Chapter 65

“Have a safe trip.”

Duke Tereon Dinever came out to see them off as they set out to fulfill Aitor’s wish.

“Father! Come with us!”

Ian clung to the Duke’s hand and shook it.

“Father is busy today. Ian, go with your sister.”

Vivian, knowing well that Ian would persistently plead until it became troublesome, tried to dissuade her younger brother. At Vivian’s words, Ian pouted, lowered his head, and let go of the Duke’s hand.

“I promise to play with you this weekend, Ian.”

Duke Dinever, who had come to the capital after a long time, was busy. The Emperor’s summons were frequent, and there were many matters in the capital that needed his attention.

Knowing that Ian was feeling neglected, Duke Dinever promised to make time over the weekend, and Ian finally smiled brightly and nodded.

After even linking their pinkies, Vivian and Ian could board the carriage.

“Sister, where are we going now?”

“Well, I don’t know either.”

Ian’s eyes widened in surprise when the word “don’t know” came out of Vivian’s mouth.

“Sister, you don’t know something?”

Vivian, who was patting her curious brother’s hair, looked out the window. Aitor’s wish was for everyone to go on an outing together.

Vivian, Ian, Zero, Rayden, Rosie, and even Louis. Aitor, who had invited everyone, had disappeared early in the morning with Zero.

He left a note telling them to take the carriage and vanished.

The piled snow was melting into a slushy mess. The carriage moved smoothly along such a road and stopped in front of Countess Langdne’s residence.

“Wow!”

“Rosie…”

The Dinever siblings were speechless upon seeing Rosie board the carriage.

“Are we going to a party?”

“No?”

Rosie, dressed even more splendidly than at the winter ball, sat in front of Vivian and Ian, fixing her hair.

“Sister! You’re so pretty!”

“You’ve got a good eye, Ian. You’ll make a fine man.”

As Ian and Rosie exchanged compliments, the carriage started moving again.

“But do you really not know where we’re going?”

“Yeah, I don’t know either.”

Vivian, unable to answer Ian and Rosie’s questions, began to find Aitor a bit annoying.

He could have at least given a hint.

The carriage traveled another 30 minutes south of the capital. There were more puddles due to the snow melting more than where the Dinever residence was, causing the carriage to jolt significantly.

“I think I chose the wrong dress.”

Rosie, watching the increasingly natural scenery, began to feel uneasy. Vivian alternated her gaze between Rosie’s elaborate dress and the view outside the carriage window.

“Young lady, we’ve arrived.”

After a while, the carriage stopped, and the coachman’s voice was heard.

“Sister, are we here?”

Ian, who had fallen asleep midway, rubbed his eyes and woke up. Once Ian was awake, Vivian opened the carriage door and stepped out.

“Woof!”

At Zero’s bark, Ian’s sleepy eyes sparkled instantly. Searching for Zero, Ian pointed somewhere.

“There he is! Zero!”

Zero, running swiftly through the patches of unmelted snow, was a child who suited winter well.

As Zero, who had been running at a fast pace, stopped, muddy water splashed onto the hems of Vivian and Rosie’s dresses.

“Oh dear. I think I chose the wrong place.”

At Aitor’s voice, Rosie quickly turned around.

“Aitor.”

“Hello, Lady Langdne.”

Rosie blushed at Aitor’s greeting.

“Aitor, where are we?”

“Um… It’s not exactly here. We need to walk a bit further from here…”

Aitor, trailing off his sentence, looked worriedly at Rosie’s dress. Rosie noticed Aitor’s gaze and waved her hands vigorously.

“I’m fine! It’s nothing! I can walk just fine!”

Rosie, lifting the voluminous hem of her dress with determination, showed her resolve. Aitor laughed heartily and pointed to the opposite side of the carriage with his finger.

“It’s just a 10-minute walk that way, so hang in there.”

Aitor carried Ian on his shoulders and led the way, followed by Vivian and Rosie. Zero accompanied them with light steps.

“Are you okay, Rosie?”

“Yeah, I’m okay!”

Rosie, holding onto the now-ruined hem of her dress, followed diligently. They arrived at a small hut next to a stream flowing down from the mountain.

“Sister! Steam is rising from the water!”

“A hot spring… It’s a hot spring.”

Rosie, who had barely arrived before her dress was completely ruined, exhaled heavily and spoke.

“Hot spring? What’s a hot spring?”

Ian asked Rosie, but Rosie, who had collapsed on the ground, muttered incomprehensible words as she stared blankly at the steaming hot spring.

“A hot spring is water heated by geothermal energy. Here, it meets the cold stream over there and flows at just the right temperature.”

At Aitor’s explanation, Ian rolled his eyes as if it were difficult to understand.

“Is it good?”

“Yes!”

At Rosie’s words, Ian immediately smiled and walked to the stream. Vivian followed her brother, surveying the surroundings.

Perhaps because of the hot spring, there was no snow piled up near the stream, and it wasn’t slushy either.

“Sister! It’s so warm.”

Ian hesitated, his hand hovering over the water, afraid to touch it. Aitor stepped forward, touched the water first, and Ian, following suit, dipped his hand in the water, exclaiming excitedly.

Vivian, who had only read about hot springs in books, was filled with curiosity as she dipped her hand in the water for the first time.

