Chapter 27. I Don’t Like Snow

“You must hear that a lot?”

“No. It’s never snowed in our village.”

“Oh my, then you’ve never seen snow?”

“No.”

She had often heard from Delkan that her hair was like pure white snow.

Whenever she heard that, Yuelina tried to imagine a scenery with snow piled up softly.

But having never seen it, she could only imagine it very abstractly.

“When the first snow falls, make sure to take a walk with His Highness the Grand Duke.”

“A walk?”

“Yes. There’s a legend that if you experience the first snow with your loved one, you’ll live happily ever after.”

Yuelina nodded slowly with a small smile.

“So, the first snow is a good thing.”

“Of course. Although heavy snow can be troublesome, the first snow is always meaningful.”

“I see. I’ll definitely remember that. Thank you.”

“Your Highness’s hair is like the first snow. Not just any snow.”

Maelyn chattered on about things one could do when it snows.

She didn’t forget to exaggerate about building snowmen, having snowball fights, and how the soft, piled-up snow is so fluffy that once you lie down, it’s hard to get up.

“Maelyn, let’s go out and eat some delicious desserts together. You can tell me your stories while we eat.”

“My stories?”

“Yes. I’m curious about what people in the principality do for fun.”

Yuelina was curious about the lives of people in the principality.

She asked Raye too, but Raye seemed not to know much as she had spent a lot of time following Theo.

Maelyn guessed what Yuelina might be curious about.

She probably wanted to know about social gatherings or parties.

Maelyn and Yuelina went down the tower.

Round puffs of breath rose from their mouths as they met the cold air.

“For social gatherings, you need to receive an invitation, and the most famous one is probably Countess Brown’s gathering.”

Maelyn chattered about social gatherings and parties as she walked with Yuelina.

“That’s good too, but are there any festivals in the village… no, in the principality, or any must-visit dessert shops?”

“Festivals, you mean ones where all the principality’s people participate?”

“Yes.”

“Ah… But those are open to everyone.”

Yuelina nodded with a bright face.

“Yes. I thought it might be nice to go with His Highness the Grand Duke.”

“With His Highness? Then, the dessert shops too?”

“I heard that His Highness was often away from the principality due to work. So I thought… maybe we could explore together.”

Maelyn looked at Yuelina, who was smiling shyly.

She had thought that as a Grand Duchess, Yuelina would be curious about social gatherings or trendy dress shops.

But she was asking because she wanted to experience something together with His Highness the Grand Duke.

“Your Highness, you’re always thinking about His Highness the Grand Duke.”

“…Do you think he’ll like it?”

“Of course. Even I, a third party, find it touching.”

She should have known from the moment she heard that the Grand Duke, rumored to be so scary, had gone on a date in the square.

How ignorant her brother Ulysse was about these things.

Didn’t he explain that Yuelina and Theo were married but not really married?

But looking at Yuelina’s expression and tone, she was just like a young girl talking about her crush.

“Yes, Your Highness the Grand Duchess. I’ll make a list of festivals and places worth visiting in the square.”

“Thank you, Maelyn.”

“Ah! How about we look around inside the White Tower today? We can check if there are suitable places for a dressing room or a study for Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

“Shall we?”

“Yes! I think we can have tea inside!”

Yuelina turned to re-enter the tower at Maelyn’s words.

Just then, a large shadow fell across her path.

“Are you going back in already?”

It was Theo.

Maelyn also had to calm her startled heart upon seeing Theo.

There was clearly no one there a moment ago.

How could he appear so suddenly like this?

“Did you come out for a walk?”

“Yes. I thought I’d take a short walk.”

Theo glanced at Yuelina’s hand.

“Walking together doesn’t seem like a bad idea either.”

“Ah, I’d like to, but I promised to look around inside the tower with Maelyn today.”

“Maelyn?”

Theo turned his head following Yuelina’s gaze.

He had been following Yuelina’s figure from outside the window.

But for some reason, it seemed like he was seeing Maelyn for the first time, when she had been following behind.

He only remembered Yuelina chattering away like a crow-tit to someone. He had no interest in that ‘someone’ at all.

