The girl who married into the family during the cold winter, Layla Old, looked like a snow fairy.
Even though Quinta was a relatively warm area, she did not handle the cold well, which did not match her appearance at all.
This world did not have many heating tools, and farming and industry were not very active during the season.
Winter was simply a season to endure.
Skiing and snowboarding for fun only happened after civilization advanced enough.
Quinta rarely got snow anyway, so skiing was out of the question.
During winter, people only moved around during the warm daytime hours, wrapping themselves in blankets and living like hibernating animals for the rest of the time.
They gathered around heating devices like braziers, keeping warm at night by huddling together.
No one booked a casting fishing trip either, as even professional sailors had to think twice before heading out into the windy sea during the freezing season.
When the season ended, pale green plants started sprouting from the ground, signaling that spring was finally here.
The autumn harvest had been good, so there was no food shortage, and the household got through the winter pretty well.
As the temperature rose, people started getting more active again.
When spring came, the first people to book a casting fishing trip were Aile and his crew. Not long after them came Glenn and Fainess.
”Sir, we’re fixin’ to head out with young Jack next time, but we best sharpen our skills a bit first,” Glenn said, winking with a chuckle. “We do have us a competitive streak, you see!”
Fainess nodded, his weathered eyes crinkling. “That hot spring bath is a mighty fine treat, son. A bit of cold air just makes that warm water taste all the sweeter!”
They loved that big bath, though they did point out that the lodging building was behind schedule. Carpenters did not want to work in the dead of winter, and they took days off when it rained.
With more visitors coming, Kyle and Flare both got busier. Layla, being shy around strangers, just shut herself in her room when guests arrived.
Mei usually kept her company during those times. Seeing that made Kyle realize he needed to finish the lodging building soon for Layla’s sake, as guest room overlap meant fishing guests might run into her, and her white hair stood out.
Aile and his crew were not superstitious. Aile gave a quick, sharp salute to Kyle. “My squad maintains strict discipline, sir. We shall ensure the lady experiences zero distress.”
”Don’t you fret none, young master,” Fainess added gently. “We know the score, and we’ll keep our distance real respectful-like.”
Still, Kyle wanted to avoid exposing Layla to any malicious guests’ eyes, so he met with carpenters and plasterers to discuss plans. Just as one meeting wrapped up, Mei called out to him.
”Um… those people just now were carpenters, right?” Mei asked, fidgeting with her apron.
”Yeah, we’re rebuilding the hot spring hut from a temporary structure into a proper building with lodging attached,” Kyle said, turning to face her. “The patrons are funding it, so if I don’t get it built fast, they’ll get mad at me.”
”Well… since you’re talking with the carpenters a lot… Lady Layla said she has something she wants to ask you..,” Mei mumbled, her face flushing as she looked down.
”Layla does?” Kyle asked, raising an eyebrow.
Layla mostly slept in late, occasionally sunbathed, begged Martha for snacks, then went back to sleep, living like a cat.
”Got it,” Kyle said with a nod. “Tell her I’ll come to her room later, and we’ll talk then.”
Since then, Kyle and Layla had been doing intimate things about once a week-petting and oral play rather than full sex, since Layla fell asleep as soon as she finished.
Lately, Kyle had been releasing that leftover tension with Mei instead. Mei was only twenty, but she was impressive, with plenty of volume that she felt self-conscious about after gaining weight over the winter.
Even though they had grown close, Mei still avoided eye contact and got nervous talking to him, her timid reactions remaining part of her charm.
Anyway, back to the story.
Kyle visited Layla’s room during the daytime, which was rare.
Layla was not picky about room furnishings, using whatever Martha prepared and spending the winter in her blankets. Knocking on the door, Kyle waited as Layla opened it herself without checking who was there.
”Hey, Mei said you had something to talk about?” Kyle asked softly.
”Yeah. Come in..,” Layla said, stepping back to let him inside.
”Alright,” Kyle replied.
He sat backward on a chair, resting his arms and chin on the backrest. “So, what’s up?”
”You’ve been having carpenters come to the house a lot lately, right?” Layla asked, looking up at him.
”Yeah, we’re discussing renovations for that bath with the ocean view,” Kyle explained. “Why do you ask?”
”Well… I want a small shed,” Layla murmured. “Even just in the corner of the courtyard would be fine.”
”A shed?” Kyle repeated.
”Yeah,” Layla said with a firm nod. She explained that she wanted to study the medicine work she used to do back home now that it was warmer.
