After running for quite a while, they began to see light. Zeno increased his speed as the cave grew brighter. 

 When they finally reached the end, they encountered an unexpected person. 

 A bright light flashed, and Zeno and Cedric squinted as they watched the approaching figure. 

 “……Princess?” 

 “Grrrrrr.” (That, crazy woman.) 

 Finally, as the light subsided, they found none other than Isabelle outside the cave. 

 “Please stop.” 

 “I’m sorry, but that’s difficult. I have no way to stop either.” 

 “……What do you mean?” 

 “It means this is beyond my ability. So no matter what you try, I can’t stop.” 

 At Isabelle’s words, Zeno became extremely anxious. Because Cedric’s eyes looked like he might do something drastic. 

 “Then there was no need for you to be here.” 

 Grin. 

 Cedric smiled broadly at Zeno. He yanked hard on the leash around his neck and spoke while looking at the snow. 

 “Let’s go home now. Your master must be waiting.” 

 “Your Highness. If you go now, you’ll die. Can’t you wait a week for it to subside?” 

 A week? 

 Cedric smiled. 

 ‘So her ability has a limit of about a week.’ 

 “Woof.” (We have to stay like this for a whole week?) 

 Zeno read Cedric’s thoughts and was horrified. His short cry sounded so dejected that he laughed. 

 “No, I can’t wait.” 

 Cedric looked at Isabelle with cold eyes. Actually, he had been considering whether to take out a dagger and kill her to make it stop, but wasn’t this fortunate? 

 “But since I’d feel bad going alone, Your Highness will have to come with us.” 

 “……What do you mean.” 

 “When cornered until death, wouldn’t you do something?” 

 Before Zeno could look at Cedric, he had already snatched Isabelle’s wrist. 

 Then he tied her hand to Zeno’s leash to secure her and put her on his back. 

 “What, what are you doing!” 

 “You’d better stay still. Unless you want to fall off a running wolf’s back.” 

 Cedric whispered softly in Zeno’s ear. 

 “Run.” 

 ‘……Crazy bastard.’ 

 The moment he saw those blue eyes, Zeno had no time to think of anything else and had to run straight across the snow. 

 After running for several days straight, Isabelle let out a shrill scream. 

 “Please, stop……! Stop!” 

 With her anguished cry, Zeno came to a halt. Then he stared quietly at the sky. 

 Cedric also looked where he was gazing. A smile spread across his face at the sight of a bird flying overhead. 

 “Wooooof!” (There’s a hawk in the sky…… hawk? Master!) 

 “Follow the bird.” 

 “Grrrrrr.” (I was going to do that anyway.) 

 Seeing his behavior suggesting he might run again, she squeezed her eyes shut. 

 “Stop! Stop……” 

 Isabelle had no strength left to endure on the wolf’s back. Running through the snow while clinging to a wolf was terrible. 

 “Ugh.” 

 Just being mounted made her retch. 

 “A way, tell me a way! A way for me not to marry!” 

 Thump– A hawk gently landed on Cedric’s shoulder. 

 He turned to look at the hawk, discovered the note on its leg, and read it. 

 “So they use hawks to deliver messages in the North.” 

 “That seems to be the case.” 

 “……Ha!” 

 “This seems to solve the problem. What do you think?” 

 Isabelle quickly scanned the letter he handed her. 

 Isabelle, stop now. Father promised me he won’t marry you off to Narankas. You might not believe it, but if you come to the Grand Duke’s mansion, I’ll show you the contract. 

 “……Father signed a contract?” 

 He wasn’t someone who would leave evidence, never trusting people. If he signed a contract, it meant he must have received something he needed from her. 

 “Do you feel like stopping now? Claire doesn’t lie.” 

 “Sister might have lied to deceive me. To find the Grand Duke.” 

 “If my wife has lied, I will take responsibility.” 

 At Cedric’s words, Isabelle’s face softened somewhat. 

 “However, I need you to make one promise with me.” 

 “What?” 

 “You seem to think of this one as a divine beast, but as you can see, he’s quite dear to me, so I’d like you to promise not to take him to the Imperial Palace.” 

 “Now that Your Highness says that, it makes me want to take him even more.” 

 “Your Highness. Even if he’s a divine beast, who benefits from taking him? Only the Emperor.” 

 If she had heard such words before this incident, she would have gotten angry immediately, but after experiencing her father using her as a bargaining chip, Isabelle couldn’t argue back. 

 She seemed to understand what Cedric’s words implied. 

 “……Your Highness has won. Or did sister win?” 

 Isabelle could understand how much he cared for Claire. Though she didn’t know why she felt so envious, she thought being loved by someone and loving them in return was quite radiant. 

 “Let’s go back now. Sister wouldn’t lie.” 

 As she finished speaking, the heavily falling snow gradually began to stop. 

 The forest blanketed in pure white snow was dazzling to the eyes. 

 “This is where we stop. Fortunately, we found the note you sent, and the princess said she would return. It’s all thanks to you, wife.” 

