Side Story 4-3: It’s snowing? That’s right! The flowers are also blooming! (3)

Raon rubbed his eyes with his paws.

He then scrunched his eyes. However, his eyes kept closing.

"Mm."

Raon raised his head. The single magic light seemed like it had turned into two.

"…Eek!"

Raon became shocked and rubbed his mouth.

He was drooling.

Swish, swish!

Raon looked around in shock. He knew that nobody else was in this basement laboratory, but it would have been embarrassing if someone had seen him drooling and dozing off.

"Ahem. Hem!"

Raon let out some fake coughs and slightly shook his head.

'I just need to do a little more!'

Raon recalled how Cale had told him he needed to eat and sleep well in a rare serious tone, but he chose to push that thought aside for now.

Swoooooooosh-

Raon caused a small breeze with his mana. White snowflakes started appearing inside the breeze one after another. A smile appeared on Raon's face.

"…Pretty..."

This snowy breeze felt much softer and fluffier than earlier. Raon subconsciously gasped in awe.

Blink blink.

However, his eyelids were not listening to him.

Raon had gone to sleep at his bedtime pretty much every night since Cale started his slacker life vacation at this residence other than when he was out looking at the stars.

Maybe that was the reason, but even this great and mighty Dragon could not keep his eyelids from closing down.

"N, no...…"

Raon shouted, 'No,' but his round head kept nodding off and lowering.

Swoooooooosh-

The snow breeze slowly disappeared as well.

Raon, who was seated on Rosalyn's chair, scrunched his eyes.

Flash flash.

The magic light was oddly flashing.

Was it about to turn off? That blinking light felt oddly distant to Raon.

"I…need to, do it-"

Raon closed his eyes as he mumbled.

'Only for a little bit. I'm only going to close my eyes for a little bit!'

He then sunk into the cozy darkness.

It was only for an instant.

Raon was certain that it had not been long since he closed his eyes.

"Eek!"

However, he couldn't help but open his eyes in shock.

Honestly speaking, his eyes didn't open very easily. His eyelids didn't move very well and felt as if they were swollen. His vision was blurry.

"Eek!"

However, Raon realized that something was weird.

He felt his body slightly shaking as it swayed gently as if he was on a ship. No, it felt like he was being held-

'Held?'

Raon's eyes finally opened and he raised his head.

"Eek!"

He was shocked once again.

"H, human!"

"…Don't make me talk."

Raon realized that the shaking was from Cale's arms shaking while the swaying was from Cale climbing the stairs.

Raon couldn't hide his shock after waking up not in the laboratory but on the stairs.

This was the staircase heading from the basement to above ground.

"Human! I said not to b, bother me!"

"...."

"Human, I was not sleeping! I was only closing my eyes for a moment, but you lifted me up and started moving me!"

"...."

"Human, I know that you can't talk because this is difficult for you, so let me down!"

"Haaaaa."

Cale let out a deep sigh.

"…I told you not to make me talk..."

He mumbled with a stoic gaze before looking down at Raon.

Raon's round eyes were focused on him.

"Human! I'm going back to the laboratory!"

"Pffft."

Cale chuckled and stepped off the last step. He then turned his body.

"Look outside."

"Hmm?"

Raon turned his head from Cale and toward where Cale was pointing.

He heard voices from the second floor at that moment.

"I need to sleep, nya, huh?"

"Oh."

Hong was grumbling before gasping in shock while On let out a low gasp.

Once Raon saw where Cale was pointing toward…

"Go outside."

He heard Cale's nonchalant voice and Raon subconsciously left Cale's arms.

"…Snow-"

In the dark night….

Something white was falling from the sky.

The door was wide open.

Raon subconsciously headed out the door while watching the view outside.

"Snow-"

Hong saw the snow as well. Hong subconsciously dug into Ron's arms.

He saw Mary at that moment.

Mary was standing outside the door in her black robe while waving at him.

Hong also saw Raon looking at him.

Raon was a Dragon but was younger than him. Raon's eyes were sparkling so brightly. His round face was full of joy.

Raon had a bright smile on his face as he spoke to Hong.

"It's snowing! It's the first snow!"

Raon then stopped right before the door, turned around, and flew over to Hong and On. Hong lowered his head. On was in her human form looking at Hong.

Hong looked at his sister's gaze, then at the approaching Raon, then at the waving Mary, and then…

Jump.

Hong jumped out of Ron's arms. He then headed toward the door step by step.