”Medicine… oh right, now that you mention it..,” Kyle remembered that Tory Old, her second stepfather, had mentioned her talent as a plant magic mage.
”Yeah,” Layla continued softly. “I’m having my family send over my tools, materials, and books from my old home. But if I put all that stuff in this room, it’ll get messy…”
”So basically, you want a workshop-or like, a little lab?” Kyle asked.
”…Yeah,” Layla agreed. She asked for a small space with just a sturdy table, a chair, and a shelf for herbal ingredients.
”For something that small, it wouldn’t take much work,” Kyle said with a small grin. “Sure, why not?”
”Really?” Layla asked, her eyes widening slightly.
”Yeah,” Kyle promised.
There was a withered tree in the courtyard that he could cut down to make space. Building a small shed there would fit the view, and bundling it as an extra order with the main project might make it cheaper.
”I see. So maybe you’ll be able to make all sorts of medicines here at home, Layla?” Kyle asked.
Layla looked uncertain, giving a sound-effect-filled explanation that was hard to follow.
Still, Kyle gathered that she extracted liquid containing Alkanos from Black Ebony wood, then mixed and boiled herbal ingredients into it to make medicine.
Mr. Tori had bought rare books and lab equipment for Layla, showing his genuine love for his daughter.
Kyle felt a responsibility to support her, deciding a private lab was the bare minimum he should provide as her husband.
He asked the carpenter to add a small six-tatami shed to the order, and the carpenter agreed happily, glad for the extra work.
However, those smiles faded when Kyle brought Flare along to negotiate a discount.
”I must insist on a more reasonable figure,” Flare said coolly, leveling a stern glare at the head carpenter. “Given that we are offering two consecutive contracts, a substantial reduction in costs is only fitting.”
”Ah, but my lady..,” the head carpenter stammered, sweating under her intimidating presence.
”We shall eliminate these redundant material fees entirely,” Flare added, pointing out flaws in the estimate with absolute precision.
Thanks to Flare’s sharp mind and imposing aura, Kyle secured the shed while ensuring the carpenter still made a fair profit.
Now they could talk like that, and Layla had started speaking up for herself, though things were awkward at first.
Layla was obedient, but she had not fully opened up to Kyle the way she did with her father.
Kyle wanted to make her feel like part of his family, though he admitted to himself that he also just wanted to be intimate with his legal second wife.
Looking back on how he got closer to Layla and Mei, things had shifted significantly.
During winter, Layla stayed cooped up, but she lit up whenever Kyle visited her room, growing sensitive and eager during their bed play.
”Ahh… hah, hah… Nnnnnh!” Layla gasped, her toes curling as her body trembled from their shared intimacy.
Lying limp and breathing heavily afterward, she used up all her energy and fell asleep before they could finish properly.
Intimate moments with her felt thrilling, leaving Kyle fully aroused each time.
After their third session, once Layla fell asleep, Kyle recalled something Taris had told him.
”Should you require relief with a servant, sir, it is only proper that you address Mei rather than myself,” Taris had said with a crisp bow. “My duties lie strictly with Lady Flare.”
Kyle pictured the timid, nervous lady-in-waiting assigned to Layla.
He sympathized with her past of losing her parents, taking her in for reasons beyond her impressive figure.
Standing outside Mei’s door with his arms crossed, Kyle hesitated, feeling awkward about his lingering arousal.
Right as he stood there in the hallway, the image of his beautiful yet terrifying wife, Flare, flashed vividly through his mind.
Trivia:
- Layla’s plant magic talent was identified by her second stepfather Tory Old, not through formal mage training, suggesting a family lineage of magical ability that remains partially unexplained.
- The intimate relationship between Kyle and Layla has progressed to physical acts but has not yet reached full sex, with Layla consistently falling asleep after climaxing—a pattern that hints at her exhaustion or emotional avoidance.
- Mei’s nervous body language around Kyle persists despite repeated physical intimacy, implying unresolved emotional tension or unspoken feelings that contradict her apparent compliance.
- Kyle’s self-aware narration constantly undermines his own justifications, revealing that his “responsibility” reasoning often masks his sexual desires, yet he never fully abandons the pretense.
- The contrast between Layla’s childlike appearance and her physical sensitivity creates an intentional tension in Kyle’s mind, where taboo excitement and genuine care coexist uneasily.
- Mei’s backstory of losing her parents mirrors Kyle’s own past, suggesting his sympathy is genuine even as he debates whether to act on his attraction to her.