C191
Except for the first and second day of the new year, Isidor went out with me throughout the holidays to explore the capital.
Following the carefully crafted dating route, resembling a military operations map, I could vividly capture the sights of the capital, which I only knew in my head or passed by indifferently.
"Well... It's a date, but it's so well-organized that it feels like a luxury tour package to Astaia's capital."
By the way, Isidor's guidance seems included in the luxury tour package.
"Wow."
Today is the last day of the package... No, he and I were sitting in a carriage, watching sheep graze quickly passing by the window.
"I didn't know there was such a large and wonderful sheep ranch in the capital."
It was quite a spectacle to see a sheepdog diligently herding sheep, and a flock of white sheep climbing a snow-covered hill.
"Isidor, there's a lamb there."
When I brought my face to the window, Isidor curved his eyes and pulled my arm slightly.
"Would you like to get off and take a closer look?"
"Yes."
"And there, there's a log cabin on the hillside. The view from there is even better."
After suddenly taking me in his arms, he used teleportation magic and approached the sheep ranch in an instant.
It was quite hilly, so a cold wind blew in my ears, and Isidor's arm hugged me tighter.
"Are you cold?"
Although his large body blocked the wind, warm heat began to rise from their intertwined bodies.
"Your ears are already red."
He silently pressed his lips against my earlobe several times.
"Why is Sir so attractive?"
"I'll tell you every day when we get married."
"Ah, really you!"
Grumbling about the joke that sounded somewhat strange, I saw something and escaped from his arms.
"Princess, where are you going so suddenly? Maybe you want us to play..."
"...Kyaaa!"
I ran towards a small white object caught between the fences in the distance, but I twisted my foot against a stone buried in the snow.
"Are you okay?"
Isidor's complexion turned pale. Because when I stumbled, I scraped my calf against the edge of a nearby fence.
It was already stinging, and tears were running down my cheeks. It was even more useless because it was a lump of wool, not a poor lamb, that was caught between the fences. Ha, I'm embarrassed. What the hell is this?
"...You're hurt."
Isidor's face, after lifting my skirt, turned white as if he had seen something unexpected.
I bit my lips. Originally, wounds of this size healed quickly, but it was impossible for me to heal so fast with my current condition.
"Is there something wrong with your Divine Power? Why didn't you tell me?"
As he looked at me with eyes stained with concern, remorse, and shock, I said as if making an excuse.
"It's not that there's a problem with the power itself; it just hasn't been restored yet. There's no way it would stay the same after being used like that. Still, it's gradually recharging."
"Is there any health problem by any chance? There are side effects of dark magic..."
He asked with an anxious voice, shaking the fence.
Perhaps he was even more surprised because he had seen in a dream Saint Nayla, who was poisoned by dark magic and died after living a limited life.
"It really isn't like that. I just didn't say anything because I was afraid Sir would worry about something like this."
As if his body had relaxed, he sat down and let out a long sigh.
"... It must hurt."
Isidor bent his knees and looked at the wound, then suddenly lifted me and started running.
Soon, he arrived at a log cabin at the back of the ranch.
"Can you just barge into someone's house like this?"
"Because the ranch is mine."
Speaking like a third-generation K-drama tycoon, he found a first aid kit in the drawer.
"Aargh."
I couldn't help making a strange noise when he suddenly pulled my leg and placed it on his thigh.
"It's medicine made in the temple, so you'll recover soon."
And he started to treat the wounds on my calf after opening the stockings.
"Wait a minute, apply it gently."
"No. I'm angry."
Although he spoke so clearly, he moved the swab much more carefully than before.
"... Are you angry with me for not telling you?"
"What would I have done if something unpleasant happened to you while facing the problem alone? And what's wrong with me worrying about you? Aren't couples supposed to share everything?"
He spat out like a rapid-fire cannon.
"I'm sorry."
"Do you think I'm doing this to receive an apology?"
Isidor suddenly bit my ankle.
"It's okay. From now on, I'll tell you everything without hiding anything!... But why are you doing this? It's rude!"
He started to advance towards the ankle bone, and I struggled with my legs.
"Obviously, you said before that you would teach me after marriage.
"I guess you can't see that I'm holding back while biting here. If you want me to bite your ankle, then keep hiding secrets.
Hey, you're not a dog!
However, I was about to do the same for the entire foot, so I got scared and promised, over and over, that I would never hide anything again.
"Drink."
"Hey, isn't it like you're giving me a disease and medicine*?"
His dog punishment made me a bit uneasy. However, the warm cocoa he had personally prepared melted my heart.
I used to be easy to persuade. Still, Isidor is easier than me, so it's fine.
"It's totally cool…"
"I know."
"The view here is absolutely stunning."
"..."
The view from this log cabin was one of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen in my life.
While sipping sweet chocolate with marshmallows floating in it, looking at the sky with flocks of clouds, he often played with it under the table.
"Isidor, is this our last vacation date?"
"When I asked while looking at the sky, which gradually turned bluer due to the arrival of the night sky, Isidor coughed in vain.
"There's a night market nearby."
"Pfttt!"
"Why are you laughing so suddenly? You should have warned me. My heart began to beat fast."
He made a fuss while sweeping his chest.
"I thought it was a truly complete and fruitful date. I had so much fun during the holidays. I didn't know there were so many fantastic places in the capital."
"I couldn't even fill half of my list of things I want to do with the princess."
"I'm very curious about that list."
"If I want to see the princess while working overtime, an average of 20 options is added per day. But even if it's not the final version, you can see it if you want."
"You'll be able to do everything in the future."
"..."
"After we get married, we'll spend more time together."
"..."Yes."
He curved the corner of his eyes, held his lips slightly, then rubbed the tip of his sharp nose and smiled openly.
"So, shall we go to the night market before it's too late?"
"Yes."
----------------------------
"Now that I think about it, today isn't the first time we've gone to a night market together."
"During the Spring Flower Festival, I couldn't look around properly."
"Well. The goal was to pretend to lose the gem."
At that moment, I never dreamed that I would marry the master of Blanchia.
Isidor had a similar thought, so he held my hand more tightly in the crowd. The hands, with intertwined fingers, were so warm that there was no time to feel cold.
The night market, held in the middle of the Horun district for the New Year, was crowded. Covered with our cloaks, we walked on the less crowded side.
As it got darker, the lanterns hanging in the air shone brighter, and the colorful street food smelled temptingly delicious.
There were also people juggling or performing exaggerated plays, but Isidor couldn't overlook one scene and frowned.
"Oh, come on. If you want to imitate me, you have to do it right."
I felt ridiculous about the actors imitating me with purple wigs.
"Attention! The statue of the Saint who defeated the demon costs only 40 coppers!"
"There are also keychains of the Saint!"
I scratched my chin with an ambiguous mood when I even saw the sale of products.
"It's a bit embarrassing. But who the hell would buy that kind of stuff?"
"Oh, Sir, what are you doing?"
Before I knew it, Isidor went to the stall and swept all the merchandise.
"Is this all?"
"What?"
"No more?"
"Yes! Yes! That's all. I gave him everything I had."
He even checked if it was sold out.
"Now that you have extra money, you're doing all sorts of things."
"Suddenly, I felt upset at the thought of some guy carrying your keychain."
"..."
"I'm worried that popularity has grown unnecessarily."
"Are you really talking about that now?"