Mary Hyde dislikes rainy days.

On rainy days, the possibility of getting her body wet binds her movements.

“Why are you so pathetic? Be someone worthy of being the eldest daughter of the Hyde family!”

Her father was a strict man.

As the head of the Hyde family, with outstanding magical talent, he was a prominent figure holding a high position in the Lilias Kingdom.

To him, the timid and fearful Mary was unsatisfactory.

“Can't you even handle something like this properly? Isn't it all because you don't put in the effort?”

Whenever Mary made mistakes or brought unsatisfactory results, her father would scold her harshly.

Splash!

And then he would pour water over her head.

A large amount of water would instantly drench Mary, and her father would leave her as she was.

“Stand there. Don’t come back until you find the right answer.”

She would be left standing in the corridor for a long time.

As time passed and her body began to dry, a maid would be sent to pour water on her again.

Splash!

“I’m sorry…

I’m sorry.

I’ll do better.

I’ll try harder.

I’ll do my best.

I’m sorry…”

Then would come the time of enduring the damp and heavy clothes again.

Her body would start to shiver from the cold.

Her teeth would chatter, and her legs would tremble.

But she couldn’t move from her place.

The way to end this torment was either to bring a solution that made up for her mistakes or to collapse.

“Cough, cough.”

Days when she caught a cold were actually more comfortable for her, at least she wouldn’t get heavily scolded by her father.

But even lying down with a cold was met with her father’s dissatisfaction.

“…Weak.”

She feared the look her father gave her.

She feared the damp and cold memories that came with making mistakes.

All of it was because of her timid and fearful nature.

Mary hated that about herself.

“Look, you can do it if you try.”

So, Mary acted like a strong person.

Someone who was unaffected by any pain or adversity.

A person as cold as ice.

She pretended to be someone who could overcome her weakness and do anything.

She pretended to be someone who could protect others.

And that pretence soon became Mary’s new persona.

To protect the cowardly self from the damp cold, from her father’s gaze.

To protect herself from everything that tormented her, she created a new persona.

Thus, the ice-like Mary Hyde was completed.

“…I-I hate it.”

But.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll do better. I’ll try harder. I’ll do my best. I’m sorry…”

When she got drenched in water again, she returned to her weak and fearful self.

Along with the damp sensation enveloping her body.

‘…I can’t go out.’

So she grew to hate rainy days.

The multitude of droplets filling the window was a potential for drenching her.

She couldn’t even step outside the building.

‘…I have to go to the academy.’

Thus, she was cursed by the rain.

After calming Raphne down somehow, I first picked up the tools for crafting.

Honestly, I still don’t know how to help Mary overcome her trauma.

I don’t even know what the trauma is.

But thinking about it, my purpose isn’t to help Mary overcome her trauma.

My goal is simply to get her to come to the academy.

Mary avoids the academy on rainy days due to the fear of getting wet.

If that’s the case.

‘As long as she doesn’t get wet, it should be fine.’

Simple but effective. So I decided to attempt making an item.

“…Raphne, over here.”

“…”

By the way, although Raphne had calmed down, she was still in a bad mood.

Normally, she would be chattering beside me, but now she had turned her back and was playing with her dolls.

‘Well, it’s okay since I don’t need fire right now.’

Eventually, the misunderstanding will be cleared up.

If I keep coming to the tower, she’ll stop doubting me.

‘Besides, with this chubby appearance, I doubt a woman would be interested in me…’

Honestly, it feels a bit unfair.

Anyways, when people are desperate, their judgment becomes clouded so Raphne will come to her senses soon.

After organizing the tools, I took out the material.

It was the hide of the [Albino One-Eyed Giant] I had obtained recently.

‘It’s uncertain if this will work.’

The crafting I’m about to do is different from making a dagger before.

The dagger's crafting method was automatically replayed in my mind due to the skill's effect.

But this time, it's experimental crafting.

That is.

‘Can I make something that isn’t in the category?’

If it’s possible, the possibilities for crafting would be endless.

If the things I want to make also benefit from the skill's effect, regardless of if it’s in my blueprints.

