"I bought quite a lot of food. Uncle, come have some too!"
Seeing Muryōtō Ryūsuke come out, Little Himeko immediately stood up, while Himeko invited him as well.
"It's nothing. My stomach just feels a little uncomfortable. You two go ahead and eat!" Muryōtō Ryūsuke rubbed his stomach, making it clear that he did not feel like eating.
After eating enough to fill their stomachs, the three continued wandering around the area, from making ice sculptures themselves to skiing at the ski resort... Before they knew it, night had fallen.
And when night came, an even more interesting event was about to begin.
They would head to a nearby shrine, where more than two thousand snow candles would be arranged to create a nighttime view. By then, the shrine would be transformed into a glittering, dreamlike winter wonderland.
However, just as the three were looking forward to heading to the shrine, Muryōtō Ryūsuke suddenly received a call. His expression changed slightly, though it vanished the next moment. Still, Himeko happened to catch it.
Muryōtō Ryūsuke suddenly stopped, gathered his thoughts, and said to the two Himekos before him, "I'm terribly sorry, but I probably won't be able to accompany you to see the shrine's night view later. Something urgent suddenly came up at the laboratory, and I need to deal with it. Little Himeko, Dad can't go with you. Let your sister Himeko accompany you to the shrine instead! I'm very sorry!"
"Did something happen?"
Seeing Muryōtō Ryūsuke like this, Himeko could not help feeling a little worried. Had something happened at the laboratory in the Far Eastern Land as well? Perhaps the birth of a Herrscher? Even if it was not a Herrscher, a Pseudo-Herrscher would still be extremely troublesome—far beyond what ordinary people like them could resist.