Yulian, who had gone outside, shook the snow from her hair as she stepped back inside once again.
Though the snow on her head was less than yesterday, it still clung stubbornly.
Even after the snow was gone, she kept shaking her head as if trying to rid herself of an invisible burden—like a cultivation disciple fussing over stubborn Qi blockage.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m not fond of snow,” Yulian replied with a reluctant expression.
“Setting out today would be reckless. If we press on, we’ll collapse midway, frostbitten and lost.”
There was no exaggeration in her grim warning.
Iris forced a small smile but sighed quietly in her heart.
The longer time passed, the more guilty she felt toward both Yulian and Cedric.
‘It must be uncomfortable for them…’
Yulian avoided any close contact with Cedric, clearly afraid of him.
Her complexion was worsening day by day, and even now she had slipped away before Cedric arrived.
Cedric himself did not create moments to confront Sylvia either.
Truly, it was a chaotic crisis.
As Iris pondered how to navigate this turmoil, a small basket of bread was extended toward her.
“Good morning.”
“Oh, good morning.”
Hmm—what was her name again?
“Tania, was it?”
“Yes, that’s right. I baked these this morning. Would you like to try some?”
“Thank you.”
Unlike the ever-watchful Jana, Tania’s constant smile left a strong impression.
And she kept her gaze firmly fixed on Iris.
“Um—”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“Do you have something to say?”
“No, nothing really. But aren’t you a bit bored?”
Not particularly, but sensing the atmosphere, Iris nodded politely, “A little.”
Hearing this, Tania clapped her hands lightly, still smiling.
“In that case, how about visiting the Polis?”
“Polis?”
“Yes, we have a Tran Polis here too.”
Creating small Polises around the clan’s villas or manors was a unique Tran cultural trait.
This place was no different.
“There are quite a few nice spots to see.”
“But it’s snowing outside.”
“Don’t worry. It’s not far—just a short carriage ride. Does that interest you?”
Honestly, it did.
Tran’s Polises were known for their quaint charm and many sights.
‘But.’
If she went alone, she’d worry—would Cedric really want to come?
Before Iris could firmly say she wanted to go, someone plopped down beside her.
“Shall we go?”
“Your Grace.”
“We have nothing better to do anyway.”
Tania said nothing, but Cedric, comfortably tearing bread, fed a piece to Iris and took a big bite himself.
“Demonic tax?”
Iris wanted to respond but the bread in her mouth was too large.
As she mumbled to answer quickly, Cedric offered another piece.
‘Oops.’
She naturally ate it too.
“Yes, I have things to buy as well.”
What does he need to buy?
Iris wanted to ask but feared sounding as awkward as before and held back.
As Cedric tried to stand and lead Iris away, Tania blocked their path.
“If you’re going, then...”
The smiling woman slipped her hand behind the table and pulled out a small bundle.
Jana had been hiding there.
“How about bringing Jana along?”
“Sister!”
“She’s surprisingly good with directions.”
Jana dangled from Tania’s hands, kicking her feet as if begging to be put down.
Her increasingly flushed face looked ready to burst.
“Shall we go together?”
Just then, Iris swallowed the last piece of bread and blinked, asking.
Jana stopped kicking and awkwardly lowered her gaze.
“...If you want, I’ll go.”
“Oh, Jana, that’s great.”
“Hmph. I’m only going because they want me to.”
As the three prepared to leave, draping cloaks with fur-lined hoods over their heads—
“Where are you going...?”
Yurian, who had stepped aside, returned.
“Ah, you’re planning to go to Polis. If it’s alright, would you like to come—”
“No way!”
An unexpected shout burst out.
With eyes clouded by fear, Yurian blocked the path of the three ahead.
The sudden outburst startled everyone present—most of all, ironically, Yurian himself.
His faint lashes trembled as he withdrew his outstretched hand, and this time, he didn’t flee even in front of Cedric.
“It’s snowing outside. Going out is dangerous.”
“But… it’s only difficult for carriages. Walking shouldn’t be a problem.”
Iris’s words were correct. The snow had eased since yesterday, making travel on foot manageable.
Hearing this from the new Master, Yurian was left speechless.
His sapphire eyes flickered with hesitation.
‘That day too.’
The snow had been heavy, causing him and Cedric to stray from their path. And then—
“Yurian.”
At Iris’s call, he snapped back from his reverie.
The worried Lady was watching him closely.
“Are you alright? You look like you should rest a bit. And this place really is safe, so set aside your worries.”
Honestly, Iris thought even Janna and Cedric alone were formidable warriors not easily defeated by most forces. She herself had trained long and hard.
They hadn’t planned to roam outside for long anyway.
But Yurian, unwilling to give up, reluctantly spoke the words he least wanted to say.
“Then I will go too—!”
“No. Will you help me instead? Then you three have a safe journey~”
But as he tried to rush out, a powerful grip suddenly seized him.
It was the orange-haired woman who had stood nearby earlier.
‘What… what is this?’
Though clearly an ordinary adult woman, the strength gripping his arm was extraordinary.