Theo quietly organized his thoughts.

If Maelyn came as a lady-in-waiting, she must be Ulysse’s younger sister.

“You’re Ulysse’s sister.”

“Ah, hello. I apologize for the late greeting. I’m Maelyn Ardante.”

Theo nodded briefly and immediately fixed his gaze back on Yuelina.

“Is there anything to see inside the White Tower?”

“There are large rooms on each floor, aren’t there? I thought we might decorate them.”

“I see.”

“But I have a question.”

“Ask me anything.”

“The tower is black, so why is it called the White Tower?”

Yuelina had always wondered about this.

The Black Mansion was called black, but this tall, oval-shaped black tower was called the White Tower.

“It’s because of the snow.”

“Snow?”

“When the tower turns white with snow, the principality’s people can prepare.”

“Ah, I see.”

“They call it the White Tower when they see snow settled on the roof.”

She looked up at the top of the tower.

When white snow settles under the conical roof, wouldn’t it look just like her hair?

“When will it snow?”

Yuelina asked shyly, touching her hair.

“Well. It’d be better if it didn’t snow.”

“What?”

“I don’t like snow.”

Theo continued, kicking the dry ground with his foot.

“That wretched snow is really unpleasant.”

Embarrassed, Yuelina took her hand away from her hair.

“But isn’t the first snow nice?”

“Snow is all the same.”

Maelyn, standing behind, opened her mouth with a blank face.

No, what did His Highness the Grand Duke just say?

Did he just say he dislikes snow to his wife who was asking when the first snow would fall while twirling her white hair?

Yuelina was equally bewildered.

She wanted to say that they should definitely go see the first snow together.

But he firmly drew the line, saying he doesn’t like snow.

She had just been talking with Maelyn about how her hair resembled white snow.

Delkan had mentioned it too, so perhaps Yuelina’s hair reminded everyone of white snow.

But Theo said he doesn’t like snow.

Does he dislike me?

Is that why he went straight into the mansion on the first day, saying there would be no wedding ceremony?

Yuelina felt uneasy.

Even so, it was too much to rebuke someone to their face.

“I understand.”

“Huh?”

“Since Your Highness the Grand Duke dislikes snow, I should go inside quickly.”

Yuelina brushed past Theo.

* * *

Theo paced restlessly in front of the window by his study.

Ulysse, watching his lord’s fidgeting from behind, spoke up.

“Do you need to use the restroom urgently?”

“What time is it now?”

“It’s past ten o’clock.”

It was time to have eaten three meals — breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Yet Yuelina hadn’t stepped out of the tower even once.

“Why isn’t she coming out?”

“Her Highness the Grand Duchess had breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in her room today.”

“I mean for a walk.”

“I heard she walked one round with Maelyn on the floor below the attic room.”

Theo couldn’t understand.

Yuelina used to visit the garden every day, saying even the uneven, bushy garden made her feel good.

But she’s suddenly doing everything inside the tower?

It’s not like he confined her to stay only inside the tower.

“It’s understandable for Her Highness the Grand Duchess to do so.”

“What?”

“If she comes out of the tower, she might run into Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

“…So she’s not coming out because of that?”

Theo’s face twisted seriously. Ulysse adjusted his glasses and straightened his posture.

He felt a sense of crisis that if he mocked any further, his body might be instantly twisted to death by Theo’s hands.

“You said you dislike snow, didn’t you?”

“So what?”

“What color is Her Highness the Grand Duchess’s hair?”

Theo tilted his head at his secretary’s sudden color test.

“White.”

“And snow?”

“White.”

“Your Highness doesn’t like snow, right? So you must not like Her Highness the Grand Duchess’s hair too?”

At Ulysse’s words, Theo slammed his hand on the desk.

Ulysse flinched.

“What do I dislike?”

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant! I meant that Her Highness the Grand Duchess might have thought that way~”

“The Grand Duchess thinks that I don’t like her?”

Ulysse swallowed hard.

His lord had never lost his composure in any war.

But now, he seemed to be completely losing his grip on reason.