The Maid and The Usurper - Chapter 46
She didn’t want to hear words that seemed to promise a future. No matter what modifiers were attached, her past remained unchanged. There was no future where they could stand as equals. It was better to treat it as nothing more than the foolish prattle of a childish prince.
“Alright, no need to be so serious.”
Leopold fell silent. Layla found the quiet more comforting now. The soft crunch of their footsteps on the snow echoed through the serene mountains. Leopold stepped directly into Layla’s small footprints, making their overlapping tracks deepen with each step. Her cheeks turned bright red from the cold wind.
“Layla, I think we should head back.”
Leopold strode toward her. Her pale skin, accustomed to the warmth of the south, was now flushed. Her hands were slightly cold, as white as a northern sea nymph, yet more vulnerable to the cold than anyone else.
“The days are short in winter, and the mountains grow dark easily.”
Gray clouds hung heavy in the sky. It looked like it might snow again. The snowy mountains were dangerous to ride down on horseback.
“So, let’s stop going down. Just for today.”
The words came after a long silence. They both buried their thoughts and feelings deep inside, turning away from each other. They implicitly knew that this was the right thing to do.
…Yes, it was the right thing.
* * *
What they had expected to be a gentle snowfall suddenly turned into a fierce blizzard. Leopold tightened his grip on the reins. The day grew darker. If they didn’t find a suitable place soon, they would have to spend the night outdoors in this freezing winter. His eyes urgently scanned the surroundings. Layla’s body was naturally on the cool side, but even taking that into account, felt excessively cold.
“Damn.”
Leopold pulled on the reins of his horse, wondering if anyone would come looking for them. Through the swirling snow, a ramshackle hut came into view.
It looked like an abandoned gamekeeper’s hut. He urged the staggering horse towards it. Once they reached the cabin, Leopold dismounted and quickly ushered Layla inside.
“Aren’t you coming in, Count?”
With a pale face, Layla tugged at her sleeve. Leopold gestured to the horse standing behind him.
“I need to put the horse in the stable first. It would be troublesome without the horse. Go inside first.”
Leopold gently nudged Layla’s back, ushering her into the cabin, and headed to the stable. He wondered if the horse could withstand this cold. The fortunate thing was that it was a Borchakan horse, a breed hardy against the cold. He tied the horse in the small stable attached to the cabin. The horse shivered from the cold. Leopold securely closed the stable door to keep out the icy wind, then entered the cabin.
“Why is it so warm in here?”
There was no firewood in the dusty fireplace. Layla, who had been sitting with her hands folded neatly in front of her chest, opened her eyes slightly.
“Are you warm?”
“Is this magic?”
Layla’s cheeks were flushed, whether from the cold wind or embarrassment, I couldn’t tell. She explained sheepishly.
“I can warm the air, but the problem is that it gets a bit humid since I’m using moisture.”
“Is it like the saunas in Marca?”
“What’s a sauna?”
“Marka is really cold in the winter, so they have facilities where they pour hot water over heated stones to warm the room. That’s what I’ve heard, anyway.”
He glossed over it since he only knew what he had told Layla. Leopold surreptitiously sat down next to her. She was distracted and didn’t even notice him sitting close.
“Um… Do you happen to know how to start a fire?”
“I know a little. Why?”
“I’m not a very skilled magician, so I don’t know how long this warmth will last. I thought it might be good to have a backup plan.”
Layla lowered her head. In truth, even excluding skill, there were no magics as easy to handle for magicians as flame magic. The most common magicians encountered were all flame magicians. Despite her abundant magical talent, Layla was unable to control fire.
