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The northern region is basically a snowfield.

No matter where you look apart from Hespania, you’ll come across a frigid land blanketed in white snow, making it a place not suited for tourism.

However, there are a few exceptions, with a notable spot being a town called Prutium, located to the northeast.

“Prutium, it’s been a while.”

“Yeah, the last time I came was around two years ago for an inspection.”

The person who arrived at this isolated village today was none other than the Master of the Grand Duke’s family and a man referred to as the second most powerful figure.

Ariel let out a soft gasp at the sight of the town, which had developed much more since her last visit.

In fact, Prutium was not originally a bustling town where one could easily find visitors like it is now; rather, it was just a nameless white plain with not a single person in sight.

However, when she became the head of the family, natural hot spring water was discovered here, which led to the planning of a tourism project, giving the town a proper name and attracting people to settle.

The name “Prutium” itself signifies a moment of peace amidst the bitter cold.

“It looks like everyone here is doing well. Hespania isn’t even this nice yet.”

“Well, it was the first place used for demonstration purposes, so everyone probably got used to it.”

As Edgar casually commented while looking around, Ariel nodded vigorously in agreement.

Among the passersby around the village were not just ordinary northern imperial citizens, but plenty of robust men with their shirts off and women towering near the same height as men.

That’s right. They were members of the Carvita Tribe.

From the very start of her planning for this town, what Ariel needed most was a lot of manpower. Shortly after, a peace treaty was signed with the Carvita Tribe, which turned out to be a clever move.

They planned to create the first symbiotic location where imperials and the Carvita Tribe could coexist and promised to develop this place together.

In that sense, Prutium was indeed the perfect location, as it aligned perfectly with the interests of the residents, who needed a large workforce to cultivate the town, and the Carvita Tribe, who needed a new place to live.

Moreover, during the town’s development, both sides were so busy that there was neither time nor strength left to fight or be on guard, allowing them to build relationships rapidly and without conflicts.

“Oh, that building is huge!”

While happily looking around at the now proper tourist town, Edgar exclaimed as he pointed to a tall structure in the distance.

It had a distinctly different appearance from typical imperial architecture, but it didn’t stray too far from it either. There seemed to be a nice harmony between the two styles.

“I guess that’s new too. Isn’t it likely the iconic spot of this town?”

“It appears to have accommodations… How about we check it out?”

“Sure, we didn’t decide on where to stay anyway.”

Most lodging establishments in this town boasted about the opportunity to spend a night enjoying the natural hot springs, so Ariel nodded, thinking it wouldn’t matter where they went.

Besides, a building that large would likely have decent facilities compared to other lodgings. Since she wasn’t expecting too much anyway, it would be fine.

“Welcome, how many guests do we have?”

“Oh, just two.”

Upon entering with a cheerful jingle of bells, a pleasantly plump woman greeted them with a smile.

Worried about any potential ruckus, Edgar and Ariel both simultaneously raised two fingers, chuckling together as if they were reliving their dating days.

“What kind of room would you like?”

“The best room, please. Does it come with a hot spring in the room?”

“Yes, indeed. Please follow me, and I’ll show you.”

Perhaps considering them rare guests, the hostess led them with a satisfied smile.

From the outside, the building seemed quite tall, and it took a good amount of time to climb the stairs. Not that it was exhausting, though.

“This will be your room. It has an outdoor hot spring for your use, and it’s spacious enough for both of you.”

“Oh, thank you! The room is really nice.”

Not just flattery, but even Ariel nodded appreciatively at how well-kept and nicely decorated the room was, without anything too flashy.

“Thank you for the compliment! And this is….”

Listening a bit more to the hostess’s detailed explanations, the couple finally paid for the room.

“Well, I hope you have a wonderful time.”

As Ariel purposely tipped a bit extra, the hostess couldn’t hide her delight as she left. Watching that, Edgar could only smirk at how nice having money was.

