‘Die! Just die already!’

Kasiax’s hands tightened around Rosé’s throat.

‘Ggh… S-stop…!’

Struggling against his grip, Rosé twisted her body, teetering backward out of the window.

She barely grasped the window frame, dangling precariously over the abyss.

‘Help me! Someone, help me!’

She screamed as she looked down into the void. The depth was so dizzying that she couldn’t tell whether there was an ocean or solid ground below.

A beast howled from somewhere in the distance.

When Rosé looked up again, a black wolf had taken Kasiax’s place, staring down at her.

Its golden eyes gleamed coldly before it suddenly bared its fangs, advancing toward her.

‘N-no… No…!’

“No! Aah!”

“My Lady! My Lady!”

A pair of warm, strong hands grasped Rosé’s flailing ones, pulling her back.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Natalie looking down at her with a worried expression.

“Natalie! You’re alive!”

Rosé threw her arms around Natalie’s neck, holding on tightly. As she tried to sit up, Natalie quickly helped her rise.

“Are you alright? You’ve been unconscious for two whole days.”

“What happened? Where are we?”

Rosé glanced around the unfamiliar room. It was plain and austere, devoid of decoration—much like a monk’s chamber.

“When I lost my grip on your hand, I couldn’t jump after you. That bastard got into the carriage and tried to stab me, but suddenly—bam!—his head went flying!”

Natalie gestured wildly as she recounted the harrowing moment.

Rosé understood why Natalie hadn’t been there when she leaped from the carriage.

“When I saw that villain’s severed head rolling on the floor, I passed out right then and there.”

“……!”

Natalie ran a hand down her chest, still unable to shake off the shock.

“When I woke up, I found myself collapsed here. Along with you, my lady.”

“Then… does that mean someone saved us?”

“In my opinion, this place seems to be that man’s castle.”

“That man? You mean Maxim Lankert?”

Natalie nodded cautiously.

“Did you see him?”

“See him? The people here don’t even acknowledge us, not even the maids. Do they even realize who you are? Someone sent from the Imperial Palace!”

Natalie raised her voice deliberately, wanting the people outside to hear her anger.

Rosé, for now, felt relieved that they had survived and arrived safely in Hellevant.

“What time is it now?”

“Oh, look at me. Lunch was brought to the room earlier. You should eat something first.”

Natalie bustled about as she got up.

“No, more than that, I’d like to meet someone here.”

“I think we’re being confined, my lady. Have you even been listening to me?”

“What? Confined?”

Rosé sprang up from her seat and rushed to the door. She tried opening it, but it was locked tight and wouldn’t budge.

Bang! Bang!

“Is anyone there?! Hey! Open the door! Open up!”

“It’s no use. I already tried everything.”

“Hah! This is unbelievable.”

With a frustrated expression, Rosé hurried over to the window on the opposite side. The room they were in seemed to be an attic in a secluded part of the castle.

The castle was built entirely of stone and perched atop a high hill.

She couldn’t tell exactly how big it was, but there were multiple stone fortresses of varying sizes, and a lake within the grounds suggested that this place was far more massive than she had imagined.

Click.

Hearing Rosé’s loud banging, someone outside unlocked the door.

Both Natalie and Rosé turned toward it simultaneously.

A middle-aged man stepped inside. He had an average build, with neatly tied-back white hair.

His facial features were extensive—eyes, nose, and mouth—but his cautious, skeptical demeanor suggested he might be a butler or the castle’s steward.

“I heard you had awakened, so I came to check on you. Is there anything troubling you?”

“You locked the door and asked if there’s anything troubling us?!”

Natalie was about to argue, but Rosé stopped and stepped closer to the man.

“I am Rosé Etoile from Solstern. May I have an audience with King Maxim?”

The man seemed slightly taken aback by her unexpectedly polite demeanor.

After offering her a formal, slight bow, he responded in a businesslike tone.

“His Majesty left for a hunt yesterday. He should return sometime today.”

“Does he know that we came from Solstern?”

“It was by His Majesty’s direct order that you are here. Otherwise, you would’ve already been inside a wolf’s belly.”

Rosé frowned.

“And yet… even after finding us in the forest, he still went on a hunt?”

The man’s thick eyebrows twitched.

