Orino was startled and quickly raised her index finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture. Those big eyes cautiously scanned the dark surrounding buildings.
“Shh, the students are all asleep. It wouldn’t be good to disturb everyone. But… I can make as much orange ice cream as you want. Since you like it so much… I’ll make you more! Don’t be so loud, or we’ll get scolded.”
Mia realized her rudeness and awkwardly scratched her cheek with her nail.
Before she could finish explaining, Orino had already started. “Sorry… I… am…”
The Great Fairy extended her palm, and the moisture in the air rapidly condensed in her hand.
“It’s just ice cream, not a big deal.”
Ding——
A large, crystal-clear goblet entirely carved from ice appeared out of thin air. Then, clusters of faintly orange ice cream slowly formed inside the cup, emitting an enticing fruity aroma. Orino also thoughtfully provided a delicate ice spoon that matched the size of Mia’s small cherry-like mouth.
And at the very top, a chibi-style face outlined with orange slices appeared. The iconic four braids, eyes curved like crescent moons, and a broad, carefree smile. Anyone could tell it was Orino’s self-portrait.
Looking at the endearing pattern on the ice cream, the long-clogged gloom in Mia’s heart was torn open.
Pfft.
She couldn’t help covering her mouth and giggling. This was the first genuine smile she had shown all night. At that moment, she was just an ordinary girl amused by something cute.
Mia took the cup and spoon, staring blankly at the large orange ice cream as if looking at something unreal, or perhaps gazing into the distance, toward a past she could never return to.
“Thank you, Orino.”
The moment her fingertips touched the icy cup, the cold spread through her body, but it didn’t make her uncomfortable.
The cold wind howled.
Mia stood on the desolate Academy Boulevard, wearing that heavy coat with its wide-open hem, eating the ice cream bite by bite in the cold wind. At the first few bites, she was especially careful. Mia deliberately avoided the chibi face of Orino on top, scooping from the edges first, as if she couldn’t bear to ruin that lovely smile.
The cold dessert entered her mouth, and the fresh scent of oranges exploded in her mouth.
“It’s been a long time… since I’ve had orange ice cream.”
Mia murmured softly, her eyes a little moist.
“Good, right?”
Orino leaned in, looking expectant.
Mia closed her eyes, savoring the taste on her tongue, then showed an extremely happy smile.
“It seems… a bit different from the ice cream popular in the Capital.”
“Right? Right?”
Orino, as if she had found a kindred spirit, proudly put her hands on her hips.
“Right? I’ve tried all the ice cream in the Capital recently, and found that the flavors are all too sweet, no matter the taste… It feels like just eating sugar! No character at all.”
Mia didn’t speak, just nodded silently. She continued eating the ice cream, her pink tongue gently rolling up a small piece of orange sorbet, savoring the unique fruit sourness and faint sweet aftertaste.
“So delicious… really, it’s been a long time since I’ve had this taste.”
Mia’s voice became a little distant.
“In the Southern Region… this slightly sour taste is quite common. They grow lots of citrus there, and people even make various foods specially from sour fruits, not like the Capital that’s so addicted to sweetness…”
Orino looked proud.
“Hehe, tasty, right? But Orino thinks even the ice cream in the Southern Region being mainly sour is too extreme. Orino thinks her current recipe is the best!”
Mia nodded again, her eyes incredibly gentle.
“Yes… I also really like this taste. First the bitterness of the orange peel and the sourness of the fruit, then the sweet aftertaste of the cream… Smooth on the tongue, with a long finish.”
She lowered her head, looking at the diminishing ice cream in the cup.
“Truly… it’s been a long time since I’ve tasted this flavor. Thank you, Orino.”
“So you also like orange ice cream! If you want some, you can come to Orino anytime. As a partner who explored the dungeon together, I won’t charge you.”
Mia ate the delicious orange ice cream bite by bite, slowly, as if holding some memory or treasure. It seemed Mia’s praise wasn’t just polite; she ate faster and faster, and the cold mask on her face began to melt, brimming with a girl’s satisfied smile.
To prevent Mia from feeling awkward if she stared too long, Orino thoughtfully wandered around her, occasionally kicking pebbles on the road. But her peripheral vision stayed on Mia, watching the other happily eat the dessert she made, and the Great Fairy’s heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Finally, the large cup of ice cream was nearly empty.
When Mia swallowed the last bite, Orino ran back to her like a gust of wind, flashing a big smile.
“Tasty, right?”
Mia sighed contentedly, and the white breath she exhaled seemed to carry the scent of oranges.
“Mm-hmm… So delicious.”
“Just give me the cup.”
Mia subconsciously handed the empty ice cup to Orino. The Great Fairy took the cup, but instead of letting it melt into a puddle on the ground, she snapped her fingers.
Snap.
The ice cup turned into countless tiny sparkling particles in her hand and scattered into the night sky, as if it had never existed.
Mia watched the disappearing particles, then turned to look at a bench under the shade of a tree not far away.
The winter night wind seemed stronger.
She subconsciously wrapped her coat tighter, bundling the oversized outerwear around herself like a cocoon. The thick cashmere fabric made a faint rustling sound as it rubbed together. At the hem of the coat, her legs, only covered in sheer, glossy black stockings, unconsciously pressed together to fend off the cold.
Occasionally, a cold draft slipped in, and Mia would stamp her feet from cold, the crisp sound of high heels especially piercing in the dead of night.
“Um…”
Mia spoke a little sheepishly, her voice sounding frail in the wind. Because inviting at this time felt weird.
“Even though I’m satisfied from eating, having too much cold at once makes me feel colder, and… I’m a little full, can’t walk.”
She looked at Orino.
“Can you accompany me to sit on that bench for a while?”
Orino still had that sunny, energetic smile.
“Sure.”
Orino hopped over to the bench, and before Mia arrived, she carefully took out a handkerchief and wiped the seat.
Mia sat down on the bench and looked at the night sky with Orino.
“Thank you.”