To compare mice and spiders in such a terrifying metaphor—Anje barely suppressed a laugh and played along.
“My goodness, so you ventured out to fetch firewood while facing such dreadful monsters.”
“Of course, I couldn’t let you shiver in the cold.”
“And you brought back the straw pile that Pa-Pi-Pu sleep on too?”
“Certainly. Every living creature under this roof is precious, even a single pig.”
It was clear what kind of intention Aiden had as he leaned in close to her face, but playful Anje nimbly dodged his embrace. Still, she didn’t forget to respond to the teasing.
“How impressive. Truly, Sir Aiden Fitzroy—you sound like someone straight out of a ballad sung by a bard.”
“For my beloved lady, anything.”
After a short tussle, Aiden lost patience and trapped Anje in his arms. Her back was against the wall, leaving her with no room to escape.
“So please, won’t you grant me just one more blessing?”
The crimson light within his lowered eyes flared faintly, reflecting the light of the fireplace.
They kissed every day, mistletoe or not, so what was with this sudden desperation? As Anje clicked her tongue at his passionate mood, her heart still fluttered at the way he looked at her.
“If you put it that way, I suppose I have no choi—Ahhh!”
Anje, who had been sticking out her lips with a smirk, suddenly let out a sharp scream as she looked over Aiden’s left shoulder.
Aiden quickly turned his head in the direction of her gaze. Mrs. Meg, holding a ladle, had just entered the room, only to turn her back immediately upon spotting them.
“I didn’t see a thing, hohoho.”
Though the performance was appreciated, it only made an awkward situation more awkward. Anje fanned her burning face, as if she’d gotten too close to the hearth.
Aiden, his neck flushing red beneath the collar of his shirt, coughed a few times and asked Meg,
“Is there something I can help with, Aunty?”
Given the number of dishes to prepare, they had been receiving Meg’s help since early that day.
Without turning her gaze toward them, Meg replied,
“No, no. Just go about your business.”
“B-Business? It wasn’t like th—”
“It’s a good thing for a married couple to be as sweet as newlyweds all the time. I suppose the second child is on the way?”
“The second—Aunty…”
They weren’t students caught dating by a teacher, yet they squirmed in embarrassment just like that. Meg found them so cute she couldn’t help but want to tease them more.
Fortunately for the Fitzroy couple, a small sound came from outside just in time.
Jingle, jingle—
Anje straightened up and shouted.
“It’s the sleigh!”
The cheerful jingle from the fast-moving sleigh rang out like fairies dancing. Meg flailed with the ladle in a hurry.
“Oh dear, it seems the guests are already here. Is the sauce good like this? Try it for me.”
“It’s perfect, Aunty.”
Anje dipped her finger into the gravy sauce, licked it, and gave a thumbs-up.
Even the chefs of the Duke of Glasster would feel frustrated by how delicious this sauce was.
It would go perfectly with the roast turkey, the centerpiece of the feast.
“I’ll go out and bring the guests in.”
“Please do. I’ll be preparing the cocoa to warm us up.”
Even in the midst of all the commotion, Aiden didn’t forget to kiss Anje once more, then put on his thick coat and stepped outside.
It must have snowed again just moments ago—the world was covered in pure white.
Each time he took a step, the snow crunched beneath his feet, leaving behind a trail of footprints.
Breathing out white puffs, he waited for the guests. When the sleighs drew near, he waved at them.
“Welcome to the Dilton Farm.”
“Oh my, what a lovely smell. I’m already getting hungry.”
Hearing Mary’s excited voice as she stepped off the sleigh, Aiden instinctively sniffed the air.
Just as she said, the scent of roasted turkey, pies, and ginger cookies was wafting through the house.
It was a comforting smell—one that brought a sense of nostalgia.
‘Back when I was little, the house smelled like this around the holidays too.’
After running around playing on sleds and skates, he would know he was close to home the moment this scent reached his nose.
His grandfather’s gentle scolding: ‘Careful, you’re going to slip if you keep running like that.’
And his mother’s warm cheek pressed against his frozen face, saying, ‘Goodness, you’re all frozen.’
Looking back, those were happy times.
Just as Aiden felt a swell of emotion from the memories, Jean’s muttered voice drifted into his ears.
