Ahon walked carefully on the ice. The lake was frozen solid. She turned her head as she walked cautiously with her short feet like a duck.

“I told you not to follow.”

“Let’s go together, sister.”

“Ice is a very dangerous place, Tahon.”

Ahon helped her little brother up after he fell on the ice. As she held both his hands tightly, Tahon ran to his sister with small steps and clung to her side.

“What if this ice breaks and you fall in…… If you fall, I need to catch you.”

“This is the coldest time of the year, so the ice is thick. And it’s not you catching me, it’s me catching you.”

Ahon tucked Tahon at her side.

She brushed back her long blonde hair. Ahon had just turned seven and looked exactly like the duchess did in her childhood.

The duke and duchess were present nearby. Catherine, dressed in layers of fluffy fur clothing, extended her arms to Tahon.

“Do you want to come to Mom?”

“No. Tahon is strong. I can walk by myself!”

Tahon stepped up, keeping close to his sister’s side. At just five years old, he brimmed with curiosity.

“It’s frozen solid.”

Tahon said, crouching on the ice and pointing at his feet.

“Hold your sister’s hand tightly so you don’t slip and fall.”

“Mom! Can Tahon and I walk over there?”

“Go ahead. But don’t go too far.”

Tahon and Ahon walked hand in hand. The children’s heads, wearing fur hats, caught the eye.

It felt mysterious that children who were once so tiny now walked and ran on their own. The children were still small, but they had grown so much.

‘How much bigger will they get later.’

Tahon, who had fallen on his bottom, looked up at his sister with a face that seemed about to cry. No. It still seems far until they’re fully grown.

Ahon comforted her whimpering brother and said.

“Mom. They say a scary ghost called the snow person lives beyond there, do you know? They say it eats lost children. If a child gets lost and wanders in the snowy mountains, the snow person comes down and swallows them in one gulp.”

“Did you read a storybook?”

“Yes. When I asked the head maid, she said it really existed.”

“What did the storybook say about the snow person?”

“It said it’s a demigod ruling the snowy mountains. It craves human flesh and blood, and reigns over them. It lives eternally alone in the snowy mountains.”

Catherine stroked Ahon’s hair. Ahon tucked in her neck and smiled broadly. Tahon came running like a duck and stretched out his neck, asking to be stroked too.

“Me too. Me too.”

Catherine caressed the child’s head.

“But you know. At first, I was scared of the snow person, but I felt a bit sorry for it.”

“Why?”

“Living eternally alone in the snowy mountains must be lonely. It must have been solitary without even a single friend.”

Catherine’s arm that was stroking the child trembled slightly. The child didn’t notice this subtle difference, but Lorendis’s gaze followed.

“I think I’ve seen someone similar before.”

“Oh!”

“Someone who ruled the snowy mountains and lived eternally. But the one I knew was different. He didn’t crave human flesh and blood, nor did he eat young children. He was a guide who led lost souls to the ground. With white hair and dressed in black clothes…… Yes. I think he was lonely too.”

Catherine stroked her chin.

“However, he had a friend.”

“Then is the fairy tale wrong?”

Instead of answering, Catherine smiled.

“That’s a relief. Maybe the snow person wasn’t completely lonely after all.”

* * *

Ahon, swinging her short legs, drank tangerine tea. Perhaps because of the sweet honey, she felt better as soon as she drank it.

“Mom has fallen asleep.”

Was she tired after visiting the lake? Catherine leaned against the sofa backrest and dozed off.

Ahon drank tangerine tea beside her sleeping mother, while Tahon placed his arms on his father’s knees and looked up.

“Dad.”

“Yes.”

“Do you like Tahon?”

Lorendis lowered his head from reading the newspaper.

“Of course.”

“Do you love Tahon?”

“Certainly.”

“Can’t you do without Tahon?”

Ahon also looked at Lorendis. He put down the newspaper and stroked the children’s heads.

“Of course.”

“Do you like Tahon? Or do you like Brady?”

Brady was his chief aide.

“Dad likes Tahon.”

“Right? Sister, Dad says he likes Tahon.”

