Chapter 230 - Norn's Little Love Song, Part Two

The third day after returning to the Asura Royal Capital.

The snow had finally stopped.

The weather was still bitterly cold, but the streets had grown lively again.

I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the manuscript paper spread out in front of me. The quill hovered in midair. I hadn't written a single word in half the day.

Because I simply couldn't calm my mind.

"Hah..."

I let out a sigh and slumped face-first onto the desk.

The material gathering was finished. Logically, this was the time to buckle down and write. But for some reason, my thoughts kept drifting.

Like, what is Ruijerd doing right now?

The moment that thought surfaced, I sat bolt upright.

"No no no."

I slapped both hands against my cheeks and muttered to myself.

"Work seriously, Norn!"

The very next second, a knock came from outside the door.

"Norn."

Low. Familiar. From right beyond the door.

My whole body went rigid.

...Why now of all times!

"P-please come in!"

The door opened, and Ruijerd walked in. He was wearing his usual dark long coat. A faint trace of the outside cold still clung to his shoulders.

"Are you working?"

"I was just about to start!"

I straightened up immediately, doing my best to look diligent.

Even though the manuscript paper on the desk was still completely blank.

Ruijerd glanced at the desk. He was quiet for 2 seconds.

"...I see."

Why does it feel like he already saw right through me?

I coughed twice and quickly changed the subject.

"So — was there something you needed?"

"Mm." He nodded. "There are no plans for today."

"And?"

"The escort work is also temporarily finished."

He paused.

Then looked at me.

"You mentioned before that you wanted to see the town."

I blinked.

Then remembered, 2 days ago at dinner, I had said it offhandedly.

[It's been so long since I've strolled around the Asura capital,]

...He remembered that?

Why is he so sharp about the strangest things...

"Ah — yeah... I did say that..."

"Then shall we go?"

He asked it so naturally. As if he were saying, [Shall we have dinner?].

But my brain had already started short-circuiting.

Wait. Hold on.

An invitation?

Going out, just the two of us?

With Ruijerd?

...Isn't this a date?!

I had invited Ruijerd out plenty of times before for material research, and those were just the two of us too, but this was different. This time, he was the one inviting me.

The first time ever.

My ears started burning.

Ruijerd's brow furrowed slightly. "Norn, are you feeling unwell?"

"N-no, not at all!"

I shot to my feet.

"I'll go! Of course I'll go!"

My voice came out louder than I intended. I startled even myself.

The air went still for 2 seconds.

Ruijerd nodded slowly. "Mm."

...Why am I the only one who's nervous here!

--------

Half an hour later, we walked side by side down the streets of the Royal Capital.

The air after the snow was crisp and cold, but the shops were busy. A little dessert stall kept releasing waves of sweet cream fragrance. Merchants were still clearing away the last of the snow. Out in the square, a few children were building a snowman.

I stole a glance at Ruijerd beside me.

Tall. Silent. Impossible to miss.

Plenty of people along the street were sneaking looks at him. But unlike before, there was almost no fear left in those eyes. What I saw now was curiosity, respect, even admiration.

Then a few children came sprinting over, eyes wide.

"It really is Lord Ruijerd!"

"Hello!"

"I want to become a warrior someday too!"

Ruijerd looked down at them. A beat of silence, then a single nod.

"Mm. Do your best."

Same as always.

He was already being treated like a hero, and he still didn't quite know how to handle it.

The children were absolutely delighted.

"He responded to me!"

"So amazing!"

"I'm telling Dad!"

I watched them run off, still smiling.

"Are you happy?"

"Mm. Who would have thought things would end up like this."

"You deserve it, Mr. Ruijerd. You worked hard."

"........Mm. Thank you, Norn. And your brother too."

"My brother's not here~ No need to bring him up right now."

"Mm."

We wandered without any particular destination.

Then a wave of sweetness hit the air, and I stopped without thinking.

A newly opened dessert shop, right there on the street. The display window held freshly baked apple pies, steam still curling off the surface.

...That smells incredible.

I stared for a few seconds.

Then forced myself to look away.

No. I already had dessert today. I don't want to gain weight, it's not like I've been exercising. I just have to control myself.

"Boss."

I blinked.

Turned around.

Ruijerd was already standing at the stall. "Apple pie, two servings."

"Coming right up!"

Wait,

"Ruijerd?" I stared at him.

"Hm?"

"You're... eating two servings by yourself?"

He looked down at me. "You were staring at them. I thought you wanted some."

"That was just looking! I already had dessert —"

"You're too thin. Eat more."

"Really?"

"Mm. It's not healthy."

"Don't lie to me..."

"Mm. Just eat."

The stall owner handed over the pies. Steam rose slowly from the bags. The sweetness spread through the cold air, and Ruijerd passed one to me without ceremony.

"Here."

I took the paper bag. Even through it I could feel the warmth.

"...Thank you."

"Mm."

He was as calm as always.

But something in my chest went quietly warm. Like the pie sitting in my hands.

After that we kept wandering. I took him to a lot of places, a shop I used to visit often, a little stall selling old maps. Eventually we ended up inside a bookstore.

We stood in the corner, peeking at the shelf that held my novels.

I'm confident, obviously. I'm the most widely read novelist in the entire Asura Kingdom.

Still, I couldn't help wanting to hear what people said when they were actually buying.

"Ah! Lady Norn has a new book out!"

"That one's from half a year ago. I heard the new one is almost on the shelves."

