Crackle, crackle, crackle.
The crackling sound of the fireplace’s flames echoed loudly.
Seeing the girl bustling to prepare tea, a satisfied smile naturally spread across my face.
“You like Earl Grey, right? Here, there’s milk too.”
“Thank you, Nadiel.”
The rich aroma of Earl Grey melted away the chill in my body. As I took a hearty sip, warmth spread through me, making me feel relaxed.
After finishing up, Nadiel came over and sat down beside me.
“I didn’t expect you to come so suddenly. Dad said you’d be super busy for a while.”
“Still, I had time to come see you, Nadiel.”
“Hehe.”
I gently stroked Nadiel’s head as she smiled brightly.
Julion watched us quietly for a while. Unable to hold back any longer, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Rohiriel. When are you going to explain?”
Nadiel, sensing something unfamiliar from Julion, grabbed the hem of my clothes and nestled closer to me.
Julion frowned slightly, clearly displeased.
“No matter how much I think back, I don’t have any memories of meeting this girl.”
“Well, you don’t know Nadiel.”
“What do you mean? Then who are you talking about?”
“Nadiel’s father.”
Julion’s golden eyes were filled with frustration.
Finding it amusing to tease him, I didn’t give him a straightforward or satisfying answer.
Instead, I asked Nadiel,
“Where did your father go?”
“He went to hunt rabbits. He should be back soon.”
It seems he went hunting. The winter rabbits from the Hail Mountains are delicious, and I’ve eaten them occasionally.
Nadiel seemed curious but wary of Julion, glancing at him sideways and observing him intermittently.
Finding her gesture cute, I stroked her head again, and Nadiel smiled bashfully at me.
“I’m not a little kid anymore.”
While speaking as if in a sulk, Nadiel didn’t seem to dislike my touch.
Her hazel eyes folded prettily, resembling my nanny so much that if she were to grow up and acquire some wrinkles around her eyes, she would resemble my nanny even more.
“Nadiel, do you want to visit the palace?”
“The place where you live, sister?”
“Yes. There’s going to be a fancy party soon. I’d like to invite you, Nadiel.”
Nadiel’s eyes widened.
She seemed to be pondering something, her small lips moving.
While waiting quietly for her answer, Julion looked out the window and spoke.
“It looks like he’s back.”
As Julion finished speaking, the sound of footsteps stopped at the door.
Then, with a creaking sound, the door opened.
A chilly breeze rushed in, and Nadiel jumped up and ran towards the door.
“Dad! Rotty is here!”
“Oh, my goodness.”
The man who embraced Nadiel as she approached exclaimed in admiration, stepping briskly into the room.
A large figure’s silhouette mingled with the flickering shadows of the fire.
The man’s azure eyes widened significantly as he scanned Julion and me.
“Your Highnesses. How unexpected…”
Only then did Julion seem to recognize him, muttering in astonishment.
“Ratman?”
Ratman gently set Nadiel aside and formally bowed when his name was mentioned.
“Ratman Wayne, I greet both of Your Highnesses.”
“Enough with the formalities.”
I gestured for Ratman to sit on the sofa and tapped my seat next to me, looking at Nadiel.
Nadiel understood and hurried over to take her seat.
Ratman also sat opposite, smiling warmly.
“Haha, the child was singing, saying he wanted to see Your Highness.”
“Did she? I should have come to see her sooner.”
“No. Aren’t you busy with the preparations for the coronation?”
“Still, Nadiel is like a sister to me.”
“Just a moment. Just a moment, Rohiriel.”
Julion, who had been listening to our conversation, interjected perplexedly.
He blinked rapidly, looking between me, Ratman, and Nadiel.
“Could you please explain? Why would this girl, Nadiel, be like your sister? I’m meeting her for the first time today.”
“Well, you see. Ratman used to serve as Liliana Cassian’s butler, right?”
“Yes. I was surprised to learn you planted him from the start.”
“So you don’t know why Ratman helped me?”
“Ah, yes. You didn’t tell me about that.”
Where should I start with this?
As I hesitated briefly while organizing my thoughts, Nadiel suddenly intervened.
