"Please endure it. The Duchy of the North is the empire's northernmost territory. If you suddenly breathe in cold air without preparation, your lungs will be damaged."
So basically, I'm supposed to get used to the cold air now?
The words were logical and clearly meant for Ione's well-being.
"..."
It was only natural that her arguing stopped abruptly.
Sniffle.
Ione silently sniffled.
Maybe it was because she was tense after seeing the slime, or perhaps she had really begun to adapt, but aside from sniffing her nose, Ione was able to stay relatively composed.
It was a huge relief.
She had worried that this frail body would collapse again, saying, "
I've been shocked
," or start flooding with a waterfall of snot.
'At least it seems to have some sense.'
It appeared to be a body that, at the very least, knew to collapse where there was room to stretch out.
Just as Ione offered this neither admiring nor mocking observation, the carriage, which had been running without pause, began to slow down.
They had arrived at the duke's residence.
A heavy horn sounded, buzzing in the eardrums.
The sight of the massive castle gates opening was spectacular.
Ione, looking out the carriage window, was genuinely amazed.
"Wow…"
The noble, weathered gray stone building harmonized perfectly with the lapis lazuli-colored roof.
There were no flashy decorations anywhere, and the windows were unusually small.
Since it was a cold region plagued by monsters, the structure was built focusing on defense.
The thickly glazed windows gave it a sturdy appearance.
It wasn't luxurious, but that was precisely what made it beautiful.
She had always felt uneasy knowing that 'Ione Clarke' was going to perish here, but she never imagined it would be such a magnificent place.
"Wow… it looks just like an old European castle."
Ione immediately took a liking to the duke's residence.
But that wasn't all.
As she turned her eyes, beyond the snow-covered shrubs, she spotted a white gazebo.
There was only one gazebo mentioned in the novel, so that must be it…
"That's where Ione will confess to Adrian for the first time."
She absolutely had to avoid that place.
"If, even by accident, I end up alone there with Adrian…"
Even if she didn't want it, such a thing might still happen.
If the mysterious power that brought Ione from the South to the North, using Harbert or Garbert, whose names she'd never heard—were to activate again, it was very likely to take her there.
It was possible.
"So, I absolutely have to avoid that place—and also the spot where Ione will confess…"
The landmine wasn't just the gazebo.
"Um, may I take a look around the duke's castle later?"
Ione asked Adrian.
"You don't need my permission. You are also one of the rightful owners of Preseus,"
he replied.
"Owner? That's nonsense. I am going to leave in three years."
For a moment, Adrian suddenly burst out laughing.
But before she could ask why, the carriage came to a complete stop.
"We've arrived. Please get off."
Ione grasped the hand Adrian offered.
Ione stepped down from the carriage.
She admired the view silently. It looked impressive through the window, but now that she was outside, she felt overwhelmed by the castle's elegant grandeur.
"Ha…"
A breath escaped through her parted teeth—somewhere between awe and admiration.
Adrian, watching her, leaned down and whispered into her ear.
"Do you like it?"
"Oh, y-yes. It's truly magnificent."
"That's a relief. This could be the place you live for the rest of your life, so it's good that you like it, isn't it?"
The word "
rest of your life
" was pronounced with a heavy emphasis.
Ione smiled awkwardly and nodded.
She didn't understand why he was acting like this all of a sudden.
Maybe it was a slip of the tongue when he mentioned where she would be in three years, but so what?
The contract had been drafted heavily in the duke's favor, and even the emperor seemed satisfied.
There was no reason for him to regret it three years from now...
"My lady."
Ione's wandering thoughts were cut off by a soft, gentle voice.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Do not take the emperor lightly."
"I-I, how could I possibly..."
Flustered, she stumbled over her words and bit her tongue three times.
"Shh—"
Adrian cut her off and laughed.
Ha ha.
His low voice, ringing in her ears, was unbearably sharp.
"Do you really think he would grant such immense compensation—like immunity—to a mere three-year bride?"
"....."
"Don't forget, he was only thirteen when he seized control of this empire."
"Ah...…."
"Schemer, conspirator, traitor—he handpicked countless such people himself since he was thirteen."
Adrian's gentle warning made Ione's vision go dark.
Did I… really just get off that easily...?
A chill ran down her spine belatedly, and goosebumps rose all over.
She thought she only had to avoid the man in front of her, but suddenly, the number of people she had to avoid seemed to have doubled, and she felt hopeless.
From what she briefly saw, the emperor was no ordinary man.
He was Adrian's twin, who inherited the power of the dragon.
Even if he did not inherit the dragon's power, in other ways, he was just like Adrian.
