“She needs to die quickly.”

Lazar’s boyish voice echoed through the ice valley. His mouth was smiling, but his shining red eyes held a sad glimmer.

“Sorry, but that’s not happening.”

Kaiden let out a small laugh. This wasn’t negotiable. The line had been crossed, far too much.

“You talk as if the decision is yours.”

Kaiden spoke with a dark gaze. His low voice carried a surprising sharpness. Heath glanced sideways at his master.

“Kaiden.”

“If you insist on being so unreasonable, Nopthal is no longer…”

“A powerful army, broad and deep support, and magic and martial arts praised as the best.”

Lazar recited loudly.

“Do you think that alone is enough to protect you? Really?”

His red eyes spun as they emitted a faint golden glow.

“Your parents had all of that too, yet they were killed so easily in the end, weren’t they?”

“That’s enough.”

Kaiden slowly drew his sword. Even though he didn’t do it quickly, the overwhelming force was such that no one could react easily.

“Rohana is out of all this.”

His calm face looked dangerous, as if one more step would lead to an explosion. His silver hair sparkled in the falling snow, and his dark eyes gleamed like those of a beast.

“So, it seems you’ll officially be our enemy from now on.”

Lazar let out a long sigh.

“That’s unfortunate.”

With those clear words, the boy sitting on the frozen waterfall disappeared.

***

“D*mn it.”

“Is there something uncomfortable…?”

The owner of the lodge spoke in a troubled voice to Kaiden, whose face clearly showed anxiety and displeasure. Heath dismissed him with a formal smile.

The lodge, though small, was sturdy and warm. The smell of burning wood filled the air, and a pot of potato soup was simmering over the hearth.

The cloak and boots, now rid of snow, were drying on the thick carpet. Kaiden, seated on the mustang-leather sofa, downed a cup of hot liquor.

“The blizzard is too strong. We’ll have to wait until dawn to head back.”

At Heath’s words, Kaiden frowned.

“Tomorrow?”

Rohana’s face, her eyes wide with surprise, flashed vividly in his mind. It had only been this morning, yet it felt like ages ago. Of all times, meeting R.D. now had been such a hassle.

There had been no other choice, though, since Lazar only appeared once every half month.

Kaiden clicked his tongue quietly and closed his eyes. Heath stared at him intently.

“Are you that disappointed we can’t go back sooner?”

Perhaps conscious of that gaze, Kaiden scowled slightly.

“I don’t like the emperor being in my house while I’m not there.”

Heath narrowed his eyes, then his expression grew serious. He had tried not to ask, but now was the time. The real reason Kaiden was so set on clashing with R.D., even at the risk of leaving Rohana behind.

“Spit it out already.”

Kaiden removed the cup from his lips and turned to Heath. Heath tilted his head slightly, gesturing for him to continue.

“Let’s sort this out.”

A moment of silence passed, with only the sound of crackling logs filling the room.

“If you don’t tell me, I can’t reasonably understand why you’re going this far to break with R.D.”

Kaiden stared at Heath in silence for a moment.

“Why did you return to the palace?”

Kaiden sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair, and rested his arm on the chair’s armrest. Sharp shadows were cast across his sharp nose.

Kaiden took a sip of his drink.

“I had to check if R.D., who has grown reckless, might seize an opportunity with Aurelia and do something reckless.”

“So that’s why you stopped by Lazar back then?”

Kaiden nodded.

“At that time, Lazar said something to me.”

The fire burned red, and his voice, simmering with anger, was calm as if speaking to himself.

“He said the ‘person I care about’ would be in danger.”

Heath’s eyebrows twitched.

“The person you care about would be in danger? What does that mean? Weren’t you searching for Rohana Hanover?”

Kaiden seemed to think he’d said too much, sealing his lips shut. Heath, as someone who had known him for a long time, realized there was little chance of getting Kaiden to talk again once he closed up like that.

Still, how could someone he had never even met—Rohana Hanover—be someone Kaiden cared about? Heath furrowed his brow.

“How could you care about someone you’ve never met? Were you searching for Aurelia? Or Bardi? Since Rohana would likely be near them?”

Heath muttered, then corrected himself.

“If it were the Crown Prince Bardi, you’d have simply asked where he was, given your personality.”

The firelight illuminated one side of Kaiden’s face. His sharp eyes revealed no emotion. His broad shoulders filled the large chair and even overflowed it.

“So, it was Aurelia, then.”

Outwardly, most people from the East avoided getting close to Aurelia, who was an adopted daughter of the Arin tribe.

Of course, Aurelia, being from Kark and unable to wield any magic, had no intention of becoming close to the Kark tribe either.