“My mom is Rotty’s mom.”
It was casually dropped, but the impact was immense.
Julion froze as if hearing news of someone coming back from the dead, turning his head stiffly to gaze at me. Ratman also dropped the snack he was holding, his mouth hanging open.
“I, Nadiel, you must not say such misleading things!”
Ratman cried out urgently, and in the tense atmosphere, Nadiel rolled her eyes and corrected herself.
“Oh, like a mother figure… A nanny?”
“Yes, a nanny. So come back to your senses, Julion.”
I nudged Julion’s side.
Finally, like a broken puppet, Julion took a deep breath.
“I believed in your mother.”
“It’s fine. That was the most serious shock I’ve seen from you.”
“That’s just a physiological reaction…”
Julion muttered something, but I brushed it off.
That wasn’t important right now.
“Anyway, Ratman. The coronation is coming up soon; why don’t you and Nadiel attend?”
“Are we allowed to attend such a place?”
“Of course you can. After the nanny passed away, I promised to take care of Ratman and Nadiel. You are my family.”
“But… the care we have received so far has already been more than generous.”
Ratman’s head dropped down.
As I grew in power, one of the first things I did after my nanny’s death was to find her family.
Waynes, a fallen aristocrat, had been hard to find after her death, but I managed to track them down.
Ratman struggled to live with young Nadiel, and I supported them.
“I’m the one who received more than I deserved from both the nanny and you. Thanks to you, I was able to handle Liliana Cassian smoothly.”
Initially, I just wanted to provide economic support.
But when he realized the truth, Ratman wanted revenge himself.
He didn’t think he could control his emotions if he faced Roxis, who had directly harmed the nanny, so I intentionally sent him under Liliana’s wing to infiltrate.
For years, Ratman gritted his teeth and did all the dirty work for Liliana, earning her trust.
“No, if it weren’t for you, Your Highness, I would have just barely survived without knowing anything. It’s as if Your Highness gave me a new life.”
“If that’s so, then please come this time. Shouldn’t the two of you return soon?”
“Your Highness…”
“Nadiel is turning into a lady. How long are you two going to live in the mountains like this?”
I gently nudged Nadiel’s cheek as she sat quietly beside me.
Furrowing her brow, Nadiel protested,
“Oh, sister! I’m not a little child anymore!”
“Okay, okay, Nadiel. Sister brought a beautiful dress for you. How about trying it on later?”
“Wow, really? Sister, you’re the best!”
Unlike Ratman, Nadiel seemed delighted, wrapping her arms around my back and snuggling into my embrace.
“Ratman, I’ve also prepared clothes for you.”
Eventually, Ratman let out a faint smile, as if resigning to the inevitable.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Originally, our plan was to return on the same day we visited.
In other words, we had no intention of staying overnight in the Hale Mountains.
“Sister, if you need more firewood, be sure to let me know!”
“Sure, thank you.”
Nadiel proudly straightened her shoulders and confidently walked out of the room.
I let out a small sigh as I watched the door slam shut.
How did it come to this?
“Julion, I’m sorry for the trouble. I know you must be busy.”
“No, it’s alright. I’m glad to be here on vacation with you.”
Whooosh, clunk.
After the howling wind, there came the sound of the window rattling.
It sounded like the window might break at any moment.
It was already night, and combined with the raging snowstorm, the view outside the window was just gray.
Most likely, by tomorrow morning, the snow will be knee-deep.
“I can’t believe how harsh the weather can be in late winter.”
We planned to leave before it got dark after having lunch together.
However, the snowflakes that had been falling quietly began to swirl, almost like a storm.
In the end, Julion and I were stranded here.
“Rohiriel, aren’t you cold? You just took a bath, and your hair is still wet.”
Concerned, Julion draped a blanket over my shoulders and asked as he glanced out the window.
In response, I shook my head slightly.
“I’m fine. The bathwater was very warm. Besides, Nadiel put in plenty of firewood before she left.”
“That’s good to hear. Stop worrying; come here and lie down. You must be exhausted from climbing the mountains.”
