."
Sina nodded at Ran's words.
"It's really snowing in Lazia. I think I see everything in my life."
Sina said so and shook her head. Anxiety flashed across her face.
The season was already coming back. It's been almost a year since she came to this world.
But I still can't find a clue to go back...
'What if I can't get back?'
Dulcull's anxiety flooded in.
"Sina?"
Ran called her and Sina shook her head.
"No, I think I'm tired of my eyes."
"Then I should have sent Sina with Eustaf. The green arch must be warm."
"Ei, Unnie and Lumiere are in the sky mansion."
"Isn't the latter more important?"
"Unnie so-"
Sina blushed and laughed. Even in Ran's eyes these days, Sina and Lumiere were close.
'Let's open Lumie.'
Ran turned her eyes out of the window with that thought. Large and fluffy like feathers were falling.
Then Ran looked up because she heard a knock.
It was Lumiere. Lumiere politely greeted Ran and asked Sina.
"Would you like to practice sword practice with me?"
"I want"
Sina answered at once, and Ran opened her eyes wide.
"It's snowing outside?"
"Yes, It is."
"I don't understand," Ran frowned at Lumiere and told Sina.
"Get dressed and get out."
"Yes."
Sina got up from her seat with a big smile. She told Lumiere to wait and Sina went into the room and changed her clothes.
In solid winter clothes.
It's okay to just wear thin clothes by turning the stove around inside the mansion, but it's not outside.
Finally, Sina maintained her sword and wrapped her cape tightly. It was not until I came to Lazia that I knew how important it was to have hair attached to the hood on the cape.
'Nice'
I said I was firmly dressed, but I saw something black shadow fluttering outside my sight.
"······?"
Sina turned her head with a scratch, but there was nothing.
"Did I see something wrong ·····."
The moment I murmured without realizing it, the shadow soared loudly. Instead of screaming out, Sina grabbed the handle and pulled out the sword.
It was because of the training that she had learned so many times.
"Lu-"
Shina opened her mouth to call Lumiere outside, and the shadow said.
"Don't you want to go back?"
"What ·····?"
Sina opened her lips. The shadow twisted its body with a strange flickering sound.
The big, clear shadow on the wall said again.
"Don't you want to go back?"
Sina felt her heart beating like crazy. She looked back without realizing it, but there was nothing there.
Something didn't reflect.
A shadow is just a shadow that exists there.
"Who are you?"
Shadows giggled at what Sina said.
"Does that matter? Stranger."
Then suddenly, the shadow shook and became cloudy. In a harsh voice, It's shouted like a scream, spouting obvious words that she couldn't understand, but were abusive.
"Iveria!"
Then the shadow faded away.
Sina stood with a sword for a long time and managed to get off it. My hands shook. Sina collected her breath.
"Sina? What are you doing?"
She heard Lumiere's voice outside, so she quickly came to her senses and put the sword in the censorship.
"No, get out of here."
Before opening the door, Sina looked at the wall where the shadow had been reflected, and then she opened the door and left.
Lumiere saw Sinah come out and said, "Why are you changing-" and then shut up.
"What's going on?"
"Huh?"
"You look pale."
Lumiere reached out, and Sinah shied away from his hand.
"Ah."
A small sound flowed out of her mouth and Lumiere calmly lowered her hand.
"Have you seen a rat?"
Sina couldn't say anything and then took a step toward him. Lumiere didn't back down at all, so the gap between the two was very close. Sina spoke quietly.
"Can't you just give me a hug?"
Lumiere hugged her in both arms without saying a word, and Sina leaned over him with a sigh.
Warm body temperature and heart sounds came to me pleasantly.
Sina put her arms around his waist. More strongly, Lumiere embraced her.
"What's going on?"
Again, Lumie asked. Sina buried her face in his arms and said,
"Nothing."
With a weak look, Rumi thought she wanted to soothe Shina. He bowed his head slightly.
He waited a moment before his lips touched. Then, Sina raised her heel and kissed him first.
It was a light kiss.
A friendly kiss that erases and soothes anxiety, as if it were a feather brushing.
After a while, Lumiere finished kissing and kissed her on the cheek, gently on the eyelids. Sina lowered her eyes slightly and then stepped back.
My heart was about to explode.
I felt like I could hear my heart beating from my ears, so she looked up and looked at Lumiere, and looked at his scarlet eyes with affection and looked away again.
"Lumie ·····."
"Yes."
I don't know what to say.
When she saw Sina hesitating, Lumiere smiled and said.
"Shall we go to training?"
"...Yes."
Sina nodded and the two held hands and went down to train.
*******
Ran was dreaming.
The white snow field was endless, but how it was didn't seem real.
Ran looked up at the sky and looked around again. The white horizon was visible, and the snow was falling as slowly as dancing. Ran walked forward.
She could see that there was nothing, but she knew there was something in front of her.
So Ran walked.
I couldn't feel the cold or the heat.
Shortly after walking, Ran was able to find a man.
A woman stood with her long black hair fluttering in the snowstorm.
Ran knew who it was.
"Iveria!"
When Ran screamed, Iveria slowly turned her body this way. The cane in her hand sparkled.
"Iveria!"
Ran shouted once again. The snow was getting stronger. Ran's clothes began to blow wildly.
It became hard to open my eyes. The view has turned white.
From somewhere, I could hear a sound like a thundering sound from afar, and Ran looked up with difficulty then something pushed Ran hard.
"-!"
Ran opened her eyes wide.
My heart was beating fast. Ran pressed down on that heart and sighed.
'This dream again.'
Ran frowned.
I've been dreaming this dream over and over again these days.
'No, If you're going to tell me something in dream, tell me.'
She only looks back when I call her, but she doesn't answer.
'Do we have to get close to it?'
Feeling frustrated, Ran sighed and closed her eyes.
'Yes, the darkness can't have been solved.'
When I see Iveria coming out, something is definitely going on with the darkness.
'I wish I had Eus.'
Ran felt that way and stretched herself round.
Then we could talk about our dreams and discuss them.
"But what's the point of having Eus? Either way, it's a dream, and.....something didn't really happen."
Ran thought so and raised herself from her seat.
After a long yawn, Ran got out of bed and turned on the lamp in the bedroom.
The document on the dressing table caught my eye.
It was a winter hunting budget and equipment list. The detailed schedule was also written.
Ran recalled Eustaf and the cabin they had taken refuge in.
'Maybe we should build a few more for winter hunting.'
All you can do is actual defense. Ran yawned again.
'Let's get some sleep and think.'
But should I read a little bit?
Ran thought so and went back to bed with the documents in one hand. As I went into this heated fire, my body relaxed by itself.
I was going to read the document again, but all I thought about was that Ran fell asleep again.