Chapter 151: Playing in Water

In the end, we were detained the next day after breakfast, and our departure was incredibly delayed. Then, we were finally able to depart and went north along the lake, but it didn’t seem like we could ride on the Rug Dragons without worrying about the small towns and villages.

Since we departed late, there was no time to rest in the morning and it was lunch time. In fact, it would have been better to eat in a neighbouring town so we can spend money, but since we have a lot of people, they decided that we would cook and have lunch outside.

We ate a hot meal on a table and chair in the cold. Only at this time did both the guards and maids take turns to eat the warm meal together.

However, there is something I want to do after eating. I ate my meal faster than usual and hurried to where Nico was.

“Nico weth’sh go tho thhe wake.” (Nico let’s go to the lake)

“To the lake? I’d like to go,” Nico glanced at Prince Albert. This little wise Prince knows that our departure was delayed. If we spend time doing unnecessary things, then we’ll arrive late.

“Well, I think we’ll be staying in Coulter tonight. I have a close friend in Coulter, so it’s fine if we’re late.”

“It’s fine…? Neville-dono, that’s…” Prince Al tried to object Ojii-sama’s words, but Ojii-sama shook his head.

“We’re passing through this nice lake and you’re not even going to let them see it. That doesn’t benefit the small Prince, now does it?”

That’s right. I looked up at Ojii-sama and he patted me gently on the shoulder. “I know what you want to say, Lei,” I felt like he said, and my heart warmed up.

“But the water is cold so be careful.”

“Ai!”

“Hmm!”

I got a good reply, so I turned back to look at Nii-sama, and he and Gill followed behind us. Thanks. I ran to the lake with Nico.

“Oh, is this all water…?”

Come to think of it, I don’t think Nico has even seen a river up close. It was useless to only cross the bridge and places with shallow water. We have to look carefully at the things we can’t see in the royal capital.

The shore of the lake was a white sandy beach, and small waves came onto the shore as the wind blew. Nico timidly stretched his hand out to the water. I also crouched down next to him and reached out. Nico pulled back a little.

“Uoah, it hurts?”

“Ith’sh cowd.”

“Cold?”

Will Nico understand if I explain what cold is? I touched Nico’s cheeks with the hand that was touching the water.

“Chilly. Your hand gets cold. I see, so that’s what it means.”

“Ith hurthsh if ith’sh thoo cowd.”

“Does it hurt when it gets too cold?”

A small ship was floating in the distance. They might be fishing. I watched as Nico put his hand in the water and pulled it out with a rock in his grip. I can skim this on the water.

“Ei!”

*PLOP*

“Lei, what are you doing?! I’m wet now!”

“Oh? Why ish ith thhere?”

I thought I threw it far away.

“Were you trying to throw it far? Alright then.”

Nico didn’t pay attention to the maid who was timidly trying to dry him. He wiped his face with his sleeve and picked up a stone at his feet.

“Ei!”

*PLOP*

“Cowd!”

“Huh, why?”

“Hahaha, it’s like this, Your Highness and Lei.” Ojii-sama, who was watching nearby, picked up a rock.

“It seems like Lei wants to skim the rock, but you have to start with throwing it first. You hold it like this and do this!”

*WHEW, PLOP*

“Oh!”

“Wow.”

As expected. From there, Nii-sama and Gill also joined in and we started skimming rocks on the water. Me? It was difficult to throw the rock far, so I worked hard to collect the rocks. It was also quite interesting to pick up rocks. Sometimes, I also threw them around me.

How long did we play? I don’t think a lot of time had passed since they can’t keep throwing rocks. I began to doze off as I collected the rock and they put me in the carriage, as promised. We had proceeded quite a bit when I woke up.

“Snacwsh!” I screamed as I woke up and Nii=sama looked at me while smiling wryly.

“We wasted a lot of time at lunch, so we’re proceeding without stopping for snacks.”

“Snacwsh…”

“We can’t stop the carriage, but we do have snacks, here.”

I got up from the bed and sat on the chair, then ate my snack. As I chewed on my snack, I muttered, “We can pway more in shummer.”

“Well, you could have put your feet in the water,” Nii-sama answered.

“But I’ve never touched cold water before, so it was interesting for me too. Rather than hurt, it felt like my hand got numb.”

“Ith mushth be tough tho cathch fishh.”

It’s cold in winter. Well, it’s the same for hunters and farmers too. I recalled the fish cuisines from last night.

“Fishh ish yummy.”

“Lei, you’re really…” Nii-sama couldn’t put what he wanted to say into words. He lifted me up and put me on his knees. Nii-sama knows me well.

“We’re nearly at Earl Coulter’s mansion. According to Ojii-sama, Earl Coulter is a very balanced person and he isn’t power thirsty. He said that the Earl probably won’t make us socialise until late like yesterday.”

“Nico, dat’s gweat.”

I was relieved. A three-year-old baby should go to bed early at night regardless of whether they were nearly four or not.

“And we’ll be staying here for a few days. We can relax a little.”

“Lei wanthsh tho ride on a boath.”

When I think about lakes, I think about boats.

“Hmm, but I think it’s cold.”

Nii-sama looked at the lake and looked as if he was pondering. I also looked out the window. We had proceeded quite far north and all I could see was the lake even if I looked out to the right or left. I shivered. It’s not a toilet.

“Ith’sh big over thhere.”

“Yes. That place is the widest. So there’s more water there.”

“The barrier gethsh weaw.”

Nii-sama nodded quietly.

“Having said that, the barrier isn’t weak enough for Hollows to appear. And I heard yesterday that there are people living at the foot of Wellington Mountains. In other words, there’s no problem even if the barrier is weak around the lake.”

That’s good. However, I only thought that until I got off the carriage.

It was after the short winter day ended when we reached Earl Coulter’s mansion since we had left late, and wasted time playing at the lake.

As soon as I got down from the carriage, the *WHIRR* that echoed from a distance to my body pulled me back to Wester in an instant. I screamed reflectively, “Awishthair! Ah, Nii-syama…”

“Lei, this…”

Yes. Alistair was next to me at times like this in Wester, but Nii-sama is next to me right now. I clung to Nii-sama’s legs.

We, who should have been heading to Earl Coulter’s mansion, stared at the dark lake without moving even though we couldn’t see anything.

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