The evening mist slowly started to descend from the sky, blending into a darkening canvas painted with the twinkling lights of the stars and the moon. The clear, cold lake perfectly mirrored the gentle movement of the slow-rolling water. The dazzling brightness of the moon turned the thick mist a luminous, light white, enveloping the entire lakeside in a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere.
“It’s beautiful!” Francesca proclaimed out loud with a soft gasp. Holding her cane, she leaned heavily against Miller as they stepped out of the carriage.
“I agree,” Miller replied softly. He wasn't looking at the lake, but rather at the bright smile on her face. The blooming moonlight bouncing off her silver hair within the white, snowy mist was a sight that made his heart flutter with immense force. Holding her a little tighter against his side, he added, “Shall we take a walk, then?”
“I would love to!” Francesca replied with a radiant smile.
Her cane wasn’t exceptionally useful in supporting her weight due to the thick snow covering the ground, but with Miller securely by her side, they slowly walked together under the moonlight, appreciating the breathtaking view.
“The water isn’t frozen, even with so much snow covering everything around here...?” she noted curiously.
Miller nodded. “Well, it’s still a few more weeks before the true winter freeze sets in. The Ironwood mountain used to be an active volcano centuries ago, before it erupted and collapsed into this hollow caldera.” He pointed out toward the open water as Francesca wrapped her arm even tighter around his. “Because the lake is remarkably deep, the geothermal volcanic rocks underneath keep the water warm, even in the dead of winter. It’s incredibly rare for it to ever freeze over entirely.”
“I see...” Francesca replied, her voice dipping to a quiet murmur, looking at the deep dark black sand at the bottom.
Miller noticed that the biting cold winds were clearly beginning to affect her. “I am sorry,” he apologized, a frown touching his lips. “We should have packed far more layers before coming out here. I don’t even have a thick outer coat on me to wrap around you right now...”
She squeezed his arm tighter, practically hugging his side as he supported her gently by the waist to ensure she wouldn't fall. Smiling up at him, she said, “It’s alright... I guess I just have to make do with wrapping myself around you instead.” Her face was clearly blushing a deep pink from the statement.
The image of her reddened face under the ethereal moonlight, framed by her shimmering silver hair, left him completely speechless as they walked a few more quiet steps.
Suddenly, Francesca noticed small, flickering orange lights starting to pierce through the mist, sailing gracefully out on the water. “What are those?”
Miller smiled, instantly sweeping her up into his arms in a bridal carry. “If you are curious, why don’t we take a closer look?” With that, he easily carried her down toward the lake's wooden boardwalk.
As Francesca peered through the misty vapors drifting off the water, the origin of the lights finally became clear under the moonlight. They were small canoes and fishing ships. Long torches were secured to their hulls, casting a warm glow as the fishermen threw large nets into the dark water.
“There weren’t any fishing boats out here during the day when I looked from a distance...” she noted, wrapping her arms more securely around his broad shoulders. “Why did they only start fishing at night?”
“The specific species of fish in this lake are naturally attracted to bright light. Because of that, it makes it infinitely easier to harvest them at night under nothing but torchlight,” Miller explained. He then pointed across the water toward the steep base of the inner caldera wall. “There is a massive, secluded cave right around there. It’s usually where the citizens store most of the torches and boating gear for their nightly fishing runs...”
He trailed off, looking down directly into her face.
Francesca's heart was already beating rapidly, but staring up into those piercing crimson eyes under the absolute beauty of the moonlight made her pulse race as fast as a high-speed bullet train back in Korea.
Miller cleared his throat softly, his voice dropping to a low rumble. “I was thinking... we could use that cave as the secret facility where we develop and test the cable cart system. Since the lake is directly under the Ironwood family's exclusive control, the vassals won't be able to spy on us.”
Francesca had a genuinely hard time focusing on a single word he was saying. She was simply too entranced, observing his handsome facial features, his sharp jawline, and his lips. Moving on pure instinct, she slowly pulled his face closer to hers. Her breathing became heavy, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs as she pushed herself forward, stopping a mere inch away from his lips.
Miller held her tighter against his chest, his own heart racing fiercely as he prepared to close the final distance between them.
Awk...! Awk...!
A small, high-pitched, incredibly cute chirping sound suddenly cut through the heavy silence.
The atmosphere was instantly broken. Both of them pulled back rapidly, their faces flushing a brilliant, burning crimson in a single second. Their heads whipped around frantically to see exactly where the interrupting noise had come from.
“T-the foxes... look, over there,” Francesca stammered, pointing toward a small cluster of wild foxes. They were incredibly tiny and adorable, sitting near the snowbanks and chirping up at them with expectant eyes.
Miller nodded, coughing clear his throat as he carefully walked over to the snowbank and gently set Francesca down onto a dry, flat stone right next to them. “The…ahem, they usually come out of the woods right when the fishing ships are about to return to the docks,” Miller explained, his face still tinged with a faint blush.
Right on cue, one of the small fishing boats rowed up to the wooden boardwalk, its hull overflowing with a fresh catch. Miller stepped away for a moment to speak with the fisherman, coming back with a handful of small, silver fish. He knelt down in front of the cute foxes, holding a fish out on his open palm. A tiny orange fox immediately trotted forward, nibbling the treat gently from his hand.
“They are far more docile than you would expect,” Miller murmured, a soft smile finally breaking through his embarrassment. “I have a lot of fun coming out here to feed them every once in a while...”
Francesca kept looking at him, her heart swelling with affection at the sight of this handsome war hero being so incredibly gentle with nature. Smiling warmly, she reached into the pile, picked up a small fish of her own, and held it out. A particularly brave little fox immediately hopped right into her lap, eagerly snatching the food from her fingers.
Awk...! Awk...!
The little fox let out a contented chirp, nuzzling its soft head against her dress.
“You really are such troublesome little creatures... did you absolutely have to intercept us at that exact second?” Francesca whispered in a playful, mock-serious voice, leaning down to stare into the fox's bright eyes.
The spoiled creature completely ignored her complaint, simply rolling over onto its back in her hands, waving its paws in the air, and begging for another fish. Francesca couldn't help but laugh, completely won over by the fluffy interrupter.