IDGM 23

Chapter 23

Kallius was worried—what if Chloe insisted on not wearing the practical clothes typical of northern people?

Aren’t Arentalians known for their extravagant, decorative clothing?

Anyone who’s never been to the North can’t even imagine how piercing its wind is. It’s nothing like Arental’s winter. Kallius and his subordinates, who had once spent a winter in Arental, had jokingly claimed that Arental practically had no winter. They had worn the summer clothes they had gotten in Arental—unaware that winter had even arrived—and ended up being laughed at, because Arental’s winter was still warmer than Ronhaim’s summer.

“With a dress like that, she’ll get frostbite the moment she steps outside the magic circle.”

Kallius was deeply bothered by Chloe’s dress, which had lace covering her neck and arms—utterly useless for warmth. If she walked around with a skirt that open at the bottom, her lower half might end up frostbitten black by nightfall and need to be amputated.

In fact, many travelers who came to the North unprepared often lost fingers or toes, and in severe cases, entire legs due to frostbite.

If Chloe insisted on not changing clothes, then he would have to make her—by force, if needed. For her safety.

That was why everyone was silently waiting, watching Chloe, hoping she would agree.

But unexpectedly, Chloe smiled gently.

“Thank you for your concern, Marquis Rodrian. Where should I change?”

Far from rejecting the idea, Chloe was expressing gratitude.

The Ronhaim natives exchanged glances, clearly surprised.

“Did… she just thank him for caring?”

“Yeah… she did.”

“I thought she’d throw a fit.”

“Maybe she’s not as difficult as we thought…”

The knights, who had been tensely keeping an eye on Chloe, relaxed a little at her polite demeanor.

Quick-witted Rhonda immediately stepped in to assist.

“The place is a bit humble, so it might be best to change in the carriage. But first, you’ll need to choose an outfit. This way, my lady.”

She led Chloe just a few steps away to a street vendor’s stall.

Chloe examined the leather garments hung on wooden boards with a serious expression.

Kallius watched her with a strange look in his eyes.

She had thanked him for being considerate.

Earlier, when he had warned her it would be a grueling journey, she hadn’t seemed anxious or worried. Instead, she said she would stay strong—and thanked him again.

Then she smiled brightly.

That smile hadn’t left his mind.

She was truly a strange person.

She looked so fragile, like she could be blown away and scattered like ash with a single gust of wind. Yet the resolve inside her was as solid as stone.

Kallius couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Seeing this, Brentyan spoke coldly, as if to snap him out of it.

“You don’t know yet.”

“Know what?”

“She hasn’t even set foot on northern soil. She may be enduring things for now, but once we arrive in Aveneh, she might demand to return.”

Brentyan didn’t want Kallius to grow too attached to Chloe.

This mission was originally designed just to find out whether Kabala held the holy relic or not.

Even just getting a marriage approval was enough to confirm their suspicions. But to push forward with the actual marriage?

“Why?”

And what was Chloe, the princess, really thinking?

Was she ordered to find the key to awaken the relic from Kabala?

“Probably. Otherwise, why would she agree to the marriage so easily and follow us here?”

Brentyan believed this marriage wouldn’t last much longer.

So far, the two sides’ schemes had somehow aligned, but once they reached Aveneh, Chloe would probably cry and beg to go back.

Secretly, Brentyan hoped for that. No—he needed the marriage to fall apart.

“Now that we know the relic’s location, we need to cut her off.”

Chloe was likely a spy sent by Kabala.

Brentyan had only cared about Chloe’s clothing because he couldn’t allow her to return as a frozen corpse.

“That would just bring another bloodbath. That much must be avoided.”

If not for that, he wouldn’t care in the slightest about the princess from Idelian.

But why was Kallius, who should be thinking like him, looking at Chloe like he was in love?

“This is dangerous…”

Had Kallius really started to develop feelings for her?

“No way.”

Brentyan didn’t want to believe that Kallius could be so foolish.

“This relationship might end tonight. I just hope my lord doesn’t feel any sense of obligation afterward.”

Yet Kallius remained unreadable.

Still watching Chloe, he said calmly, “She might want to go back. Or she might not. We’ll see.”

“…”

“We’ll see”?

So he wasn’t even going to push her to turn back by making things hard for her?

“Why? Why not?”

Brentyan gave him a disapproving glare.

But Kallius, as if not even noticing, changed the subject.

“Any new information on the relic?”

Brentyan sighed quietly before replying.

“Just before we left, I gathered a few rumors from the imperial palace.”

“Did anyone see the relic in that burned warehouse?”

“Fortunately—or unfortunately—no one claims to have found it among the remains. Apparently, it was a vault for expensive gems. Perhaps the Empress stored the relic somewhere else? For those who don’t understand its true value, it wouldn’t have seemed that important.”

“Yeah. Better to believe it’s safely stored elsewhere than think it was lost in the fire.”

“It wasn’t lost. If it were, there’d have been no reason to send the princess to Ronhaim.”

Kallius and Brentyan both wore grim expressions as they thought about the relic.

“I wonder when we’ll be able to get it back.”

As the two muttered in unison, a stuffed bear on the carriage seat slowly toppled over under its own weight behind them.

* *

“I can’t tell what’s what.”

I stared at the northern clothes Rhonda showed me, completely bewildered.

“Is this really clothing? Not some kind of harness?”

I honestly couldn’t figure out what part of the body they were for, or how to wear them.

All of them were pitch black and looked terrifyingly heavy.

They all looked the same to me—how was I supposed to choose?

In the end, I gave up.

“Pick something suitable for me.”

Rhonda, as if she had expected this, stepped forward immediately.

“Northern clothes fit best when they’re snug. That’s the most effective way to block the wind.”

She held up the clothes and measured them against me.

“Hmm… you’re quite petite, madam…”

She tried every single outfit from her stand against me, gauging the fit, then murmured in slight panic:

“You’re even smaller than I expected…”

Realizing what she said, she quickly apologized.

“Sorry—I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s fine.”

I nodded graciously.

After all, Rhonda, a Northerner, was a whole head taller than me.

She probably thought I looked tiny too. And what was I supposed to do—deny that I was small?

“No clothes that fit me?”

“Well… not exactly none.”

“If there’s anything that fits, just show me.”

Rhonda hesitated awkwardly and asked carefully.

“If it’s not rude to ask, madam… would you be alright wearing children’s sizes? I know how it might sound, but Northern children are as tall as Southern adults.”

I nodded without hesitation.

“Then that will do.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“I said it is.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Rhonda oddly asked several times for confirmation.

“Why does she keep asking? What do I care if it’s kids’ clothes or adults’? I can’t even tell the difference anyway.”

Once the outfit was chosen, Rhonda said she’d help me change in the carriage.

If not in the carriage, I’d have to change behind a makeshift screen made of wooden boards beside the vendor stall.

Even before I could instruct the maids I brought from the palace, Rhonda had already asked some of them to assist.

And then—I spotted a familiar face among the maids near Rhonda.