Ryan approached the Lake Fairy as she requested: "My lady?"
"Extend your right hand, my champion." The Lake Fairy signaled Ryan to extend his right hand, and with her slender jade fingers, she took off flowers and ribbons from herself, carefully crafting them into a wristlet and placing it on Ryan's wrist: "Happy Winter Solstice! My champion."
"Happy Winter Solstice! My lady!" Ryan gently kissed the back of the Lake Fairy's hand, smooth as alabaster jade.
The deity and mortal shared a smile, then the Lake Fairy disappeared in a dazzling white light within the room.
Ryan respectfully saw off the Lake Fairy, then went downstairs, noticing Emilia staring blankly upstairs. He chuckled, "What's the matter? Guessing what the lady and I discussed?"
"No! Nothing!" Emilia's cheeks flushed red as she instinctively denied.
"Actually, it was just a chat with the Lady of the Lake, nothing more." Ryan shrugged. The chosen of the Lake Fairy casually sat down on the sofa in the living room on the first floor: "Emilia, now it's really just the two of us left."
"Yes, just the two of us left." Emilia responded blankly to Ryan and said no more.
"Ah~ People come and go, even gods, but in the end, the reliable Alfred is still by my side. Let's invite him over for a turkey feast tonight!" Ryan didn't know why he felt like saying more, perhaps because Emilia, a little maid who could listen without speaking much, was a good confidante.
"Trustworthy friends are always scarce and rare." Emilia's response was even stranger.
"Right, Emilia, my mission is completed. The fallen hunter Bert is dead, and the Aesthetic Society has been shut down. You don't have to stay with me anymore." Ryan took out an iron kettle, directly heated it with psychic energy, and made himself a hot milk: "Of course, I won't kick you out. Whether you leave or stay is up to you!"
"I've said I would repay your kindness. I will stay as long as you don't drive me away." Emilia placed her hands on her lap, seriously responding, her beautiful eyes blinking pitifully, looking as if she was unwanted.
"As long as you don't plan on leaving, you're always welcome here, Emilia." Ryan raised his cup and took a big sip of hot milk: "Provided you're a maid."
"If Mr. Ryan has no other needs, then I'm just a maid." The little maid held her skirt, carefully responding, knowing what Ryan meant.
"Very well!"
After eliminating Bert, Ryan's days became temporarily peaceful. He mostly stayed on Amber Road, occasionally acting as Marlinburg's guardian for Schultz's errands.
About two weeks later, Marlinburg celebrated the annual Winter Solstice.
Early in the morning, Marlinburg was covered in heavy snowfall, with cold winds blowing through the dim sky. Almost every Winter Solstice saw snow, but that didn't dampen people's spirits. Regardless of the past year's successes or failures, happiness or sorrow, the arrival of the Winter Solstice marked the beginning of a new year. People decorated their homes with various ornaments, and on this day, no matter how flamboyant one's attire, no one would laugh because everyone tried to dress up to celebrate the Winter Solstice.
However, this year, Marlinburg's Winter Solstice seemed somewhat desolate. The impact of eradicating the Aesthetic Society was felt throughout Marlinburg. Many artists and wandering poets, under scrutiny by the Sea Knight and the Iris Guard, were fearful for their safety. With these individuals choosing to hide, the atmosphere of the grand festival was significantly diluted.
Waking up from a dream to a snow-covered world, Ryan didn't immediately get up, instead indulging in the warmth of his bed, a rarity in the winter season.
Since everyone, from peasants to nobles, had the right to linger in bed during the Winter Solstice, even the Emperor of the Empire could indulge. Starting today, the two-week Winter Solstice holiday was a universal joy. Most courts would temporarily cease political activities unless in war or emergency, and nobles' time would be filled with banquets, hunting, and various social activities. This is why Ryan, despite his fame, would not receive invitations for now, as new enfeoffments typically awaited the spring.
