6
“All that hard work for nine points? I just think that’s strange…”
“Lia—maybe the assignment was just too difficult for you and Betty,” Puck consoled her. “How should I put this… It was hard to identify the artistic points in your snow sculptures.”
Emilia and Puck were in the front garden after the snow festival, and all the village attendees had gone home. Emilia’s cheeks were puffed out in indignation as she stood by the snow sculpture of Puck she had made. Beside her was the snow sculpture of Puck Beatrice had made. They received scores of nine and seven, respectively, which was mostly explained by the many omitted details in their works.
It could be said that evaluating the avant-garde snow sculptures properly was beyond what humans were capable of.
“But Subaru really is a bottomless well of random knowledge, isn’t he,” Emilia said. “You could never have a snow festival near the Elior Forest.”
“Yes, it only has appeal in an area that doesn’t see much snow,” Puck said. “If you live in a place where snow is a burden rather than a joy, you wouldn’t even think to have a festival for it.”
“Huh, is that why…? Yeah, you may be right.”
Emilia nodded in understanding as she walked around the empty exhibit under the night sky. Thanks to Subaru’s idea of using a snow festival to help Puck control his magicking season, Puck’s Odo had reached stable levels. The bitter cold of the past few days would be completely gone by the morning.
“But when that happens, these snow sculptures will melt away. So many works of art… It really feels like a waste.”
“Well, that’s snow for you. It doesn’t last forever. It is what it is.”
Emilia noticed a catch in Puck’s voice but didn’t point it out. She just stopped mid-path among the snow statues and gazed at the twinkling stars. And in the icy-cold air, the stars hung, beholding the snow sculptures below.
“I really am sorry you and Betty and everybody else at the mansion didn’t win,” Puck said.
“Well, that girl’s snow bunny was really good. Roswaal and the village head were downright smitten with it…and Subaru was surprisingly quiet. I wonder what that was all about.”
“I’ll just say no comment,” Puck said. “But I really did want to learn more about the luxury prize.”
“Me too. That thing from Subaru’s hometown…what was it again? A cornpota? Was that its name?”
The grand prize for the snow festival was a mystery item Subaru had been holding onto for a while. It contained strange letters and pictures in rows and came in a bag with a peculiar texture—the contents were apparently edible, but it was a little unsettling.
Incidentally, while this was happening, Petra was eating the exquisite corn potage–flavored snack and reveling in its deliciousness…but that’s a story for another time.
“You know, I probably should have consulted Subaru first thing when the problem arose. I could have avoided so much worrying.”
“True, true,” Puck agreed. “But you shouldn’t run to others at the first sign of any problem—that’s not the kind of daughter I raised. Even if it feels beyond you, you need to try to figure it out on your own. Okay?”
“Yes, yes. I know.”
Emilia giggled, and Puck stroked his chin with an “Atta girl.” Then a faint silence flowed between them until Emilia suddenly broke it. “Hey—do you remember what Subaru said at the end of the snow festival?”
“If you have magicking season again next year, let’s have another snow festival. Most people would be put off by the idea, but if anybody can turn magicking season into a raucous good time, he can.”
“That quality of Subaru…I find it to be really…you know.”
“Yup. I do.”
If Subaru were present, he would have sulked at the pair’s use of innuendo to leave him out of the conversation. It was a conversation that only people who had spent years together as a family could understand.
“Next year…” Emilia remarked thoughtfully. “That’s too far in the future for me to even imagine what my life might be like.”
“I hope everything turns out the way you want, Lia—regardless of whether or not Subaru can really have his way.”
“Puck…are you against having a snow festival?”
“Not at all. I had a good time, and I think you did too. But…I’m not sure that when next year rolls around, Subaru will still be happy to be by your side, Lia.”
Emilia held her breath as Puck’s words sank into her. Her position weighed heavily upon her. She didn’t have the liberty of making decisions lightly. Even the environment she lived in might be drastically different one year from then.
And the idea of trapping that kindhearted boy in the vortex with her made Emilia feel incredibly guilty.
“The wound on his belly and the bite wound from the demon beast—every wound inflicted on him is the result of your actions, Lia. I know you wouldn’t be the sort to forget that, but you must always keep this in mind.”
“—I know.”
Though Puck spoke in a lighthearted voice, his words were anything but light to Emilia. She nodded solemnly, and Puck washed his face in silence. Then, looking at the snow sculptures near Emilia, he said, “But I do hope we can have a snow festival again next year.”
“ ”
“Because it would mean I pent up enough mana to have a magicking season, and only Subaru would run a snow festival.”
In other words, a snow festival the following year would mean Emilia made it safely through the year, and Subaru Natsuki was still living at Roswaal Manor.
“Yes…yes, you’re right—I hope we have a snow festival next year, too.”
Puck’s unexpected sentiment made Emilia nod and smile. Puck stroked his chin in satisfaction with his beloved daughter’s smile—an ominous fear smoldering secretly in his heart all the while.
Would there be a snow festival next year? And would he be able to keep the provisions required for it for the next year? Emilia’s safety, Subaru’s safety—as well as Puck’s own safety and several other factors—
Over the past few months, several significant transformations had taken shape. How much influence would these changes have in the near future—
“Puck—is something wrong?”
Emilia tilted her head anxiously at Puck’s solemn facade. His ears immediately perked to console her as he said, “Hmm? Oh, I’m fine. Just wondering if we’re going back to our normal warm weather tomorrow.”
“Oh, you know, that’s a good question. Subaru and Ram might even complain about it again.”
Oblivious to Puck’s worries, Emilia turned her concerns to the coming morrow as if it were an ordinary day. And as Puck observed his sincere, beloved daughter’s diligence, his tail quietly danced in the air.
And he let his worries of what might happen before the next snow festival remain unspoken.
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