Isaac patted Louis’s shoulder as he spoke.

Louis contemplated insisting it was true but gave up.

They would witness that astonishing scene soon enough.

+++

For Ariana, it was her first time spending so long in the same space with someone else.

Whether she was Ariana Bronte or Ariana Alfrei, she had never spent a day sharing three meals from morning to night with someone else.

And that person was now Northern Emperor Cyrus Kar. She was utterly exhausted, overly conscious of every move she made, afraid that he might find fault with her.

While Ariana sat primly observing him, he was annoyingly relaxed.

After a lavish breakfast prepared with fish and game Louis had caught, Cyrus leaned against a wall and polished his sword. Ariana wanted to help Louis clean up, but he dissuaded her.

“Your Grace should not be doing such things.”

“I’m not ‘Your Grace,’ and I’m used to doing such things.”

“Then you should be clumsy at them.”

Louis carefully grabbed Ariana’s wrist as she tried to go toward the dishes. His purple eyes stared intently at Ariana.

“You shouldn’t use your precious hands for such tasks.”

His sincere voice resonated in her heart.

No one had ever treated Ariana’s hands with such care before.

Even the third prince, who spoke sweetly to her, had her do all sorts of dirty work. So Ariana had always considered it her duty.

She was thankful for Louis’s consideration, but she didn’t want to get used to it.

Once they reached the Eastern Empire, who knew how the Eastern Emperor would try to use Ariana. She had no intention of living lazily like a princess, nor did she hold out hope for such a life.

“I’ll use my hands for what I want to, Louis.”

With Ariana’s insistence, Louis didn’t stop her anymore.

Both headed toward the lakeside to wash the dishes.
They sat side by side by the lakeside, washing dishes. The water was cold, numbing Ariana’s hands, but she was used to it. Several times she had washed dishes with cold water in the depths of winter, even to the point where her hands had bled.

“Does His Northern Majesty travel this often?”

Upon hearing the question, Louis glanced at Ariana.

‘Is she curious about the Lord?’

In Louis’s eyes, the relationship between Cyrus and Ariana had always seemed to be a one-sided pursuit by Cyrus. Ariana’s cold demeanor was clearly pushing Cyrus away.

But seeing her ask about Cyrus, she didn’t seem entirely disinterested. After all, curiosity about someone could be the start of affection.

Although Louis was reluctant, she gladly answered the future empress’s question.

“Quite often.”

“Doesn’t everyone get anxious when His Northern Majesty leaves the Northern Territory for so long?”

“There is someone to handle matters while the Lord is away.”

“Someone the Lord trusts a lot, I presume.”

“Yes.”

“Is the hiding… magic?”

Ariana assumed that Louis would not answer candidly. Generally, warriors did not reveal their skills to others.

However, Louis answered without hesitation.

“It is a skill. It can be learned through training, but not many know the training method.”

“Then, when the Lord was using ice…”

“It is magic.”

“Can you use it, Louis?”

“A bit.”

Louis discreetly checked what Cyrus was doing before sitting closer to Ariana. She raised her palm upwards.

Small ice crystals appeared on Louis’ palm, blooming like flowers before vanishing. Ariana watched the spectacle with astonished eyes.

“It’s beautiful.”

“The magic the Lord uses is the most beautiful and the most powerful.”

“I envy you. Louis, even though you’re a woman, you’re strong and can use magic.”

“The empresses of previous generations were stronger than me.”

“Could I become strong too?”

At Ariana’s question, Louis’s heart skipped a beat.

Ariana is undoubtedly interested in Cyrus. Seeing her interest in becoming stronger, especially after hearing that previous empresses were strong.

Being strong wasn’t a requirement for becoming the empress, but Louis decided to create an opportunity for Cyrus.

“The Lord is also an excellent instructor. If you learn from him, you will become strong, Your Highness.”

Ariana, oblivious to Louis’s thoughts, looked back at Cyrus. The man, beautiful as a painting, was continuing to polish his sword without paying attention to them.

Through various events, Ariana realized how weak her body was, how vulnerable it made her to dangers.

Planning the next move was one thing, but life would be easier if she had skills to defend herself.

However, asking for instruction was a different matter.

People were generally reluctant to share their martial skills with others. One never knew when someone might stab you in the back; such techniques were shared only with trustworthy people.

‘His Northern Majesty will not teach me.’

As if reading Ariana’s thoughts, Louis spoke.

“I will mention it to the Lord.”