Originally, it belonged to him, but it felt uneasy to unnecessarily show Ren, who was so skillful in swordsmanship that he could confront the Crophle Mercenary Unit, wielding a sword like a thorn in his throat.

‘I don’t want to make him hold a sword that harms people with the hand that used to pick flowers for me.’

Ren handling needles and thread unsuitable for his large hands was good. Ren helping with cooking by preparing ingredients was good. Ren handing over fruits he had clumsily cut with an unskilled axe was good.

She didn’t want to put a life that couldn’t let go of the sword until the moment of death back into Ren’s hands.

“Uh, I haven’t mentioned it until now, but I have something of Ren’s.”

However, Sharati didn’t have the right to dispose of his belongings recklessly.

Sharati casually added as if it were an insignificant topic.

“When we first met in the cave, it was something Ren had before losing his memory. I’ll bring it when we get home.”

“….”

There was no particular reaction from Ren.
“I wonder what kind of item it is. Sharati, securely embracing her, watched Ren, who ascended the snowy mountain path with steady steps.

“What is it-.”

Sharati, fiddling with the bag strap, was about to explain, but Ren suddenly stopped walking.

Ren, who had been looking straight ahead, turned to look at Sharati.

Only then did she notice Ren’s crooked smile.

“Considering you’ve been fine without it until now, it doesn’t seem like a very important item.”

The hidden intention of why she suddenly revealed the item they had kept hidden was clearly understood.

The gazes of the two tangled in the air.

“… Not needed?”

“No.”

Ren rejected it decisively, as if it wasn’t even worth considering.

For him, the lost memories were now just a forgotten past, and there was no lingering attachment.

Sharati poked her cheek with the hand that clenched into a fist. The corner of her mouth, the cheek, seemed to itch incessantly, and it was evident.

“Oh, could it be something valuable?”

“Huh? Well… it seemed like it, but I’m not sure if it’s okay since it’s been buried in the ground for quite some time.”

The sword was heavy and covered in blood, scabbard, blade, and handle. Still, there were no damaged or broken parts.

Sharati nodded her head, and Ren chuckled.

“Then it’s okay to sell it.”

“What?”

Sharati asked, surprised.

“Why would you sell that?”

“Well, if you’re not going to use it, isn’t it better to sell it?”

Sharati, unable to find words to refute, held onto the remaining sanity.

In any case, it was an eerie sword to sell.

“Ah, no! Still, isn’t that… Shouldn’t we avoid that…?”

Unable to find words to counter the persuasion, Sharati, who was being convinced, clung to the last strand of reason.

In any case, it was an eerie sword to sell.

“Then I’ll take it.”

Ren decisively reversed his decision at Sharati’s lukewarm reaction.

“Isn’t it okay if I sell it?”

“….”

Sharati realized that her worries and concerns had been utterly pointless due to Ren’s simple change of thought.

Sharati giggled softly.

“The money earned from selling it can be Ren’s emergency fund.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to use it for house repairs?”

Ignoring the value of the sword buried in the ground, Sharati and Ren continued their pointless conversation.

They discussed their winter plans, exchanged opinions on the herbs they needed to supplement, and talked about their simple travels.

Ren’s smile became more natural, and Sharati’s laughter increased a bit.

In the white landscape of winter, Sharati and Ren focused only on each other.

It was a peaceful moment.

As feared, the weather turned snowy as the day went down.

Before visibility became difficult due to the snowstorm, the two found a place to hide their bodies early. Luckily, there was an abandoned hut.
Due to the long absence of human touch, the cabin had collapsed in various places, including the roof and interior, but the fact that there were walls was enough comfort for the two.

“Indeed, it gets colder at night when it’s snowing.”

The cold in the mountains was harsher at night. The outerwear, which was fine against any cold during the day, seemed to lose its function as soon as it became night, and the cold penetrated to the bones.

Sharati shivered, exhaling white breath continuously.

“Come over here, Shar.”

Ren, who had spread several layers of blankets on the less snowy floor, had Sharati sit down first.

“Did you light the magic stone?”

Sharati nodded, extending her hand. The magic stone charged in Sediapia Village was emitting a warm heat.

Ren, feeling relieved, wrapped the remaining blanket around Sharati’s body.

“What about Ren?”

“The outerwear is thick, so I’m fine.”

Sharati, glancing at Ren’s unenthusiastic excuse, stood up abruptly. Then, she handed the blanket to Ren and sat down first, just like before.

“How quickly body temperature drops when it snows. Speak sensibly.”

Shivering with cold, Sharati, who had a slight complaint, sat down between Ren’s legs, leaning against his torso. Ren, who seemed slightly awkward for a moment, perhaps because he had experienced this posture before, adjusted his upper body modestly and put his arms around her. Sharati, putting a magic stone into the lantern, visibly flinched when her back touched Ren’s chest.

“W-Well, it’ll get warm soon.”

“… Right.”

As Sharati’s low voice slightly lowered, she quickly handed a warm magic stone to Ren.

“Oh, I’ll sleep first today.”

“Sleep well, Sha.”

Excitement…

While a faint light and warm heat spread between the two, the indistinguishable sound of a heartbeat lingered in their ears.

Passing through the pitch-black night, spending the dawn until the moment the morning sun finally rose, the roaring sound of the snowstorm, and the sounds of swaying trees here and there, none of them disturbed the time of the two.

When Sharati and Ren woke up early in the morning, the long-awaited first snow had ended.

“Wow, the snow… it piled up more than I thought…?”

The problem was that Sharati’s thighs were completely buried, even the thighs that had accumulated overnight. As the days passed, the repeated makeshift sleeping arrangements and cold made Ren worry about Sharati’s stamina. Just when the concern for Ren’s health due to the ongoing makeshift sleeping arrangements and cold was increasing, they finally found a small cave.

“Ren! Today, let’s stay here…!”

Creak…

Along with an unusual sound from the sky, raindrops began to fall abruptly.

It was the beginning of the heavy rain predicted by Ashu’s grandfather.