NOVEL WEB Chapter 187
Chapter: 187
I started filing the documents vaguely in the center and then headed onto the road to the north.
As of now, this was the only proper road leading to the north.
“The road itself is much cleaner than I expected. Doesn’t it seem much better than other roads?”
“Yeah… This road is definitely better than the one coming up to the center.”
Maybe it felt that way simply because it was the only road heading north.
The quality of the road exceeded my expectations.
Even Rosalyn found it impressive enough to comment on how nice it was.
“Still, it looks like it snows a lot, so I’m a little worried.”
“Well, it is winter.”
“Hehe, the south was really warm. It’s kind of amazing how it gets colder as we go further up.”
“I’ll definitely need to dress warmer.”
“Camelia, you’re already dressed warmly enough, aren’t you? You’re wearing so many layers… Hoohoo…”
“…Yeah, I guess I am pretty bundled up.”
Agreed.
I looked rather ridiculous in various ways.
Of course, some people called me cute because of my appearance, but I definitely overdid it with my layers.
I had on thermal underwear under my long johns, then a warm outfit over that, and an additional coat on top, plus a cloak…
Though, since I was inside the carriage, I hadn’t put on the cloak yet.
Honestly, my look of being layered up was nothing like what I typically wore.
“Hehe, it’s cold enough that I need to dress warmly. Even if it’s a bit uncomfortable, it’s necessary.”
“…The carriage has heating anyway…”
“Camelia?”
“I know. It’s just that we might need to get out partway. It can’t be helped.”
Since we wouldn’t be in the carriage the whole time, and there would be instances of unloading our luggage or eating something light afterward.
The conclusion was there was no reason not to wear warm clothes.
So now we were on the road heading truly north, yet it wasn’t much different.
I was just sitting quietly in the carriage, chatting with Rosalyn and Rize to pass the time.
It was just a bit colder outside, and the snow was falling more heavily.
“Young Lady, wouldn’t you like some warm tea?”
“That sounds nice.”
“And what would the Lady like? We have tea leaves prepared.”
“Of course, I’d love some. I was just starting to want something to drink.”
And so, we chatted like this while heading north.
With the servants and knights accompanying us, our carriage formed a sort of procession, but since we’d already planned everything out beforehand, there were no issues.
Honestly, there weren’t that many other carriages heading north anyway.
We took our time enjoying a warm soup after getting out of the carriage together partway.
Despite the cold, it was honestly somewhat fun.
*
We kept traveling in the carriage, stopping to sleep overnight at inns spaced out along the way.
Well, it wasn’t the greatest, but…
After traveling for about three days, we finally arrived in the northern region, at the territory of the Nordal family, just as the sun was setting.
“Whoa… It’s cold.”
“Would you like a warming tool?”
“It’s not that bad. Putting my hands in my pockets makes it bearable.”
“If you need anything, please let me know.”
Anyway, once we arrived north, it was ridiculously cold.
Not just cold temperatures but the wind blew sharply like knives…
“I’m just waiting here as Ivana comes out.”
It was really cold.
Honestly, if it weren’t for the cold, I might’ve enjoyed the scenery and chatted with Rosalyn…
But it was just too cold for that.
…Is this why not many people come to the north?
Honestly, apart from the road and all, if I didn’t bundle up, I felt like I’d freeze to death.
Was there a reason why people refrained from coming…?
“It’s just like my mother said…”
“Isn’t it really cold?”
“Yeah…”
I still wasn’t used to how much my breath fogged up when speaking.
Winter in the south was definitely different.
Having spent over ten years just dealing with mildly chilly winters, facing a real winter… was no easy feat.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Oh, Ivana.”
After waiting outside the carriage for about five to ten minutes, Ivana finally appeared.
Considering I came without any proper announcement, I understood why she wouldn’t appear immediately upon our arrival.
I didn’t care about how cold I felt waiting for Ivana anymore; what mattered was…
“I’m sorry for the rush to prepare for your arrival. Should we head inside for now?”
“Wow.”
“Camelia?”
“Oh…”
The uniforms Ivana had mentioned before.
When the topic of what to wear in the summer came up, I remember being a bit confused by the answers she gave back then.
Now, I completely understood what she meant.
“That outfit looks great on you. It suits you way better than a school uniform would!”
“Oh, that kind of meaning.”
“Hehe, let’s head inside for now. By the way, I apologize for the larger number of guests from our family than I initially mentioned.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“Is that so?”
Well, if that was the case, I was glad.
Honestly, when I first heard only a small group would come to the north, it ultimately turned out that Rosalyn came along, along with servants and knights…
“Let’s go inside then.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
With Ivana leading the way, we got back into the carriage and headed into the Nordal castle.