Raon flew out the door only after seeing Hong move.

"It's snowing! It's the first snow!"

"Snow!"

Extremely large clear white snowflakes were falling from the sky.

Stars were not visible in the sky, making Raon feel as if these snowflakes were stars.

They were not sparkling like stars, and they disappeared quickly once they melted in his paws, but…

"…So pretty."

They were still pretty.

Raon turned his head and looked around. The lights were on in the building and Choi Han, the Deputy Butler, the Wolf children, and even the Vice Captain were out near the door smiling at Raon.

"Raon."

Cale was standing near the door as he spoke to Raon.

"Cast some light around. Then everybody will be able to see it better."

"Ah!"

Raon created some orbs of light instead of the spell he had been practicing all day. He then spread them out throughout the darkness.

"Wooooooooooow—"

It was beautiful.

The large snowflakes falling through the silent night were cold but oddly felt warm.

"Ah, that's right!"

Raon quickly used another spell.

"Hmm?"

Cale looked at Raon after feeling warmth surrounding him. It was the same for the others.

Raon chuckled and shouted brightly.

"You cannot catch a cold! Everybody has to be warm!"

Cale laughed and commented back.

"I'll get to be warm while experiencing the first snow thanks to you."

Raon's smile became even bigger.

Mary was looking at Hong with an awkward expression at that moment.

"Mm, I prepared this because I thought you might get cold, but I think that it will be okay."

Mary had a small cape in her hands. The red cape was obviously Hong's size.

Hong silently looked up at Mary, who turned away to look at the now visible snow coming down as she spoke.

"Snow is something like this as well."

"Ah."

Hong quietly gasped.

He then nodded his head.

"That's right, nya! Snow is something like this as well, nya!"

Today, Hong saw snow different from the snow he had seen until now. The red kitten looked around. Mary, who prepared a cape for him, Ron, who had carried him despite his grumbling, Beacrox, who was busy inside preparing some cookies and warm tea… All of his family members who were now awake and standing outside their home…

"Should we go?"

On looked at Hong and Raon and asked.

"Sounds great!"

Raon quickly flew down and stood next to On.

Hong slowly moved next to On as well.

The snow had piled a bit.

However, there were no footsteps outside the house.

Everybody was just standing by the door.

The children knew why they were doing this.

The three moved in unison as they stepped onto the yard.

Squish.

The three of their footsteps appeared on the snow for the first time.

Raon subconsciously shouted with excitement.

"It's soft!"

The snow was soft.

'It was really soft!'

The snow was cold, but he was not cold at all because of the temperature management spell.

"Human!"

Raon moved over to Cale and asked.

"Human, did you not sleep because you were waiting for the first snow?"

He had peeked at the clock to see that it was 11 pm.

It was amazing that the human, who lately started nodding off as soon as the sun went down, was still awake.

Cale brusquely responded.

"Was I the only one who didn't sleep?"

Raon, On, and Hong looked around.

Everybody was awake.

They had been waiting for the first snow. The Wolf children looked as if they had been sleeping, but they mischievously smiled at Raon, On, and Hong as well.

The three children could feel in their hearts as to why everybody had not been sleeping. Hong and Raon still didn't know how to properly explain that feeling, but they knew everything they needed to know.

Hong raised his head.

A snowflake fell on his face.

'The snow might not be the issue for you either, Hong.'

He recalled what Mary had told him. Hong walked over to Mary.

"I want to see it together, nya."

He still didn't have the confidence to jump around the snow with joy.

However, he wanted to walk on the snow with Mary.

"Of course."

Mary walked over to the children.

Raon shouted at that moment.

"Let's all make some snowmen together!"

He had a look of urgency on his face that looked as if it would overflow with excitement and anticipation.

"We need to make a snowman family!"

"…Haaaa."

Cale sighed and grumbled as he walked over to Raon. The Wolf children jumped into the snow with excitement.

Lock and the Vice Captain seemed stiff for a bit before they seemed to also get excited and joined in.

Choi Han and the Deputy Butler were smiling brightly as they joined the group.

On smiled while watching all of them.

She observed the adults nearby.

Choi Han was a strong and sometimes cold-hearted swordsman.

Ron was an assassin and a scary person.

She didn't know too much about Beacrox, but he was a scary and cold person.

Cale was a stoic person.

However, they were all extremely warm people to On.

And to her younger siblings.

On looked at the excited Raon and her brother Hong, who slowly walked over to him and started to smile, and started to walk over to them as well.