His expression clearly said, And why would His Majesty cancel his plans just because of you?

“I will inform him that you are awake when he returns.”

“Alright. Please do. And stop locking this door. We are neither criminals nor prisoners.”

“Well… that is… It’s merely for your own safety…”

Rosé cut him off.

“People live in this place, don’t they? Are they really as barbaric as the rumors say? Is it so dangerous that we can’t even walk around the castle?”

“Hm… well…”

The man cleared his throat, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Don’t worry. We won’t try to escape.”

“In that case, please be extremely cautious. To be frank, this castle is not a safe place for outsiders—”

Before the man could finish his sentence, Natalie suddenly shouted in urgency.

“Oh! He’s here! My lady, I think he’s arrived!”

Leaning out the window as far as she could, Natalie’s voice was tinged with excitement.

The man standing at the door quickly left the room upon hearing her exclamation, leaving Rosé behind.

“My lady, come over here! You can see him from here, even though it’s a bit far!”

Rosé, still standing near the door, hesitated before moving toward where Natalie was motioning.

She wasn’t sure she was ready to see him yet.

She took a deep breath first.

It was her first time laying eyes on the man behind all the dreadful rumors. The thought of it gave her an odd feeling.

She was here because she wanted to be and had no other choice.

But regardless, this was the man she would have to deal with from now on.

Whether he was good or bad, a monster or a demon—it didn’t matter as long as he wasn’t Kasiax.

Rosé calmed herself and slowly approached the window.

In the distance, a group of men on horseback was galloping toward the castle gates, kicking up dust clouds.

They rode forward with ruthless force, trampling over anything in their way as if they would crush everything beneath them. Their sheer ferocity was enough to instill fear.

“The young man leading at the front—he must be the one. But it’s too far to see clearly.”

Natalie leaned forward, stretching her upper body out the window as if trying to get a better view. The riders crossed the drawbridge and disappeared, having already entered the castle grounds.

Instead, the heavy pounding of hooves against the ground grew louder, sending vibrations through the stone walls.

“They’ve entered the castle. I think we can see them from the other window.”

Natalie grabbed Rosé’s arm and led her to another side of the room. From this vantage point, the castle entrance was much clearer.

Nobles, servants, and soldiers stood in the open space before the main keep, awaiting their arrival.

As the riders entered the castle, most split into two groups and galloped toward different areas of the stronghold, leaving only a few at the center.

The remaining riders slowed as they approached the waiting crowd, pulling hard on the reins to stop their horses.

One of them, Maxim Lankert, jumped off his horse in a single, fluid motion. He unfastened his bow and sword, tossing them to a soldier who had been standing by.

The weight of the weapons was so great that the soldier staggered, barely managing to hold them up with both hands.

Though the distance was still considerable, Rosé narrowed her eyes, focusing intently on him.

The moment Maxim dismounted, three or four black wolves prowled toward him from somewhere.

‘Ah! Those wolves!’

The sight of them immediately brought back memories of the forest.

“Oh my God, look at those wolves. They’re as big as bears! They just let those ferocious beasts roam freely? Do they keep them as pets or something? That’s terrifying.”

Only now, after seeing him on foot, did Rosé realize how massive Maxim Lankert was.

She knew that Northerners were generally larger than Southerners, but he was a head taller than even the soldiers and knights standing beside him.

His broad shoulders and robust frame were strikingly evident.

Even from afar, it was clear—he was not the kind of ruler who sat in a throne room, engaging in endless political debates. He was the kind of king who led his warriors into battle himself.

A subtle, almost excited smile formed at the corner of Rosé’s lips.

Just imagining him crushing Kasiax beneath his feet, ruthlessly and without mercy, sent a thrilling shiver through her.

Someone approached Maxim and whispered in his ear.

He halted mid-step and turned around—looking directly toward the building where Rosé stood.

Despite the considerable distance, Rosé could tell he was looking at her.

The unexpectedness of the moment made her instinctively take a step back from the window.

She suddenly felt self-conscious, realizing she had been watching him for some time.

Unlike her flustered reaction, Maxim stared at her with unreadable, emotionless eyes before casually turning away.

He gave a brief order to the steward and then strode into the main keep without hesitation.

The North and the South. Maxim and Kasiax. It was a strange contrast between two young men, utterly different in every way.