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Snow

The unmistakable symbol of winter that arrives without fail.

A natural phenomenon where the vapor in the sky condenses.

To those watching, it evokes a visually poetic feeling, but for those who have to clear it away, there’s a deep-seated hatred, willingly calling it white garbage.

The people of Iceland, Coldon, mostly belong to the latter group, like those who have cleared snow in their past lives.

Just as if to say, “Did I miss this?” snow began to pour down less than a day after the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, as if it had all been a prank until now.

However, the faces of those clearing the snow visible from the Mage Tower didn’t seem as dark or heavy as Karem had imagined.

Swoosh—

“Well, this time it’s less than last time.”

Of course, Karem had only been living in Winterhome for just a little over a year.

Naturally, hehad no keen sense to estimate snowfall merely by observation.

Yet, somehow, he was able to gauge it… By observing the height of the snow walls Mary was building outside the window.

Karem, sipping from his mug, squinted.

“Roughly… about one-third lower than last year, I’d guess.”

When winter arrives and snow begins to pile up, construction starts, and by observing the height, you can roughly estimate the snowfall.

Tragedy, they say, is comedy viewed from three steps back.

Watching the chaotic scene of Coldon’s inner castle contrasted with Mary’s combative appearance from the window, enjoying a hot and rich hot chocolate felt quite special.

And this wasn’t just any hot chocolate.

Regular hot chocolate is simply a drink where cocoa powder is dissolved in hot water or milk—a mere blend.

But the hot chocolate Karem was drinking was something special.

First, he heated up heavy double cream, completely melting butter into it, then generously added Amadeus and sugar, mixing until it was fully dissolved.

This was a hot chocolate truly worthy of the name Hot-Chocolate.

Beyond regular cream, he had gone beyond heavy cream, melting Amadeus lavishly, and thus, the hot chocolate lingered between liquid and solid, feeling like magma.

As proof, every time he sipped from the mug, it didn’t make a light slurping sound but rather a thick sound.

This was also why Mary seemed particularly fierce while shoveling snow.

“Oh, not chocolate, but Amadeus.”

As the bottom of the cup was revealed, Karem poured more thick hot Amadeus from the kettle into the cup.

Swoosh—

The hot, lumped Amadeus filled his mouth and slowly slid down his throat.

“So, what should I do now?”

His stomach felt heavy, yet, on the other hand, his chest felt… slightly, just a bit empty.

That was because he had accomplished his goal.

The word “little one” had fallen from Catherine’s lips.

Of course, she would still say “little one” occasionally thereafter, but Karem decided to be magnanimous about it.

Yet, the emptiness remained, but seeing the gift exchanged with Catherine made it somewhat bearable.

Karem glanced down at the ring slipped onto his left ring finger.

Swoosh—

“What are you doing sitting on the window?”

“Uh? Who… Oh? Miss Catherine?”

“That’s right. Oh? What are you drinking?”

“Uh, it’s Amadeus. Amadeus.”

“Hmm? Amadeus, huh?”

Catherine looked at the cup Karem presented with an intrigued expression.

“Now that you mention it, I heard they drink it as a beverage in the Empire.”

The surface didn’t even ripple due to its thickness.

The smell alone conveyed a rich, dense flavor.

“This is what they called Amadeus in the Empire, right?”

“Oh, I replicated the hot chocolate recipe I saw in my previous life.”

“Hot chocolate? Ah, I heard that they had a drink there.”

She muttered the words “hot chocolate,” peering intently at the cup. Without hesitation, Karem refilled his cup with hot Amadeus.

“Would you like a glass?”

“Is there really a big difference from chewing it?”

“Absolutely.”

“…”

“Oh, you can rest easy; this is mostly cream.”

“…”

“This is less than the amount of Rocher you’d consume.”

Catherine, looking surprised, glanced at Karem before carefully bringing the cup to her lips.

First, a small sip—

Swoosh—

“…Oh.”

With dark brown lipstick staining her lips, Catherine didn’t think to wipe it away and instinctively grasped Karem’s wrist, gulping down the drink.

“What’s the rush? Drink it slowly.”

“Phew. Did you drink this all by yourself?”

“I made a bit just now for a taste and for nostalgia.”

Who makes something like this just for a taste!

That thought stayed locked in Catherine’s mind; at this moment, she had no opportunity to respond to Karem.