Not merely a mansion, but a castle.
I was definitely reminded of the fact that this was a noble family’s estate.
Rose was a noble too, but… It seemed to be on a completely different scale compared to that place.
It wasn’t as massive as the imperial palace, but the Nordal castle was truly magnificent.
“Camelia, that was Ivana Nordal, right?”
“Yeah, she’s pretty.”
“I’ve never seen a Nordal family member before, but she really looks the part.”
“Hehehe…”
That was true.
Ivana had an appearance that perfectly matched the ideal of a northerner.
With her snow-white hair and red eyes giving a cold impression, she might be thought of as a northerner even without being one.
Though she wasn’t exceptionally tall, she was definitely on the taller side.
Plus, with her unique personality and expressions, there were moments when she felt somewhat… intriguing.
“Though she has a cold atmosphere, she’s surprisingly nice.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yeah. She feels much more innocent than her impression suggests.”
Anyway, we had finally arrived in the north, and I could finally meet Ivana.
Honestly, since I had never visually confirmed the north until now, I thought it would feel completely Viking-like.
But it turned out to be more average than I expected.
Just a normal town, where snow was pouring down heavily…?
In conclusion, it didn’t feel dramatically different.
After all, the north was also a place where people lived.
“The servants and knights will follow one of our family’s retainers. We will move separately.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
Once inside the castle and off the carriage, we decided to follow Ivana’s lead naturally.
Since the moment we entered the north, we had a duty to follow Ivana’s words to some extent.
Anyway, having sent off the knights and servants, only Rosalyn, Rize, and I began to follow Ivana.
“We have a banquet prepared for all guests from Leonhardt in an hour. Is that alright?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll give you a brief tour of the castle first, and afterward, I’ll show you to your rooms for your stay in the north.”
“That works for us. This is our first time staying in the north.”
And so, we started exploring Nordal castle through Ivana’s guidance.
It wasn’t the size of the imperial palace, but since it was large enough fundamentally, it took more time than I expected.
Honestly, it might have been insufficient time for a thorough exploration.
Anyway… we wrapped up our sightseeing at a decent point.
“Now, I’ll show you the rooms you’d be using during your stay in the north. How would you like to proceed?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about room arrangements. Do you all want to share one room, or would you prefer separate rooms? How do you want to utilize the space?”
“Oh, I see.”
Indeed, there were three of us, all of whom were of the same sex, and guests from Leonhardt, so it was a bit ambiguous.
When we stayed at inns, the best rooms weren’t really available, and even a high-end room was much more pleasant to have individually, so I had allowed Rosalyn to have a room to herself…
“Hmm… What’s the best approach here?”
“My personal opinion is that Camelia and Rize should share a room. And your mother could join you.”
“…Excuse me?”
“The rooms are spacious enough, so even if you all share, it wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Now that you’re in the north, taking this chance to spend some cozy time as a family would be nice, right?”
“Uh… Ivana?”
…It seems there’s a slight misunderstanding.
Yeah, it seems that way.
“Mother, not sister….”
“…What?”
“Oh ho ho….”
“…This person is not my sister; she’s our mother.”
Rosalyn looked too young to have a daughter like me.
Truthfully, the age difference was just minor, so it wasn’t that surprising.
The age difference wasn’t even ten years…
“This is Rosalyn, Camelia’s mother.”
With a slightly awkward smile, Rosalyn introduced herself.
I was taken aback, but Rosalyn must’ve been surprised too.
Actually, the incident arose because I hadn’t properly notified Ivana that Rosalyn was coming with me to the north…
But I truly didn’t expect Ivana to think of Rosalyn as my sister.
“…My apologies.”
“Hehe, it’s alright. Lady Nordal doesn’t need to apologize for such a thing. It’s nice to hear I come across as younger.”
Rosalyn accepted Ivana’s apology with a serene smile, despite the slight discomfort.
Aside from accepting the apology, it didn’t seem necessary to smile so broadly.
I thought it would be enough to just say it’s okay at an appropriate level, but there was no need to show such a pretty smile so openly.
Without realizing, I found myself thinking like that while watching the two of them.
Even though I knew it was strange and wrong to think that way.
“Okay, let me show you the room first. You all can discuss how to utilize the space slowly…”
“…Sure.”
I wondered if Rosalyn had a preference for women with larger chests like Ivana, and who looked cool.
My body was growing recently, but even so, I wasn’t anywhere near Ivana’s level yet.
Suddenly, I felt like I should drink more milk starting tomorrow morning.