I could try making various things.

The first test piece is this.

‘I’ll make a raincoat.’

With that, I took the tools for cutting the hide and focused, infusing my will with magic power.

‘Item crafting.’

The skill activated, and various crafting methods were displayed in my mind.

But this time, I didn’t select any of them.

I opened my eyes and brought the scissors to the hide.

‘Amazing…

It moves like my hand is sliding.’

Fortunately, the skill worked normally.

Whether due to the skill’s effect or not, the scissors cut through the hide smoothly with minimal resistance.

However, unlike when making the dagger, I had to imagine and calculate the entire process in my mind.

Though it was rough, I used all the knowledge I had before possessing Ken to design the raincoat.

I connected the hide pieces of the desired size with a needle and thread.

Fortunately, while I had to think through the crafting order myself, the technique could still benefit from the skill’s assistance.

Though I had never sewn before, my hands connected the hide at an incredible speed.

Thus, the giant’s hide, which was just a lump, was reborn as a perfect piece of clothing.

‘…For the finishing touch.’

I attached an item to the neck part of the raincoat that would serve as a brooch.

‘Done!’

[System: You have crafted a unique item not listed in the item crafting category.

Experience points have been awarded as a bonus.]

[System: You have crafted a ‘White Leather Raincoat.’]

[System: The raincoat crafting method has been registered in the category.]

The crafting was successful.

A few days after the day Ken and Mary got wet in the rain.

Pitter Patter

It was another rainy day as usual.

Thud

‘…The window?’

On rainy days, Mary would always huddle in bed, doing nothing.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of needing to go to the academy, but she was distracted by the sound coming from the window.

Thud

It was the sound of something small hitting the glass.

Reacting to the sound, Mary stopped her hand from opening the window.

The countless droplets pouring outside made her body shiver just by looking at them.

Thud

‘Pebbles?’

As Mary hesitated and stared at the window, she saw what was hitting it. It was a small stone, clearly thrown intentionally by someone.

‘…Who is it?’

Determined, Mary placed her hand on the window. With trembling hands, she pushed the glass open.

“Eek!!”

Soon, the wind and rain blew in, sprinkling a bit of water on her.

“Wow! Are you alright?!”

Startled, Mary hunched her body and heard a familiar voice—a gentle voice that worried about her.

Encouraged, she carefully looked out the window.

“H-Hello!”

There stood Ken, holding an umbrella.

“What are you doing at the girls' dorm?”

Surprised by Ken’s unexpected visit, Mary quickly put on her clothes and went down to the dorm’s front gate.

According to regulations, men couldn’t enter the dorm.

Arriving at the gate, Ken stood on the other side of the open door, waving his hand with a smile.

But Mary couldn’t smile back.

‘…I can’t go.’

Ken, following the rules, didn’t come inside but waited outside in the rain with an umbrella.

The two stood face-to-face, separated by the boundary between the rainy outside and the dry front door.

“I’m here to escort you! Miss Mary! Come, let’s go to the academy together!”

Ken, smiling brightly, spoke words Mary couldn’t understand.

“…What?”

He must have learned about her situation a few days ago.

Thus, he should also know that she couldn’t go to the academy in such heavy rain.

“Ken, I’m sorry. I…”

“I know. That’s why I prepared something. Please wait a moment.”

Cutting her off, Ken rummaged through a small pocket at his waist.

Soon, astonishingly, he pulled out a large piece of clothing from the tiny pocket.

‘A spatial pocket!’

It was something rare even in the Lilias Kingdom, the centre of trade and technology.

But the surprise was short-lived as Mary’s gaze shifted to the clothing he pulled out from the pocket.

“What’s that?”

“Hmm, I made it roughly by eye, so if it doesn’t fit, I can adjust it for you.”

“Huh?”

Before she could react, Ken stepped forward.

Out of the rain towards her, who was sheltered from it.

Mary was momentarily startled and almost took a step back, but then her steps were blocked by the clothes wrapping around her.

“Here, and then like this…”

The fabric of the clothing wrapped around Mary’s shoulders.