Swoosh—

Though she had become insulated from the cold through powerful ice magic, it didn’t mean she felt no cold at all.

In a winter that felt as if it would pierce her skin and joints, hot drinks held a special significance that Catherine knew well.

But fundamentally, liquids cool down quickly.

It’s the same even after entering your belly.

The warmth transmits, but since it’s still a liquid, once consumed, her insides felt empty.

The feeling of hot milk or cream heated with honey felt good, filling her belly slightly, but the hot Amadeus she was drinking was an entirely different sensation.

The thick, almost solid state of the liquid filled her throat completely, with each moment reaching her stomach felt intensely vivid.

Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! Swoosh—

“Did you drink this all by yourself?”

“Didn’t you just say the same thing earlier?”

“Anyway! That kettle must surely be filled with this liquid Amadeus.”

“That was reserved for Mary—”

“Make sure to prepare a separate one for her later!”

With Catherine’s insistence, Karem shrugged his shoulders.

Following her words, he filled the empty cup and offered it to Catherine.

The hot Amadeus, thick enough to feel solid, was nearly all devoured by Catherine, who looked somewhat dissatisfied afterwards, glancing longingly.

“Just a moment.”

“Huh? What?”

Catherine flinched at the sudden appearance of a handkerchief.

Yet, she didn’t pull back and allowed it.

“Um.”

It was the same act as before, but after the past days, it felt a bit more… shall I say, shameful and regretful.

In her gaze, Catherine’s eyes caught sight of the ring on Karem’s left hand.

“That ring seems like you’ve been wearing it constantly lately.”

“Uh, I take it off while cooking.”

“Is that really necessary indoors?”

“In a way, there’s no reason to take it off except when I’m cooking.”

Her heart felt something tickling. As the rough yet soft touch of her lips faded, Karem withdrew the handkerchief.

“It was still a bit smudged.”

“Yeah, right. Anyway, who thought I wouldn’t notice that?”

“And now we’re not just master and servant anymore.”

“What?”

Karem raised his left hand, shaking the ring before subtly gesturing to Catherine’s left hand with his eyes.

At that prompting gaze, Catherine instinctively clasped her hand with the ring.

“What a cheeky brat.”

“Just trying to catch up on progress I didn’t make before, so I hoped you’d understand—”

“Stop with the nonsense.”

The conversation faded into the sounds of small explosions and bubbling as they climbed the stairs to the upper levels of the tower. A few passing wizards exchanged greetings, and they eventually reached Robin’s private room set within the Mage Tower.

“Is Robin Alex’s talent truly that outstanding? Given that he has a private room in the upper level.”

“Well, he shows some talent, but it wouldn’t merit a private room in the upper level just yet. He’s more likely suited for a middle level at best.”

Catherine made a dissatisfied face, nodding toward the door. Karem took the hint and knocked.

Knock, knock, knock—

“You can’t tell me you feel the Duke’s presence?”

“Oh. Am I really?”

“Now that you mention it.”

“That old geezer’s just reading the room too much. That old man—so stubborn, he’s got the toughness of an ogre’s sinew.”

With a sharp click of her tongue, a line formed between Catherine’s brows.

Just as she was about to speak, they heard a response from inside.

“Is that you, Master Olivier?”

“That old geezer sent me instead because he had urgent business.”

“Atanitas?”

Creeeak—The door to the private room opened on its own without a sound.

At seeing that, Catherine raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm.”

“Is there a look suggesting it’s worth seeing in your eyes?”

“Right. He’s come to fully control his magic now.”

Robin’s workshop was vastly different from any of the other research rooms Karem had seen before. Granted, the only places he’d been were Catherine’s and Olivier’s, but the difference was striking.

In Catherine’s office, the place turned into chaos within a day.

Olivier’s private room was serene and orderly.

Robin’s workshop and private room seemed to be a compromise of the two, resembling a mix of both.

It was tidy, yet various bizarre curios, bubbling pots, and ingredients gave the room a mad wizard’s research vibe.

Robin stood in the center of the surprisingly spacious room.

“Did you come in place of the Master?”

“Yeah. You’ve made considerable progress in this short time.”

“Thank you for the compliment. Hello, Karem.”

Karem found himself unable to respond to that comment.

He understood it was rude, but anyone would feel that way.

On the table, an object that looked unmistakably like a modern microwave was sitting prominently.

 

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