Heuk, heuk…

The panting breath of the man who had rushed desperately filled the mansion. Due to continuously moving his legs without a break, breathing became difficult when he stopped.

Inside the throat, a metallic smell circulated, and rough breaths, like gasps, came out violently.

The mansion, which had been as neatly organized as his usual appearance, was now dirtied even more.

Various objects were scattered in opposite directions, each with its own designated position. Once pristine white wallpaper now covered in a reddish liquid.

Anxiety crept into the man’s gaze as he looked at those things. The vision, which had been so blurred that he couldn’t see ahead, was now completely blocked, and a short blackout occurred.

After a while, the vision cleared. Beyond the barely regained sunlight, a familiar figure appeared.

Sigh…

The rough breathing that had been harsh reached the tip and disguised itself as a sigh. The nauseating scent that permeated the air covered the view that was once serene.

“What is this…”

The knight spoke first. Expressing his confusion, he immediately covered his nose due to the disgusting smell filling the mansion.

He made a horrified expression at the large corpse lying on the floor. Lifting his heels to avoid touching the body as much as possible, he stepped over the corpse.

Approaching the lord, he spoke again.

“What’s going on, Your Majesty?”

However, Kun remained silent.

As he left the mansion, a cold wind greeted him. The coldness of this place, which felt like it could freeze the flesh, was felt for the first time. The rising snow leopard silently greeted him once again.

Kun couldn’t find his way and turned his head here and there.

“Your Majesty!”

Someone ran towards him, bewildered.

It was Winter Fried. It seemed like he had come after hearing the news of Kun’s arrival.

“Miss Cloe is currently in the central mansion.”

“…I see. Where is she injured?”

“Other than a minor bruise, there’s nothing.”

“Thank goodness.”

Having received the news of her safety, Kun finally felt relieved. By then, his face, which had been stiff, relaxed a bit.

“By the way, Your Majesty, are you okay? You seem to be quite… injured…”

In response to Winter’s words, Kun wiped his sweaty forehead with his hand. Instead of sweat, a stream of blood flowed from his forehead. It seemed like his forehead had been torn by tree branches while coming down the mountain.

“Let’s get you treated later. Right now, securing Cloe’s safety is the priority.”

“Yes, understood.”

Having heard the news of her safety, Kun finally felt relieved. It was about time his face, which had stiffened, loosened.

“Anyway, I apologize sincerely for causing concern, Your Majesty.”

Winter bowed politely.

“I should have prioritized her safety more than anyone else, but I couldn’t fulfill my duty properly. Because of that, Miss Cloe was in danger…”

“It happened.”

Winter’s self-blame was abruptly cut off. Kun waved both hands to stop him.
It wasn’t disappointment directed at the man who failed to complete the given mission. Nor was it an attitude of excusing the man’s apology as a mere excuse.

“What you’re protecting isn’t just her safety. Cloe Fried, my lover in essence, even if you don’t know.”

“…….”

“If I dare guess the innocent views of my lover, I’ll appreciate the hard work you’ve done to protect countless people. Also, I won’t reprimand you.”

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

If Winter hadn’t gone out to protect her alone, she would have probably been angry about it. Unlike that, today’s misfortune would be laughed off as simply bad luck.

“But Winter, it’s only for today. Even if I generously overlook it as if considering Cloe’s perspective today, it won’t happen again.”

“…Yes. I won’t tolerate it myself next time. Please believe me.”

Despite the stern warning, Winter maintained a firm composure without showing any signs of dislike. At that point, Kun didn’t say anything more.

It was truly a cold place. Although winter had just begun in the empire, it felt like winter was already in full swing here. Despite being not far from the empire, there was a noticeable difference. Just as there was a temperature difference between the capital and the northern part of the Valont Kingdom.

Cloe, covered in fur, held a teacup absentmindedly. The tea, not yet cold, was warming the walls of the cup. Like warming hands in front of a campfire, Cloe embraced the warmth in the cup.

“Are you okay? I’ll boil more tea for you.”

She seemed concerned as Cloe blankly clutched the teacup.

“Ah… Yes. Will you do that for me?”

“I’ll do it right away.”

Usually, Cloe would have declined such an offer, but this time, she willingly made the request without any formality.

Once the knight left, the surroundings became eerily quiet. In that silence, Cloe delved into another world of contemplation.

The arrow she had shot without hesitation to survive pierced the monster’s head in one breath. Later, Calis finished off the beast, which was falling with a ferocious scream.