This was the exact text of the letter that Selina had transcribed from the Marquis’s dictation.

It stated that she had something she wished to deliver in preparation for the Day of the North Wind. As travelling all the way to the Grand Ducal Castle would be difficult, she suggested they meet at Lumos Gorge instead, as it was located nearby.

Calix was currently en route to the eastern border of Thalia. After completing his inspection of the eastern frontier, he was scheduled to travel west. The western border was Selhain, a frontier region bordering the Empire directly.

Under normal circumstances, he would have passed through the Grand Ducal Castle on his way to Selhain. However, given his tight schedule, there was a strong chance that he would bypass the castle entirely and head straight for Selhain.

If he read Selina’s letter, though, then even if he did not enter the castle, he would most likely stop by Lumos Gorge as requested.

Lumos Gorge.

Ordinarily, it was a place she would never have known existed. But while researching the Day of the North Wind, she had come across records of it. It was said to be one of the mountains that froze over suddenly when the North Wind began to blow.

Of all those mountains, Lumos Gorge was the most treacherous. To pass through it, one had to cross a steep, narrow, unforgiving path.

‘There’s only one reason to lure Calix there.’

The Marquis intended to kill him.

Her father believed that, in order to take over Thalia, Calix had to be eliminated, no matter what. This time, it was clear that he was planning to use the terrain of the gorge to his advantage.

Of course, Selina, who knew little about Thalia’s major cities, had suggested a location that was far too specific: Lumos Gorge. If Calix was as perceptive as she thought he was, he might realize that something was amiss.

But what if he didn’t?

What if he walked straight into the trap?

The instant this thought occurred to her, Selina realized that she could not stay there any longer.

She turned her gaze towards the window.

Dawn was just breaking — the perfect time to escape, as everyone, including the guards assigned to watch over her, was still asleep.

It was the perfect chance to escape.

Selina tore the bedsheets into strips and knotted them together to form a long rope. The summer sheets were thin yet strong enough to support her weight. Holding her breath, she lowered the makeshift rope down through the window.

‘It’s a little short, but it’ll do.’

The ground lay about two meters below. It was a height she could endure.

Worried that someone might catch her in the act, Selina grabbed the rope and climbed down as quickly as she could.

—Thud!

“Ugh—!”

She failed to land properly, instead tumbling to the ground. The impact was louder than she had expected, but fortunately, the early dawn obscured the sound.

Selina did not hesitate. She ran immediately towards the stables.

If she wanted to reach Calix as quickly as possible, she had to reduce her travel time, no matter the cost.

She had only ever ridden a horse while safely held in Calix’s arms, but she could not afford to consider what she was or was not accustomed to now.

Moving carefully, she slipped into the stables and scanned the rows of horses. Startled by the sudden appearance of a stranger, the more alert horses recognized her immediately and began snorting and shifting restlessly in their stalls.

“Please. Please—just stay quiet for a moment. I’m begging you.”

Soothing them as best she could, Selina searched for a horse she might be able to ride.

Snort—.

At that moment, she spotted a familiar shape.

It was the horse she had ridden with Calix on the day she arrived in Thalia. As if recognizing her, the horse did not shy away when she approached it.

“Will you help me?”

As if in answer, the horse licked her hand.

Encouraged by this, Selina led the horse out of the stables. Although mounting it was difficult, having observed Calix closely, she managed it, and it was not as hard as she had feared once she was up.

‘Calix headed east.’

Holding the map she had used to plan her route for the Day of the North Wind, Selina urged her horse forward in the direction Calix had gone.

She slipped out through a small gate in the castle walls that was used only by members of the Grand Ducal Household.

From afar, Lady Lily watched Selina’s figure disappear into the dawn. Her expression remained unreadable as she turned away.

***

She had set out recklessly in search of Calix, but Thalia was much larger than she had anticipated.

She had no idea how long it would take her to reach the eastern border, nor whether Calix was still there.

As she tried to estimate his movements, a better idea occurred to her.

‘What if I go near Lumos Gorge first?’

No matter how hard Selina tried to hurry, she would not be able to arrive before the courier delivering the letter. This was not the outcome she wanted. At this rate, Calix would read the letter long before she could reach him.

Once he had read it, he would probably head straight for Lumos Gorge.

‘If I wait along the route leading to Lumos Gorge, won’t I be able to meet him there?’

It was still reckless, but far more realistic than wandering aimlessly across the eastern frontier looking for him.

