VIP Chapter 287: The Half-Beastman Maid’s Winter (1)
Two more days passed.
What Will hadn’t expected was…
During this period of one week and two days, he hadn’t encountered Treya, nor had he encountered Shuna.
He also hadn’t seen Liya, who might have been released by her mother.
It was as if winter had quietly arrived, and they were quietly watching the heavy snow slowly fall, and quietly waiting for the land before them to be covered in white.
Will found it difficult to describe his current experience of “stagnation.”
He seemed to have been busy ever since he was born here, and this was his first week-long break.
But facing the gently falling snow, the other young girls who were doing who knew what, and his completely cut-off information sources.
He seemed to have no other recourse.
But for now, staying here wasn’t bad. He could enjoy a cup of Iaar’s hot black tea every day, read the few remaining books, and write down his thoughts and notes.
If there was any change…
It was because the “nearsightedness” in his left eye was cured in a strange way. He could only find the frame of a monocle with a layer of paint chipped off in the room and put his old nearsighted lenses into it.
Although he felt unaccustomed to it, and it looked like it would fall off at any moment, he wore it for now.
And then…
He could sleep while hugging Iaar’s warm tail!
A day passed leisurely like this…
…
Until one day, he pulled open the curtain and saw the sunlight and clear sky outside.
Although the ground was still covered in white snow, at least the blizzard had stopped.
“Young Master, the sky has cleared up!”
Iaar yawned, rubbing her eyes as she tidied her hair in front of the mirror.
“Yes. Why don’t we go out and see? Hmm… We need to replenish our supplies. Not to mention firewood, our food is also running low. I also have a place I want to visit.”
Iaar’s hand, which was near her hair, stopped.
In Will’s left eye, a strange pink aura appeared around her again.
“…Iaar, you… you don’t need Young Master…”
It was clear that she was once again afraid of “losing” him, afraid that if he left, she would no longer be needed.
Will had already figured it out.
Her sickly obsession was very easy to “guess.” The foolish little maid had never thought of “hiding” anything, and all her emotions were written on her face.
But her blatant craving for Will’s love and need, like a sweet trap, guided him to “respond.”
“Of course, we’re going together. I need you with me.”
“…Huh?”
“If I go alone, it will be difficult to bring back both firewood and food. Moreover, I estimate that I’ll be easily recognized, so it would be better for you to negotiate the purchase.”
“…Hmm?”
Iaar tilted her head, as if she hadn’t expected Will to give such an answer.
Will reached out, his hand sliding from where she was touching the stray hairs by her ear. He also prepared to caress her head.
“So it’s okay, let’s go.”
It was just that, upon touching Iaar’s hair like this…
He seemed to discover something that was different from before.
For example…
“Iaar, has your hair… grown a bit longer than before?”
In Will’s memory, Iaar always had short hair that reached her shoulders. Because her hair was a bit curly, it gave her a round, cute look.
But now…
Even though it hadn’t reached the “long hair to the waist” stage, her hair had basically reached the middle of her back in length.
It gave her a dignified, wife-like aura.
“Th-this…”
She looked flusteredly in the mirror, measuring her hair with her palm.
“It has indeed grown a lot.”
“Did Iaar’s short hair in the past require regular trims?”
“Yes. But actually, this time, it grew faster than I imagined…” Iaar clasped her hands in front of her chest, her ears constantly twitching, and her face turned a little red. Will could tell she was shy. “Perhaps… perhaps for a constitution like Iaar’s, if… if it entered its breeding season, it would… it would grow exceptionally fast… probably…”
She stammered through the explanation.
These reasons were also what she… she had secretly read in some books about the physical condition of Half-Beastmen.
Saying it like this… it was so embarrassing!
“Oh~! Is that so?”
“If Young Master doesn’t like it, I’ll find a hairdresser to cut it short when we go out today… Of course, I can do it myself, but I’m really afraid of doing it badly—”
Will didn’t wait for Iaar to finish. His finger slid down from her grown hair.
“I like it very much. Keep it as it is.”
Iaar pouted.
“Young Master really hasn’t changed. You always say things like ‘well done, keep it up’ without noticing. You’re just pretending to be a teacher who knows a lot!”
“No, this time it’s because I like it.”
“…! Let’s… let’s not talk about this for now. Let’s… let’s go to the nearby town for a walk…”
* * *
“Hoo… the snow has accumulated so thickly.”
He and Iaar were going out. They had to exit the main door of the house first, so they would pass through the small courtyard Iaar had tidied up.
Stepping on the thick snow on the ground, Will walked forward, leaving footprints one by one, as happily as a child seeing snow for the first time.
The snow was soft.
“Young Master, be careful not to slip.”
“It’s fine, see—”
Will spread his arms and confidently fell backward.
He just wanted to demonstrate that the snow was now deep enough that he wouldn’t get hurt even if he fell.
“Young Master!”
But…
The foolish, innocent, and straightforward Iaar didn’t give him the chance. The moment he leaned back, she supported his back, holding him firmly in her arms.
“Alright, Iaar protected Young Master from getting hurt.”
“I… I wanted to show you that actually… actually, the snow is very thick, and it won’t hurt to fall…”
“I… I’m sorry, then… then Iaar will let go now!”
“Wait—!”
*Thump.*
Unlike his intended backward fall, Will wasn’t prepared at all. As soon as Iaar let go, he fell into the snow.
“Young Master? How is it? Are you… really alright?”
Iaar’s head leaned closer, she looked worried, ready to pull him up at any moment.
“I’m not injured, but I was a little startled.”
Will scratched his head and sat up.
“Young Master, there’s still snow on your head.”
Just as Iaar was about to reach out, Will threw a snowball from his right hand, hitting her forehead.
“Mmph!?”
“Heh heh, didn’t expect that, did you?”
“Young Master—! Iaar will get revenge!”
“Alright, the last snowball fight… was four years ago, and you did lose.”
“That’s because you’re Young Master, Iaar held back! Otherwise, how could I, who is naturally skilled in ice magic, lose!”
“Then come on…”
Will probably didn’t expect it either.
After so many years, he still had the chance to have a snowball fight with the maid who had always accompanied him, in his former home.
Then…
To buy winter provisions in the nearby town with her after a long time.
To walk through the exceptionally fresh streets after the snow.
Finally…
To stop at the place that was most deeply etched in his memory…
In front of the tombstone engraved with the number “37,” which was now somewhat blurred. What had been a seemingly tall tombstone for a child back then now barely reached their knees.
In front of the tombstone of the pet he could never save, no matter how hard he tried.
