Chapter 21: Birthday Gift (2)  

Riel’s blanket, which she had pulled over herself after Isrion’s prophecy, fell silent. From beneath it, a sigh of relief slipped out softly.

“Then that’s enough.”

* * *

Back in her private room, Chloe looked down at the letter she had received with a complicated expression. It was written by the man who had been troubling her thoughts just moments ago.

[Chloe,  

The year is almost over. There has been a lot of snow in the North, but I wonder how things are at the Mage Tower. I hope that one day I can see the Sky Island, where we wandered together, covered in white.  

How is the bracelet research in the Kingdom of Jeren going? Or perhaps your personal studies? Whatever you’re doing, I hope you take care of your health while proceeding.  

I don’t know if you’ll be curious, but the situation on the continent is changing rapidly. As a result, I’ve been so busy that it’s been difficult to find time to write properly. If I don’t do this now, it may be hard to contact you again for a while, so I’m writing in haste to update you.  

To summarize briefly, preparations for war are underway. Although the Crown Prince delayed it, the Kingdom of Jeren will ultimately be attacked early next year. There are many reasons behind this, but I doubt you’d be interested. If you ask me when we meet, I’ll explain in detail.  

This letter has gone on too long. You said you wanted to celebrate my birthday, so how about spending the last day of the year together? We can cancel the one meeting we have before then if necessary.  

Once the war begins, it will likely be difficult to meet until it ends, so I’d like to spend more time with you in advance. It’s not absolutely necessary, but I hope you’ll consider it.  

Missing you.  

Tehis Escalante]

***

Chloe read the lengthy letter once more. The rough endings of the words, unlike his usual handwriting, were proof of how hastily it had been written. Yet, the content itself was the longest she had ever received from him.

It meant he had much to say, but her eyes lingered on the very last line.

“Missing you.”

That period at the end seemed unusually bold.

As if he had hesitated to lift the pen due to regret.

“…….”

Chloe hesitated. The sudden thought of going to see Tehis crossed her mind, but she didn’t want to take up the time of someone who was clearly busy.

With a snap, the pen she had been fiddling with flew out of her hand. The familiar sound of scribbling filled the room.

As she wrote something for a while, Chloe realized why Tehis’s letter had been so long.

When you can’t meet someone right away but have much to say, it’s only natural for the letter to grow longer. He had so much he wanted to share.

The fact that even after trimming it down, it still ended up that long was something she could now understand—because she felt the same way.

“Ha.”

What a failure of a mage.

Chloe let out a hollow laugh. With an indescribable expression, she looked down at the letter she had written, then pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.

But it was a futile effort. Even though she tried to make it more concise than before, the letter somehow grew longer again.

‘I give up.’

She had a vague feeling that no matter how many times she tried, the result would be the same. So instead of wasting more time, she sent the letter as it was.

* * *

[Tehis,  

It snowed on the Sky Island as well. It only accumulated in certain areas, but I hope there will be a chance to show you someday.  

I’ll take my time examining the bracelet from the Kingdom of Jeren. I have something to discuss with you about it, so let’s talk when we meet next. You seem busy, so make sure to take care of your health too.  

I can’t participate in the war directly, but I can make a few useful artifacts for you—for your protection. If there’s anything you need, let me know. I’ll do my best within my abilities.  

I don’t mind when or for how long we meet. So, I’ll visit on the last day of the year, right? I’ll stay until the next day, so make sure to set aside some time. But don’t force yourself to make time if you can’t.  

It feels strange to not see you for so long after meeting so often. Until we meet again, stay safe.]

***

Tehis read the letter again, though he had already read it countless times. The slightly frayed edges, despite only a few days having passed, showed how often he had held it in his hands.

“Your Grace, the preparations are complete.”

“Move on to the next location immediately.”

“Yes, Sir!”

He carefully folded the letter he had been holding and placed it securely in his inner pocket. Then, he walked forward with steady steps.

Behind his lengthening shadow, a bloody scene unfolded. At the end of a brutal massacre, a survivor, trembling and reaching out as if begging for mercy, let out a final, choking gasp.

A knight retrieved the sword that had pierced the man and quickly followed the Grand Duke. To keep up with their superior, who was already mounting his horse and galloping away, the knight couldn’t afford even a moment’s delay.

Before the war began, the operation to cleanse the North of its many crime-ridden cities was progressing smoothly. The poison given by the Emperor was steadily transformed into war supplies, piling up one by one.

* * *

「Friend, going to see your lover?」

「Yes, I’ll be back. Play with Ray while I’m gone.」

「Bring back mana stones!」

Chirp, chirp!

Chloe waved her hand lightly in response and stepped out the door. The day she had promised to meet Tehis had finally arrived.

