NOVEL WEB Chapter 188
Chapter: 188
The banquet prepared by the Nordal Family wrapped up at a reasonable hour.
It seemed everyone was exhausted after riding in the carriage for an extended period.
In reality, it was just a simple dinner with Ivana, accompanied by our family’s servants and knights, who were also enjoying their meals.
Later, we decided the three of us would share one of the rooms we were shown earlier, and Rize unpacked her things before falling right asleep.
Staying at the inn had not properly helped us recover from our fatigue, and after a long time, we enjoyed some fine food and could sleep well in a nice place.
“Yawn….”
Ultimately, I slept soundly through the next morning.
I couldn’t even recall when I had actually fallen asleep, but it was clear that I had been out cold.
“Ugh….”
Rosalyn and Rize were lying next to me on the spacious bed.
I had expected separate bedrooms for us.
However, the room Ivana had allocated was so large that we could all sleep together like this.
Of course, we all seemed to be close enough as family.
I understood Ivana’s intention, but… I was quite the mischievous person.
Waking up to the sight of such a lovely body felt quite surreal.
“…Hmm.”
I always thought this, but Rosalyn’s nightgown was slightly too revealing for my taste.
It wasn’t excessively exposing.
However, it certainly did not hide Rosalyn’s figure at all; her thighs and cleavage were quite visible.
Of course, for her, I was just a daughter.
It wasn’t entirely surprising that she felt no sense of danger in this regard.
“…How mean.”
I had deliberately worn pajamas that were modest last night, yet here was my mother, sleeping in nightwear that practically revealed everything—wasn’t that a bit mean?
Not to mention how she had laughed so freely in front of Ivana yesterday…
It felt a tad unfair.
“…….”
Rize, who was behind me, was quietly breathing as she slept.
It seemed unlikely Rosalyn would abruptly wake up in this situation.
I could gauge whether someone was genuinely sleeping or just pretending.
“Okay.”
With the same blanket wrapped around us, the soft material made it easy to hear sounds… so I leaned closer to Rosalyn.
Her unaware sleeping face.
It looked a bit more expressionless than her usual gentle smile.
“Pretty.”
She was undeniably beautiful.
Her appearance was strikingly lovely; I could understand why Ivana had misinterpreted things last night.
But aside from that, I slightly disapproved of Ivana’s casual affections toward her.
I could rationalize her actions, but still, it simply rubbed me the wrong way.
“Hehe….”
I hugged Rosalyn’s sleeping body tightly.
The feeling was lovely, and despite the absurdity of my actions, it made me chuckle.
“…Nice.”
There was warmth.
The room itself had surprisingly good heating, and the blanket was warm as well, making it cozy.
But the warmth from hugging Rosalyn was an entirely different kind.
How could I describe this soft, warm feeling?
I wasn’t sure.
But holding Rosalyn like this was unexpectedly delightful, and I found myself smiling.
“Ah….”
I still had a little height difference with Rosalyn.
165 cm.
Despite Rosalyn’s height, I was still about 5 cm shorter.
Naturally, my gaze found its way to Rosalyn’s chest.
More accurately, it hovered just above her cleavage, which was very easy to see.
“Oh.”
Thanks to her nightgown, her cleavage was incredibly visible.
And not just the cleavage; it felt like if she moved even slightly, I might see inside.
This was a bit… very scandalous.
…How should I put it?
I was gazing at Rosalyn up close like it was a work of art.
Each breath she took added movement to her form.
Her skin, smooth and with a sheen that hinted at great quality.
Just looking slightly higher, I was met with her delicately defined features.
So beautiful.
“……..”
I spent time holding Rosalyn until she awoke.
As she seemed on the verge of waking, I closed my eyes, pretending I’d simply fallen asleep using her as a pillow.
Rize, behind me, was still fast asleep due to the fatigue from our long journey, so I would not be caught at all.
Well, even if I were caught, I wouldn’t worry much.
“First off, I plan to show you what the north is like today.”
“I’m fine. It’s only been a short while since the break started, and it’s better to do something without really knowing it.”
“Yes.”
“By the way, the room Ivana allocated. It was amazing. The heating was so good, I slept quite well. I also loved the other areas aside from the bedroom.”
“Treating guests well is simply a given for Northerners.”
“Hehe, is that so?”
“Even without that, there’s no reason to neglect Camelia.”
“That’s true.”
After that, I found myself having breakfast alone with Ivana, engaging in such conversation.
Originally, I thought Rosalyn and Rize would join as well, but since Ivana had suggested we eat together first, here we were.
Well, we hadn’t discussed proper business matters at all during dinner yesterday.
To talk about that, this would be inevitable.
“First off, preparations are progressing for new roads outside of the central areas. We’re discussing it with the noble families in the East and West.”
“That’s good news.”
“In particular, with Melnick, who has the Roseaki Sisters, we’re in talks.”
