Ilyn turned to the two of them, who were struggling under the umbrella. The summer sun and the wind here were indeed scorching. It felt as if she had spent a long time in the winter region. And yet, it was fleeting. Time flowed without boredom. The warm breeze, saturated with humidity, had a peculiar charm.
“It seems like rain is coming soon.”
Ilyn gathered her long silver hair in her hands and spread it out behind her.
“Oh, if you ask for help in such a challenging situation, the master will surely reward you,” the startled gardener replied. Nevertheless, he seemed much better accustomed to the sun than the people from the winter region, who were unable to look at the sky properly due to its brightness.
“Have you been working under the sun for a long time?”
“I’ve been doing it for much less time than Miloni. Hmm… about seven years?”
The gardener earnestly answered, counting on his fingers. The girl smiled.
“And how is summer?”
It was a question of endurance. It might be too hot for someone from the winter region. Now that she thought about it, the people from the winter region who worked at the Acid Summit seemed incredibly tough. However, it didn’t seem too difficult compared to this place, perhaps because it was closer to the north, or maybe because they had been exposed to the sun from a very young age. Just as the girl was pondering this, the gardener replied.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Huh?”
The girl blinked. She had expected a response like “it’s tough” or “it’s worth it.” Instead, she felt as if she had received an unexpected blow. The gardener looked around the garden and continued,
“That’s why I became a gardener. Actually, I was envious of Miloni.”
With Ilyn, Etra’s gaze turned to the gardener. Even the stern Etra didn’t cast a reproachful look.
“Why?”
The gardener spoke with a face filled with memories.
“There are artificial roses blooming abundantly on that land.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“The winter locals, even if they are from Mille, probably don’t know that the name of that flower is rose. If I could see those sparkling petals twirling around the arch again, I would gladly visit Mille twice for Delrose.”
The gardener’s words trailed off as he realized the reality. Oops, he noticed Ilyn’s reaction and glanced at her.
“Well, nevertheless, Delrose is better. Yes.”
Clearly, this seemed like an added remark for the sake of politeness. Ilyn pretended not to understand and put her index finger to her lips.
“Hush.”
The gardener quickly looked around and raised his index finger, signaling for silence. Ilyn grinned.
“If you decorate this place more beautifully than Mille, I’ll forgive you.”
“Of course! Definitely!”
The gardener replied eagerly. Ilyn observed the sunny garden adorned with flowers she didn’t even know the names of. She never imagined there could be a Delrose garden with an abundance of flowers like this. Ilyn glanced briefly at the gardener. Despite Etra’s disapproving gaze, he seemed to genuinely enjoy his work, just like a true Delrose person would.
Well, if you lived in the middle of a snowfield like Delrose, you might envy Mille a little. What would it feel like to have flowers on a winter snowfield? Even if they weren’t real flowers, they would possess a unique beauty.
“Have you ever been to Elona Nose?”
Ilyn asked out of curiosity. Considering that not many people from Delrose would visit Mille, she asked just in case.
“Well, I haven’t been to Nose, but I have been to Ello.”
The gardener scratched his cheek again.
“It was a very enviable place. You didn’t need to light a fire, you know?”
Ilyn chuckled at his witty remark. The gardener, who laughed along with her, continued.
“That’s why I like this sunlight.” He gazed at the clouds floating in the clear sky.
“Do you think other winter people feel the same?”
In response to Ilyn’s question, the gardener lowered his gaze and looked at her.
“Winter folk?” There was affection in his words. He nodded vigorously.
“Yes. They will undoubtedly like it. The ones who live there will like it the most. More than the Ello folks, the ones who used to roll on the snowfields under the clouds. Wouldn’t they long for the sun more?” He laughed heartily.
Although he was from a winter background, contrary to Ilyn’s concerns, he seemed to enjoy the sunlit life. The gardener’s gaze returned to the sky. The clouds he was observing had drifted away, and new formations of clouds were approaching. The grayish winter sky had transformed into a bright light, as if it were a different sky altogether. The gardener knew, being a winter person himself. In the winter, people yearned for bright sunlight above all else. They longed for that enchanting light, once seen, never forgotten. The light of life that shone down from that vast expanse, bringing everyone’s shadows to the same place, with its mysterious and warm radiance
“Sunlight is a sign that the world is kind to us. Who could dislike it?” With a dazzling smile, the gardener looked up at the sky.
The sun was not solely dominated by Delrose’s grand mansions. Winter folk from other noble families had long held their presence under the sun. Of course, they didn’t possess high-ranking titles or expansive estates that drew much attention. Despite frequently venturing out during the winter, they never made inroads into high society. They had their own secluded haunts, where they either became the center of rumors or chose to remain on the fringes of society.
Yet they were not entirely oblivious to the outside world. The rumors they avidly collected often revolved around the Biflten household.
“Word has it that Delrose’s Knight Commander has graced the sun with his presence.”
The relationship between the Biflten and Delrose households was not inherently antagonistic. The Biflten scratched his head thoughtfully.
“He used to feign indifference toward the sun, but has he now developed an appetite for it?”