His cold, piercing gaze was as sharp as Adrian's.
No, to be precise, the emperor might be an even greater threat than Adrian.
If Adrian has the power of blessing, then the emperor must possess supreme authority!
'Not only this man, but even the emperor's suspicion...'
As she slowly raised her head with a creak, Adrian began to speak deliberately, as if delivering a verdict.
"I am said to be the strongest bearer of the dragon's blessing in history."
No matter what she worried or feared, Adrian continued quietly.
"That also means a high rate of emotional deficiency."
"....."
"I am not swayed by any sweet talk."
She thought she had managed to get past both the emperor and this man, but she was wrong.
He pronounced each word clearly, as if sentencing the stiff and speechless Ione.
"Be careful. It's too obvious that you want to run away."
A faint smile.
Adrian, who wore an emotionless smile, blended perfectly with the pure white northern landscape.
However, the moment Ione saw that smile, a chill ran up her neck.
"Three years until the heroine appears… Will I be able to endure it?"
The combination of the harsh, relentless blizzard and the carriage accident was the worst possible.
The emperor's fiancée, Basille Garnet, arrived at the palace long after the duke and duchess had left.
Poor Basille had been trapped inside the carriage for a long time and was frozen stiff.
"Basille, I'm really relieved that nothing serious happened."
At the emperor's gentle words, Basille's expression twisted painfully.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. The… the important event was…"
"Shh."
The sound of teeth chattering wouldn't stop.
Her frozen body trembled violently.
"Basille, please don't say it like that."
"B-but the family gathering…"
Despite biting her tongue, Basil tried hard to answer.
At that moment, the emperor gave a faint smile.
"That's right. I was very much looking forward to the day when 'family' would gather in one place. You know that too."
"Sorry…"
The emperor raised his straight index finger to stop Basille's words.
"But you also knew, didn't you? This was just my stubbornness."
Whispering, "
Isn't that right?"
Silvark, the emperor, let out a short laugh.
"I know as well."
Silvark's green eyes, which usually shone warmly, were chillingly cold and heavy as he looked at Basille.
"Ione Clark is not Adrian's destined partner."
"Th-that…"
"Adrian looked at the duchess with a gaze even less moved than that toward his sword."
The emperor's eyes, filled with green light, passed over Basille and seemed to shine with a distant glow, as if staring far away.
"But there was no other way. Somehow, I had to find a partner for Adrian."
The emperor remembered clearly.
The intense emotion that froze in Adrian's pupils as he scanned the banquet hall last spring.
It was unmistakably the look of a blessing bearer who had found their destined partner.
But it was brief.
Adrian's reaction cooled down sharply after the commotion at the banquet and never returned.
If he hadn't seen it, perhaps he could have forgotten, but the emperor could never forget the expression Adrian wore that day.
His pupils wide open.
His lips tightly pressed together, a restless, anxious face.
Adrian, excited enough to twitch the corners of his eyes.
The emperor, overwhelmed by the rising memory, felt his own emotions swell as well.
"Haa…"
With a long sigh, he lowered his gaze and looked at Basille.
Filling Basille's clear eyes completely was Silvark — himself.
At that sight, he felt something painfully fill his chest.
"Aaah…"
Adrian would probably never feel this emotion in his lifetime.
The emperor felt deeply conflicted.
"Basille."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Now you know that Ione Clark is not his destined partner."
"But do you understand this greed of mine — pushing through the marriage because I want Adrian to have a partner?"
Basille slowly blinked at the emperor's words.
"Of course."
Perhaps her frozen lips had thawed, as Basil spoke clearly.
"Do you really understand?"
"Absolutely. It's something you did for the duke's sake."
At her answer, filled with unconditional trust, the emperor frowned slightly, as if troubled.
It was a strange expression, somewhere between a smile and a cry.
But Basille didn't mind at all.
The most important thing to her was Silvark.
What Silvark wanted right now wasn't a perfect answer.
It was simply the comfort to soothe his troubled heart, or the assurance that he had done the right thing.
So Basille whispered aloud once again.
"Your Majesty is always right."
Finally, Silvark let out a small sigh and opened his arms with a smile.
"Come here."
Without hesitation, Basille nestled into Silvark's embrace.
His embrace was as firm as ever.
"Basille."
Basil gently tapped the emperor's back.
Her body, frozen stiff as if it belonged to someone else, felt distant, but Basille gently comforted him.
Pat, pat.
The rhythmic sound grew longer, and her tightly clenched fingertips slowly softened.
"Basille, shall we get married when spring comes?"