Winter’s forest.

The sound of hooves crossing that barren forest and flushed cheeks. White breath pouring out between red lips.

It had been that way since the first time I saw her.

Lakrahan seemed like someone who had jumped through time from past memories to appear before her.

“I’ve seen you from the tower. I remember you stopping your horse and looking up at where I was.”

His hand, which touched Bercheria’s cheek, trembled ever so slightly.

“I remembered later. You were that child.”

Lakrahan gently pulled back his lips and smiled.

My father ruled the people of the north, and my older brother had the authority to control the servants within the castle.

My mother was the mistress who was permitted to manage the castle’s household.

Lakrahan was alone in the north.

So, he chose his own people.

Like Bercheria, who was lonely because she was alone.

So, he hoped she wouldn’t be lonely under his rule.

In this place, my people would have a lord who would listen to whatever they wanted, so he wished they would not fear the darkness.

Bercheria was watching the young lord’s naive play.

People laughed that Bercheria would never know, but Lakrahan had never doubted it.

And thus, he receives this late reward.

In a moment of despair for failing to protect you properly.

Bercheria had told him long ago that you had been protecting her.

“I have people who are too good for me.”

He bowed his head, his lips brushing against Bercheria’s, swallowing his breath.

So, at any cost, he would protect you.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Lakrahan pulled away his lips and turned his body the other way.

“Just a moment.”

Bercheria walked past Lakrahan towards the door.

As she poked her head out, she saw the newly arrived royal knights.

“Over there!”

The moment they spotted Bercheria, she slammed the door shut and locked it.

The sound of guards rushing and banging on the door echoed.

Bang bang!

Open the door! Can’t you open it now?

If you don’t open, we’ll break it.

Bang bang bang!

“Sigh.”

Bercheria leaned her forehead against the door and took a deep breath.

It was time for her to move so that nothing would happen to Lakrahan.

Bercheria looked at Lakrahan with a calm face.

Although there were people targeting both of them in front of the door and the back was blocked, she looked even calmer than before.

“Open the door when I go out the window. If they ask what happened, say I did it.”

As she tried to go towards the window, Lakrahan urgently grabbed her hand.

“Wait, Bercheria! I…”

Bercheria gripped the back of Lakrahan’s hand holding her and then forcefully pushed it away.

She knew his nature to take the lead and do everything himself.

She also knew that she had always forcefully pushed him away because she had never been wholly protected.

But now was the time for her to protect him.

“It’s okay. Trust me.”

What they wanted was only Bercheria.

She was not unaware that they were doing this to take her away.

Killing the emperor’s men in the north, where even the emperor himself was present.

This would come back as a much more horrendous revenge than if Bercheria were to bear the guilt.

“Don’t worry, Lakrahan.”

With a bright smile, she dashed back and jumped out of the open window.

“Bercheria!”

Caught completely off guard, Lakrahan’s eyes widened to the point of tearing.

Just as he was about to rush towards the window.

Crack! The sound of the door breaking came through.

At the same moment, a cold blade swung near Lakrahan’s neck.

“Let go.”

Despite the cold voice, the man didn’t move.

“I’m sorry, but this is difficult, Duke Lakrahan.”

Lakrahan closed his eyes deeply.

“Where is that woman?”
“I saw it. She definitely closed the door and went in.”

“It appears that Bercheria has killed the woman.”

As promised, the guards recited their message.

What happened in this room was not important.

The culprit had to be Bercheria.

There was no need to even speculate whether she was here or not.

Unconditionally, the culprit had to be Bercheria.

They simply had to execute the orders they received.

From a room where noisy sounds were pouring out,

A man among them walked to the window and looked outside.

“Damn. Where did she run off to?”

Cursing, the man glanced around outside and soon closed the window, disappearing back inside.

Immediately, a stifled breath that had been held in all along burst out from directly beneath the windowsill.

“Haah.”

Breath rose over the white hands gripping the railing beneath the window.

Up until now, emotions for Bercheria, once initiated, didn’t easily change.

When her mother came up the tower to abuse her, that sorrowful feeling wouldn’t change until her mother came up the next time.

If she once felt depressed because she was hungry, that emotion also wouldn’t change until her mother came up the next day.

In Bercheria’s world, there was only her mother, so her feelings could always be summed up in one word.

However, from the moment Lakrahan appeared, Bercheria’s feelings became incredibly diverse.