Chapter 54 - Love in Winter
My footsteps, which were without footprints on the white snow, ended right before the figure of a girl approaching my twin step-sister, who was having a snowball fight.
The actions she did were careless.
Especially with her brave attitude, which ignored Alyssa's giant snow golem and Alice snow castle who attract attention.
"Excuse me, this place is too dangerous for a girl who is walking towards a snowball war that my twin step-sister doing right now," I said while sinking the soles of my feet into the white snow. My footsteps that previously left no traces and the aura of existence as thin as the wind had appeared.
The girl turned towards me with her eyes that looked at my body from top to bottom as if looking for something.
"Is there something strange inside my body?" I asked after seeing the girl staring at me intently.
Ignoring the snowball war that was starting to get out of control, I wanted to immediately take her to a safe place out of reach of my twin step-sister's snowball wars.
"Lily! You finally came home!" shouted the girl I didn't know.
The girl whose name I didn't know immediately ran towards me and jumped towards my body.
Baaaghh...
"Aahh... warm and softness! This is a real human body of Lily! Not a doll made as fake figure of Lily!"
I received the blow of the girl's body that jumped towards my body.
The touch of her body that began to grope my body made me want to immediately hit her body with a light punch but stopped after seeing a small crown on her head.
There is only one person who has the courage to wear a small crown in winter like this. A symbol of the highest hierarchy of the highest ruler who holds control of the kingdom.
I don't want to do a quiz to guess someone's name.
So I will call her directly with a formal call without mentioning her nickname.
"Princess, what are you doing in a place like this?" I asked in a tone as polite as possible without offending her feelings who was hugging my body.
My question seemed very futile.
That was because this girl's head suddenly went down to my breasts which had grown quite a bit to form a curve of flesh that could make her head lean on.
"Kuuhaaa!! These breasts that are starting to grow make me want to keep hugging them. Hey, Lily, want to go home to the Royal Palace with me so I can feel the softness of your growing breasts?"
Ugh, a lewd question came out of her mouth.
This behavior looked free. It seemed like I had felt this familiar feeling. A family that didn't care about their high status in the Aurora Kingdom. Like a Mother and Daughter who had the same nature as this.
"No, thank you for the offer. Can you let go of your hug from my breasts? It feels very strange to see a Princess laying her head on my growing breasts," I replied while trying to stay calm and holding my fist from hitting her head.
"Hey, what's with that tone of voice? We haven't seen each other for seven years and we meet again with this much awkwardness?" she replied while releasing her head from my breasts.
"We should get to know each other again after a long time of not seeing each other."
"Uh, you are right, Lily. Sorry for showing my ugly side that doesn't look like one of the Princesses of the Aurora Kingdom."
The Princess tidied up her clothes that were covered by snowflakes.
Her small crown that sparkled under the white snow made me want to hear her identity which was similar to the Queen of the Aurora Kingdom.
The Princess bowed her body by pushing aside her thick skirt in the winter. Her body that bent down and showed off her graceful body made me realize her identity as Princess Anastasia.
"Nice to meet you again, Lily Schwartz De Rommel. My name is Anastasia Rio. One of the Princesses of the Aurora Kingdom who has no political power because my duties will conflict with all that."
"I am the one who is happy to meet you again, Princess Anastasia. This is our first meeting after seven years of not seeing each other. Before we talk further, can we move to a safe place? Because my twin stepsister seems like will use some terrifying advanced magic for a snow war like this."
I returned the polite greeting by bowing my head in a curtsy.
"Yes, that is a very good idea. Would you like to visit my temporary tent as I await the return of Marquess Rommel's family from vacation?" Princess Anastasia asked, extending her hand to me.
This extending warm hand...
Should I accept it?
My relationship with Princess Anastasia is limited to her mother who is the Queen of the Aurora Kingdom as my pet.
Accepting her hand would make me have the same status as Princess Anastasia's close friend. I don't have much memory of her before my family went on a seven-year vacation.
"Uhm, is something wrong, Lily? You've been staring at my hand for too long. Is there dirt on my hand?" Princess Anastasia pulled her hand away and examined her hand which was not protected by gloves.
In winter like this, going outside without wearing gloves would make your hands freeze and turn red from the cold.
