Chapter 4
It wasn’t that she intended to abandon Noel.
Liriette planned to ask the Duke to rescue Noel from the temple as well.
If Noel still insists on staying at the temple in the end… then there will be nothing I can do…
The thought weighed heavily on her heart, like water-soaked cotton.
With a gloomy expression, Liriette buried her face in the scarf.
Its soft texture felt just like Noel’s embrace, offering her a small measure of comfort.
* * *
The temple in the capital and Windsorice Castle in the North were incredibly far apart.
Even traveling by carriage without stopping would take at least a month.
Yet the carriage carrying Liriette came to a halt after only three days.
As she stepped out, her eyes widened.
A gigantic magic circle, glowing with an ethereal light, had been engraved into the stone floor of a massive building.
With his usual stoic expression, Villaim explained,
“Do not be afraid. This is a Gateāa magic circle that allows one to travel vast distances in a short amount of time.”
His explanation was brief.
But Liriette knew that Gates were anything but simple.
They possessed the extraordinary ability to transport people instantly across space.
Because of that, they were strictly controlled by the Empire, and only a select few were permitted to use them.
Members of the imperial family and a handful of great noble houses.
Above all, activating a Gate consumed an enormous amount of magical power, making the cost of using one extraordinarily expensive.
They’re using something this valuable just to transport a single child…
Once again, Liriette was reminded of the immense wealth and influence of the House of Windsorice.
“Now then, this way.”
Villaim extended his hand.
After a brief hesitation, Liriette took his enormous handālarge enough to resemble a bear’s pawāand carefully stepped into the magic circle.
Blue light spread across the formation.
Then her vision turned completely white.
A dizzying sensation overwhelmed her, as though she were riding a horse galloping faster than lightning.
Her head spun, and nausea churned in her stomach.
So that’s why Sir Villaim held my hand.
Without his support, she certainly would have fallen.
Not wanting to embarrass herself, Liriette clung tightly to his massive hand with both of hers.
A few moments later, the distortion of space ceased.
“We’ve arrived.”
At Villaim’s voice, Liriette slowly opened her eyes.
They widened even further.
It was spring just moments ago…
The lush green trees and grass were gone.
Snow.
Snow.
Nothing but an endless world of pure white.
Whoooooshā
A freezing wind swept across the landscape.
Liriette instinctively curled up.
She was wearing the warmest clothes she owned, along with a fur cloak, gloves, and the scarf Noel had given her.
It wasn’t enough.
The northern wind was incomparably colder than even the harshest winter in the capital.
Fortunately, another carriage was already waiting outside the Gate.
It was much larger than the one she’d ridden before.
Wow… It’s less like a carriage and more like someone put wheels on a house.
That wasn’t the only surprise.
The carriage wasn’t pulled by horses.
Instead, enormous antlered deer stood harnessed before it.
Those antlers are huge… Their bodies are huge… Even their hooves are huge…
Liriette couldn’t take her eyes off the magnificent creatures.
Suddenlyā
She was lifted into the air.
“Eek!”
As she let out a small squeak, Villaim calmly said,
“It’s cold outside. Please get into the carriage quickly.”
“I can climb in myseā”
Liriette stopped mid-sentence.
The carriage was unbelievably tall.
There was no way someone her size could climb aboard.
“…Thank you.”
Accepting reality, she gave up gracefully and thanked him, her cheeks burning red.
Villaim simply nodded, as though he’d done nothing worth mentioning.
The carriage drawn by the giant deer began racing across the snowy road.
Before long, it arrived at an enormous castle.
A magnificent white fortress built upon the snow.
Its official name was Windsorice Castle.
But many people called it the Ice Prison instead.
The nickname came from its exceptionally sturdy walls and the cold, forbidding atmosphere surrounding it.
The person waiting to welcome Liriette inside was a handsome man with orange hair.
His narrow, fox-like eyes curved gently as he bowed.
“Welcome to House Windsorice, Lady Liriette. My name is Simon, the butler responsible for managing the castle.”
Caught off guard by such a courteous greeting, Liriette blinked in surprise.
Then she quickly composed herself, lifted the hem of her skirt, and returned the greeting.
“Thank you for welcoming me, Sir Simon.”
Liriette wasn’t a noble.
Even so, she had mastered noble etiquette because of the High Priest.
He had presented her as “the divine child blessed by the Goddess.”
As a result, she had been made to meet countless nobles.
Claiming she needed to make favorable impressions, the High Priest had forced her through strict etiquette lessons.
Greetings, in particular, had been drilled into her relentlessly.
Thanks to that, she was confident in her manners.
Simon’s eyes widened before he let out a quiet chuckle.
“You must be exhausted after such a long journey, but I’ll escort you to His Grace immediately. He’s been eager to meet you as soon as possible.”
“Yes.”
Swallowing nervously, Liriette nodded.
Guided by Simon, Liriette arrived at the innermost room of the castle.
She had already been astonished by the enormous doors.
But the room beyond surprised her even more.
Is this really a room?
It was far larger than the temple’s prayer hall, where dozens of people gathered.
The ceiling was so high that she felt even a simple “Ah!” would echo throughout the chamber.
As she looked around with wide eyesā
Her heart suddenly sank.
Beneath a window bathed in pale moonlight sat a man with bandages covering his eyes.
Silver hair as cold as a drawn blade.
A broad, powerful frame visible even beneath his perfectly tailored suit.
A sharply sculpted jaw.
Firm, elegant lips.
Even the bandages over his eyes looked like part of an exquisite work of art.
Liriette recognized him instantly.
The Duke of Windsorice.
The sovereign of the frozen northern lands.
“…”
She had met him once in her previous life.
She had thought that meeting him again wouldn’t make her particularly nervous.
She was wrong.
Her hands trembled.
Her heart pounded violently.
Liriette bit her lip.
Don’t be nervous.
First impressions are important.
I have to greet him as respectfully as possible.
Maybe then… he’ll think a little more favorably of me.
Steadying herself, she grasped the edges of her skirt and bowed.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace, the Duke of Windsorice. My name is Liriette.”
Though her voice carried a slight tremor, it remained remarkably composed.
She didn’t sound like a mere ten-year-old child.
Instead of praising her composure, however, the Duke spoke in a low, icy voice.
“How did you know my eyes were injured?”
The Duke had injured his eyes only a few weeks earlier.
He had kept it an absolute secret.
Too many people coveted or opposed the immense power he possessed.
Since the castle operated in complete isolation, concealing the injury had not been difficult.
In fact, even the imperial familyāwho devoted every waking moment to gathering information about the Dukeāstill had no idea of his current condition.
And then…
A single letter had arrived.
It contained only one sentence.
I wish to heal Your Grace’s eyes.
The sender was Liriette.
A mere ten-year-old girl living in a temple far away in the capital.
Just as the letter requested, the Duke had brought the child out of the temple and summoned her before him.
He asked again.
“Did you not hear my question? Tell me how you learned about my injury.”
His voice was so cold it sounded as though he were saying,
Answer properly… or I’ll have your head.
But Liriette had no intention of saying,
“After I died, I returned to my childhood.”
Knowing the future meant possessing information.
Information was an incredibly alluringāand powerfulāweapon.
If the Duke learned she possessed such an ability, he would surely covet it.
I’m sick of being used.
Clenching her trembling hands into fists, Liriette answered,
“I’m sorry… but I can’t tell you how I learned about Your Grace’s condition.”
“…”
“But there is one thing I can say with certainty.”
“As I wrote in my letter… I can heal your eyes.”
“Isn’t that what truly matters?”
