IRER 44

 Chapter 44

 Provocation

Ah, well, technically, it’s not like it’s been that long!

Being this close to him… They’d ridden a horse together when they were fleeing the princess too.

“But… that was a life-or-death situation. It wasn’t the time to be thinking about warmth or anything like that.”

Well, and now too!

“He’s only doing this for medical reasons. Because I’m not feeling well.”

Brody knew Aidan had given up on her.

“So this… is nothing.”

But contrary to her thoughts, her emotions continued to thump loudly in her chest.

To be honest, it felt good.

To feel his warmth like this. To feel his gentleness again.

So Brody relaxed and, leaning into him, quietly opened her mouth.

“Your Grace… what happened after that? Was I unconscious for a long time?”

Her voice trembled slightly as she asked.

It wasn’t because she was still cold… More than that, she was afraid that if she looked too well, he might push her away. She wanted to bask in his warmth just a little longer. What she’d meant to say quietly came out far more emotionally than she intended.

“Ugh… what am I doing, Brody? That was so pathetic.”

Regardless of her inner turmoil, it seemed to have worked.

Thankfully, Aidan didn’t push her away.

He gently patted her shoulder and began to explain.

After Brody collapsed and Aidan confronted the princess, a great fire had engulfed them.

Aidan turned his horse to face the princess and drew his sword.

In response to his energy, the blade glowed a vivid blue and emitted a low hum.

“Step back, Princess. Otherwise, I will be forced to charge at you with the intent to kill.”

The princess smiled sweetly as she responded.

Her expression was the same as always—bright and innocent—but her smile didn’t carry the same warmth.

Her eyes glinted with a faint touch of madness.

“You’ll have no choice but to do that, I suppose.”

The princess spurred her horse forward and approached Aidan.

The white and black horses began circling each other in a slow, deliberate motion.

Princess Myla curled her lips into a crooked smile and spoke.

“Don’t you find it terribly insolent? A dog that’s obeyed for 300 years suddenly turning on its master, baring its fangs.”

Despite the content of her words, her voice and tone were oddly tender.

That disturbing dissonance didn’t faze Aidan. He replied with an icy expression.

“If a dog who’s obeyed for 300 years chooses to turn on its master, maybe it’s time the master reflects on their actions. Though… someone capable of that wouldn’t have let it get this far.”

“A dog blaming its master?”

“Better than a master blaming the dog.”

The princess stopped circling and shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, I won’t deny the imperial family’s handling was unjust. If you say my father’s sins fall on me, then I’ll accept that judgment.”

As Aidan silently watched, the princess placed her hand over her chest and bowed her head slightly.

“My apologies.”

But what could an apology change?

Words alone could never melt even a shard of the ice that had formed in the heart of the northern lord.

Aidan replied with eyes devoid of emotion.

“I’m not here to receive apologies. Leave now. If you insist on taking my wife, I will take it as a declaration of war. The North has no patience left.”

Myla raised her head again, her golden hair flowing like waves.

“Oh my. Take her? I was merely asking her opinion. But alas, she collapsed before I could hear it. Such a shame.”

Her bright blond hair flickered more vividly in the firelight.

A shadow cast across her face flickered with eerie distortion.

Gracefully tilting her head, she looked at Brody and smiled.

“But I wonder… why did she lose consciousness?”

Click-clack. The princess spurred her horse again.

A sudden movement made Aidan’s horse step back, startled by the flames licking its tail, then quickly surged forward.

The balance in their standoff was nearly broken, but Aidan soothed his horse, and it soon calmed. The two resumed circling.

“Pale skin, bluish veins, stiff limbs, cold breath… oh dear. Her lips are purple and trembling. She looks almost frozen.”

Clench. Aidan’s grip on the reins tightened involuntarily.

It was a small movement—but the princess seemed to notice.

She spoke again, timing it perfectly.

“Have you considered what it means to bring her to the North?”

Aidan could feel Brody’s cold body in his arms.

Though she was breathing, she was freezing.

The princess turned her head, eyes fixed obsessively on Brody.

“Yes, I’m sure she’s desirable. A talent the North can’t afford to lose.”

“What a joke. You’re the one who threatened her.”

The princess smiled. As if to say, “So what?”

She continued.

“Did she ever say she wanted to go to the North? That she wanted to become your duchess?”

“……”

Well… not exactly.

Without the pressure from the princess and Jax… would Brody have come to the North at all?

The princess didn’t wait for Aidan’s response.

“What did you promise her? That an orphan girl unloved all her life could become a duchess? That she could descend like a goddess upon the North? Or maybe—”

She ran her eyes over Aidan from head to toe and teasingly licked her lips.

“That with that charming face of yours, you’d love her day and night like no one else?”

