Irene Decided to Die - Chapter 135
‘Should I try to remove his fingers one by one?’
Irene recalled the same thought someone had earlier.
Carefully, she grasped Burt’s fingers with her free hand. His firm and rough fingers seemed to tell of his efforts over the years.
First, she released his pinky finger. Then, she released his index finger, but Burt still did not wake up.
‘Phew.’
Letting out a sigh of relief, Irene moved her hand to his middle finger.
‘Just a little more.’
As she thought that and continued to pry his fingers away, a sudden chill ran down her spine.
‘No way.’
Irene slowly lifted her head. She found herself locking eyes with Burt, who was looking down at her.
“…Were you awake?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Since you started with my pinky finger.”
She felt so embarrassed that she wished she could crawl into a hole and hide. If he was awake, he could have just let go of her hand. Why did he watch in silence?
Irene’s face flushed bright red.
“Your face is turning red.”
“It’s because the room is hot.”
“Shall I ask them to lower the stove’s heat?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll be better after getting some fresh air.”
Irene tightened her grip on the hand still holding her fingers. Only then did Burt release his hand.
She then moved to the window to open it, but he blocked her.
“If you open the window now, you’ll catch a cold. At the very least, put on more clothes before you do. Please wait a moment; I’ll get something for you.”
“It’s alright.”
The room was so warm; what harm could come from opening the window a bit?
As she reached for the window again, Burt took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Seeing that, she couldn’t bring herself to open the window. While she was covered with his coat, Burt was left in just his shirt. It seemed he would be the one catching a cold, not her.
“I won’t open the window.”
“Good decision.”
“Yes.”
A brief silence fell between them.
“Aren’t you going to leave?”
“Should I?”
“It’s time to sleep.”
“It is a bit early, but you’re right. I’ll send Lani up.”
Burt replied obediently and left the room. She remembered his coat too late and was about to call him back, but the door had already closed.
“Ahhh!”
Irene buried her face in her hands and let out a small scream.
* * *
The long night passed, and morning came.
“The nights feel longer here.”
Irene’s offhand comment prompted an explanation from Sizu, who was nearby.
“Yes, they are longer than in other places. There’s a rumor that the northern country was created by the goddess so she could watch the stars in the night sky for a longer time.”
“Is that so? I should have looked at the night sky then.”
“There will be more opportunities to see it in the future. Oh, and starting today, a different animal will be pulling the carriage.”
“Why?”
“From now on, the ground will be frozen due to the cold, making it difficult for horses to travel. Horses raised in the north would be fine, but those from outside are vulnerable to the cold. If we’re not careful, we could lose valuable horses.”
What will they be riding then? Noticing her confusion, Sizu continued.
“The carriage will be pulled by reindeer. And just in case, we’ve also prepared a dog sled.”
Hearing that, Irene’s curiosity was immediately piqued.
“Does that mean I can ride a dog sled?”
“Yes, it might be difficult for a long ride, but for a short while, it would be enjoyable.”
Meanwhile, a staff member brought in breakfast. Like the dinner, it was quite a hearty menu.
“It’s because of the cold; we need to eat heartily,”
Burt said, now seated on the opposite side of the table.
“So, are you going to try the dog sled today?”
“If possible, I’d like to.”
“I see.”
After finishing their meal, they walked around the village, taking care of various tasks.
They treated a calf with a broken leg and healed children who had caught colds. By the time they were done, the sun was high in the sky.
“It’s time to depart.”
Burt once again brought out the fur cloak that Irene had worn yesterday. He wrapped her tightly in it and placed her on the sled lined with fur.
He then put a hat on her head and tied it with a scarf to keep it from flying away, leaving only her eyes visible again.
“Is all of this really necessary?”
“You’ll understand once you ride the sled.”
Burt, also bundled up securely, sat down next to Irene. A figure wrapped in fur from head to toe took the driver’s seat.
