The next day.

We entered a small-scale hot spring where the usage fee was determined by the length of stay.

The manager said he would ask all the other guests to leave, but Askal said we shouldn’t give tourists a bad impression, so we were able to enjoy the hot spring the same way as everyone else.

I didn’t want to receive special treatment at the cost of a day’s income, so I was glad Askal felt the same way.

The hot spring was as amazing as I had hoped. My muscles, which had been sore from moving around so much the night before, seemed to relax completely.

Rublion, who had followed me into the bath, cried out in surprise as he descended the stairs.

“Mom, my… my feet can’t touch the bottom!”

Rublion trembled and clung to the wall because the water was much deeper than his height. I could hear a very faint “uh, uhhh” sound.

I waded through the water that came up to my collarbone and approached the child. Rublion clung to my shoulders as if holding on to a lifeline.

“Rublion, don’t tense your body too much. You’ll be in a lot of pain tomorrow if you do.”

Before I knew it, Askal had come to the side and detached Rublion’s arms. The child stuck tightly to his upper body with a frightened face.

“But my feet don’t touch the bottom?”

“Because it’s deep water.”

“How do I play if I can’t touch?”

“Just play roughly.”

Askal walked around the bath with Rublion clinging to his upper body. The sound of giggling echoed all around.

After playing to our heart’s content in the hot spring, we decided to take a carriage and go see Lake Tidga, which was a ten-minute ride away. As soon as he got in the carriage, Rublion, who had been playing hard in the water, nodded off and soon fell asleep.

“I knew this would happen.”

Askal nodded in agreement at my words.

“He must be tired from clinging on with all his might.”

“Both Rublion and Askal will suffer from muscle pain. You carried the child the whole time you were bathing.”

“I’ll be fine. I have the stamina to hold my wife and move all night long.”

Startled by the sudden adult conversation, I glanced at Rublion. After making sure he was completely fast asleep, I glared at Askal. He chuckled and said,

“I intend to hold you all night tonight as well.”

“Wh-what are you saying?”

My face felt hot. I stroked my cheek with my palm, feeling embarrassed for no reason.

“I’ll stop here before you call me a beast.”

Askal turned his gaze away with a smile. He’s really a sly man, this one.

We arrived at Lake Tidga, frequently waking up Rublion, who was half-asleep with his eyes half-closed. The huge lake formed by melting glaciers was a blue color that seemed to draw you in.

“Wow, it’s really amazing.”

It was a natural scenery I had only seen on TV in my previous life.

“There’s a waterfall a little further up.”

Askal asked if I wanted to go see it. I nodded, thinking of the Tidga Falls wallpaper, which was only half-complete.

After diligently climbing the small mountain path surrounding the lake, a space full of rocks appeared. Rublion, panting and clinging to my arm, was exhausted from the path that was a bit lacking to be called a hike.

“The waterfall is over there. Just a little more walking and we’ll be there.”

I pointed beyond the pile of rocks with my finger and cheered him on. The child groaned and moved his legs again.

The majestic sound of water and the mystical sight drew closer and closer. It was truly a sight I couldn’t take my eyes off of.

“I came here when I was very young, and it seems to have changed a bit since then.”

Askal approached me. I stared at the waterfall endlessly.

“It’s so amazing…”

It’s nice to look at a brilliantly painted landscape painting, but after all, the human eye is the best.

Listening to the refreshing sound of falling water, even the air here felt cold. I dipped my hand in the waterfall water pooled in the crevices of the rocks. It was as exhilarating as ice-cold water.

“There’s a legend about this place.”

“A legend?”

Askal sat down on a rock that wasn’t wet with water. It was as if someone had put a pictorial there.

“Because it’s a mountain in the north, sometimes ice pellets mix in with the falling waterfall. It’s a slim chance, but there’s a legend that the primordial god grants a wish to those who see those ice pellets.”

“It’s an interesting legend.”

You’d have to wait until winter for even a possibility of that, right?

“If you, my lady, were to discover ice pellets, what wish would you make?”

“The health and happiness of my family.”

“Nothing a bit more materialistic?”

“Hmm…”

Askal’s eyes shone as he waited for me to answer. I had a feeling that regardless of whether I found ice pellets or not, the wish I spoke now would definitely come true.

“There is one thing I’d like to have come true.”

“What is it?”

“I won’t say. I feel like it would be a burden on your heart.”

I tapped his shoulder. It meant I wanted to change the subject.

Askal, who perfectly understood, chuckled. Then, stroking the head of Rublion, who was staring intently at the waterfall, he said,

“Let’s go down now.”

“I want to look a little more… huh?”

The child’s finger pointed somewhere at the waterfall.

“Something just fell, didn’t it? An ice pellet?”

Askal and I gazed at the spot where his fingertip was pointing. But there was nothing there. Although it was a cool early autumn in the mornings and evenings, it was still hot during the day, so there was no way there could be ice in the waterfall.

“When you yearn for something, you can see illusions too.”

“Ah, it wasn’t an illusion! I really saw something sparkle? I think I saw an ice pellet!”

“Okay. Let’s say that’s the case.”

“It’s not just the case, I’m telling you it’s true!”

Askal picked up Rublion, who said he would check. Then he went towards the flat mountain path, put the child down, and patted his back.

I stared intently at the waterfall, leaving behind the two who had started descending the mountain first. As expected, I couldn’t see anything resembling ice.

‘Of course.’

I turned around, thinking I had done something pointless. I needed to hurry to the hotel and rest.

The four-day trip was over. If there was a fun memory, it was that the day after taking a hot spring bath, Rublion suffered from muscle pain and couldn’t leave the hotel room.

The ducal couple, whose feet were also tied, took naps like the laziest people in the world and cuddled on the sofa, talking about this and that.

As soon as we returned to the mansion, Rublion went around bragging to every maid he met about what had happened.

Unlike the child who was busy running around, Askal and Schmidt were busy dealing with work that had been put off for a while for the family trip and the work that had piled up in the meanpile.

And Askal, who had gone to work at the government office, sat at his desk with a very frowning face and sighed deeply. Baron Tirel, seeing him like that, asked,

“Did something happen?”

“…I miss my wife.”

“What did I just hear?”

He, Askal’s loyal secretary and old friend, couldn’t believe his ears.

“I understand the feelings of the tyrants in history. I wish I could just throw away the work and hold my wife.”

“Who are you? You’re not Askal, are you?”

He asked, so shocked that he even forgot to use honorifics.

“Haa…”

Seeing Askal let out a deep sigh, Baron Tirel couldn’t hide his astonishment. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said,

“Do you remember how you really criticized me when I got married, saying you couldn’t understand why I wanted to go home quickly?”

“Did I do that?”

“Yeah, you jerk! You made me work overtime for a week, so this time you work overtime.”

Baron Tirel, thinking this was the time, moved a stack of documents from his desk to Askal’s. Then, laughing like a villain, he said,

“You’re working overtime for a week too. Kyahaha.”

“I won’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m going to make you do it.”

Baron Tirel said, squinting,

“You nasty fellow.”

Askal chuckled. Rimon shook his head, saying that the atmosphere had definitely changed from the past when he was very sharp.

“Ah, and this.”

Rimon handed Askal a fancy gold envelope.

“It’s a letter from the Imperial Palace. They said it was a personal letter sent by the Emperor.”

Askal’s expression, which had been smiling as brightly as the spring sunshine, instantly changed to a winter with a blizzard.

He roughly tore the wax seal with his hand and checked the contents.