Fortunately, Aidan didn’t blush like a flustered youth, but his head throbbed.

“Don’t get sucked into this conversation.”

“I’ve nothing more to say to you. Nor do I care for the princess’s unpleasant jokes—”

“But!”

Myla cut him off.

Her voice lowered, and sharp words sliced through the air.

“Then why did she run away to the South?”

Each word pierced Aidan’s heart like a dagger.

Brody didn’t want the North.

“Why did she flee without looking back, despite all those sweet promises?”

And… she didn’t want him either.

Aidan caught his faltering gaze and lifted it.

His briefly clouded eyes sharpened once more.

He said, “She chose the North. At the very least, it’s clear she doesn’t want to return to the Empire.”

The princess didn’t back down.

“Can she truly be happy in the North?”

“…That’s for me to worry about. Not you.”

With those final words, Aidan swung his sword.

Whoosh.

The tip of his blade sliced the air just in front of the princess.

A wave of blue energy surged between them.

Aidan was freezing the fire, reopening the path back to the fortress.

Cold wind mixed with the flames, letting out a crackling, tortured wail.

Just as he turned his horse to leave, the princess shouted behind him:

“Are you planning to repeat the sin of 800 years ago?!”

Aidan’s eyes flew wide open.

“The sin… of 800 years ago?”

A tale flashed through his mind—of how the North had come under imperial rule. A legend where the Ice Spirit froze and killed his lover, the Deer Spirit.

“The bone-chilling cold… it’ll freeze your wife completely.”

Why did that prophecy come to mind now? Aidan gripped the reins tighter to steady himself.

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, a volley of arrows cut through the sky, snapping Aidan from his thoughts.

A rain of over a hundred arrows filled the sky—

But they weren’t aimed at him.

They rained down upon the princess.

“Your Grace! Are you unharmed?!”

Thunk!

“Ugh!”

One arrow pierced through the flames and struck the princess in the shoulder.

The flames wavered, then rapidly began to die down.

“Protect the North’s master and goddess!”

A hundred soldiers, fully armed, burst through the fortress gates, charging forward.

From atop the walls, a hundred archers readied another volley.

“Teddy made it inside.”

In truth, Aidan hadn’t expected support from the North when he sent Teddy.

Even though he was the Grand Duke, after the war he had left his post and abandoned formation.

Everything had been his fault, and it was likely the North resented Brody for being the cause.

He hadn’t expected a warm welcome.

Now, as the arrow rain shielded him, Aidan spurred his horse toward the approaching northern army.

For some reason, the North had chosen to protect him—and his lover, Brody.

“River, maybe?”

Aidan narrowed his eyes, analyzing the situation.

River—the chief strategist of the North.

He must’ve done something.

“…And so, under cover of that support, we made it back into the fortress. The princess and her people had no choice but to retreat.”

He didn’t recount every word exchanged with the princess, but he’d explained the major events.

Brody looked puzzled.

“They… welcomed me in the North?”

“…Yes.”

As Brody leaned on him, her hair brushed lightly against his skin, and Aidan bit his lip.

He’d thought she would pull away once she felt better… but oddly enough, she showed no signs of leaving his embrace.

He felt confusion, awkwardness—and something fluttery and warm mixed in.

Aidan did his best to focus on anything but the sensation of her in his arms.

Was it just that it had been so long?

Her familiar scent kept stirring something deep inside him.

“I’ve held back for so long. I can’t fall now. Focus on the conversation. Focus.”

Thankfully, Brody continued speaking.

“Isn’t this a good thing, then? I was worried about how I’d gain the trust of people who didn’t like me.”

“Why would you worry about that?”

“What do you mean, why? If I’m going to work for the North, shouldn’t I start by getting along with its people?”

“……”

Aidan didn’t respond to that obvious truth. Even as Brody looked at him quizzically, he fell silent, lost in thought.

Knock knock.

She was about to ask something else when a knock suddenly interrupted them.

“……!!”

Ah! That’s right! Brody had completely forgotten because she’d been enjoying Aidan’s warmth—

Mrs. Murphy was supposed to bring her meal!

Creeeak. The door opened.

“Ahhh!” Brody screamed inside as she frantically pulled away from Aidan.

She couldn’t let anyone see them like this—

“Especially someone I know! So embarrassing!”

She barely managed to get away in time.

But a worse problem arose.

As Brody scooted to the side, she accidentally pushed Aidan toward the edge of the bed.

Now he was awkwardly perched there, while Brody had her back slightly turned and was curled up.

“……”

It looked exactly like Aidan had tried to make a move on Brody—only to be rejected.

The glare Mrs. Murphy shot him said it all.

“How long has she even been awake that you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself?”

Still frozen in his awkward position, Aidan finally stood up with a sheepish look on his face.