“I can’t say for certain…”
Ilyn turned to the two of them, who were struggling under the umbrella. The summer sun and the wind here were indeed scorching. It felt as if she had spent a long time in the winter region. And yet, it was fleeting. Time flowed without boredom. The warm breeze, saturated with humidity, had a peculiar charm.
“It seems like rain is coming soon.”
Ilyn gathered her long silver hair in her hands and spread it out behind her.
“Oh, if you ask for help in such a challenging situation, the master will surely reward you,” the startled gardener replied. Nevertheless, he seemed much better accustomed to the sun than the people from the winter region, who were unable to look at the sky properly due to its brightness.
“Have you been working under the sun for a long time?”
“I’ve been doing it for much less time than Miloni. Hmm… about seven years?”
The gardener earnestly answered, counting on his fingers. The girl smiled.
“And how is summer?”
It was a question of endurance. It might be too hot for someone from the winter region. Now that she thought about it, the people from the winter region who worked at the Acid Summit seemed incredibly tough. However, it didn’t seem too difficult compared to this place, perhaps because it was closer to the north, or maybe because they had been exposed to the sun from a very young age. Just as the girl was pondering this, the gardener replied.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Huh?”
The girl blinked. She had expected a response like “it’s tough” or “it’s worth it.” Instead, she felt as if she had received an unexpected blow. The gardener looked around the garden and continued,
“That’s why I became a gardener. Actually, I was envious of Miloni.”
With Ilyn, Etra’s gaze turned to the gardener. Even the stern Etra didn’t cast a reproachful look.
“Why?”
The gardener spoke with a face filled with memories.
“There are artificial roses blooming abundantly on that land.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“The winter locals, even if they are from Mille, probably don’t know that the name of that flower is rose. If I could see those sparkling petals twirling around the arch again, I would gladly visit Mille twice for Delrose.”
The gardener’s words trailed off as he realized the reality. Oops, he noticed Ilyn’s reaction and glanced at her.
“Well, nevertheless, Delrose is better. Yes.”
Clearly, this seemed like an added remark for the sake of politeness. Ilyn pretended not to understand and put her index finger to her lips.
“Hush.”
The gardener quickly looked around and raised his index finger, signaling for silence. Ilyn grinned.
“If you decorate this place more beautifully than Mille, I’ll forgive you.”
“Of course! Definitely!”
The gardener replied eagerly. Ilyn observed the sunny garden adorned with flowers she didn’t even know the names of. She never imagined there could be a Delrose garden with an abundance of flowers like this. Ilyn glanced briefly at the gardener. Despite Etra’s disapproving gaze, he seemed to genuinely enjoy his work, just like a true Delrose person would.
Well, if you lived in the middle of a snowfield like Delrose, you might envy Mille a little. What would it feel like to have flowers on a winter snowfield? Even if they weren’t real flowers, they would possess a unique beauty.
“Have you ever been to Elona Nose?”
Ilyn asked out of curiosity. Considering that not many people from Delrose would visit Mille, she asked just in case.
“Well, I haven’t been to Nose, but I have been to Ello.”
The gardener scratched his cheek again.
“It was a very enviable place. You didn’t need to light a fire, you know?”
Ilyn chuckled at his witty remark. The gardener, who laughed along with her, continued.
“That’s why I like this sunlight.” He gazed at the clouds floating in the clear sky.
“Do you think other winter people feel the same?”
In response to Ilyn’s question, the gardener lowered his gaze and looked at her.
“Winter folk?” There was affection in his words. He nodded vigorously.
“Yes. They will undoubtedly like it. The ones who live there will like it the most. More than the Ello folks, the ones who used to roll on the snowfields under the clouds. Wouldn’t they long for the sun more?” He laughed heartily.
Although he was from a winter background, contrary to Ilyn’s concerns, he seemed to enjoy the sunlit life. The gardener’s gaze returned to the sky. The clouds he was observing had drifted away, and new formations of clouds were approaching. The grayish winter sky had transformed into a bright light, as if it were a different sky altogether. The gardener knew, being a winter person himself. In the winter, people yearned for bright sunlight above all else. They longed for that enchanting light, once seen, never forgotten. The light of life that shone down from that vast expanse, bringing everyone’s shadows to the same place, with its mysterious and warm radiance
“Sunlight is a sign that the world is kind to us. Who could dislike it?” With a dazzling smile, the gardener looked up at the sky.
The sun was not solely dominated by Delrose’s grand mansions. Winter folk from other noble families had long held their presence under the sun. Of course, they didn’t possess high-ranking titles or expansive estates that drew much attention. Despite frequently venturing out during the winter, they never made inroads into high society. They had their own secluded haunts, where they either became the center of rumors or chose to remain on the fringes of society.
Yet they were not entirely oblivious to the outside world. The rumors they avidly collected often revolved around the Biflten household.
“Word has it that Delrose’s Knight Commander has graced the sun with his presence.”
The relationship between the Biflten and Delrose households was not inherently antagonistic. The Biflten scratched his head thoughtfully.
“He used to feign indifference toward the sun, but has he now developed an appetite for it?”
“I can’t say for certain…”