Fortunately, Lumos Gorge was not far away. The map showed the route in detail, and she had travelled that very road during the Hunting Festival. Returning there would not be difficult.

“Let’s go to Lumos Gorge.”

Selina turned the horse and headed towards the road that led to the gorge.

At that moment, she remembered a conversation she had once overheard between Alter and Jenfrey.

They had said that there were two routes to Lumos Gorge.

The first was a relatively safe path frequently used by villagers.

The second was a steep, treacherous trail that became difficult to climb once it snowed.

‘Calix will take the first route.’

They had taken that route during the Hunting Festival, too. If she waited there, she was bound to meet him.

So Selina sat down in a small rest shelter for woodcutters located along the route. She tied her horse in the shelter’s stable and fed it hay. Just as she had finally settled down to catch her breath and wait for Calix—

“…The air’s gotten colder.”

Suddenly, she could sense that the atmosphere around her had changed completely. When she had left the Grand Ducal Castle, the late summer heat had still been oppressive. Here, however, it felt as though winter had already arrived.

That wasn’t all.

When she exhaled, white breath escaped from her mouth.

“The Day of the North Wind is approaching.”

The Day of the North Wind was still two days away. The wind itself had yet to arrive, but the change in the air was already unmistakable — subtle yet deeply unsettling.

For now, though, the chill was merely cool, not yet unbearable.

Leaning her cheek against the doorway, Selina waited for morning. Even if Calix were to arrive, it would not be until after dawn.

She no longer knew how many hours had passed as she stood there.

Hiiihing!

The sound of a horse’s neigh startled Selina awake.

By then, the mountain morning had brightened beautifully, the scenery washed in fresh green light.

“Did you sleep well?”

She was just about to greet the horse when—

Hiiihing!

The horse neighed again.

Sensing that something was amiss, Selina looked in the direction the horse was looking. At the far end of her line of sight, a human silhouette appeared in the distance.

“Huh…?”

It was too far away to make out clearly, but the black-clad figure—seen from behind—looked unmistakably like Calix.

“C-Calix?!”

She called out to him as loudly as she could, but he didn’t turn around. Instead, he continued walking towards the mountain path.

It was the second route — the one leading into Lumos Gorge.

It was a steep and dangerous trail.

“Calix!”

Selina ran after him as fast as she could, shouting his name repeatedly. Yet no matter how hard she tried, she could not catch up with him and the distance between them never decreased. He was moving along the mountain path at an impossible speed — so much so that she began to wonder if he was an illusion, deliberately evading her.

‘If he goes up there like this, Calix could be in danger.’

Anxiety gripped Selina’s heart.

She had no idea what scheme the Marquis had set in motion, nor when it was due to begin. The only thing she knew was that if she wanted to keep Calix safe, she had to stop him from entering Lumos Gorge, whatever the cost.

Clinging to this thought, Selina forced herself up the mountain path.

But the hardened, slippery ground offered no mercy. Even without snow, the path was dangerously slippery, and she fell repeatedly. Dense undergrowth crowded the trail, and sharp branches lashed against her cheeks, cutting her delicate skin.

‘If I give up, Calix will be in danger.’

Her knees were split open, blood soaking through her clothes. Her clothes were covered in dirt. Nevertheless, Selina continued to climb, never stopping. She had only one thought: she had to save Calix.

After pushing on for hours without rest, she finally saw the cliff.

The cliff that had once seemed so distant was now right before her eyes. It seemed she had reached the area where the gorge lay.

Rumble—.

Just as Selina planted her foot on the steep dirt path and tried to stand, she felt the ground tremble faintly.

‘…Huh?’

As she stepped onto higher ground, she lost her balance. She straightened up instinctively at that moment, just as small rocks began to tumble down from above the cliff.

Even small stones can be deadly when falling from such a height.

They hurtled straight towards Selina’s slight frame. Unable to dodge them in time, she squeezed her eyes shut.

—Flash.

A faint light brushed across her closed eyelids.

Thinking she might have been struck dead by the falling rocks, she slowly opened her eyes—

‘…They’re gone?’

The stones that had been falling towards her had vanished. Not a trace remained.

Dazed, she looked around. Scattered across the ground were fragments of stone that hadn’t been there just moments earlier.

Had the rocks shattered on impact?

Or had she broken them without realizing?

Such absurd thoughts crossed her mind because the situation was so unbelievable.

Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground.

And in that very moment—

“…Selina?”

A voice behind her, trembling as though on the verge of tears, called her name.