You want to have a family, don’t you.
Dreohn had been acknowledged as a member of the royal family, yet he could not be treated as part of the Emperor’s household.
Even his mother, who had been a maid, had passed away in his early childhood, so it was fair to say Dreohn had never truly experienced the concept of family.
The Grand Duchess smiling at Growen’s heir appeared like a single flower blooming amidst winter.
The Grand Duke standing protectively beside her also seemed unshakably solid. Perhaps they were exactly the ideal Dreohn had long dreamed of.
‘May you ascend the throne and welcome a Empress to share your remaining life.’
Though Dreohn was alone now, once he became Emperor, he would need a woman like her.
A beautiful partner who would stand shoulder to shoulder with the monarch, radiating wisdom and compassion.
Ubbus had no doubt Dreohn would become Emperor, and believed someday he would build the family he had always dreamed of.
Thus, the knights advanced into the fissure formed in the snow mountain.
The gap was relatively narrow—so narrow that one could reach both sides by stretching their arms—but with careful movement, passage wasn’t difficult.
The straight split connected directly to the estate’s entrance.
The crevice formed by the split mountain blocked the biting wind, creating a noticeably warmer effect than outside.
When they finished moving, night had arrived.
Since the mountain had split from its center, an open space surrounded by ice walls had formed at the core.
The knights quickly completed setting up camp.
Meanwhile, Yerpi sat perched on a fallen log, gazing up at the night sky.
Night did not mean only darkness.
The beautifully spread stars and the mysterious aurora, painted with pink and pale green hues, held a magical charm that captivated the onlooker.
“It’s pretty.”
[It’s magical. That’s the aurora, right? I’ve seen it in books. But seeing it in person is so much more beautiful.]Dante, sitting on Yerpi’s lap and sharing the view of the winter night sky, felt the same.
The cold northern wind had weakened, making the night feel relatively warmer. Even the flickering flames of the burning fire blended perfectly with the surrounding scenery.
Could they find what they sought in this mystical winter land?
On this deepening winter night, thoughts grew profound.
Raymond approached Yerpi and Dante, who were seated by the campfire.
Without a word, he settled into the empty space beside them and looked up at the sky.
Before long, the three shared the same view.
Yerpi’s golden hair waved gently in the cold breeze.
His hand softly gathered the strands and brought them to his lips.
It was a sweet kiss. As the campfire crackled and dimmed, the winter night deepened.
***
Winter sunrises come late.
Only after dawn gradually brightened the dark sky could they finally finish their camp.
A knight patted the warhorse’s neck, urging movement.
After traveling throughout the morning, they finally emerged on the opposite side of the snow mountain.
At the edge of the snow-covered plain, the shimmering shape of a glass-like building appeared.
It was the estate’s castle walls, covered in snow.
Johan joyfully announced their arrival in a high-pitched voice.
“There! The Winter Estate is in sight!”
The knights’ expressions instantly brightened.
Even though they had used the mountain’s fissure, they were still men from the central region of Growen, unaccustomed to the harsh northern climate.
Of course, the princes themselves were no different in disliking the cold.
Seeing their destination, Dreohn stretched comfortably and patted Ubbus’s back.
“Haha, we had it easier than expected, didn’t we?”
“And what kind of talk is that? If I ever have to climb an ice wall barehanded again, I’ll definitely desert.”
Ubbus shivered dramatically, as if just imagining it made his skin crawl, and issued a firm warning.
When Dreohn merely shrugged as if wondering what the fuss was about, the loyal retainer could no longer hold back and lunged toward him.
“Today, we settle this once and for all!”
“Whoa, whoa, calm down! We’ve just arrived—why now?!”
Dreohn lightly dodged Ubbus’s grasp.
While bickering, they soon arrived at the bridge connected to the castle gate.
Yerpi halted with the troops at the bridge’s entrance and looked up at the winter fortress.
The icy frozen castle appeared proud and stern, like a beautiful judge.
Moments later, the castle gate opened, revealing the figure of the lord in the distance.
The woman standing alongside the Winter Knights possessed an overwhelming presence, even surrounded by burly men.
Tall, with long white hair and eyes as blue as a frozen river, she was Erselia Timus, the lady of the Winter Estate, known as the Witch of Snow.
The queen of the snowfields briefly scanned the unexpected visitors before parting her violet lips.
“It has been a while since your last visit. My lord of Growen.”
Erselia lifted her head after properly greeting him. Raymond, having received the lady’s welcome, offered an apology.
“It’s been a long time. My request may have been sudden for you.”
“Not at all. I was merely curious—why would you visit this desolate, frozen land?”
Erselia’s gaze settled on Yerpi.
She bowed her knee and lowered her head to Yerpi just as she had to the Grand Duke—a gesture of respect for the Grand Duchess.
With graceful poise, Erselia immediately invited them inside.
“Please, come in first. The frozen land is merciless to those who dwell in the central regions.”
“Very well.”
Raymond nodded.
Soon, the knights behind Erselia began guiding Raymond’s knights, while court attendants assisted those following.
The large lobby was carpeted, yet still piercingly cold. Though it blocked the wind, it wasn’t much warmer than outside.
‘It’s cold. Do the people here not feel the cold?’
Yerpi hugged her arms tightly, struck by a serious thought.
Seeing this, Erselia called for a court attendant.
After receiving whispered instructions, the attendant disappeared and returned shortly.
What they brought was a fist-sized stone glowing in warm orange light.
“Please accept this.”
“What is this…?”
Yerpi took the stone directly from Erselia’s hands.
The moment she held it, a pleasant warmth, almost hot, began soothing her cold fingers.
“It is a fire stone from the Summer Territory. Carrying it will help you.”
[It’s warm!]Dante’s eyes widened in surprise as he placed his hand on the stone Yerpi was holding.
Seeing this, the attendant handed another stone to Dante.
Holding the bright crimson stone close, Dante rubbed his cheeks.
Even Dante, who usually enjoyed cold weather, seemed to have missed warmth in this frozen land.
Though small, the stone radiated heat throughout the body as soon as it was held.
The chill in her body vanished. Yerpi expressed her gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I should have greeted you first, but circumstances prevented me from leaving my post—please forgive me.”
Her tone was cold and dry, yet not malicious. In that aspect, she seemed refreshingly honest.
Beyond the window, the estate came into view. Snow blanketed rooftops in pure white.
Though it looked flat from the gate, the Winter Castle actually stood atop a sheer cliff, like a blade’s edge.
Below lay the village where the estate’s people lived. Beyond that were the guards’ quarters and the first, second, and third zones where prisoners resided, all confined behind a massive wall.
Prisoners were assigned to each zone based on the severity of their crimes.
Beyond the third zone, a colossal ice wall surrounded the area, behind which lay the border zone and the lairs of monsters.
Mining crystals from the mines in each zone was both their forced labor and punishment.
Having arrived at the estate earlier than expected, the guest chambers were still being prepared.
In the meantime, the rulers of Growen and the princes would wait in the reception hall.
Fortunately, the reception hall wasn’t as cold as the corridors.
A fire burned in the stone hearth, thick winter curtains covered the windows, and a carpet made of ox hide covered the floor, helping to block the cold.
Even with the fire stones warming their bodies, nothing compared to direct heat.
As they settled onto the sofa, Ubbus let out a shallow sigh, visibly relieved.
“Finally, I can breathe.”
“Same here…”
The prince’s collar had been torn to shreds from his loyal retainer constantly grabbing him by the neck during the journey.
Only after being served warm tea did the reality of their arrival truly sink in.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