“There’s still half an hour until we start eating, and already?”
Mary, who had just stepped off the sleigh holding her husband’s hand, gave him a sharp look.
“Why, you got a problem with me being hungry?”
Jean Penny, Mary’s older brother whom she hadn’t seen in a while, had casually remarked, “Your clothes size seems to have gone up a bit,” which infuriated her—especially since she’d been self-conscious about her recent weight gain.
Though he had desperately explained it was just a careless remark made because he thought the clothes he brought as a gift might not fit… she had let it slide earlier.
“W-Who said I had a problem? I’m just saying I envy your digestion.”
Mary cracked her neck from side to side, making threatening popping sounds.
“Watch your mouth, big brother.”
At the same time, she gestured a warning—if he kept spouting nonsense, it wouldn’t be delicious food going into his mouth but a snowball.
Jean opened his mouth to protest, but then recalled the scene earlier that morning of Mary skillfully butchering meat and backed down immediately.
He had forgotten during their time apart, but Mary’s hands were quite fierce. And now, she had the strength to back it up. No matter how he looked at it, a delicate fashion designer like himself didn’t stand a chance.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll watch my mouth.”
“Good. Let’s keep it that way.”
Since it wasn’t their house, they kept their voices down as much as possible during the bickering,
But Aiden’s sharp ears caught the entire conversation clearly.
Still, like the gentlemanly host he was, he pretended not to hear, turned his back to them, and opened the front door.
“Come in quickly, everyone. It’s cold out here.”
“Oh my, how kind of you.”
“Thank you.”
Only after the entire Penny family had entered did he allow himself to smile freely at the back.
‘Those siblings are still close, I see.’
He felt a twinge of envy at how they could squabble so freely even as adults, and watching them was somewhat entertaining too.
Seeing Anje struggling during her pregnancy, he felt that one child would be enough.
But maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have one more sibling.
…
Maybe, just as Anje wished, they would have a brother or sister.
‘It’s still a distant future, and something to be left to the heavens.’
Anyway, for today, he should focus on making new memories.
Jingle jingle—
‘Ah, that must be Vice Principal Sally Case over there.’
Sally, who was perfectly fulfilling her role as vice principal and acting principal of the farm school, had been so eager to see the two of them that she had come straight from the capital.
He craned his neck to check how many people were riding the sleigh coming from afar. He wondered if Wilfred might be coming along, but as expected, Sally was alone on the sleigh.
‘I must be careful not to show that I know about the Wilfred matter.’
Wilfred, the doctor with eyes that bulged like marbles, was not only the school’s physician but also the doctor Aiden trusted most.
Whenever he had questions about Anje’s pregnancy or childbirth, he would visit Wilfred’s office directly when he was in the capital, and during his time in Leslie, he would write long letters.
Naturally, he also came to know that Wilfred had recently started seeing Sally as a woman but was sharply rejected even before he could properly ask her out on a date.
‘I did tell him not to compliment the shape of her skull.’
By now, Wilfred was probably dejectedly having Christmas dinner at the dormitory cafeteria with the students who had no hometown to return to.
‘I hope the cake we sent in advance brings him some comfort.’
He once again felt truly grateful that Anje had been so patient with him. After all, he too had once been terribly clumsy when it came to romance, just like Wilfred.
‘At least I didn’t go around complimenting people’s skulls, though.’
He clenched his molars to suppress a smirk. Every time he saw Sally, he feared he might find himself unconsciously staring at her head.
* * *
At the Dilton Farm, the most cherished virtue is to eat and feed others with plenty of delicious food.
And since this was even the most important holiday in the country, it was inevitable that dishes made with the finest ingredients would be served in abundance.
First, for the appetizer, smoked salmon scented with oak was served alongside sherry.
When dipping the rich yet tender orange-colored flesh into the cream sauce and placing it in the mouth, a subtle fragrance would fill the entire palate.
“The alcohol goes down so smoothly.”
After taking her first bite, Mary couldn’t help but loosen the tightly fastened waistband she had tied up to prevent overeating, as the taste was just that irresistible.
And Mary’s preparation turned out to be a wise decision. The roasted turkey that Aiden soon brought out was so large and plump that everyone couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration the moment it appeared in the drawing room.
* * * *
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