Aaron gently spoke to Delia about the best things he could offer her.

“If you wish, I’ll hire an Iorenty architect to build a castle in the Iorenty style for you. We can host a grand party in that castle.”

“But it won’t be Iorenty.”

“What does it matter? You wouldn’t even get the chance to think about Iorenty.”

“I can’t forget Iorenty.”

“You can forget. It will be forgotten. We’ll host parties every day, without a break for music. Dancing together while eating sweet cakes would feel as joyous as heaven. You’ll invite new friends for card games, and you’ll be too busy showing off the jewels your husband gifted you to think of the past.”

Aaron recited all the best things he could offer like a prayer.

Hoping that they would permeate deep into Delia’s mind.

As though it were his only hope and purpose.

“And as time passes, our children will be born and they will grow up playing in that castle.”

Delia looked at Aaron with desperate eyes.

It wasn’t hard for her to remember the wolf that had been suppressing her in Aaron’s ashen eyes.

A silver wolf was threatening her existence.

Trying to make her forget that she was a princess of Iorenty.

A fact that she must never forget.

“And you’ll be smiling at that sight. We will definitely be happy.”

Is it really possible?

Can she be happy with him, who ruined Iorenty, by leaving Iorenty, by forgetting Iorenty?

As she listened to his incessant whispers, everything became tangled.

The boundary between her present reality and his future became blurred.

Intense confusion overcame Delia.

She needed the past. In this suffocating confusion, she needed the past to hold onto her.

“Commander.”

At the touch of a warm hand on her cheek, Delia’s voice trembled.

“I miss my grandfather.”

Aaron, who had been spouting his monologue while ignoring Delia’s words, paused.

“Your grandfather? Not your parents?”

He was going to say it was obviously not possible if it was her parents.

She could only see her parents after the conquest war of Iorenty ended and after they had a wedding.

But her grandfather?

At the unexpected words, Aaron sharply stared into Delia’s eyes as if trying to understand the meaning.

“I want to see my grandfather before leaving Iorenty.”

Seeing her grandfather will remind her of who she is.

It will keep her from being swayed by the heaven that the silver devil whispers.

“Please let me see my grandfather.”

Delia pulled the blanket up to her chin.

Hoping that the blanket would protect her from the silver wolf, just as his uniform had protected her from the wolf’s claws.

“Where is your grandfather?”

“He is on the cliff of Aouteri, in the Tarens mountains.”

Aaron looked down at Delia, who was pleading with a desperate voice.

Like a weak animal cornered.

Like prey being chased by a wolf.

Her hand, tightly clutching the blanket, was shaking violently.

Aaron took a deep breath, grasping Delia’s trembling small hand.

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

Even though it was noon, the sky was gloomy as the clouds covered the sun.

The wind of the eerie forest rustled Delia’s hair.

Aaron held onto Delia’s wrist, which seemed like it might disappear, and asked as they walked.

“Your grandfather…was he the previous king of Iorenty… Leopold III?”

Following Delia’s guidance, Aaron climbed the steep mountain.

In Delia’s one hand were a bunch of wildflowers plucked by Daik.

“You even know the king of a small country that’s usually ignored, you must have done quite a bit of research.”

“That’s basic. But why is your grandfather here?”

As he casually replied, Aaron helped Delia climb a high rock.

“My grandfather loved the Tarens mountains.”

Delia looked around the forest with a more relaxed expression than in the barracks, as if recalling memories with her grandfather.

Aaron slowed down to match Delia’s pace, which was slowing down as she was absorbed in her memories.

“This is a place I often visited with my grandfather.”

“You must have been close with your grandfather.”

“Yes, he loved me very much. So every time he climbed Tarens mountain, he always took me with him.”

After thinking for a moment, Delia added.

“Actually, I think I was more interested in avoiding etiquette lessons. Whenever my etiquette teacher was coming, I pestered my grandfather to go to Tarens mountain.”

Memories of that time came flooding back, moistening Delia’s eyes as she looked up at the mountain.

“Grandfather loved Mount Tarence, and I hated my etiquette teacher. We got along well. When I begged him, he put everything aside and prepared for a hike.”

“Maybe even Leopold III didn’t want to work.”

At Aaron’s jest, Delia smiled.

It was a faint smile, as if it would disappear at any moment.

“Maybe. Anyway, we visited Mount Tarence often. If my mother tried to stop me from going, grandfather would hide me in his cloak and take me.”

As she followed Aaron up, Delia looked down at the path they had come from.

The warm heat she had felt in her grandfather’s cloak, the unique scent she felt from the fabric, even the heartbeat that comforted her.