"Half a year ago?! Why are the updates getting slower? Did she make enough money and decide to quit?"

"Who knows. Either way, Lady Norn just keeps writing about her Ruijerd."

"That's nonsense. She wrote about Lord Rudeus before too."

"That's her brother! You can't exactly skip writing a book for your own brother. Besides, Lord Rudeus's story is clearly more exciting than Ruijerd's."

"What did you just say?! You clearly haven't understood the Biography of Ruijerd at all!"

"Heh. Someone like you — only likes Ruijerd because Lady Norn's first book happened to be about him — I can't even have this conversation with you."

"What did you just say?!"

"The fact is, if not for Lord Rudeus, Ruijerd would still be getting nowhere."

"You can't know that. He would've found his own way!"

"If the novel is accurate, he should have found a way hundreds of years ago!"

I listened to the two of them argue, tugged at the corner of my mouth, and steered Ruijerd out of the bookstore.

-------

Sigh.

A gust of cold wind hit me the moment we stepped outside, and I scrunched my neck down into my collar instinctively.

Then something soft landed on my shoulders.

I looked up.

Ruijerd had taken off his own scarf and draped it over me.

"Don't catch a cold."

He said it completely naturally.

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait.

Isn't that a little too gentle?!

My ears went hot in an instant. I swear the air around me got warmer.

Ruijerd's brow furrowed slightly. "Norn, you've been acting strange all day."

"I have not!"

"Is that so?"

"Absolutely not!"

I turned around and walked ahead quickly, not daring to look at him.

My heart was a complete mess.

Why am I the only one who gets affected by this stuff!

But halfway down the block, I noticed something.

Ruijerd had been walking on the outside the entire time. Every time someone passed us, he'd shift to block them, almost without thinking. Even when a carriage rolled by, he'd already be watching for it, always between me and the road.

He'd been looking out for me the whole time.

The thought made me smile.

And just then, his low voice came from behind me.

"Norn."

"Hm?"

"Today..."

He paused, as if working out how to say it.

"It feels a little different from the escort missions."

"Eh?"

He was frowning, that look he gets when he's genuinely turning something over in his head.

"I can't quite put it into words. But...

it doesn't feel like a mission."

The wind drifted through the street, soft and cold. I stared at him.

He looked completely serious. Like he hadn't even registered what he'd just said.

"Mr. Ruijerd."

"Hm?"

"You weren't a guard today~"

--------

We kept walking, slow and unhurried, as the sun started to sink.

Orange light pooled across the snow, and the whole street looked like it had been dipped in something warm. Shops along the road began lighting their lamps. The smell of dinner drifted through the air.

That's when I realized, we'd been out for nearly the entire afternoon.

I stole another glance at Ruijerd.

He caught me looking.

"What is it?"

"Nothing~"

Lively noise reached us from the square. A winter market had set up there, vendors packed together, someone selling mulled wine, someone else turning meat skewers over a fire. A bard sat on the street corner, playing a lute.

My eyes lit up. "So lively!"

"Shall we go take a look?"

"Mm!"

We walked in together.

Almost immediately, a stall caught my eye. It was loaded with wood carvings, animals, magical beasts, and rows of small Superd Race warrior figurines.

I picked one up. It had green hair.

I couldn't help laughing. "This one looks a bit like you."

Ruijerd looked down at it. A beat of silence.

"It's not as tall as me. And my muscles look more solid than that."

"Is that really the point?"

The stall owner burst out laughing. "Hahaha, you two really get along, don't you!"

The air went quiet for exactly 1 second.

"Eh?"

"Ah, to be young." The stall owner shook his head, smiling. "Couples with a relationship like yours, you don't see that much anymore."

Couple,?!

My mind went completely blank.

My face caught fire.

"N-no! We're not,"

Before I could finish, Ruijerd spoke first.

"Sorry."

My heart dropped.

Right. Of course he'd deny it.

Then Ruijerd said, perfectly serious:

"We aren't that kind of relationship yet."

...Yet?

The stall owner blinked, then broke into a slow, knowing smile.

"I see, I see~ Ah, to be young."

I couldn't get a single word out.

Ruijerd, for his part, noticed nothing off about the atmosphere whatsoever. He just turned back to the carving and studied it.

"But it does look somewhat like me."

"Stop analyzing that!"

I finally couldn't hold it in. People nearby turned to look.

I wanted to disappear.

Ruijerd's brow creased. "Norn."

"What!"

"Your face is very red."

"Shut up!"

By the time we left the square, the sky had gone fully dark. The street lamps were coming on one by one. The Royal Capital after the snow was quieter, but still beautiful.

I still hadn't recovered.

Especially from those words.

[We aren't that kind of relationship yet.]

They kept circling in my head.

...What does that even mean. Does he know what he said? If he doesn't, then why would he say it? And if he does,

"Norn."

"...Hm?"

"Were you happy today?"

I stopped walking.

Snowflakes drifted from the eaves above, slow and soft. Warm lamplight lay across the street. Ruijerd stood quietly at my side, looking at me. No edge to it, none of the sharpness from battle, none of the weight he carries when facing an enemy. Just that steady, patient gaze.

Waiting.

I smiled.

"Mm. Very happy."

Ruijerd nodded once, and said quietly:

"That's good."

Same calm voice as always.

But my chest went warm all the way through.

Right then, I made up my mind.

I'm going to find a chance to tell Ruijerd how I feel.

➤ Next: Norn's Little Love Song, Part Three