There hadn’t been any time for them to secretly discuss it without me noticing, yet everyone was already silently united in their decision?
It couldn’t have been because they disliked me; they simply wanted me to be last—probably as a safety net in case one of them ended up in first place.
Honestly, should I be glad about this damned popularity, or should I be upset?
“Briel, are you alright? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”
Seeing my conflicted expression, Marianne approached cautiously, her steps hesitant. She looked guilty, probably because she’d excitedly waved around that cotton ball earlier before meeting my gaze. I flashed her a cheerful smile in return.
“Of course. Competition can be brutal. Now that I’m out, I’ll be the referee instead. Keep at it, everyone!”
“Yes!”
With me—the unanimous first target—eliminated, the snowball fight quickly returned to a state of peace. The animal friends joyfully exchanged snowballs with those closest to them, filling the air with cheerful shouts and laughter.
From afar, I glared at Kalz, who was locked in a heated confrontation with Jack.
He’s definitely the one who stuffed that snowball down my back earlier.
I hadn’t clearly seen the culprit due to the confusion, but judging from the size and placement of the hand pulling at my collar, it had to be Kalz. It was already unfair that I was the only one without fur, freezing out here. Targeting my bare skin—what a petty guy!
Watching Kalz struggle under Jack’s relentless snowball barrage, I felt a mischievous thought rise within me.
I may be out, but a small revenge wouldn’t hurt, right?
In all this chaos, surely nobody would pinpoint exactly where a stray snowball had come from.
Having made up my mind, I quickly grabbed a snowball lying beside me. Taking aim at Kalz, I hurled it with all my might. Just then, I heard a startled cry nearby.
“Honey!”
Honey? Only then did I notice the fluffy brown tail fluttering from the snowball I’d just launched.
“Grandpa Tail?”
Had I just thrown Grandpa Tail, who Mrs. Pitt had carefully rolled up into a snowball?! Panicking, I desperately reached out, but it was already too late. Grandpa Tail, tucked into the snowball, soared swiftly toward the back of Kalz’s head.
Just then, a dark shadow swiftly darted toward the airborne Grandpa Tail.
Thwack!
The owner of the clawed foot, who skillfully snatched Grandpa Tail out of midair, spoke in his ever-calm voice.
“My, that was nearly a disaster.”
“Butler Squawk!”
Thank goodness. Seriously, thank goodness. Unlike me, who nearly collapsed in relief, Grandpa Tail dangled from Butler Squawk’s claws, completely unruffled.
“Hohoho, riding a snowball is surprisingly pleasant.”
“Oh my goodness, old man! You didn’t even try jumping off right away—I really can’t live like this. Can’t you see the poor boy was scared half to death?”
“No, it’s all my fault. I’m really sorry. I let revenge get the better of me, and…”
“Hohoho, the breeze was quite refreshing!”
“Don’t worry about it, dear. Thanks to you, this old fool is having the time of his life. Really, acting like a child at his age.”
For the rest of the match, I had to soothe a sulking Grandma Rosie while apologizing repeatedly to Grandpa Tail. If nothing else, it became another lesson for me to rededicate myself to living a kinder life.
After a fierce, localized battle, the last two standing were Kalz and Butler Squawk.
Kalz fought with raw strength and overwhelming numbers, while Butler Squawk countered gracefully with speed and cunning tactics. Their showdown was breathtaking, but victory decisively tilted in Butler Squawk’s favor when he swooped down and stuffed a snowball straight into Kalz’s ear.
“Argh! Butler! Isn’t this going a bit too far, even if you’re desperate for victory?”
“Hm, hardly as unfair as our difference in size, Master.”
“That’s…”
Unable to counter that undeniable truth, Kalz turned urgently to me.
“Referee!”
“Yes?”
“No matter how you slice it, isn’t this a foul?”
Meeting Kalz’s blazing glare, I replied nonchalantly.
“Ears or clothes—what’s the difference? Allowed.”
“You biased—!”
Of course I was biased. I’d much rather Butler Squawk win over him. Eventually, with snowballs plugging both ears, Kalz grudgingly admitted defeat.
“Yay! Congratulations, Butler Squawk!”
“Thank you.”
“Butler, see me later.”
Kalz muttered ominously, tapping snow from his ears. Such petty behavior, unable to gracefully accept defeat. Butler Squawk pretended he hadn’t heard, smoothly continuing his conversation with me.
“So, does that mean I get to claim a wish from you, Briel?”
“Exactly. Just tell me whatever you want.”
Honestly, I’d have happily fulfilled most requests from Butler Squawk even without the prize. I asked lightly, but Butler Squawk considered it surprisingly seriously.
“Hmm. I can’t think of anything specific right now. I’ll let you know when something comes up.”
“Sure, anytime.”