Before he could even process it, the three had already stepped outside.
“Ah.”
Hearing the faint ringing of distant bells, Yurian grimaced and shook off the grip on his arm.
He was surprised only because it wasn’t the strength of an ordinary woman—his grip was actually stronger.
“What are you?”
Unbothered by his thrown-off hand, she simply shrugged.
“Don’t worry. My little sister is incredibly strong.”
Tania, who had seemed to smile endlessly, finally dropped her expression.
In that moment, the distinct oppressive aura unique to the Al Baizan people radiated from her.
“And you seem afraid of the snow. Isn’t it more troublesome if you pass out outside?”
“You…”
How had she noticed that?
Before Yurian could ask, Tania smiled again.
“I don’t want to be with an uncooperative knight either, but just this once, please cooperate, alright?”
Though ending in a question, Tania didn’t wait for a reply and turned away.
Left alone in the lobby, Yurian could only watch the three vanish beyond the windowpane.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the mansion, there was someone else besides Yurian.
In the balcony garden where violets bloomed, Sylvia was gazing down at the trio.
But there was one difference.
‘That one… Cedric, isn’t it?’
Thinking so, Sylvia gave a faint, weary smile.
First, it had taken her color, and now it was stealing her sight.
Her eyes grew cloudier and more distant with each passing moment.
“Violet… Am I doing the right thing?”
I’ve done my best to protect the half of you that you abandoned.
If there’s a problem, it’s that I’m far more incompetent than you thought.
Still, I hope my efforts mean something to you.
“Otherwise, I have nothing left.”
Gripping the balcony frame tightly, Sylvia turned and entered the parlor.
As the saying goes, Polis was truly a place of culture and arts, beautifully adorned.
Though a northern territory, it had come under Tran’s influence, so it felt more like the east than the north.
“That wasn’t a long walk at all.”
They had taken only a few turns down a side path, exchanging a few words, and already the village appeared.
Janna, tightly holding Iris’s hand, muttered quietly,
“This is a shortcut Janna knows.”
“I see. Thank you.”
Of course, Iris caught that small voice perfectly.
Not understanding how to respond, Janna awkwardly turned away, muttering, “Why do you keep thanking me…”
Watching this quietly, Cedric said calmly,
“You’ve got a sturdy neck.”
“What? Are you teasing me?”
“No, it’s a compliment.”
No way. Of course, he was teasing her.
Cedric whistled nonchalantly, pretending not to notice, while Jana growled, ready to leap at him—only stopped by Iris’s quick intervention.
“So, what did you say you needed to buy?”
He had definitely said there was something to buy.
At the question, Cedric sighed and took hold of Iris’s empty hand, leading her forward.
“Paints.”
“Paints?”
“Yes, I heard there’s a good art supply shop nearby.”
Though it was just hearsay, Cedric navigated the streets with surprising skill.
Opening the door of a shop with a striking red roof, they were greeted by the call of a cuckoo clock.
“Welcome~”
The shopkeeper’s leisurely voice drifted from the back.
The sharp scent of rough paper and the briny smell of pigments hit Iris’s nose—new sensations for her.
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one fascinated.
“Wow…”
Jana dropped Iris’s hand and darted deeper into the art store.
It was the kind of place that even children could enjoy, with colored pencils and easy-to-handle supplies laid out.
Cedric lingered nearby.
“Is this watercolor?”
“Yes, are you interested?”
“Ha. I want to say yes, but honestly, I don’t know much about it.”
Wow, there are seashells mixed inside the paint. That’s amazing.
Iris, amazed, picked up a nearby paint pot and shook it gently.
She expected a watery swirl, but due to its viscosity, it shimmered faintly like a river of stars.
“Oh…”
Iris let out a soft breath, stealing a glance at Cedric.
Unlike her, who was simply picking up paints to examine, Cedric seemed to have already made up his mind, deep in thought.
It was such a small thing, but…
‘So cool.’
Maybe because he was the person she loved, her husband, and the protagonist of this cultivation world.
Even just standing there, he was hard to look away from.
She inched her shoulder closer to his.
‘Because now I’m part of his story too.’
She didn’t know what role she’d play or how things would unfold, but maybe a little closeness like this was okay.
“You look like you’re curious about something else.”
Cedric chuckled softly, catching her gaze.
Curious, huh.
‘Will I be allowed to stay by his side for a lifetime?’
Iris hid the question she dared not ask aloud behind a smile.
“So, how did you start painting?”
“Oh, thanks to my mother.”
Violet Tran.
Iris vaguely knew how deeply versed she was in the arts.
“Monteir, the unknown one…”
She knew Violet had discovered that painter.
Nodding, Cedric grumbled lightly,
“She often brought me here. It was the perfect environment to cultivate a child’s hobby.”
Just then, Jana ran back toward them.
“This! It’s so pretty!”
Her eyes sparkling, she held up a box of colorful Crayola crayons.
‘Ah.’
So that’s what Cedric meant by the perfect environment to cultivate a hobby.
Chapter 87