Lying on his pillow, Ryan reminisced about his time living with his foster father Norman in the Nordotney region. Norman was a temperamental, eccentric man whose strict demands on Ryan were filled with deep paternal love and high hopes. Every Winter Solstice, the family enjoyed a turkey feast and his foster mother's delicious baked apple pies.
Thinking of his foster parents, Ryan felt a faint longing and wondered how they were faring this year.
Ah, if only Veronica were here, then I could do this, that, and then... Ryan let his thoughts wander for a while before deciding to get up.
After freshening up and coming downstairs, Ryan found Emilia already dressed in her maid outfit, working diligently. Despite being alone, she managed to keep the three-story mansion spotlessly clean.
"Wouldn't you rest a bit more today? You can take a break these few days and do what you enjoy. I can take care of the house," Ryan said with a smile to Emilia.
"No need, Mr. Ryan. Your kindness is not an excuse for my laziness. I'm grateful you took me in... after all, you helped me, saved the Blood Axe." Emilia's face was shy, but her tone was firm. Knowing that Ryan had seen through her secret and still willing to shelter her, Emilia dared not ask for more.
"In that case, it's the Winter Solstice today. Let's go out!" Ryan suddenly suggested, approaching Emilia: "Even though it's just the two of us, we should still decorate our home nicely, right?"
"Then... Mr. Ryan, you must protect me!" Emilia instinctively resisted the idea of going out, but Ryan's presence gave her confidence, so she hesitantly asked.
Today, Emilia was dressed as always in her maid outfit, a long plain dress with a white apron decorated with ruffles, her golden hair tied up in a maid's headscarf, her big watery eyes, and delicate features invoking a protective urge in others.
Her temperament was such that she easily stirred the protective instinct in men.
"Leave it to me. Make sure to stay close!" Ryan promised with a smile, and Emilia decided to accompany him outside. The little maid opened an umbrella, staying close to Ryan.
The streets of the Winter Solstice were less crowded than usual, but shops were still open, as shrewd merchants would not miss any opportunity to make money. The major trade unions had coordinated store opening dates to ensure customers could enjoy shopping during their holidays.
With snowflakes fluttering between heaven and earth, Emilia's height of about 163 cm seemed petite next to Ryan, especially as she struggled with the umbrella, amusing Ryan. He took the umbrella from her hands: "Let me do it!"
"Thank you!" Emilia's cheeks flushed, always following behind Ryan.
The two began their shopping trip.
Today seemed to be the turn of the halfling's Quinsberry Trade Union to open their shops, with most stores on the street owned by halflings. Halflings, typically between 110 to 120 cm tall but dressed lavishly, warmly welcomed customers, using eloquent words to entice them into their stores.
Where there were humans, there were halflings. Once, halflings held a very low status in the empire, deprived of rights but burdened with harsh taxes. Each halfling was taxed as a human, yet their wages were only a fifth to half of humans', as employers believed they didn't need as much money for food and sleep.
Some human nobles even considered halflings as "two-legged sheep," exploiting them for money. If halflings resisted, they were slaughtered, marking the darkest period for halflings. They struggled and endured, seeking opportunities for redemption and recognition.
The turning point came during the great holy war 150 years ago.
When the Savior Ludwig successfully united various races to form the Order Alliance, he faced a dire fact: the nearly 300,000-strong army encountered a severe supply problem. The devastated empire couldn't support the army's logistics, and the Order Alliance risked running out of food before confronting the Chaos army.
That's when Halfling Elder Mute appeared, humbly offering almost all of the halflings' stored food and wealth, ensuring the logistics of the Order Alliance and solving a major problem for Ludwig.
In return, after the establishment of the new empire, halflings officially became citizens of the empire, enjoying the rights of imperial citizens. Humans and halflings gradually became indistinguishable.
"Oh my! On this wonderful day, we welcome a distinguished guest! That's the human hero! The great Mr. Ryan!" A sharp-eyed halfling spotted Ryan and immediately shouted: "What would Mr. Ryan like to see? We guarantee our shop has everything! Absolutely everything!"