“Oh….”
This was news to me.
But it was better than I had expected.
We were talking about the most prosperous family and city in the East, after all.
Having a basic connection due to sharing the same circle made everything feel even better; this was definitely good news.
Ivana had initiated the communication even before I had a chance to say anything.
“Well done.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, you did a great job! I’m glad to see you becoming more aware in this field, Ivana.”
“…That’s a relief.”
Ivana smiled with her usual subtle charm after receiving my praise.
It was a simple compliment, but seeing Ivana happy was heartwarming.
During my stay in the North, I wondered if a little more praise might show me that delightful expression more often.
*
“Ha…. I dressed as warmly as I could, but it’s still cold.”
“…Shall I prepare slightly warmer clothes?”
“I’d appreciate that. But let’s head to the place we agreed on first.”
I stepped outside with Ivana.
It was necessary to see what the North was like for preparing business, just as we had discussed in the morning.
“What place do you think is nice, beautiful, and pleasant in the North, Ivana?”
“Hmm….”
“The plains?”
“The plains?”
That was quite an unexpected response.
I had figured she would mention some stunning architecture or mountains.
The plains, huh.
“If you go a little west from here, there’s a wide plain. I think it’s… beautiful.”
Ivana’s expression when she mentioned this was serious and reminiscent, giving off a vibe of nostalgia.
It seemed it was a place filled with memories for her.
There was no way it wasn’t related to Ivana herself.
“Then let’s go there.”
“Are you sure? There might be more extravagant places.”
“No, we have plenty of time. We can always visit other locations after the plain.”
With that, we headed to the plain that Ivana had mentioned.
After about thirty minutes in the carriage, we arrived at a place that was quite close, though not many people were around.
“It’s vast.”
“Right?”
“And… very white.”
That was my first impression.
The extensive plain was covered in snow, untouched and glistening white.
Even when entering the North, the overall impression was very white… here, it was entirely dominated by white and blue skies, with nothing else in sight.
“How should I put it… this is a landscape not easily seen elsewhere.”
“Indeed.”
“It’s incredibly spacious, but there are no grasses, and the trees are quite far away.”
There was nothing particularly fancy about it.
It was merely land spread out, covered in pure white snow, stretching far into the distance.
Because of that, it didn’t evoke a feeling of stunning beauty or grandeur.
However… it instilled a sense of tranquility.
It felt rather…
“It’s a pleasant sight.”
Just that thought.
It wasn’t much, but it suited the description of the snowy landscape we were looking at.
“Right?”
“Is this your favorite spot?”
“Yes.”
“What makes it your favorite?”
I was curious about Ivana’s reasoning for bringing me to such a place.
It certainly didn’t strike me as a mere sightseeing location.
Ivana must have had her own reasoning.
“People in the North… spend most of their time in snow-covered areas.”
Ivana continued speaking while gazing at the snowy landscape, not turning to me.
Her expression was more serious than the usual lifeless look she bore.
I decided to listen quietly to her words, having not engaged in serious conversation like this before.
“North people, when they face confusion and fatigue in their lives, seek places like this snowy plain. And they just stand there quietly, looking.”
After hearing Ivana’s words, I could understand what she meant.
Within a few meters of where we were standing, there were no traces of human footsteps or signs at all.
I understood the significance of this place.
I realized why Ivana had come here.
Where we stood was a sanctuary.
A place to blankly gaze at the pure white snow-covered plain without any thoughts.
“Perhaps we could call it a kind of… tradition. It may seem trivial.”
“So you brought me here for that reason?”
“Yes.”
I could see why Ivana had chosen this place to bring me.
Her words and the view of the snowy plain helped me grasp what Northerners were like.
“…I understand.”
I could understand many aspects.
Understanding Ivana’s intentions and the Northerners, as well as how we ought to proceed with the tourism project in the North.
“I think here is a place we don’t need to disturb. No, it’s probably better not to touch it at all. For the Northerners, and for business.”
“Is that so…?”
Ivana looked slightly puzzled at my comment.
It seemed she thought I would carelessly develop this place for tourism.
Sure, it was vast enough that it could accommodate something new, but…
“Since it’s a place that is important to you, Ivana.”
“…?”
“I wouldn’t want to see you looking sad over something like that. I think the best course of action would be to leave it as is.”
Such a place should simply remain untouched, allowing tourists to wander about and stumble upon it.
Setting up a sign later would truly be sufficient.
Moreover, impacting this area wouldn’t benefit Ivana, and I didn’t think it would be good for the Northerners either.
“Shall we head to our next destination now?”
“Ah….”
“Please tell me about a place you like, Ivana.”
I tore my gaze away from the plain and looked at Ivana as I spoke.
For some reason, Ivana remained silent, staring at me as if something was on her mind.
I had always sensed that Ivana seemed somewhat unfamiliar with speaking directly.