The small head crouched on the floor. The child who was smiling broadly gently shook his head. Ahon put down her tangerine tea and came to her father. Then she asked the same as Tahon, and whispered softly beside him.

“Brady has been pushed aside.”

This time, Ahon raised her head again.

“If Brady and Ahon fell into water, who would Dad save?”

“I would have to save Ahon.”

“Then, if Mom and Ahon fell into water…… No. Mom shouldn’t fall into water.”

Tahon shed tears beside his sister.

“Mom shouldn’t fall into water.”

“Catherine doesn’t like water. So she probably won’t fall in anyway.”

The children looked up. Lorendis put down the newspaper and said.

“I’ll teach you both how to swim.”

“What?”

“Dad has to save Mom.”

The children understood. That’s right. Dad has to save Mom.

After that, Catherine woke up. Blinking her eyes, she stretched and looked around.

When her eyes met the children’s, her eyes creased gently.

“Why are you looking at me like that.”

As Catherine glanced around with eyes demanding an explanation, Lorendis shook his head as if it was nothing.

“What were you talking about with the children?”

“They asked who I liked more between Brady and them.”

“You seemed busy in your office during the deepest part of winter, the children must have felt a bit neglected.”

“I didn’t realize they would take it to heart.”

For the past few days, he had been away frequently from early morning until late evening for staff meetings and territory inspections.

“You need to be beside us when we sleep tonight.”

At Tahon’s whispered words, Lorendis answered that he understood.

* * *

Two young children lay in bed. The children, who fell asleep right away after playing hard during the day, embraced each other and tangled together.

“They get along well.”

“What were you really talking about with the children?”

Lorendis said as he pulled up the blanket to cover them.

“They asked who I would save if you and they fell into water.”

“Did you answer that you would save the children?”

“I told them I’d teach them to swim so they wouldn’t fall in. I said I had to save their mother.”

It was an odd question. Their innocent hearts were clearly revealed, and the children who asked the question ended up crying among themselves.

“They’re sensitive children. Their hearts are perhaps too tender.”

Ahon was an especially sensitive child. That’s why the story of the snow person in the snow field came up.

The statue of Dent Khan placed in Helen’s central plaza.

Since the children often saw their parents stop and caress the statue when visiting the central plaza, Ahon must have been curious at times.

‘Who is that statue?’

‘The last snow person who was in this land.’

‘Why is he standing there alone?’

‘He’s not alone. Ahon is guarding him.’

Catherine emerged from her thoughts.

“Will there come a time when we tell these children about that day?”

“Someday when they’re older……”

“Yes. When they’re older, the time will come to tell them.”

Catherine patted the children’s bellies beside them.

Tahon’s lower belly was plump, and when patted, he felt comfortable along with it. His purring breaths were regular.

Catherine lay on her side and tickled the children’s bellies. Tahon frowned between his eyebrows and scratched his lower belly.

“Their neediness has grown a lot.”

Originally, they were at an age to learn to sleep alone in separate rooms from their parents, but today too, they asked to sleep together.

Ahon nuzzled her cheek against the pillow, her hair spilling across it. As her pale cheek pressed and rubbed against the fabric, she smacked her lips, as though she’s savoring something delicious in her dream.

“Aren’t they lovely?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you looking at me when you say that.”

As Catherine smiled weakly, he wrapped his arm around the children’s heads and kissed Catherine’s forehead.

“To me, you are the most lovely.”

“You’ll wake the children.”

“When they were babies, they would wake up just from being put down on the bed, but now they wouldn’t know even if carried away. I wonder who they take after with such deep sleep.”

Lorendis lowered his arm and embraced Ahon.

They seemed to fall asleep like that.

Thanks to the warm fireplace, they slept well without waking in the middle of the night.

Snow continued to fall at dawn. The large snowflakes piled high in the backyard from dawn until morning.

Around morning, the children ran outside by themselves, saying they were bored.

One might think they’d be tired of snow by now, but perhaps because the children were still young, they became excited every time they played in the snow.

“Young Master! Miss! Don’t run! Where are you running to!”

“Oh my! Someone bring knee pads! Bring fur gloves!”

The servants shouted, almost screaming.

* * *