LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 243.1
Chapter 243.1. Christmas Eve
Snow was falling heavily, covering the roads and buildings in white. Feeling the cold through the window, Hana exhaled with a “haaah.”
The window fogged up, so she wiped it clear with her fingers and looked outside again. It seemed really cold. People passing by had umbrellas, their hands stuffed into the pockets of their thick coats as they hurried along.
Snow. White snow. Once it starts falling, it feels life-threatening. Your body trembles from the cold, your hands go numb, and the snow absorbs sound, so you can’t even tell if a monster is sneaking up on you. It’s too dangerous to walk outside.
There’s no warm place. We just huddle together, seeking whatever shelter we can from the cold, feeling each other’s warmth, and praying that we wake up to see another day. That’s my experience of surviving winter.
But this year seems different. Turning around, I gazed at the room, now sparkling clean after the big cleanup. The room, warmed by the air conditioner, filled me with happiness, and my chest felt warmly content.
“Ice cream in winter is the ultimate indulgence!”
“I’ve been enlightened-nyaan! The shakes you can make with a blender taste totally different and delicious!”
“I’ll make one too! I’ll make a shake!”
Despite that, the people who wanted even more indulgence were messing with the blender while sitting in the kotatsu. Karin, who had been visiting more often lately, the little girl, and Mei, who live with me.
Karin’s tail swayed as she giggled, while the little girl waved her tiny hands energetically, puffing out her red cheeks. Mei seemed to know about indulgence—who would’ve thought ice cream in winter would be a thing? That idea really opened my eyes.
They dumped in ice cubes, then shoved in vanilla ice cream. They stuffed in so much that I started to worry the blender might break.
“Switch on!”
“Wait-nyan! You haven’t put the lid on yet!”
Mei excitedly pushed the blender’s button, her index finger pointed proudly in the air, but Karin’s tail fluffed up in panic as she tried to stop her. It was too late.
“It’s a total failure!”
Mei said her familiar catchphrase, and indeed, it was.
As the blender whirred, ice and ice cream, with no lid to contain them, flew everywhere. The right word would be exploded from the force of the spinning blades.
The three of them got hit with flying ice shards, and drenched in ice cream. Their hair, faces, and clothes were soaked. And, of course, the room I’d just finished cleaning became a disaster.
“Wh-what are you doing?!”
This time, I couldn’t laugh it off. With my eyes wide and angry, I yelled at the three of them.
“Usually, the blender won’t start unless the lid is on-nyaan! So why did it work-nyan?”
“Heh, Mei’s power defies logic. Specifically, it probably broke because of the weird noise earlier?”
Both Karin and Mei tilted their heads in confusion. Their faces and hair were sticky, and they licked the ice cream off their faces, mumbling about how sweet it was. There wasn’t a hint of remorse on their faces. Looks like I’m too soft with my scolding.
“Karin, Mei, clean up! Grab some rags and wipe down the room! Karin, if you don’t, I’ll tell Sakimori! And Mei, you’ll go without dinner!”
The room was filled with the sweet smell of ice cream as I scolded them again.
“Don’t-nyan! If you tell Sakimori, he’ll use it as an excuse to pet my ear fur! He’s gotten addicted to how fluffy it is-nyan! I hate it when he sticks his finger in my ear; it gives me the creeps! A maiden’s honor is at stake-nyanko!”
“Fwoooo! It’s time for Mei’s cleaning skills to shine! Please don’t skip my dinner!”
This time, my anger seemed to work. The two of them scrambled out of the kotatsu to start cleaning.
[Room Cleaning]
But they were too late. The room was bathed in a soft light, and in no time, the scattered ice shards, stained walls, and sticky floors were spotless. The room was even cleaner than after the big cleanup. Not a speck of dust, the windows were crystal clear, and the floors were shiny smooth.
“That’s not fair, little one. You shouldn’t use magic.”
“I am the great flame magician!”
The little girl waved her maple-leaf-like hands, puffed out her flat chest with pride, and smiled innocently. Her fire magic, though it didn’t look like fire at all, was apparently flame-based magic. With this, there was no way they’d learn their lesson.
Her magic is incredibly handy, but she only uses it when the mood strikes her. It’s so convenient, but I try not to rely on it, much like Sei’s [Purification], reminding her not to use it at home. Still, it doesn’t seem to stick, and she’s usually not even conscious of when she’s using it.
“Ahhh, a magician friend is a treasure to have-nyan.”
“Indeed. It’s cold, so let’s seek emergency refuge in the kotatsu.”
Pleased with the outcome, the two of them dove back into the kotatsu without a trace of remorse. Tonight’s dinner will definitely be smaller! Sighing deeply, I could only give them a flat, unamused look. Not that they’d notice.
I thought about scolding the little girl too, but when I turned toward her, she was pouring what little shake was left in the blender into a cup. When I saw her doing that, I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe she wanted to drink a bit of it?
“I’ll give you the shake! You’ve never had it, right?”
She tilted her head and handed me the cup. I was surprised.
“You made it for me? I’ve never had a shake before, come to think of it.”
Now that she mentioned it, I hadn’t. I’ve had ice cream, but never a shake. But for me?
“Yes! Today is a day for giving important people a gift.”
“Today? Is there some special occasion?”
The little girl pressed the cup toward me, her breath huffing excitedly. It seemed to be a present, but why?