“Ed, let’s check out the outdoor hot spring first. Aren’t you curious?”

“I was just about to say that.”

Sure enough, the first spot that caught their interest was the outdoor hot spring beyond the glass, and the two of them moved toward it as if they had prearranged it.

“Wow, it’s spacious. Four people could easily fit in here.”

“Maybe that’s because it’s a pricey room?”

As they opened the sliding door, they found a rather large hot spring elegantly placed.

The top was covered like a tent, and the view outside was moderately fenced off, allowing for a perfect view of the scenery without being overly obstructed.

Sitting side by side in the warm hot spring while enjoying the view of the snowfields beyond would indeed be a little slice of paradise.

“Alright, let’s unpack and rest for a bit…. Huh?”

Swoosh.

Just as Edgar returned to the changing room, eager to jump into the hot spring immediately, he figured his wife might be a bit tired from the travels, so he was planning to rest first.

However, hearing a familiar sound, he turned his head to see Ariel in the process of slowly peeling off her clothes, trying her best to hide her flushed cheeks.

“What, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to join me? We can relax in the hot spring as well.”

“…….”

The sight of her pearly skin contrasting with her rosy blush was irresistibly adorable, causing Edgar to lose his breath and chuckle absentmindedly.

Could he really rest? At least it would be difficult if his masculinity didn’t hold out against her. He began unbuttoning his clothing, following after his wife.

***

Splash.

With a small sound of water, the warm hot spring water spilled out from the tub.

“Ah, this feels great. It feels like all my fatigue is melting away.”

While Edgar let out an oddly aged exclamation of admiration for the hot spring, Ariel, on the other hand, cupped her hands to gather some hot spring water, staring into it with a serious tone.

“This water feels different from what we use in the castle. What do you think, Edgar?”

“Of course it does; it is hot spring water, after all.”

He couldn’t provide a detailed explanation of its exact properties as he lacked knowledge, but it was clear that it was different from the ordinary water used for bathing in the castle.

He also clearly noted the distinct odor that came from the hot spring.

“By the way, why did you insist on coming here? I thought we’d be heading somewhere with more sights to see.”

While gently wrapping his wife in his arms as she leaned against him, Edgar decided to ask the question that had been on his mind.

After all, it was true that although Prutium was being hailed as a rising tourist spot in the north, it did have fewer attractions compared to other already famous sites.

Since it was a rare chance for just the two of them, they could have gone somewhere further with more entertainment. He tilted his head in wonder as to why they were here.

“You’ll find out tomorrow. So just wait a little longer.”

“You know I’m not very patient.”

It wasn’t that he lacked patience; he just couldn’t handle the situation where food was put right in front of him and he was told to wait, but nonetheless, his meaning got through.

In response, Ariel wore a mischievous smile and slowly glided her hand up Edgar’s bare thigh.

“You know well, right? Just like in bed?”

“…….”

Edgar found her remark incredibly ridiculous.

If he had to pick who among the two would have trouble holding back in bed, it would be closer to being Ariel. Just two weeks prior, it had indeed been that way.

Perhaps because of this, her actions of turning the tables felt particularly irritating.

It wasn’t anything new for her to shift the blame; it was more tedious that she acted as though she wasn’t a revealing person.

Splash.

“Ah!?”

With a robust grip, Edgar lifted her and made her face him at eye level. The problem was that their bodies were pressed tightly against each other, and they could unmistakably feel every part of it.

“Are you really not going to tell me?”

“Oh, what will you do if I don’t…?”

Attempting to maintain an air of poise while a peculiar anticipation laced through her voice, Edgar couldn’t help but grin mischievously.

“What do you think I’ll do?”

“I-I don’t know. Prove it to me…?”

“Is that so?”

Recognizing the clear provocation, Edgar felt he had no need to hold back any longer and wrapped his arms around Ariel’s waist.

Well then, let’s see just how much he could show her. By the time he revealed the answer, it would already be too late.