As a result, aside from close confidants like Heath, most people misunderstood Aurelia and Kaiden as being romantically involved.

After all, Aurelia clung to Kaiden and couldn’t easily be separated from him, and Kaiden, for his part, couldn’t completely ignore someone as isolated as she was.

“What exactly are you thinking?”

“What do you mean?”

Kaiden crossed his legs and rubbed his forehead. Though it was clear he didn’t want to talk any further, Heath didn’t back down.

“Are you saying you ran to Aurelia out of concern, but now you’ve married the Hanover duchess for the greater good?”

Kaiden closed his eyes in silence at Heath’s question.

Rohana Hanover.

Heath quietly recalled her from their encounter that morning, along with Kaiden’s demeanor around her.

“Did you notify Lazar like that to prevent the Lady from being used as a spark? To at least stop a war?”

Kaiden barely nodded in response.

A sting in his chest made Heath let out a small, unnoticed chuckle, finding the situation ridiculous.

He couldn’t help but ignore the strange relief that Kaiden might truly have feelings for Aurelia.

***

The sun had nearly set. After spending almost an entire day, Rohana slowly descended the stairs to the underground prison.

It was about halfway down. Normally, she wouldn’t have paid much attention, but a maid she’d never seen before greeted her, causing Rohana’s brisk pace to momentarily pause.

The maid wore clothes from Nopthal, but her hairstyle was neatly tied in the style of the capital.

“Even the servants have multiplied significantly.”

With the imperial guards stationed here now, the duchy was uncomfortably crowded.

At the entrance, a few soldiers stood guard. As Rohana looked at them curiously, Iz, clad in platinum armor, emerged from the dim prison.

“Your Grace.”

Her small but solid frame stood more upright at the sight of Rohana.

“Any issues?”

“No, we’ve just provided food.”

As Rohana silently looked down at Iz, she firmly shook her head.

“No, you can’t.”

“Hm?” Rohana asked, but Iz already seemed to know what was going on. Giving up, Rohana inquired about Jody’s condition.

“She was sitting. Though we gave her food, it didn’t seem like she touched it.”

“I see.”

“I heard your younger brother, Lord Brandt Hanover, is arriving.”

Iz spoke in her husky voice. Rohana quietly nodded. She should’ve felt glad, but she didn’t.

Why didn’t she feel any joy?

Rohana exhaled a short breath. A white mist emerged from her lips.

“Iz, can you deliver this?”

“What is it?”

Iz extended her hand.

“Please give it to Jody.”

Iz sighed as she looked at the note she received.

“It’s a secret from His Highness.”

Her platinum bobbed hair shook slightly as she shook her head.

Rohana noticed that Iz, like Kaiden, was wearing leather gloves and armor. Suddenly, her ornate dress felt suffocating.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

As Iz respectfully bowed, Rohana turned to leave.

After climbing the stairs and walking down the hallway towards the main building, Rohana noticed the path where Kaiden and Heath had rushed out earlier that morning. She walked down it and leaned against a rock.

Snowflakes were falling heavily.

Though this wasn’t in the original story, if she truly possessed magical powers, she would have a far better chance of survival compared to those without them.

If Bardi’s words were true, and Kaiden really took her as a tool to exploit Hanover, and if he truly intended to harm her as in the original story…

Perhaps Kaiden was intentionally keeping his distance to prevent her from realizing her own magical potential.

“No matter how lonely you are…”

Rohana muttered to herself, suppressing the lump rising in her throat. She gently patted her chest, trying to calm its erratic beating.

“It’s okay.”

She had resolved to be alone. How could she have forgotten such a simple truth after living two lives?

It was pathetic and shameful, but she reassured herself that as long as she was alive, everything would be fine.

She would eliminate those behind Jody’s actions. She would find her own abilities. She would take responsibility for herself.

That was all there was to do in life.

Rohana blinked against the biting wind that stung her eyes.

She couldn’t understand why that one thing, which seemed easy for others, was so difficult for her. Quietly, Rohana headed towards the library.

***

The moment the snowstorm subsided, Kaiden and Heath rode out at dawn, arriving only by morning.

Heath’s unusual silence was odd, but Kaiden had no time to pay attention to it. Though he needed to receive reports from Iz and Galad, his feet led him elsewhere.

“Your Grace.”

Ignoring the greetings from the servants and soldiers, Kaiden’s long strides quickly carried him to his chambers.

Galad was supposed to be standing guard outside the door, but no one was there. Kaiden furrowed his brow, brushing back his snow-damp hair. The reception room was eerily quiet and pristine.

Something felt wrong.

His strides quickened. He roughly opened the door and took in the neatly arranged room. The bed was untouched, as if no one had slept in it.

Rohana was gone.