Step, step.
Walking through a fresh white snowy pavement, Seojin felt like he was walking on the clouds, clearly enjoying the tiny crunch of a small pile of snow being crushed under his boots.
It felt somehow different compared to the snowy sidewalk beside a busy road filled with constant honking.
Iria, usually composed since earlier, couldn't help but smile after seeing his reaction. It was her first time seeing the lord she served smiled after a while.
But…
"By the way, my lord, I believe I had reminded you to wear a set of casual clothes? Perhaps, my words were unclear?"
Seojin shrugged, then tried to catch one of the falling snowflakes.
"You see, there were no 'casual' clothes inside the closet. Even my daily ones are like this, aren't they?"
Even the clothes he was wearing when he first woke up in this world were elegant and could not be placed under the casual category.
Considering his words, Iria nodded.
She had completely forgotten that this was actually the first time that he would be going out of the manor's premises, bringing him down here to the village.
"Thinking about it, you're right my lord. I apologize. I was simply worried that the villagers might see the family's insignia and be cautious."
"Don't worry. That's exactly the reason why I wore this capelet, right?"
He smirked, definitely thinking a step ahead.
They both walked in silence after that, both focused on not slipping on a slightly downhill pavement where trees lined up perfectly beside, row by row, and column by column.
Seojin's gaze was also occupied by a squirrel jumping from branch to branch, following them, and their number increased as they neared the village.
Passing through a small herbal farmland surrounding a small farmhouse tower, they finally arrived at the village.
It wasn't that big of a village. Still, there were enough farmlands to keep their stomachs full during the winter season, and a river that remained unfrozen despite the snow.
"Amazing, this is my first time seeing a place like this."
"I believe that's partly your fault, my lord," Iria replied, puffing her cheeks in a small pout. "I've been inviting you to come with me for ages, yet every time I was met with a blunt rejection."
"I didn't realize it would be this lively."
"It always has been," Iria gestured to the left, opposite of Seojin's direction, "and the stalls are this way, my lord. Please take care not to reveal the insignia."
"Aight, aight. Lead the way."
They passed through houses made of cobblestones and wood, and almost every chimney exuded a smoke to ward off the cold.
Almost each house also had their own stalls, displaying and selling their own goods.
Better keep in mind though, that this village was although not that prosperous, a handful of merchants were roaming the streets, trying to gain some profit.
"How much for these apples, mister?" Iria asked.
"Five for one, young lady," an elderly man replied in a playful tone. "But I'll add one more as a compensation after seeing your beauty."
Looking at his flirtatious behavior despite his age, Seojin could barely hold his laughter.
"Haha, you're flattering me."
Iria handed a single coin, the currency of this world, [Cito], and the elderly man gladly took it.
Pulling Seojin's arms, they stopped by the next stall.
"How much for the eggy, ma'am?" Iria asked.
"A dozen for one, pretty lady."
The cycle repeated.
Each stall would glaze Iria's beauty, some even giving her extras, and some vendors who looked rude started acting friendly, as if she had that kind of privilege.
Minutes passed by, and Seojin could barely lift all Iria had bought, so they rented a small shopping cart equipped with wheels.
He had noticed that Iria's usual calm and composed speaking tone seemed to have been replaced by a somehow childish but friendly tone when talking to the vendors, only for it to go back to composed when talking to him.
Passing by a small cabin, an old man was busy harvesting potatoes, placing each potato carefully inside a wicker basket..
"Good day, mister Aizen," Iria greeted. "These potatoes look wonderful. You must have tended them with great care."
"Well, if it isn't Iria," the old man replied, brushing dirt from his palms and chuckling. "They're decent enough. The soil's been kind lately, though the snow is more stubborn than I am these days."
"As usual, can you spare me a bundle mister? Freshly harvested potatoes would make a fine stew."
"Take them, then. May your stew be hearty," the old man offered the basket, letting Iria choose the potato she wants. "By the way, who might this handsome young lad be?"
"Ah."
Iria turned around, seeing Seojin's pained expression from balancing baskets and baskets with his frail and pale arms.
"This is…" Iria paused, her mind scrambling for a proper introduction. She had no idea what name she could use for the young lord she serves. "He is… uh, he's my fiancé!"
She softly hugged Seojin, careful not to add more weight.
"Seb, this is mister Aizen, a devoted farmer," Iria said, then clockwise. "Mister, this man is my fiancé, Seb. He may not look like it, but he's a good man!"
'May not look like it?!' was what Seojin wanted to say, but Iria's gaze piercing his as if she had already known he would react like that, left him with no choice.
"N-nice to meet you, mister Aizen."
"Likewise, young lad. Young love, huh…" the old man was shocked, doing a fist to palm gesture. "I remember when I carried baskets for my wife, though I must say, you've given him quite the load, ahaha!"
Seojin's pale arms trembled, embarrassed, blushing hard.
Even though he knew to himself it was just a cover up response to hide his identity, hearing a beautiful girl like Iria suddenly saying he's her fiance was quite a surprise to him.
"R-right, quite… the load."
Followed after was a simple transaction. Iria placed her potatoes of choice in a basket and now carried it herself, then handing 2 cito to the old man.
The old man received and said, "May your bond be as sturdy as these potatoes" with a big, awkward smile.
Step, step.
"That old man's kind of weird. Peculiar, in a sense."
"Mmm?" Iria was caught off guard by Seojin's sudden remark towards the potato farmer. "I cannot say I share that sentiment, for I have always purchased potatoes from him. How so?"
"I… I don't know. Gut feeling?"
"Then I dare say you're the weird one, my lord."
Thinking about it, there really was nothing weird about the old man, he had just felt a sense of uneasiness.
It's been a while since they had been tracing back their steps earlier, ready to move to the next stall, or maybe head back, but a door suddenly opened and a panicking old woman rushed out.
"Oh, Iria!" the old woman exclaimed. "Thank goodness! I heard you were in the village, so I was about to find you. Please, can you spare us some trouble again?"
"Madam Cheng, what's with the urgency? Did mister Kramm hurt his knee again?"
"Goodness, yes! Who knows what that geezer is doing, but he's been bedridden for two days, saying his back was hurting way too much."
The old woman opened the door to let Iria in. Iria quickly entered, completely forgetting Seojin's presence, as she had always visited here alone for years. The old woman was about to close the door when she asked,
"Is this man with you?"
"Ah, yes!" Iria panicked, though she didn't turn around as she was already casting a healing spell on the old man lying on the bed. "Please let him in."
The old woman then instructed Seojin to place the baskets he had been carrying in the corner. He did so, then was offered a seat on the sofa.
Soon, a child of about twelve years old entered the door, and the old woman immediately called for her.
"Mutya, can you take this man and play with the other children at the plaza?"
The child groaned, her expression saying it all.
"Eh? But I just came from there. I want to watch lady Iria heal Grandpa~"
"Even though he's Lady Iria's man?"
"Seriously?! Let's go then, mister!"
The child's eyes gleamed and pulled Seojin's hands out the door and towards the plaza, in a hurry.
Seojin's face contorted simply at the thought of playing with little children. He was not good at handling such crybabies even back on Earth, the times he made them cry is more than all his fingers combined.
But more than that, he was curious why these elders thought he was Iria's man, though that old woman might have only said it to convince the child, but even the potato farmer believed Iria's lie.
Thing is, when he said "Iria seemed like the same age as me" after seeing her for the first time this morning, he was referring to himself as Seojin, already nineteen years old!
Yet for some reason, that notion, being seen as Iria's fiancé, didn't seem bad in itself.