‘I wonder if this will be enough.’

Although he had said the gift he wanted was her, she couldn’t go empty-handed when she wasn’t even sure what he meant by that. As a result, she had spent the past few days crafting something to give him, completely losing track of time.

‘I hope he likes it.’

Chloe used the warp gate to travel to the Grand Duchy. As expected, the one-eyed coachman, who had arrived in advance to wait for her, greeted her politely with a bow.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Miss Chloe.”

“Hello. Nothing seems to have changed since the last time I visited.”

“……Welcome to the Grand Duchy.”

Oh dear. 

Chloe chuckled at the coachman’s unfortunate sense of humor. She wondered if the reason Tehis sometimes made completely unfunny jokes might lie with his retainers.

Shaking her head, she climbed into the carriage. Through the gently swaying window, she saw a pure white world unfold.

‘So much snow has piled up.’

Fortunately, the sky was clear now, but she was reminded again of how harsh winters in the North could be. If she hadn’t worn her Mage Tower robe over her dress, she might have had to use magic constantly to stay warm.

Naturally, she thought of Tehis, who must have endured such weather. Worry for his health followed immediately after.

If he had been stuck at his desk, he would have sent her a letter. The lack of any news likely meant he had been out and about.

‘I should have made a temperature-regulating artifact.’

The birthday gift she had prepared was something else, leaving her with regret. Even though it was a useful item, she felt disappointed that she hadn’t been able to make something more due to time constraints.

While Chloe was lost in thought, the carriage smoothly passed through the gates of the Grand Ducal Mansion.

Before stepping out, she removed her robe and stored it in her spatial ring. She adjusted her attire, which was a spring dress somewhat unsuitable for winter, and began regulating the surrounding air temperature.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Yes, I’m coming.”

She made one last adjustment to her hair and moved. Just as her hand was about to touch the doorknob—

Creak.

The door opened.

“Chloe.”

“Yes, I’m coming out now.”

She tidied her hair one last time and moved. Just as she was about to place her hand on the doorknob—creak—the door opened.

“Chloe.”

“Tess? Why are you here?”

Could it be that he had been waiting outside in the cold all this time?

Chloe worriedly placed her hand on his cheek to check his temperature. Whatever meaning he took from that gesture, Tehis grabbed her by the waist and helped her down from the carriage.

“I saw the carriage arriving from the window.”

“And yet, you didn’t wait inside in the cold?”

“Well, then I wouldn’t have seen you until you came in.”

At his sudden remark, Chloe opened her mouth slightly, at a loss for words. Lately, the way he spoke had become excessively straightforward. It could even be seen as him blatantly expressing his feelings toward her.

Yet, he still hadn’t confessed.

“For now, let’s go inside. Lunch is ready.”

“Ah, yes. Let’s go in.”

With Tehis escorting her, Chloe began walking.

As they entered the familiar dining hall, the warm aroma of food filled the air. Perhaps because it was the last day of the year, the table was packed with dishes reaching even the farthest corners. Considering the cold weather, most of the dishes were steaming hot.

“There’s a lot of food.”

“Just pick and eat whatever you feel like eating. The rest will be taken care of by the staff.”

“It feels like a year-end party or something… like that?”

“Something similar, yes.”

The two shared light conversation as they took their seats. Even during the meal, they exchanged small talk—what they had been doing, what their future plans were, and so on.

However, they avoided topics related to the rebels. It wasn’t something to discuss in a crowded place.

Since most of the dishes were hot, today’s meal lasted longer than usual. Unlike before, when drinks were served half-cooled for her as a mage, they didn’t bother to cool them today.

When Chloe subtly mentioned this, Tehis gave an audacious reply.

“From today until tomorrow, your time belongs to me, doesn’t it?”

“So, you’re saying you’ll do as you please?”

“If you dislike it, I expected you’d use magic to cool the food. But I wanted to try something different today—something I hadn’t done before. If it doesn’t suit your taste, I’ll stop.”

“It’s not that I dislike it. I was just curious.”

What sudden whim had struck him?

Understanding her curiosity, Tehis paused for a moment, then spoke slowly.

“Living life, I’ve realized you can’t know anything without experiencing it. What you like, and what you dislike.”

“So, you tried it this time?”

“Yes, Chloe. More precisely, I wanted to give you such opportunities. After all, there are many things I’ve come to like because of you.”

She closed her mouth. She had already thought several times today that Tehis had become shameless. She couldn’t pinpoint where this change had come from.

The problem was… she didn’t dislike it.

“Therefore, today will be a busy day. I ask for your understanding in advance.”

“I wasn’t planning on just having a meal from the start. Let’s get up, Tess. I’m curious to see what you’ve prepared.”

The end of the year. Their day was just beginning.