The Unlucky Villainess Small Fief

Chapter 19

"Duke Suvvell, i shall come!" Ortezca declared, making Melody and Rudevich paused for a moment. "Really, my lady!?" Melody asked reproachfully. It was all thanks to Glen for changing her lady's decision!

"In one condition though" ortezca followed up which made Melody snapped back from her immediate happiness. "I am all ears," rudevich smiled. 

"While recuperating, I want to make negotiations about economics of this country."

"...what about my personal request?" Duke Suvvell asked. That measly negotiation is nothing to him. What he needed was a fiancee.

"That is not included in our conversation earlier though?" Ortezca asked without any hesitations. Duke Suvvell pursed his lips in a thin line. 

"All right. We will depart tomorrow early in the morning." Duke Suvvell said and went straight to the door. "Where are you going, your excellency?" Melody inquired. "I will walk around the village," then Rudevich closed the door.

Everything in the remote village was clad in pristine white. Though there were few children playing in snow and making something that seems to be something...what on earth are they doing exactly? Rudevich approached the children who seem to be busy building something. One girl was making a small ball when the tall boy was making a big ball of snow. "What are you doing?" Rudevich asked. "We are making a snowman. Ortez taught us how." "Oh? Did she made one for herself?" Rudevich took note of how the children called the village chief. "Yeah, it is just right beside the fence of the barn." The boy pointed towards the direction to the barn. True enough, it was there, along with a wooden bucket on top on its head, two small pebbles as eyes, and twigs as arms. "We want to build one too!" The little girl smiled. "Aren't you cold-" the duke was about to say something when the mother of two called for them to have snacks. "Coming!" The two replied and walked towards the house, leaving the duke with the unfinished snowman. He looked at the snowman by the fence once again, studying it, and then turned back to the unfinished snowman, and tried to get things done. It was already 6 pm but he could not get the head part done. The snow kept on falling. 

'Sigh. What am i doing with this??' Duke Rudevich blew steam to his gloved hands to gain some heat. He decided to try it once again when a voice reached out to him. "Duke?" It was Ortezca.

"Lady Holminne," Rudevich gathered his bearings and quickly put his hands in his coat's pockets.

"....it is no use hiding it, you know.... here take this." Ortezca said and handed him something warm. It was a heat pack. "How...this is my first time seeing this...where did you buy it?"the duke said as he placed the heat pack to his cheek. Ortezca walked towards the unfinished snowman and finished it without difficulty. "I could have finished it, there is no need for you to do that," the duke said. 'Says the man who can not get it done by 5 minutes...' Ortezca thought.

"...it is getting late...should we head back to the house?" Ortezca asked. Oh god, that sounded like a wife asking the husband to return with her in the house after a stroll.

"...yes, let us go back." The duke said.