Chapter 31
Wiping the black ink from my hands, I turned my head toward the window. The fierce wind was loudly beating against it.
Would the season of spring ever come to this place?
Would spring arrive in this frozen land, melt the ground, and let new sprouts break through? Would fresh leaves appear on the bare trees?
On days when the knife-like cold wind blew, those worries suddenly filled my mind.
I gathered my thoughts and left the office. With Greta, I headed to the place where Isaiah’s welcome dinner was prepared.
It was the same place where I’d eaten with Kylenn when I first came to Winterford.
It seemed I was the first one to arrive, because there was no one in the dining room except the servants setting the table.
When I saw the food arranged on the large table, I turned back to look at Greta and Benjamin.
I nodded to show them they did their best. Benjamin quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Greta hit his arm as if scolding him for being sentimental.
Maybe because the two of them stood at the front and kept the mansion running through all the hardships, they seemed to have grown close quickly.
“Please wait a moment. His Grace and Sir Isaiah will come down soon.”
At Greta’s remark, Benjamin hurried to fix his expression.
“Got it.”
I sat down with satisfaction. Not even a minute after I sat, Kylenn and Isaiah entered the dining room.
Kylenn looked surprised at the food laid out on the table.
He understood too—this was our very best at our current level.
Feeling proud, I straightened my back and brushed a finger under my nose. Then Isaiah, oblivious as ever, said:
“What’s this? You lived eating stuff like this?”
Both I and Kylenn, Benjamin who was pulling out a chair, and even Greta who was about to tell the kitchen to bring out the food—all widened our eyes.
“That picky guy, eating this kind of food…”
Isaiah trailed off and looked over the food with a pitiful expression.
I looked down briefly at the knife and fork in front of me, then quickly shook my head.
“It’s better than it looks. We prepared extra since you’re here today. Stop talking nonsense and just sit and eat.”
Kylenn patted Benjamin’s shoulder after he pulled out his chair and sat down.
Freed from shock, Benjamin smoothly pulled out Isaiah’s chair.
Even after sitting, Isaiah’s pretty lips didn’t rest for a moment.
The Emperor was too much, how could he give a territory like this to a prince, he should’ve known something was wrong the moment he was paid—he kept babbling endlessly.
I split the warm appetizer bread in half. Then I looked at the bread, then at Isaiah—who looked noticeably cleaner than the first time we met, as if he actually washed himself—back and forth.
Should I just shove it in his mouth? No. I’d need a bigger piece of bread to shut that mouth.
I grabbed a new loaf and cut it even bigger when Kylenn spoke in a low voice:
“Shut your mouth.”
Thankfully, peace returned to the meal after that.
Maybe the food suited him more than he expected—each time Isaiah took a bite of bread, his eyes grew wide; when he had a spoon of soup, he nodded.
Honestly, he’s only getting away with this because he’s handsome.
Making sure he didn’t notice, I shot Isaiah a side-glare while enjoying the meal Greta and Benjamin had worked so hard to prepare.
I figured I should visit the kitchen soon to meet the chef and the staff. Creating food this good with such limited resources was impressive.
Once Winterford stabilized, I wondered how delicious the food might become.
Well… I wasn’t sure if I’d have the time to fully enjoy it, though.
I lifted to my mouth a precious, unknown vegetable pickled like modern pickles—rare in this cold polar region—when a hurried knock sounded.
The person who entered was Caspian. His hair and shoulders were wet, suggesting he came from outside.
He greeted Kylenn with disciplined form, but his expression was stiff.
“What is it?”
Seeing Caspian’s serious face, Kylenn wiped his mouth with his napkin and asked.
“Well…”
Caspian struggled to open his mouth. Kylenn raised a brow sharply as he placed his napkin on the table.
“Something you can’t say here?”
Caspian gave a small nod, so Kylenn wiped his mouth again and stood up.
The scraping of the chair echoed sharply in my ear.
Isaiah, who had been eating happily, put down his fork and stood as well. Kylenn tapped his shoulder and shook his head.
“Finish eating. I’ll be back soon.”
When Kylenn left the room, silence settled over us.
“Please continue your meal.”
I picked up my fork again and stabbed the vegetable I’d aimed for earlier, putting it into my mouth. A fresh, sweet taste spread through my mouth. The crunchy texture was satisfying.
In Winterford, which had long winters, they ate vegetables pickled in vinegar all season.
In the capital, where fruits and vegetables from the southern regions were supplied year-round, pickled vegetables weren’t common, making this dish unfamiliar elsewhere.
Isaiah still hadn’t lifted his fork and was frowning deeply, so I offered him some pickled vegetables.
He stared at the plate in my hand for a moment before gently parting his lips to speak.
“Your Grace, aren’t you curious?”
“About what?”
“If someone leaves the table during a meal, it must be something serious, but… you don’t seem very interested.”
I was about to stab a pickled cucumber when I looked up at him.
Seeing that the playful look had vanished from his beautiful face, I set my fork down.
“If it’s something I need to know, His Grace will tell me. Being curious doesn’t mean I’ll find out, and I don’t have the means to uncover it anyway.”
Isaiah’s silver brows narrowed slightly.
I glanced around. Greta had left to clear Kylenn’s plate, so only the two of us remained in the dining room.
“I haven’t earned His Grace’s trust yet.”
I leaned forward and lowered my voice as much as possible.
Isaiah’s golden eyes widened.
“Of course, it’s better than before.”
I added quickly, scrunching my nose at him.
Isaiah blinked slowly, resting his elbows on the table and covering his mouth with his right hand.
He looked deep in thought, so I tilted my head.
Or… maybe it was the same as before? I thought he trusted me more now… Was I wrong?
Kylenn didn’t return before the dinner ended, and my confusion continued even as I left the dining room.
The darkest place in Winterford Castle. Caspian was the first to find it.
While investigating the inside of the castle, he discovered a secret space hidden beneath the floor of the room scheduled to be used as the knights’ rest area.
Under an old carpet, they uncovered a rotting wooden door that revealed a narrow stone staircase leading underground.
Descending forty-eight steps brought them into a space without a single ray of light.
It was the underground prison once used by the Kingdom of Gallamore.
Leaving the welcome feast of his unexpected visitor halfway, Kylenn was heading down to that place.
On their way from the dining room to the knights’ rest area, Caspian had given a brief explanation.
Just as Kylenn had been about to head to the dining room, a stranger had pounded desperately on Winterford’s gates.
Begging to be saved, begging to see Prince Kylenn just once—his voice desperate enough to spill blood—Caspian had brought the man to the secret underground prison.
Clad in shabby clothes, trembling with fear, the man introduced himself as Adam Povik.
Adam Povik.
As the name surfaced in his mind, Kylenn stopped abruptly on the stairs.
“Yes. Adam Povik. The Empress’s pampered lover.”
Caspian said.
“The Empress’s lover?”
“Yes, sir. His face and body were so damaged at first that he was hard to recognize, but… I believe it’s him.”
Kylenn continued downward and opened the door to the secret prison.
Creeee—ak.
The rusty hinges screamed like nails against the ears.
Dim Torpaz lanterns lit the underground prison in scattered patches.
In the center of the sinister cell sat the Empress’s lover—the man who had begged to meet Kylenn—curled tightly into himself.
When Kylenn arrived, one of the knights politely greeted him, then grabbed Adam’s hair and yanked his head up.
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped between Adam’s cracked lips.
“Be honest. If you want to leave this place alive.”
At the knight’s words, Adam twisted his blood-scabbed lips.