The long garment, which easily enveloped her calves, looked like a cloak at first glance.

‘…A raincoat?’

Mary soon realized the nature of the clothing. It was a raincoat used as a substitute for an umbrella on rainy days—a garment worn when an umbrella couldn’t be used.

‘What good is this?’

It wasn’t that Mary had never tried wearing a raincoat.

She had tried to overcome rainy days before.

But it was useless.

The fear of getting wet from the raindrops hitting her body remained.

Wearing a raincoat hadn’t improved anything.

“Now, it’s perfect! How is it?”

But the clothing Ken provided was somehow different.

Ken’s kind hands carefully placed the raincoat’s hood on her head and fastened the chest brooch.

The brooch wasn’t just an ordinary decoration.

‘It’s a spirit stone.’

The colour was green, a wind spirit stone.

“Miss Mary, could you try channelling magic into the gem on your chest?”

Mary hesitated but followed the boy’s confident smile.

She released a small amount of the energy flowing through her bloodstream and directed it to the centre of the green gem.

The spirit stone absorbed the energy she provided and soon emitted a faint light.

“Eek!”

Suddenly, a gust of wind swirled around Mary, surprising her.

“Sh-should I lower the output? Just a bit weaker…”

Ken nodded.

Following his instructions, she reduced the amount of magic flowing into the gem.

The intensity of the wind also began to decrease.

“Perfect! This is just right!”

“…What is this?”

The wind’s power gently surrounded Mary’s body.

It formed a barrier that wrapped around her, weak but seemingly impenetrable.

“It’s an application of wind mantle, a defensive magic. How is it? Do you feel safe with this?”

“…”

Mary hesitated and wrapped her arms around herself.

The faint wind curtain pushed her hands away.

It felt fascinating.

Her own hands, unable to penetrate the transparent wind curtain even with physical force.

“Hmm, or would you like to try going outside?”

Ken, who was absorbed in the wind’s power wrapping around Mary, took her hand and led her outside.

Feeling the pressure of a man’s strength guiding her, Mary naturally took a few steps.

“Wait, Ken! Wait a moment!”

She urgently stopped him.

“Oops, s-sorry. Was it too sudden?”

Understanding her reaction, Ken immediately stopped.

Their hands, still held together, with Mary’s hand trembling.

Even though the wind mantle surrounded her, deep inside, she felt a fear of plunging into the saturation of raindrops.

‘If it’s this, I definitely won’t get wet.’

It was strange.

Her trauma was the reason she couldn’t walk in the rain, the damp and cold memories.

Though they were resolved, she couldn’t step outside.

‘I’m just.’

She was a coward. A timid, inadequate person.

Even with this precious item Ken brought for her, her cowardly nature held her back.

Mary firmly closed her lips.

She hated being a coward. She hated being a burden to others.

‘I can’t do it.’

Just as she was about to release Ken’s hand, which was holding hers, he spoke.

“Are you still a bit scared?”

“…Huh?”

Ken asked her softly. His voice didn’t rush or scold her.

It was merely kind.

“I’m sorry. I should have realized it wouldn’t be easy to overcome. I was short-sighted.”

Even though it was her fault for being a coward, Ken scolded himself.

And he understood her inability to move forward.

He accepted her.

“Then how about this?”

He smiled and approached her.

A shadow fell over Mary’s head as another strong layer of protection was placed over her.

Ken used his umbrella to shield her head.

“If the rain tries to drench you, I’ll protect you.”

With that, he gave her a gentle smile.

A smile that seemed mischievous at first glance.

Or like an older brother.

A reassuring smile.

“I’m confident in my size! Please use it as much as you need in times like this!”

“…”

“Alright!”

His hand guided Mary forward.

It was neither coercive nor rushed.

It gently led her along the path.

Ken’s back, heading into the rain.

Mary’s eyes were drawn to Ken’s wide back, which promised to protect her.

“How is it? Is it okay?”

And the moment she came to her senses.

She was already out in the rain.

“…Huh?”

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella.

But despite the sound, not a single raindrop touched Mary’s body.

Because he was protecting her.

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