What exactly could he want that required saving his wish for later? For a moment, I considered adding a time-limit rule, but quickly dismissed it. It felt slightly unsettling, but it was Butler Squawk, after all—not Kalz. What harm could possibly come from letting him use his wish later?
As I took a short break, showing Marianne and Jack how to build a proper snowman, a sweet voice called me from the mansion.
“Briel! Could you come here for a second?”
“Yes, coming!”
Inside the kitchen, Elizabeth stirred a large pot of soup with a ladle.
“Sorry, my hands are tied right now. Could you help me take out the bowls and silverware?”
“Is this good?”
“Yes, perfect. The soup’s nearly done—would you taste it for me?”
“Let me see… Mm, delicious! Perfectly seasoned, as always. Elizabeth, your cooking really is the best.”
“Hehe, such a charming child. Now, can you let everyone know it’s ready?”
It wasn’t mere flattery; this was genuinely the best soup I’d tasted in ages. The rich, creamy soup, generously filled with hearty vegetables, warmed both my frozen body and stomach. Soon enough, gathered around the dining table by the crackling fireplace, we were sweating lightly, chatting, and laughing happily.
Meals shared like this were truly wonderful.
“So, that’s what a snowball fight is like? It sounds so fun.”
Elizabeth, carefully tasting cooled spoonfuls of soup, murmured wistfully after hearing the detailed story of our battle.
“If I’d known, I would’ve joined in too. Such a missed opportunity.”
“Haha…”
How was I supposed to reply to that? Elizabeth’s sharp eyes were clearly directed at Butler Squawk. Even Butler Squawk, champion of the first-ever snowball fight, flinched slightly under her intense gaze, but he determinedly pretended not to notice.
In times like this, strategic retreat was best. I discreetly stood up and moved next to Marianne, who was blissfully blowing on her soup, smiling as she took a large spoonful.
“Marianne, did you have fun today?”
“Yes! Tons and tons of fun!”
Marianne’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she answered eagerly. She was truly adorable—just seeing her bright expression made every bit of today’s effort worthwhile.
“Haha, really? Did you enjoy the snowball fight that much?”
“The snowball fight was fun, but honestly, this was my first time ever playing together with everyone. It felt so special.”
“Your first time? You’ve never played together before, not even once?”
“No…”
Not even once, after all this time? My obvious surprise seemed to dampen her enthusiasm a bit, making her expression falter slightly.
“That’s why I feel a little sad that today’s ending. But we can play again the next time it snows, right?”
“Hey, why wait for the next snowfall?”
“Huh?”
“If there’s no snow, we’ll just find something else to play. There are endless ways to have fun in the world.”
“But…we can’t really leave the castle…”
Marianne hesitated, her gaze flickering nervously between Kalz and Butler Squawk. Had she been so consumed by work that even a simple wish to play freely seemed impossible to her? No, this wouldn’t do—I couldn’t let Marianne keep holding herself back like this.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find plenty of things we can do inside the castle.”
“Now, that sounds quite interesting.”
Thankfully, Butler Squawk quickly chimed in positively. Encouraged by his response, I pushed forward confidently.
“Right? How about I officially take charge of organizing regular events in the castle? It could count as a formal activity aimed at boosting staff morale and unity.”
“As long as it doesn’t burden you, Briel, we’d appreciate it greatly. Honestly, life here has always been rather dull, but we never had the resources or time to address it.”
“It won’t burden me at all. Does that mean you’re officially giving permission?”
Even if Kalz pretended otherwise, I knew he’d been listening. I deliberately raised my voice, directing my question toward him, and finally, he nodded reluctantly.
“…As long as you don’t cause any commotion outside the castle or disrupt our regular duties, it’s fine.”
“Perfect. Then it’s decided!”
With even Kalz onboard, Marianne glanced up at me, startled by the speed at which things had progressed. Her cute expression nearly tempted me to ruffle her fur, but instead, I simply smiled warmly.
“From now on, we won’t have to wait for snowy days to have fun. So look forward to lots of exciting things coming up, alright?”
“Briel…!”
Realizing this was actually happening, Marianne’s face lit up with delight. Her cheeks turned rosy with joy as she nodded so enthusiastically that her round ears flapped adorably.
“Yes! I’ll definitely look forward to it! And, also…”
Marianne waved her fluffy paw, signaling me to lean in closer. She brought her mouth to my ear and whispered shyly.
“To be honest, you’re my favorite person in the whole castle, Briel.”
“…!”
I stared at her, eyes wide with surprise at the unexpected confession. Marianne covered her mouth with her paw and gave me a bashful smile.
“Hehe, but keep it a secret from the others, okay?”
Too cute…!
To think Marianne, who’d barely spoken a word to me when we first met, would now shower me with such affection. I was so touched, I almost felt tears forming in my eyes.
