In an instant, her body was pushed hard against the solid wall.

With one hand pressed against the wall, the other gripping Rohana’s wrist, Bardi’s eyes flickered with intense anger. The smile that hid his true feelings clashed with hers.

“Rohana.”

Bardi let out a strained breath. Rohana looked up at him with a calm and composed expression.

“Watch your words.”

Knock. Knock.

At that moment, the sound of knocking pierced through the tension that seemed ready to explode.

“Your Majesty, there is an urgent message for the Duchess.”

The trembling voice of the attendant broke the silence. It was Galad. With his dark brown curly hair, he had been the one accompanying Iz and others from the capital to Pincheser.

“What’s it about?”

Bardi relaxed his grip and asked. Rohana’s wrist was numb from the pressure.

“It’s a message from Brandt Hanover, the Duke of the Capital. It’s marked as urgent, so you’ll need to reply through the official messenger immediately.”

Bardi raised his eyebrows.

“I see.”

Rohana turned away, making no effort to hide her contempt.

***

The bright red sun hung over the mountain ridge, with night already descending in the east and the western sky still bright with grandeur.

The once dense coniferous forest had given way to sheer cliffs carved by strange rock formations.

The ice sparkled like jewels, and although it looked chilling, the occasional blooming white wildflowers made it hard to gauge the ice’s temperature.

With the temperature significantly lower, white breath misted from the air. Then, a voice that was still unfamiliar echoed through.

“Long time no see.”

It was the voice of a young boy. His finely featured face was now set in a harsh expression.

“I’m glad to see both of you.”

An ageless being.

Lazar, the leader of R. D.

With jet-black hair that seemed to absorb the light and a height barely reaching half of Kaiden’s or His’s, the boy’s large, round eyes and his cute appearance belied the red gaze filled with the weight of long years.

“What is this? Chandelier pieces, bombings, and Pincheser.”

“You’re too impatient. From what I see, you’re not the type to hesitate…”

The unspoken voice suggesting that he always hesitates annoyed Kaiden. A strange golden light brushed over the two men.

“Anyway, it’s been a while.”

The boy said cheerfully, with a bright expression.

“I’m not sure who allowed you to do this to my wife without any agreement. Do you want to turn Pincheser into an enemy?”

Kaiden changed the subject without acknowledging the boy’s greeting. The once innocent expression on the boy’s face darkened slightly.

“Kaiden, the fact that you formed a marriage alliance with the Hanover Duke’s family for the Empire’s sovereignty was quite impressive.”

Lazar jumped up onto the frozen waterfall and sat. His touch on the unknown white flower piercing through the ice was gentle.

“It’s convincing. But unfortunately, diplomacy and politics won’t change a thing. Nothing will be different.”

His red eyes stared indifferently at the two men.

“So, you sent the ‘White Bird’? To show us what?”

In response to His’s question, Lazar sighed in apparent disappointment.

“Oh no, that wasn’t us. The land is going mad, and the sky is going mad. That’s not something I can control. I really don’t know what it means.”

Kaiden’s face hardened. The look in Lazar’s eyes was filled with the earnestness of ancient wisdom.

Something beyond the level of the Kark tribes had begun. They might have to pay the price for wiping out the seeds of magic users capable of controlling magical beasts.

“Your father knew well. That war is something you cannot avoid or delay.”

Lazar murmured with a regretful tone. His’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Anyway, we can no longer delay.”

“Killing the Duke of Hanover’s daughter for revenge…”

“Revenge? Do you think we would engage in such childish acts?”

Lazar cut off His’s words with apparent disappointment, pushing his lips forward.

“It’s not revenge.”

Kaiden said coldly.

“No.”

Lazar replied cheerfully.

“It’s a good catalyst. The Arin people will be in an uproar if someone like Rohana dies… and the Kark people will finally rise up against the suppression.”

Kaiden stared intently into Lazar’s red eyes. Although it wasn’t incorrect, something about it bothered him. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“Does Lazar really think Rohana should be used as a catalyst?”

As the question arose, Kaiden’s mind flashed with the young face of Rohana and his first memory of her. The words he had said.

“Never let anyone find out.”

It had been said out of concern for the Gregory and the strong faction in the central capital.