On was smiling, and it didn't look as if the corners of her lips would ever come down.

"Make sure to put some gloves on first."

On's smile became even bigger after seeing the three pairs of gloves Ron nonchalantly handed her.

* * *

The next day.

"I'm not this small! I'm bigger than this! The human's arms shake when he carries me! That means I am big!"

"…I don't think that's the reason, nya..."

Raon strongly objected while looking at the snow Dragon that resembled him while Hong looked at Raon, then at Cale's arms and shook his head with an iffy look on his face.

"What's up with him?"

Cale seemed baffled at Hong who was sighing while looking at him, but he was too far to know what Hong and Raon were talking about.

"It's nothing much, nya."

On had a pretty good idea what Hong and Raon were talking about, but she feigned ignorance. Instead, she placed a dry fruit Ron handed her into her mouth.

The windows of the terrace next to the door that had been closed because it was winter were half open today.

"They were made so well, weren't they, young master-nim?"

Cale flinched after hearing a voice right next to him. He turned his head to see Ron looking at him with his fake benign smile.

Cale subconsciously responded out of reflex after seeing Ron's gaze.

"Well, sort of, I guess."

Cale then turned toward what Ron was talking about.

There were as many snowmen as there were people living in this house in the villa's yard.

Cale looked at the snow people standing around snow Cale at the center for a while before turning his head away with a stoic gaze. However, On was certain she saw the corners of Cale's lips curl slightly up.

"Human!"

Raon waved his front paw toward Cale and called out to him.

"What is it?"

"Will all of this snow melt when it gets warmer?"

"Yeah."

Raon's fluttering wings drooped low after Cale responded without any hesitation.

'Should I put a preservation spell on it?'

The snowmen they made last night seemed even whiter and brighter than Harris Village, which was completely covered in snow. Thinking about them melting made him feel some discomfort. No, it made him disappointed.

At that moment… Hong and Raon made eye contact. Raon realized that Hong had the same thought as him and slightly motioned with his eyes. Hong slightly nodded his head in response.

Raon nodded his head as well and mana slowly started gathering around Raon.

It was at that moment. They heard a stiff and nonchalant voice.

"But spring will come once it gets warm."

Raon and Hong turned their heads.

Cale had a teacup in his hand while looking at some cookies.

Raon asked Cale a question.

"Human, will the flowers bloom in spring?"

Cale reached his hand out and grabbed a cookie as he mumbled.

Although different flowers bloomed at different times…

"I'm sure they'll bloom in spring."

There were bound to be flowers that bloomed in spring.

"Mm."

Raon and Hong looked at each other. The two of them exchanged glances for a while before deciding not to do the preservation spell and headed toward the terrace.

"I'm going to eat this too!"

Raon's chubby front paw moved efficiently toward the cookie basket in front of Cale as if it was a hawk's talon while Hong slowly reached his hand toward his sister On's tin of dried fruit.

Cale and On pushed their respective basket and tin toward Raon and Hong while Ron filled two cups with drinks for them.

"Wow! It's raining again, nya!"

Raon turned his gaze after Hong shouted.

Crunch crunch.

Raon watched the snow fall as he ate some cookies.

< The little bear's friend, Tiggy, had told him that the large snowflakes that fall from the sky are cold when they touch your skin but that looking at them makes you feel soft and fluffy. >

Raon thought about it.

The snow was cold when it touched his skin as the book mentioned, however… Looking at it like this really made him feel soft and fluffy.

"Human! I'm fluffy now!"

"Sure, whatever."

Raon ate a cookie Cale handed him and held back a laugh.

For some odd reason, he couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Once some time passed since then…

"Wow."

Raon gasped in admiration.

"Flowers are growing where the snowmen melted!"

The snow had melted, but simple yet pretty wildflowers filled their spots to announce the arrival of spring.

"They're pretty, nya!"

"You're right. They are pretty, nya."

Hong and On watched the flowers by Raon's side.

The tiny wildflowers shook and danced with the warm spring breeze.

– Side Story 4. It's snowing? That's right! The flowers are also blooming! End –

– There will be a special side story, 'I want to know why a birthday is a special day, nya!' on April 9th. (TL: July 8th) –

– Side story 5 to be released on April 30th (TL: July 11th) will be, 'Why did the Archduke's Household in the Breck Kingdom crumble?' –

—
Translator's Comments

Such fluuuuuuuff!

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]