Chapter 34
The northern regions at dawn boast a cold so biting that it chills even the soul. That was the North.
In the early hours, the coachman rubbed his half-awake eyes and woke the horses.
“Ugh… it’s cold…”
Fortunately, there wasn’t a blizzard today.
Shivering, the coachman rubbed his arms.
The past few days had been stormy, making it impossible to return to the Isles.
What was even more fortunate was that Princess Lena, having come to the North just a day ago, hadn’t thrown a fit demanding to go back to the Isles.
Though, judging by her willingness to leave at this early hour, she clearly hadn’t lost her old habits.
As the coachman grumbled silently, the crunch of footsteps in the snow sounded in the distance.
There was Lena, trudging forward with deliberate steps.
On the first day, she had worn a fancy dress and heels, but now, perhaps gifted by Glacies Castle, she was completely covered in a thick robe with a hood pulled over her head.
The coachman cautiously asked,
“Milady… are you alright?”
“…Let’s go.”
Her voice sounded hollow, as if empty.
Feeling uneasy, the coachman said nothing and urged the horses forward with all his strength.
The rhythm of hooves echoed steadily. Even as they moved away from Glacies Castle, the snow-covered landscape remained unchanged.
Lena stared out at the surroundings and suddenly, anger surged within her.
Damn snow. Snow. Snow.
Thud!
She struck her forehead against the window ledge, hard enough to draw blood.
“Ugh…”
The humiliation she had felt the night before resurfaced. Along with it came the memory of every word she had heard.
Piana, who had cleverly hidden behind the Grand Duke and driven her away without lifting a hand; Russell, who had poisoned her with paralysis venom to pressure her; and above all, her father, who had done nothing to stop them.
Betrayal and indignation welled up against everyone. Even if Piana and Russell were exceptions, she could not let the Duke of Calidus pass without protest.
Lena bit her dry lower lip, silently resolving:
‘I will never tell Piana.’
She wouldn’t reveal that her fiancé had invited her just to pry into her secrets.
Never. Absolutely never.
‘The House of Duke Lucianos probably doesn’t suspect that Piana might have magic. And Duke Calidus probably hasn’t even heard of it.’
Creak.
Russell, having closed the office door, walked toward the room where Piana was.
Outside, the sun hung across the mountains, illuminating a pale, cold world.
Russell had stayed up all night catching up on work, watching Lena leave without getting a single moment of sleep.
‘Why is it always her I look for in the morning…?’
Russell sighed as he approached Piana’s room.
At her door, he took a deep breath. For some reason, he felt uncharacteristically tense. Just as he was about to knock, he hesitated.
What am I doing so early in the morning?
‘I’ll return it later.’
Coming now would wake her and likely startle her. He didn’t want that.
‘Don’t want to? Why?’
He was about to turn away when a voice called from inside.
“Come in.”
Russell felt a chill run down his spine. It was small, yet clear.
How did she know?
He turned and opened the door.
The pale morning sunlight poured into the room. A woman with fine, pink hair like cat fur was staring directly at him with violet eyes in the direction the voice had come from.
Russell stopped before sitting on the bed, keeping a safe distance.
“How did you know I was here?”
“By your footsteps. You walk with a wide stride.”
Piana raised one small finger to point at her ear. Her petite frame made even her hands small.
“Can you tell the difference from others?”
“Yes.”
She lowered her finger and fidgeted with her hands.
“Everyone has a different way of walking. The sound changes depending on shoes, barefoot, or socks. The heel or the ball of the foot touching first also makes a difference.”
“I see.”
She had been living in the world with that kind of insight, putting in more effort than anyone else to break through her limits.
Russell looked at the stick in his hand. Apparently, she didn’t know he had retrieved it from Princess Lena.
“Glad to see you’re okay. I’ll return this.”
“This… it’s a stick. Did my sister give it to you?”
“Yes.”
Strange. He didn’t think she’d leave so easily.
Russell noticed the subtle expression on her face. Fortunately, Piana’s emotions were easily readable. He couldn’t know her thoughts, but her feelings were clear enough.
“Russell, excuse me for a moment.”
“Of course.”
Her small fingers touched her face. The lightless violet pupils seemed mysterious. Her fingers traced from her ear across her cheek to her eyes.
“…What are you doing?”
“I’m checking if you’re lying.”
Russell couldn’t help but smirk. She probably realized lying this way wouldn’t get her far.
Did she think he was trying to trick her, so she read his expression by touching his face?
Russell was curious.
What must the world look like through her eyes?
Even with the stick, she couldn’t perceive colors; everything must be in shades of gray. Even if he told her the colors, she wouldn’t fully grasp the beauty they offered.
Trying to suppress the heavy curl of his lips, something caught his eye.
“Wait. Piana—”
“Yes?”
Russell grasped her left shoulder.
There was something that looked like a bruise. As he hurriedly pulled down her sleeve, Piana struggled like prey bitten by a wolf.
“Ru-Russell! Wait! This is really nothing…!”
Nothing, it wasn’t. He recognized the wound.
Memories replayed in Russell’s mind.
‘Sister… blood on your shoulder…’
‘This? It’s nothing. I’m fine. It’s ordinary.’
Even with a blood bruise, she had smiled. The person in pain, yet not admitting it, made his chest ache.
The same feeling as before returned.
Why does she say it’s nothing? Why do you say it’s nothing?
When he tried to grab her gently, Piana groaned. Lowering her shoulder, Russell widened his eyes.
On her small shoulder bloomed a dark flower-shaped bruise, with violet and navy mixing, edges fading into a yellowish ring.
‘Blood has pooled.’
Why claim to be fine when clearly hurt? She must have been groaning in pain all night.
She could have made a weak sound, but she didn’t.
She reminded him of ‘her’. Piana probably didn’t even realize the extent of her injuries.
She said she was often bullied while with her sister; perhaps this wasn’t the first time she had endured such pain.
“Russell? Why aren’t you answering…”
“Let’s go.”
“Ah!”
Russell lifted her up. Piana, unprepared for the sudden weightlessness, asked in surprise as they moved down the corridor.
“Wh-where are we going?”
Startled by the speed, she asked. Russell answered without hesitation:
“To the chapel. Your shoulder injury is serious.”
Compassion.
Perhaps that was the name of the emotion he felt toward Piana.
