Street Mouse [Yandere Archduke x Female Reader]

15. Luccia's Harvest.

The golden days of Y/N's first summer at the castle passed in a blur of mountain sunshine, and laughter. Now the days were starting to shorten, and the leaves on the many trees were changing from deep green to an assortment of vibrant firey colors. The sun still shone warmly, but there was a nip in every breeze that blew, signaling that fall had arrived.

Y/N awoke one fine autumn morning to find that she had overslept. The little girl hurried to pull on an olive-colored overdress and slide her stockinged feet into the simple leather shoes that had been given to her several weeks after she first arrived.

She finished getting dressed and quickly scurried down the hallway to the kitchen, hoping that she would still have time for a decent breakfast. Entering the kitchen, Y/N found that Tola had made a small plate with two cooked eggs for her. She sat at the table in the middle of the kitchen and began eating her meal while Tola bustled around the kitchen, preparing what looked like some kind of lunch.

"What are you making?" Y/N asked, remembering to swallow her food before speaking.

"That's not for ya to be knowin,'" Tola said, with a hint of mischief. "Now hurry and eat yar breakfast."

Y/N continued to eat her breakfast, but she couldn't help her immense curiosity at what Tola was being so secretive about. After she finished washing her dish, she sat down on the small stool at the table. It had become a habit for Tola to brush the little girl's hair after she had her breakfast.

Like always Tola came over and started to comb through Y/N's H/C locks. She hummed a little tune as she worked, and soon she had finished. She tied a large white bow in the back to finish. The housekeeper had only just returned to her work when there was a gentle knock on the kitchen door.

Tola hurried to place the last of the food in the basket, then she wrapped it all up in a cloth. "Come in!" She called to the person on the other side of the door.

The door was pushed open to reveal the Archduke clad in a moss-colored waistcoat and tall leather hiking boots.

Tola swiftly crossed the kitchen, and handed the basket to him, Frosino gave her a nod of thanks before he turned his attention to Y/N and held out his hand to her.

"Come," he called gently. "I have canceled your lessons for the day. It will soon be turning cold, and it would be a shame to miss out on such fine weather."

Y/N walked over to him, still intrigued by the basket. "What are we doing today?" She questioned.

"I thought that the two of us would go for a walk in the forest and have a picnic," Frosino answered as he led the little girl out of the kitchen and across the sunny courtyard. As the pair crossed through the large gates, Y/N couldn't help but feel nervous at the thought of entering that forest again.

She came to a halt as soon as they reached the other side. The main road stretched out in front of her, but Frosino was leading the way down a smaller footpath that entered into the thick firey trees. Y/N was frozen with fear at the thought of entering those woods again, terrified that she would get lost again.

Frosino, noting the girl's absence, looked back to see that she was still standing on the main road. He turned back and went to her. Once he reached her, he crouched down so that he could look her in the eyes. "Don't worry about getting lost again," Frosino told her as he offered his hand to her. "I will hold your hand if you want, to make sure that it doesn't happen."

Feeling a relieved smile wash over her face, Y/N reached out, and grabbed Frosino's hand, and linked her small fingers with his.

. . .

The two wandered, hand-in-hand through the forest admiring the beautiful scenery for a while. The bright sun shone on the leaves, luminating them in yellows, oranges, and reds. The wind which was a bit chilly rustled through the branches.

They eventually came to a small incline, walking up to it, the two found that at the top there was a clearing, free of all trees, except for one small one. The lookout point looked out upon the rest of the forest and the lower parts of the mountain, and far in the distance, the village could be seen.

"Well," Frosino began as he gazed around them, looking at the gorgeous environment. "I could not imagine a better picnic spot than this one." He took the blanket from the basket, and laid it on the ground. He then beckoned Y/N to come and sit down.

"Let us see what Tola packed us for lunch, shall we?" Frosino asked as he began to unpack the basket. He took out two neatly wrapped sandwiches, and two apples. He handed a sandwich to Y/N and set down the apples on the blanket.

The two ate in silence for a while, simply enjoying the ambiance of nature. After they had nearly finished eating, Frosino said, "look, you can see the village from here. Even though I can't tell at this distance, I imagine that the decorations for Luccia's Harvest are beautiful."

"They are!" Y/N agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically. "Haven't you ever been down in the village for a harvest festival?"

"No, I haven't," Frosino said, gazing with a forlorn longing at the small mountain town beneath them. "In fact, I have only been down in that village once, the day I met you. Other then that day, I have spent my whole life here, in the mountains."

"But that must have been so lonely!" Y/N exclaimed.

"Yes, indeed it was," Frosino agreed as he continued to stare at the scenery. "Especially after mother and father died." He let the silence fall for a bit before he finished his thought, "life truly has been so much more exciting since you arrived. I am glad that you did."

"Well, of course, you are," Y/N said cheekily.

Frosino pinched her nose affectionately, and laughed at her words. "When is your birthday?" Frosino asked out of the blue. "I should like to do something for you when it comes around."

Y/N screwed up her whole face in concentration as she thought about the question. After a couple of minutes, she said: "I don't remember. I know that I am eight years old, but it's been so long since I had the chance to celebrate my birthday, that I can't remember when it is."

The Archduke chuckled at her statement and ruffled her hair, amused by her embarrassed face. "Well," he began, still with a smile on his face. "How about we make the day that you arrived here with us your birthday; the day of the first spring market."

Y/N grinned up at him, and nodded her head vigorously in agreement.

"It's settled then," Frosino declared, rising to his feet. "It would be best if we return to Castle de Crivell before it gets dark. Come, let us see if we can find some mushrooms for Tola on our way back."

"Ok," Y/N agreed, reaching up to grab Frosino's hand as the two of them began to way back along the wooded trail together.

A/N

Oh my goodness, these characters are just too cute for words! ≥~≤

So as you have probably noticed, this story is moving much slower the most in the genre. That is because even though this story has all the elements of gore and obsession that a normal yandere book does, it is slowed down to the point that it takes years for the yandere to fully develop.

I hope that you can be patient with the plot of the story, and enjoy the change of pace.

Until next time I'll see you on the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~