Perhaps due to the grim atmosphere along the border affecting the climate, or maybe simply because cold air from the northwest mountains arrived slightly faster than usual, this year's drop in temperature began earlier than ever in the Valeria Empire. By late December, a snowfall thick enough to submerge an adult's lower legs blanketed the entire capital city.
This wasn't the first snow of the year, but it was by far the heaviest.
Lyra sat at her desk, intently flipping through the parchment book in her hands. Beneath the table, two legs wrapped in thick white stockings stretched out straight, her delicate, delicate ankles crossed and occasionally swaying slightly in rhythm with her fingers turning pages.
