“...Good.”
I threw both arms up and stretched luxuriously.
S t r e t c h—
Outside the window, snow was falling thick and soft.
Morning in the North.
It was a beautiful sight, no matter how many times I saw it.
“...It’s peaceful today.”
It had been a long time since I’d felt this relaxed.
Yesterday, I’d gone to the market district with Dante.
Though we had talked about something a little serious at the end.
Still.
It felt like we’d grown a little closer.
“...A little.”
A very, very little.
I let out a quiet laugh and left my room.
Hari was waiting for me in the hallway.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning!”
“How are you feeling?”
I moved my arms around to test them.
“Perfectly fine!”
“Actually, they hurt a little.”
Hari gave a small laugh.
“I thought that might be the case.”
“What about the Grand Duke?”
“He has already been to the training yard.”
*'He really is a monster.'*
“Lady Ella.”
“Hm?”
“I can hear you.”
“...I was kidding.”
I cleared my throat for no reason and headed to the dining room.
Hugo was already drinking tea in the dining room.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning to you too, Grandpa Hugo!”
“You seem to be in a good mood today.”
“No one’s chasing me today.”
Hugo smiled meaningfully.
“Is that so?”
*'What does that mean?'*
I tilted my head and sat down.
A moment later.
Dante entered.
Black uniform.
Neatly styled hair.
An expressionless face, as always.
“...Good morning.”
I greeted him with a bright smile.
Dante glanced at me once.
“...Good.”
He gave a short answer and sat across from me.
My eyes widened.
*'Huh?'*
*'He answered.'*
Normally, he would have ignored me.
I quietly celebrated inside.
*'Yes.'*
*'We’re making progress!'*
In a good mood, I tore off a piece of bread and dipped it into the warm soup.
Just as I was about to take a bite—
BANG!!
The dining room door flew open.
A knight rushed inside, gasping for breath.
“Grand Duke!”
His entire body was covered in snow, and red bloodstains were spattered across his armor.
The air in the dining room instantly turned ice-cold.
Dante slowly rose to his feet.
“...What happened?”
The knight dropped to one knee.
“The patrol unit at the outer snowfields in the North...!”
He paused to catch his breath.
“...They’ve been completely wiped out.”
I dropped the spoon I was holding.
Clink.
Hugo’s expression hardened as well.
“...Any survivors?”
“Only one.”
“They’re currently receiving treatment.”
Dante’s voice dropped even lower.
“...The cause.”
“...We don’t know.”
“But...”
The knight’s fingertips were trembling.
“...The snow...”
“...It’s turned black.”
For a moment.
My heart plummeted.
*'No way.'*
*'Already...?'*
Memories of the future flashed through my mind.
Snowfields dyed pitch-black.
A forest blanketed in dark energy.
And.
Dante, driven mad.
*'Not yet.'*
*'It can’t be yet...!'*
“...Ella.”
I came back to myself at the sound of his low voice.
Dante was looking at me.
“...Why are you so surprised?”
I forced a smile.
“It’s just the first time I’ve heard about it.”
“...I see.”
Dante did not press further.
But.
His violet eyes lingered on me for a moment.
As if.
He had realized I was lying.
A little while later.
In the castle’s reception room.
A large map of the North was spread out before us.
All the knight order officers had gathered.
Dante pointed to a spot on the map.
“Here.”
The snowfields marked in red.
“All the incidents occurred in the same place.”
Hugo nodded.
“Four patrol units have gone missing over the past month.”
“An increase in monsters.”
“And.”
“...Corrupted snow.”
In that instant.
I shot to my feet.
“...Corruption.”
Every eye turned toward me.
I slowly looked down at the map.
*'That’s right.'*
*'Back then, too.'*
*'It started here.'*
I placed a fingertip on the map.
“Here.”
“There used to be a valley here.”
“A small stream of holy water flowed through it.”
The knights exchanged glances.
“That’s correct.”
“It’s frozen over now.”
I lightly bit my lip.
*'If the holy water has been corrupted.'*
*'It needs purification.'*
Dante asked,
“...Can we get there?”
I hesitated for a moment.
Then.
I nodded.
“...Yes.”
“I’ll go.”
Dante immediately issued an order.
“Prepare.”
“We leave in thirty minutes.”
The knights all began moving at once.
Two hours after leaving the castle.
We rode through the endless snowfields on horseback.
A razor-sharp wind whipped across my face.
I pulled my fur cloak tightly around myself.
“...It’s cold.”
“Hold on.”
“...What?”
Dante spoke without looking ahead.
“You’ll fall.”
Only then did I realize it.
My body kept swaying from the cold.
“...Excuse me.”
I carefully wrapped my arms around his waist.
For a moment.
Dante’s body tensed ever so slightly.
*'Ah.'*
*'Sorry.'*
I hurriedly tried to pull my hands away.
But then.
“...Leave them there.”
“Otherwise.”
“You really will fall.”
“...Yes.”
I carefully held on to his waist again.
This time.
He said nothing.
Only the cold wind swept between us.
That was when it happened.
Whoooooosh—
Riding on the wind.
A faint sob reached my ears.
I lifted my head.
“Grand Duke.”
“Can’t you hear it?”
Dante slowed his horse as well.
“...I can.”
“...Someone.”
“Is crying.”
But.
The knights following behind us showed no reaction.
“What are you talking about?”
“...I don’t hear anything.”
Dante and I looked at each other at the same time.
*'Why?'*
*'Why are we the only ones...?'
The wind grew stronger and stronger.
And the sobbing.
Grew clearer and clearer.