A Different Snowball Fight

No information was obtained in the end.

The ducal house dispatched many to search for that red‑skinned woman’s trail, yet the result remained nothing at all.

The movements of the demons were just as mysterious as ever…

With little recourse, Young Master Claude could only order notices to be posted, warning the townsfolk to stay vigilant.

Unlike the troubled Young Master, I and Milady were lauded by the townspeople, for we had slain Lilith and rescued a group of men.

Milady’s reputation in the duchy grew considerably because of it…

But that is another story.

“Ah… it’s snowing again.”

Feathery flakes drifted through the air, faint and scattered.

Before long, winter had settled in.

Perhaps due to the coming cold wave, it had already snowed once at the ducal estate, and at this moment, I was shoveling snow.

Thankfully, the fall wasn’t heavy—otherwise today’s effort would have been wasted.

When I looked around, only a small stretch had been cleared.

This really was tedious, back‑breaking work.

“Ailena.”

Suddenly, Milady’s voice reached my ears.

“Milady! It’s freezing outside!”

“It’s fine! I’m not afraid of the cold!”

Not afraid of the cold, she said, yet she was wrapped layer upon layer… and her little nose was red from the chill.

“You should head back inside the manor quickly. If you catch cold, the one who suffers will still be you.”

At these words, Milady pouted unhappily.

“I don’t want to. I’m so bored… With the heavy snow, tutors can’t visit, and the knight corps has suspended training.”

Well… that was true enough.

The roadways had not been cleared, making it impossible for her tutors to arrive.

The knight corps, too, was buried under snow—no doubt the knights themselves were out shoveling.

“So… does that mean you’re feeling lonely, Milady, and want me to keep you company?”

I laughed softly.

“… “

Her cheeks flushed faintly.

She turned her face aside and gave a small nod.

“Pfft…”

This adorable display made me chuckle.

Milady still was very much a child.

“Then how shall I keep you company? Like before—build a snowman?”

“Hmph~!”

As though anticipating I would say this, she put her hands on her hips.

“Let’s have a snowball fight!”

A snowball fight?

…Childish, perhaps, but indeed the kind of game Milady would choose.

Since that was the case… midway through I could always make it easy for her, so she’d win.

“Ailena, you’re definitely thinking of letting me win, aren’t you?”

Ah… I’d been seen through.

“So… this time there’ll be additional conditions! The loser must grant the winner one request, unconditionally!”

One request…

I felt I could guess with my knees what that would be.

Helplessly I stared at Milady.

“Your request is either going to be forcing me to wear something terribly revealing or wanting to touch my body, isn’t it?”

Saying so, my gaze involuntarily shifted to my chest.

“What…!”

Milady’s expression betrayed her shock at being exposed.

“Let’s make this clear—I refuse those kinds of requests. Otherwise, I won’t play.”

“…Fine.”

She agreed, looking disappointed.

“Then I won’t take those as possible victory demands. I’ll choose something else.”

“That’s good.”

But… any condition could be imposed…?

My eyes, without meaning to, drifted to Milady’s lips.

No, no, no… what am I thinking!

I quickly shook my head, banishing the wicked notion.

Truly… my head must have been damaged that day.

I had explicitly forbidden Milady from making indecent demands, yet here I was entertaining such ideas myself… How shamefully double‑standard.

I felt disgusted with my own ugly heart.

Let’s think of proper requests instead.

Yes… when the time comes, I’ll demand she stops being picky with food.

For a child, balanced nutrition was crucial.

It would save me from devising new menus every day too.

“So, Ailena, do you accept?”

“Mm. I accept.”

Thus we each stepped apart some distance.

“The rules are simple—the first snowball to hit the other decides the winner!”

“Only one hit?”

I confirmed with her.

“Yes! Just once! One hit and it’s settled!”

“Understood.”

“Then… three! Two!”

We each began rolling our ammunition.

“One! Begin!”

As soon as the battle started, countless snowballs rained down from above, like a storm of white.

But I wasn’t about to be struck so easily.

At this level, I only needed to shift my body slightly to evade… Surely Milady was the same.

Indeed, her small figure darted freely through the barrage, slipping easily between falling snowballs.

Then… how about this?

“Milady! Catch this!”

I purposely called out to her, tossing a snowball straight on.

As expected, her focus went entirely to that single snowball.

Since the storm hadn’t completely cleared, she threw one of her own, intercepting mine head‑on.

But… my attack didn’t end there.

I had not launched just one.

Another snowball had been hidden in her blind spot, waiting until she destroyed the decoy before revealing itself.

The decisive strike drew near—

Yet Milady only swept out with her leg, scattering a curtain of snow that collided with my hidden snowball and shattered it.

…That was possible?

“Not bad at all, Ailena.”

Flexing her wrist, Milady gave me a deft, confident smile.

“Now it’s my turn to strike!”

Even as she spoke, dazzling flurries of snowballs fired at me like a machine gun.

I couldn’t have misseen it—her snowball‑rolling movements were leaving afterimages!

Was she seriously this into it?

…There was no way I could dodge this.

Then—I wouldn’t dodge at all.

Channeling a touch of magic, an ice wall rose before me, swallowing every incoming snowball.

“Ailena! You cheated!”

Milady stomped her foot in anger.

“This isn’t cheating, Milady. It’s called wisely making use of my advantages.”

But alas, Milady…

For your healthy eating habits, I must be shameless, at least for a while.

“Besides… you were the one who told me not to hold back. Surely you know—if it’s purely strength, I’d hardly match you. This was just making up the difference.”

Even in cheating, one must make it sound grandiose!

This is the dirty trick of an adult!

“Mmm…”

Milady puffed out her cheeks, though she said nothing further—likely accepting it with reluctant silence.

“Then… now it’s my turn, Milady.”

If the restrictions were already broken, then the stage was mine.

After all, with magic I could roll snowballs automatically and throw them en masse.

And with magical enhancement, their speed would only increase.

…True, I could form them instantly with magic, but for the sake of form, I shaped them by hand.

Countless snowballs floated around me, quivering, primed to launch.

“Take this, Milady!”

A Gatling barrage of snowballs erupted.

All aimed at my dearest Milady!