He was often persistent, like a salesman, when it came to things like this. Hearing him, even Robert took an interest.

“I thought I’d bring you something to celebrate the first snowfall.”

At first glance, it looked like wine, but inside the transparent bottle was a yellow liquid with bubbles, not a deep purple color.

“It’s apple cider. I wanted to bring champagne, but I haven’t tasted it yet.”

Children were not allowed to drink until they turned sixteen, when they had their debutante. So, on the children’s table, where they wanted to imitate the adults, apple cider would often appear, but even that was not allowed for four-year-old Izeline and Robert.

Apple cider, which was apple juice with carbonation, was not good for young children’s esophagus.

“Wow! Wow!”

Izeline waved her hands in excitement. Robert also secretly smiled and coughed for no reason.

“Should we set up here?”

Michael uttered as he moved towards the table on one side.

Izeline and Robert followed behind him like baby chicks. The two children’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as the glasses were filled.

“It might make your throat hurt.”

Michael warned Izeline as he handed her a glass first.

She nodded once and drank it without fear. Before carbonation became popular, she used to eat fried chicken and cola without any problems.

Of course, it was nothing…

“Ugh—”

However, her four-year-old esophagus was still too young to handle the carbonation. Seeing her make a pained expression, Robert asked with a slightly tense expression.

“Does it hurt? Is it too much?”

“Can, cwan’t hwandle it… (Can, can’t handle it…)”

Looking at her holding onto her throat with both hands, Robert looked at her with a worried expression. Then, he grabbed the glass with a determined face.

Carefully, he took a sip.

“Oh?”

His eyes widened for a moment.

“Why dwid you do that?”

When Izeline asked, he didn’t answer and instead took another sip. The next moment, he smiled brightly at Michael.

“Drink it!”

“Oh no.”

Michael was disappointed and worried when he saw Izeline. He brought it, hoping that she would like it… However, he shrugged his shoulders, thinking that there was no other choice, and took out another bottle from his pocket.

He brought it just in case.

“Izeline, you can drink this.”

It was just an apple juice.

Since she needed a mild drink, she happily accepted it. With apple cider and apple juice in between, the children’s time went by in a lively manner.

Outside the window, darkness had fallen. On the black canvas, thick snowflakes were falling. Looking at the snowflakes that were covering the whole world, Michael muttered in a small voice as if talking to himself.

“It’s the first snow, and it’s snowing a lot.”

Even Izeline, who was looking in the same direction, agreed.

“Souvri is beautiful.”

It felt like they were in a fairy tale.

“There will be a lot of people bustling around here soon.”

“What do you mean?”

With a curious look, Michael scratched his cheek with a doubtful face.

“Is that right?”

Actually, he didn’t know much about the Souvri because it was his first time going here. That was when Robert gave him the exact answer.

“Didn’t knights come here in the winter?”

“Ah! That’s right!”

When Michael clapped his hands, Robert nodded his head.

This time, Izeline replied.

“Knights?”

“Yeah. Aren’t most of the knights from the Flame Knights will be here?”

The Flame Knights, also known as the Guardians of the South. Their main mission was to prepare for natural disasters, but in the winter, when there was less work to do, all the knights were sent home. Of course, this only applied to the lower-ranked soldiers, not the officially appointed knights.

“When will they come?”

“I don’t know exactly.”

At Robert’s answer, she absentmindedly nodded her head. It seemed like there were usually more women in Souvri than men, now that she thought about it.

Hmmm…

Why was she so sleepy? Was it because she took cold medicine?

Looking at her yawning, Michael asked.

“Are you sleepy?”

“Yeah…”

As she rubbed her eyes, Robert took her by the arm and led her to the bed.

“Come on, lie down here.”

Looking at Robert lying down next to her, Michael’s expression changed again.

“You… why… there…”

“Because it’s our room, can’t we sleep together?”

“….”

Not only do they take baths together, but they also sleep together? Why bother using separate rooms, then?

“When you leave, turn off the lights.”

At his brazen demand, Michael laughed hollowly and left.

* * *

Michael, who kept laughing as if he couldn’t believe it, eventually accepted reality and left the room, still muttering.

Thanks to the kind gesture of turning off the lights, the room was now dark. Looking at the chandelier leaning against the window in the moonlight, Robert turned his head towards Izeline, who was sleeping like a doll.

Zzz…

Seeing her sleeping soundly, it seemed like she had taken the cold medicine properly. He seemed mesmerized as he saw her facial features and unconsciously reached out to gently touch her plump cheeks.

“Hmm….”

Was she feeling ticklish or something?

Startled by the sound of the murmurs, Robert took his hand away and held his breath.

“Did I wake her up?”

Anxiously checking on her condition, he cautiously reached out his hand again when he heard her soft breathing.

This time, his fingers brushed against her silky brown hair.

Caress, caress.

The soft, silky strands felt like sweet candy to his touch, creating an addictive sensation. He couldn’t resist touching her, and it made him feel conflicted.

“Izeline?”

He loved the way she felt.

“Ugh…”

All of a sudden, she shifted in her sleep. Robert quickly pulled his hand back, thinking that he had woken her up, though it was too late. In a drowsy voice, Izeline opened her mouth. Her eyelids were heavy and were still closed.

“Robert, cwan’t you sleep…?”

“Sorry. Did I wake ywou up?”

“You kwept touching me.”

“….”

Feeling embarrassed for getting caught in the act, Robert’s cheeks turned red. He hurriedly tried to explain himself.

“You were sleeping, and I was bwored, so I was just pwaying around.”

“You too…”

“Shh, be qwuiet. I cwan’t sleep if you keep talking.”

‘Did I have something I wanted to ask?’

Unconsciously blurting out his thoughts, Robert pressed his lips together. It was due to the sudden realization of the source of his discomfort.

“Yawn—”

At that moment, Izeline yawned and stretched her body.

Honestly, she was so tired and sleepy, but for some reason, she felt like she should talk with hm a little longer before falling asleep. She didn’t know why. It was a baseless feeling, but it seemed like his usual atmosphere was a little different… He seemed a bit restless, and it was just…

“Dwo you want to talk?”

With her eyes half-opened from sleepiness, Izeline asked, and Robert blinked.

“Not sleeping yet?”

“You woke me up.”

His lips curled up slightly at the fact that she woke up. It seemed like he was happy to spend time with her.

“Was twe snow always heavy here?”

“Huh? Yes.”

What was up with the sudden question? She couldn’t sleep at night, so she felt frustrated.

Robert asked again.

“Did Monica say anwything?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

After firing off a series of questions that only he understood, he shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn’t know anything. Izeline became curious and pushed her face closer, pressuring him to tell the truth.

“Does Mom have sway something?”

“You…”

His face turned red with embarrassment. As his breath hitched, she approached closer and narrowed the distance between them.

“Dwon’t make people feel uncomfortable.”

“Uh…”

Robert, with his face as red as a beet, couldn’t do anything like a fugitive facing a dead end. Even though it was fortunate that the room was dark, the warning lights in his mind were ringing, telling him to push away the girl who was coming closer.

His heart was beating three times faster than usual.

“Just, just, just, twake a step back.”

—

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