"Princess, you are careless. If you get sick, then the cute pet that I left for seven years without giving any news will be worried about you," I said jokingly to Princess Anastasia.
Honestly, it was a rude thing to say to the Queen of the Aurora Kingdom.
But I didn't care about that because the fact was that the Queen of the Aurora Kingdom was my pet.
"Are you worried about me, Lily?" Rubbing her hands which were red from the cold, Princess Anastasia tried to get closer to me.
When she was close to me, I could feel the sunlight shining through the winter snow.
The sparkle of the light radiated warmth from the changes of winter that wanted to pass.
"Yes, I was worried if I had to bring you back to the Royal Palace when you were sick."
"Ah, I'm glad you're being more considerate of me."
"Because I didn't want to visit you when you were sick, Princess Anastasia."
Stabb… Stabb…
"Lily… somehow my heart hurts when you say things like that."
"Forgive me, Princess Anastasia. It's an old habit of mine to immediately reject someone's invitation."
"Please don't give me that answer for rejection like that, it feels very painful like being dumped after expressing your love for someone."
"Is there anyone who dares to reject your love, Princess Anastasia?"
Hearing my answer, Princess Anastasia smiled softly at me.
That look in her eyes…
I could feel a bad feeling about it.
I immediately wanted to leave Princess Anastasia with my twin step-sisters who were having a snow war after feeling this bad feeling.
"Fufu... Lily..."
"I love you... please be my soulmate to control the Aurora Kingdom from the stupidity of noble familys."
With that innocent smile, Princess Anastasia said those words.
Baaamm!!
Daanngg!!
"Onee-sama!!"
"Lily-nee!!"
Alice and Alyssa who had been having a snow war using magic formation chants suddenly slid towards my body.
By pulling my body into their embrace, I was locked by their movements like a Princess protected by her soldiers when attacked by an intruder.
"I don't know who you are. If you want to take Onee-sama from my life, you better get ready to feel the hell of magic destruction from me!" Alice emitted her fiery magic energy from her body, it was fire elemental magic that was triggered to penetrate the winter with hot flames.
"You sure have a lot of guts to say those words right in front of me. Even though you have a higher noble status than us thanks to your crown, wouldn't it be a waste if your head was cut off and dropped the crown that no longer has the power of noble status?"
Those terrifying words came from Alyssa.
My twin step-sisters with their full strength looked like cats trying to bully a small bird that had fallen and was trying to fly high to escape their dominance.
The overflowing magical energy emitted by Alice and Alyssa had grown rapidly compared to when they were five years old.
Thick and heavy magical energy wafted out from their bodies.
The purity of their magical energy was visible on my eyes because of my sensitivity to sensing traces of magic.
"Alice… Alyssa… can you both suppress the magical energy that is leaking out from within your bodies?" I said to straighten out the situation that had suddenly heated up like this.
Winter was almost over and was replaced by a heated conflict like this.
Wouldn't that feel very strange?
I don't want the neutral relationship that has existed between the Marquess Rommel family and the royal family to turn into an enemy.
Twiitchh...
Twiittchhh...
I immediately pulled Alice and Alyssa's cheeks.
"Alice..."
"Alyssa..."
Twiitcchh...
Twiitcchh...
Because I pulled their cheeks suddenly, it made the surge of magical energy from within their bodies subside and disappear.
"Princess Anastasia, can you not make such a joke? You almost became a victim of my sensitive twin step-sister's prank when they heard someone confess their love to me."
I saw Princess Anastasia standing still and a small tremor from her legs.
Her unblinking eyes looked like she was afraid and couldn't move.
"I knew it would be like this. As a form of my responsibility, I have to do this."
Leaving the embrace given by Alice and Alyssa, I immediately carried Princess Anastasia who was standing in fear after seeing the overflow of pure magic energy from my twin step-sister.
With gentle movements, I started to carry Princess Anastasia who was leaning on both of my arms like a princess-style carry.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"O-Onee-sama… isn't that too much? I can't accept seeing Onee-sama like this!"
"No, Lily-nee! Don't carry that cunning cat!"
I ignored my twin step-sister while heading towards my family who were setting up the emergency tent.