“Amazing.”

Aitor, seeing the Dinever siblings with identical expressions as they touched the water, smiled broadly and placed his hands on his hips.

“I knew you’d like it!”

“That’s amazing, Aitor. How did you know about this place?”

It seemed like a place unknown even to the capital’s residents.

“Trade secret.”

Aitor, with a playful wink, pointed beyond a small forest where small trees were clustered together.

“There’s a small lake over there, and the entire lake is warm. If you soak your whole body in it, all your fatigue disappears.”

“Shall we go there too?”

As Vivian stood up, Aitor shook his head.

“It’s not really suitable for ladies…”

When Vivian tilted her head in confusion, Rosie, who seemed to have regained some energy, got up and approached, speaking.

“Is this a place frequented by locals?”

“Yes, that’s right. Mostly men.”

Finally understanding, Vivian awkwardly smiled and approached Ian, rolling up his sleeves to keep them from getting wet.

“By the way, it’s surprising that the nobles left such a place alone.”

At Rosie’s comment, Aitor crossed his arms and looked around.

“First of all, this place has no owner. It’s royal property. But even the royal family doesn’t seem to know about this place. The nearby villagers have set rules among themselves to treat their ailments here.”

“I’ve heard that hot springs are good for the body.”

Vivian added to the conversation.

“They’re actually very good for skin conditions and muscle pain. I’ve experienced the benefits myself. But…”

As Aitor’s expression darkened, Rosie and Vivian exchanged glances.

“It seems that someone among the nobles has started to take an interest in this place recently. They’re trying to block the common people from entering.”

“How can they do that when it’s royal land…”

“It seems they’re preparing to buy the land at a low price from the royal family, who isn’t well-informed about this place.”

Rosie crossed her arms, nodded, and surveyed the surroundings with a sharp gaze.

“So! Today, I’m planning to use some connections! The villages around here aren’t in good condition. Most of the workers are from the nearby mines. They can’t afford expensive medical care. For them, this place is like a hospital. If they lose it…”

Listening quietly to Aitor, Rosie gathered her voluminous dress and went to the stream to examine the water closely.

After dipping her hand in the water, Rosie looked around attentively and nodded.

“Oh! Sister! Your dress!”

“Ah!”

The voluminous dress slipped from Rosie’s hand and became soaked in the hot spring water. At Ian’s words, Rosie, seeing her soaked dress, jumped up and lost her balance, falling into the shallow stream.

“Rosie!”

Vivian tried to run to Rosie, but Aitor was faster. Aitor, entering the water with his shoes on, quickly helped Rosie, who had fallen on her backside, to her feet.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay…”

Rosie, looking dazedly at Aitor’s face, mumbled, and Aitor, with a deeply apologetic expression, carried Rosie out of the water.

Rosie and Aitor’s soaked clothes met the cold winter air and began to steam.

“Rosie, are you hurt anywhere?”

“Huh? No…”

Rosie, unable to take her eyes off Aitor’s face, replied.

“Since it’s winter, we should dry your clothes quickly.”

Aitor used the same magic he had used to dry Vivian’s shoes before. The light emanating from his hand quickly restored Rosie’s clothes to their pristine condition.

“It would have been better if I had informed you about this place in advance… I’m sorry.”

Aitor apologized with a deeply remorseful expression, and Rosie, staring blankly at her dress that looked new again, jumped up.

“Oh, no! It was my greed that caused this. Mage, you did nothing wrong. Yes, absolutely.”

Despite Rosie’s earnest explanation, Aitor couldn’t hide his lingering guilt.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll find some comfortable clothes for you.”

“What? No, there’s really no need for that…”

“Vivi, stay here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

With those words, Aitor disappeared in an instant. Rosie and Vivian blinked rapidly as they stared at the spot he had vacated.

“Teleportation magic? It’s my first time seeing it.”

“Me too…”

As the two startled people looked at each other, a familiar voice called out.

“You arrived first!”

Rayden slowed his horse and waved. Behind him, Louis, who was riding the black stallion Ian had ridden with before, also slowly pulled on the reins.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Vivian and Rosie greeted him, and Louis nodded, dismounting from his horse with a light motion. Rayden, who had dismounted simultaneously, looked around for Aitor.

“Oh, the Mage is away for a moment.”

“Where did Aitor go?”

“Well, my clothes were in this state…”

“Ah, I see!”

Rayden laughed heartily and greeted Ian, who was running toward him with Zero.

Ian, running energetically as if he were glad to see them, stopped in his tracks upon seeing Louis and hid behind Vivian to greet him.

Louis chuckled at Ian’s behavior and turned his gaze to Vivian.

“Are you alright?”

“Excuse me?”

“Seems like you’re alright.”

Louis, who had been quietly observing Vivian, turned away when he saw her confused expression and approached Zero, who was looking at him with a stern expression.

Watching Louis, Vivian tilted her head in confusion, and Rosie approached to whisper in her ear.

“During the winter ball, you spent quite a while with His Highness on the terrace. Don’t you remember?”

Vivian stiffly turned her head to look at Rosie at her words.

“Tsk tsk. My friend, you shouldn’t drink again.”

Rosie clicked her tongue and extended her hand to Ian, who was hiding behind Vivian, suggesting they check out the hut.