 “You didn’t share body heat.” 

 At Claire’s mumbled words, Cedric tilted his head. 

 “Wife?” 

 “No, it’s nothing.” 

 She smiled brightly and gripped Cedric’s hand tightly. 

 If Isabelle hadn’t sent the note about breaking off the engagement, she wouldn’t have stopped. Claire let out a sigh of relief and stroked her chest. 

 “I’m so glad you came back safely.” 

 After a week, their tightly clasped hands felt especially warm. 

 “Rest today, and we’ll talk about the rest tomorrow. Your Highness, Zeno, and Isabelle are all too exhausted.” 

 Cedric slowly nodded and buried his face in her shoulder. 

 ❖ ❖ ❖ 

 Upon returning to Lendsa Castle, the Emperor immediately summoned his advisor. 

 “Are there any letters addressed to me?” 

 “Yes, there is one in Claire’s name.” 

 “Ha!” 

 The Emperor received the letter from his advisor and opened it immediately. The sailing ship design he had wanted so badly was now in his hands. 

 “Check if it’s the same as the Narankas sailing ship.” 

 “How did you…… Wasn’t the King of Narankas being careful about this?” 

 “That child has her uses. I don’t know how she got it, but thanks to her, things will be resolved easily. ……By the way, it seems they still haven’t found Isabelle.” 

 The knight’s hair stood on end every time the Emperor’s golden eyes swept over him. 

 When Isabelle returns, he planned to prevent her from using her ability for a while. 

 ‘Should I teach her from the beginning not to waste power unnecessarily?’ 

 His worries deepened. 

 “Call that woman. It seems I kept her around for times like this.” 

 Isabelle’s mother died from a weak constitution, but Claire’s mother was fortunately still alive. 

 “……That woman.” 

 “That woman will finally prove her worth for being alive.” 

 The advisor swallowed hard. Clarira Borset, the Emperor’s mistress who was believed to have died after giving birth to Claire. 

 In truth, the Emperor had faked her death and kept her confined for future use. 

 Only the Emperor and his advisor knew this fact. The advisor naturally had no freedom, knowing the Emperor’s weakness. 

 It was because of those golden eyes that saw through everything. The advisor had learned how not to think while by the Emperor’s side. 

 Knowing his head would be separated from his body the moment he had other thoughts, he decided to become a puppet moving only for the Emperor. 

 “If Solia hadn’t died, I would have cherished her for a long time.” 

 Solia Pioni. The Empress, and the only woman the Emperor cared for until her death. It was proper compensation for bearing a princess with abilities. 

 If the Empress hadn’t died, she could have been used as Isabelle’s weakness whenever she didn’t listen, which was unfortunate. 

 “I’ll bring her right away.” 

 “Hurry. She needs to be somewhat sane to be of use.” 

 “I think so too.” 

 There was a contingency plan prepared for any situation. If she wouldn’t listen, they would have to make her listen. 

 My beloved daughter should understand her father’s heart and follow well. 

 He didn’t want to complicate matters. If the nobles found out, they would rise up. It was already troublesome enough with rumors spreading about the divine beasts disappearing. 

 Not long after, there was a knock and knights entered the audience chamber dragging a woman. 

 The Emperor nodded slightly at the knights. A woman wearing a dress embroidered with glittering gold thread was thrown to the floor by the knights’ hands. 

 Empty eyes, haggard face. Nevertheless, her beautiful appearance caught the eye. 

 “Still beautiful. That’s why it was more of a shame.” 

 “……Please kill me.” 

 Her purple hair shimmered strangely as it swayed with her movement. The Emperor smiled happily and propped his chin. 

 “Yes, those eyes. I like those eyes of yours. Don’t you want to see your daughter?” 

 “……Is Claire alive?” 

 “Why would I kill a daughter who inherited my golden eyes? Or did you hope she was dead?” 

 “……Do you still think she has abilities? That child has nothing.” 

 “I know. However, she has proven quite useful.” 

 Clarira trembled at the smile blooming on the Emperor’s face. 

 “You still seem to despise me. Though you must know it’s useless.” 

 “You’ll just rummage through my mind as you please anyway.” 

 She smirked and stared directly into the Emperor’s golden eyes. 

 “You can’t die. You must survive as long as Claire is alive. That’s how you’ll fulfill your usefulness to me.” 

 “You’re creepy.” 

 Clarira bit her lip hard. His smile was creepy no matter when she saw it. 

 Blood trickled between her lips. The Emperor immediately stood up and forcibly opened her mouth. He took out a handkerchief from his br*ast pocket and stuffed it in her mouth. 

 “Give up, as you won’t be able to die as you please either.” 

 Tears flowed from her eyes. This place where she couldn’t do anything as she pleased was horrifying. She would rather die than become her daughter’s weakness, but even that wasn’t allowed. 

 Clarira screamed and cursed the Emperor. Because that was all she could do.