The firmly grasped arms were sore, but there was no time to be in pain. Yurisien glared at the Rat King, who seemed to be dragging her almost forcefully, hating him as he clung to her.

“It’s disappointing, Rat King. I didn’t know you were such a godless man.”

“God? Did you think mice have that? Especially a sewer rat like me can do anything as long as I can fill my belly for a day. Even if it’s a trap with cheese. Blame your own innocence, great Windsor.”

Arsenic clung to the lips of the Rat King. Yurisien was equally cold and angry, but her dragging steps continued relentlessly. The white wedding dress walked through the snowy field.

Behind the bride’s footsteps, only groans of pain echoed. Exposed shoulders didn’t feel the freezing sensation of snowflakes piling up anymore. No matter how much she looked around, all she could see was a desolate winter forest, and there seemed to be no one here to help Yurisien.

Dragged along like that, Yurisien arrived at an open space in the middle of the forest. Covered in snow from head to toe, Yurisien, whose face was now red and toes were numb, finally burst into laughter at the beautiful wedding venue arranged in that open space.

“Ha…”

There was Heathcliff. Heathcliff was wearing a wedding gown, just like Yurisien.

“Come here.”

Heathcliff extended his hand to Yurisien, who was wearing a thin dress that offered no insulation against the uncomfortably tight corset. The only part exposed among the tightly wrapped clothes was the bare skin.

“I’ll put the cloak around you. It has a warming spell, so you won’t be cold during our wedding. So come here.”

In other words, if she didn’t want to freeze to death, she had to walk the wedding aisle like a bride and attend this wedding herself. Perhaps he wanted to say that even if it started as a kidnapping, Yurisien’s will was included in this wedding.

‘So that he can say something later, I guess.’

Yurisien sharpened her wits against his wickedness. Meanwhile, the Rat King handed Yurisien, who was frozen stiff, a bouquet made of red roses. Despite wanting to drop the bouquet, she couldn’t move her hands because they were frozen.

“The prince wanted it. For the wedding, he wanted a bouquet that resembled the eyes of the great Windsor.”

Yurisien was dumbfounded by the Rat King’s mocking words. She wanted to reply, but her frozen lips made even grinding noises difficult. Although a thousand flames raged within her, the more she resisted, the tighter she clutched the bouquet.

The Rat King, sneering at the infuriated Yurisien, walked towards Heathcliff, leaving her behind. He then warmed up Yurisien, who was fuming, by the bonfire near Heathcliff. After that, he disappeared, saying his role was over.

Now, there were only Heathcliff and Yurisien in this desolate field.

“Come here, it’s very warm here.”

Although the sight of a bonfire instead of people standing in the place where a clergy should be was somewhat amusing, in Yurisien’s eyes, frozen as if about to die, nothing could be more beautiful than this.

‘It looks like he wants to somehow call me.’

Although it was quite far away, that too was fire, and some warmth was transmitted here. Thanks to that, Yurisien, who was trembling, could barely open her teeth that were now stuck together. Still, even with her trembling lips, she managed to speak.

“I, Prince, will never get what you want from me.”

“If you’re trying to provoke me, it’s better not to.”
Heathcliff still extended his hand and growled. In this snowy wilderness, he held absolute dominance. He behaved as if there was no place for him to retreat. If Yurisien doesn’t come to his side until the end, Heathcliff will let her be that way.

‘Rather than witnessing a connection with Prince Hwang, it might be better to die here.’

Just by Heathcliff’s gaze at Yurisien, she could tell he was unwell. It wasn’t love. It was just an attachment based on possessiveness. From the beginning, Yurisien didn’t even know if there was a moment of love for her in him. Yurisien bit her lower lip, forcing hot blood to flow. That warmth and the frozen Yurisien eased her a bit.

“I love Prince Hwang.”

Benjamin Cliff Openheid.

A name that recalled a despairing heart. Yurisien repeated his name silently, saying,

“I only love Prince Hwang.”

“I told you not to provoke me. I already know it’s an empty word.”

Heathcliff sighed deeply. It was very regrettable that the name spoken from her mouth was not mine, especially that it was Benjamin. However, Yurisien paid no attention to his resentment.

“I’ve told you before. If Prince Hwang had told me the truth first, even now…”

“Yurisien.”

“I wouldn’t have changed my feelings.”

“Shut up!”

Heathcliff sharply interrupted. Then he approached Yurisien. His expression was full of overflowing vitality. No matter how much she thought about it, it was incomprehensible and intolerable for Yurisien to say that she betrayed him and loved another man.

“You love me, you must love me!”

To him, Yurisien shouted,

“The reason I left you, don’t you know why even now!!!”