Ryan thought the halfling was exaggerating, as it was clearly just a tailor shop.
"Really? Then I must take a look." Ryan laughed heartily and entered the shop with Emilia. The excited halfling shouted to the street: "Mr. Ryan entered our shop! Mr. Ryan entered the Quinsberry Trade Union's tailor shop! Today is a glorious day for halflings!"
Passersby glanced and congratulated, indicating Ryan's fame.
"Mr. Ryan, what are you buying?" Emilia asked curiously.
Because... it was a tailor shop specializing in women's clothing.
Could it be that Ryan had that kind of hobby? The little maid tilted her head in thought.
"With the New Year coming, everyone should have a few new outfits, dear Emilia." Ryan led the maid to a dazzling array of clothes, smiling: "Pick a few outfits you like! Consider it my Winter Solstice gift to you."
"Really? Can I?" The little maid was surprised by Ryan's generosity.
"Really." Ryan nodded: "As my maid, you should have a few nice outfits, right? At least when I attend banquets and absolutely no one else is available, you can be my companion."
"Also, we can measure your size and tailor a few maid outfits for you. Your current maid outfit doesn't fit very well." Emilia's maid outfit was from Veronica's apprentice, Catherine, whose height was about 168 cm, making the outfit ill-fitting for Emilia, with the hem often touching the ground.
Emilia stammered, unable to refuse. At eighteen, she naturally loved beauty and dressing up. Being a mercenary was for survival; she wasn't always like this before.
So, when they left the tailor shop, Emilia's attire had completely changed. Wearing a white stand-collar flounce princess long dress with cream princess shoes, her tender legs covered in white stockings, Emilia's delicate, cute face flushed, her beautiful eyes occasionally glancing at Ryan. Due to the cold weather, the girl tightened her black mink coat around her, exhaling a breath of cold air, feeling very happy. She truly felt the arrival of the Winter Solstice, not just around her but also in her heart.
Until Ryan's emotionless words reached her.
"Emilia, your taste in fashion, your eye for selecting clothes, and your skill in matching jewelry are not something a common female mercenary possesses." Ryan's eyes flashed mysteriously as he stopped and stared at Emilia: "Without years of education from a court lady, no girl would have this ability. You may deceive the Blood Axe mercenaries and even Veronica, but you can't deceive me."
Emilia's face, previously flushed, turned instantly pale.
He's testing me! He's probing me through this method!!! The girl instinctively stepped back, her princess shoes crunching on the snow. She suddenly realized she had become too complacent in the warm environment Ryan created, inadvertently letting her guard down!
This man is too frightening! Emilia instinctively reached for her waist, only to remember she left her sword at home and didn't bring it out.
Ryan stepped closer to Emilia, who retreated until he extended his hand towards her.
"So, let's go home! My little maid! Alfred is coming soon, let's hurry and prepare a lavish turkey feast!" Ryan said cheerily, indicating it was time to return home.
"Eh? Mr. Ryan, you won't... you won't drive me away? You won't ask who I really am?" Emilia said incredulously, feeling both guilty and grateful for Ryan's tolerance.
"Everyone has their own secrets, things they can't tell others. You have them, and so do I." Ryan shook his head self-deprecatingly, then said to Emilia: "You're my maid, right?"
"Yes! I'm Mr. Ryan's maid!"
"Then that's enough. Let's go home, or we won't have time to make the turkey feast!" Ryan feigned disappointment: "Or do you not want to be my maid anymore?"
"As long as Mr. Ryan doesn't drive me away, I'll always be your maid! Thank you, Mr. Ryan!" Color returned to Emilia's cheeks as she thanked him loudly, then followed Ryan's steps.
Walking home through the snow and cold wind, Emilia looked at Ryan's back, feeling warmth in her heart.
The Winter Solstice, it really has arrived!
Let's fight battles and celebrate the festival, and don't forget to subscribe!
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