The girl didn’t seem to realize what abilities she had and how dangerous possessing them could be.

“If Lazar knows about Rohana’s abilities…”

Kaiden furrowed his brow even more. Lazar, who knew everything, was the one unaffected by time.

“Are you concerned that someone among the pure humans might use magic?”

The red eyes stared directly at Kaiden.

“For the victory of magic.”

Lazar’s youthful voice echoed through the ice valley.

“She needs to die soon.”

Despite the smile, the glint in his red eyes held a hint of sadness.

“I’m truly sorry.”

***

“I apologize, My Lady.”

Galad’s rough voice came as Rohana walked quickly towards the library.

“I couldn’t think of any other excuse. I had to say it was urgent just to get the damned palace guards to open the door.”

“Understood.”

Galad pulled a small letter from his leather vest pocket and handed it over. The message was brief, just three lines:

<Dear Sister,

I would like to visit you to inquire about your well-being now that things have improved in the capital.

I will see you soon.>

Rohana’s head throbbed. Though he was a cherished younger brother, she couldn’t muster much enthusiasm.

At the library, Sirirul was quietly organizing the mess. Galad’s eyes widened in shock. His usually fiery face turned red with embarrassment.

“Are you hurt?”

At Rohana’s question, Sirirul rubbed his reddened eyes and nodded.

“I should have stopped them somehow…”

“How could you stop soldiers pushing their way in like that?”

The sound of maids and attendants silently tidying up the library, which had been thrown into disarray, filled the silence.

“I’m sorry.”

Sirirul, with a voice barely above a whisper, hurriedly wiped his tears. It was basic courtesy not to deploy soldiers in one’s home during peacetime. Bardi had crossed the line.

Rohana called Sirirul over to the window. Snow was falling heavily outside.

“When did you investigate that chandelier ring? Did you know it was Jody?”

Sirirul’s teal eyes wavered with embarrassment. He tensed up as if in front of the Emperor’s soldiers. At that moment, Rohana realized she was not in a position to say such things.

“Is it difficult to talk to me about it?”

Tears welled up again in Sirirul’s large eyes.

“Is it because I’m from Hanover?”

A moment of silence followed. Rohana recalled Brandt’s warning.

“That person asked strange questions at every gateway into the palace.”

Brand had seemed to regret those words as soon as he uttered them.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, be careful, Sister. Really.”

“Why?”

“They asked where Lady Rohana was. Even from the guards at the Hanover gate and the banquet hall.”

Thinking back, she also remembered Bardi’s seemingly trivial comment.

Bardi had said that the Kark tribe was ‘different.’ That was evident even from the original work. Indeed, they were incongruent and a threat to peace.

Rohana recalled Bardi’s voice.

“Deliberately putting you in danger and then rescuing you… and even diverting attention to steal evidence. Cunning. Very Kaiden-like.”

Her chest tightened.

Both R. D. and the Kark were users of magic. Kaiden was, after all, a man who rebelled against them.

Though strategically kept by his side due to necessity, had he, too, recently recalled past events, causing some emotional turmoil?

Why had his hair been black at that time?

Who had harmed him?

Since she had questioned this, she had been swayed by those self-important emotions. Rohana sighed deeply.

“Never let anyone find out.”

‘Wait a minute…’

For a moment, Rohana’s mind flashed with the words he had left behind. Had he told her not to let anyone know what he had seen? But considering the recent ‘magic’ she had seen…

‘It wasn’t something an eight-year-old girl’s quick thinking could heal.’

That was evident even without being a doctor.

‘Did I use magic? Rohana Hanover?’

Could that be true? Rohana frowned.

“My Lady.”

Sirirul spoke cautiously.

“Are you okay?”

Not wanting to keep the uncertain girl in front of her any longer, Rohana forced a smile.

“Sirirul, please write a letter.”

Sirirul nodded vigorously, as if fearing a headache. Rohana quickly wrote the letter, focusing on resolving the urgent matter first.

The letter was to be sent to the ‘St Helena Orphanage’ in the capital, inquiring whether there was a sponsor or someone who regularly visited Jody under her name.

“Galad, it’s a truly urgent message.”

Galad nodded. The light snow had intensified into a heavy snowfall.