It was the season when the summer sun ruled over the land, but the royal lakeside was the one exception.
Thanks to the chill rising from beneath the lake, where the Empire’s pride—a vast amount of mana—lay dormant, a cool mist constantly drifted above the surface. Thanks to this, even in midsummer, the nobles could enjoy the “illusion of winter,” skating across the ice-cold, smooth surface of the lake while wrapped in thick velvet cloaks or fur-trimmed garments.
Beneath the white canopies, chilled wine with floating pieces of ice was passed around in silver goblets, while the dew that formed in the cold mist sparkled like jewels. Under normal circumstances, Philip would have appeared like the protagonist of this miraculous summer wonderland, capturing everyone’s attention. But right now, he had no choice but to limp his way into the scene while supporting his crazy cousin.
He had tried every possible way to wedge himself between Lavinia and Cedric, but Cedric kept throwing his weight around, leaving Philip with no choice but to support him from one side.
“Please, just walk properly. How long are you planning to keep up this act?”
Even when Philip gritted his teeth and muttered those words, Cedric merely clutched his chest and groaned.
“An act? Philip, try developing a little more sympathy for your older brother.”
“If you really aren’t feeling well, then go back home. I don’t understand why you came all the way to this freezing lakeside picnic and are making such a fuss.”
“……It’s just that. I couldn’t bring myself to leave her behind.”
Her, my foot. You’re just trying to get in my way.
Suppressing his anger, Philip practically threw Cedric into the finest seat by the lakeside, where the cold mana was strongest.
“There. Please sit down. The Empire’s finest apothecary will be here shortly.”
“An apothecary?”
At the unexpected remark, Cedric raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah. I had plenty of time to think while the carriage was circling around outside the castle. You always use your poor health as your signature excuse, don’t you? So this time, I made sure to bring an apothecary with me in advance. That’s why I was a little late.”
Philip patted Cedric on the shoulder before driving the point home.
“So stay here, enjoy the refreshing mana in the air, and open your mouth when the medicine arrives. I’ll take care of the young lady.”
With that, Philip accepted a wineglass covered in a thin layer of ice from a waiting servant and handed it to Lavinia.
“You’ve had quite a difficult time, my lady. Since you’ve been out in this hot weather, please refresh yourself first.”
“My brother’s body is rather weak, so he occasionally loses his senses like this.”
It was his usual considerate and gentle manner of speaking. As though trying to ease Lavinia’s embarrassment, Philip politely bent at the waist so that their eyes were level.
“The servants will take care of my brother, so you should enjoy this picnic with me now. Isn’t Viscount Edward’s skill quite impressive?”
In the direction of the shooting range where Philip’s gaze fell, gunshots rang loudly through the cool mist of the lake. Viscount Edward had impressively pierced the very center of the target, while his lover, Lady Isabella, applauded elegantly.
“I’ll teach you how to shoot. Shall we go together?”
Philip maintained his gentlemanly attitude to the very end as he led Lavinia toward the shooting range.
At that moment, Lavinia glanced at Cedric with a troubled look. But Cedric smiled reassuringly before pulling a small pocket watch from inside his coat.
The lake where mana lay dormant was dazzlingly clear and peaceful.
But the tranquility was bound to end soon anyway.
“……Yes, go ahead and be as sweet as you like, Philip.”
Cedric murmured as he snapped the pocket watch shut.
“Because it’ll all be over before you even get a chance to pull that impressive little gun.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a strange flash of purple light swept across the forest on the other side of the lake.
With every tick of the watch’s second hand, the hot atmosphere clashed with the mana sleeping within the lake, forming waves of dark clouds that swallowed the lake whole.
At the same time, with a deafening roar, a tremendous curtain of rain came crashing down onto the smooth surface of the lake like an icy sheet.
It was an abnormal localized downpour caused by the mana becoming entangled.
“Ah! What is this?! It’s raining!”
“Take shelter! Quickly, back to the estate!”
The frozen lake, which had been chilled by the mana, instantly descended into chaos.
The sudden torrent of warm rain hit the cold ice, causing thick, oppressive mist to rise and obscure everyone’s vision.
Water pooled across the ice, making people slip helplessly and tumble to the ground, while their soaked coats grew heavy with water. The canopies that had sheltered the cool wine were helplessly torn apart by the raging wind, and screams and shouts filled the entire forest.
“My lady! Take my hand! Quickly, to the carriage……!”
Philip desperately tried to grab Lavinia’s arm, but he was blocked and pushed aside by the crowd fleeing through the fog.
Just as even Lavinia could barely keep her eyes open against the pouring rain and had no idea what to do, a pair of hot, firm hands suddenly seized her arm and pulled her into their embrace.
“This way. Hurry!”
It was Cedric.
It was hard to believe that this was the same man who had been sprawled out just moments ago, waiting for an apothecary. His movements were swift and decisive.
He wrapped his arms around the bewildered Lavinia and, instead of taking her toward the estate where everyone else was gathering, led her to his own carriage, which he had prepared in advance.
Because the torrential rain and mist completely blocked his view, Philip quickly lost sight of them.
Above Lavinia’s head, Cedric’s thin coat was spread wide like an umbrella.
Thanks to it, Lavinia remained relatively dry even in the pouring rain. Cedric, who had given up his coat, was soon drenched down to his thin shirt, but rather than worrying about himself, he simply curled his shoulders more tightly around the woman in his arms, worried that she might get wet.
As soon as they barely managed to climb into the carriage and shut the heavy door, Cedric rang the bell while breathing heavily.
The carriage began moving smoothly, cutting through the rainwater.
Lavinia quietly looked at Cedric, who was soaked from head to toe, before offering him a handkerchief.
Cedric flinched in surprise, then accepted it awkwardly. But instead of wiping the water from his face, he merely clutched the handkerchief tightly in his hand.
“You look cold.”
Because of that, instead of asking the obvious question—why he had pulled her away from there—Lavinia could only speak first in a concerned voice.
His body, visible through his wet shirt, was trembling slightly, and in contrast to the flushed look of his face, his lips had turned blue.
“……Ah, no. I’m fine. What about you, my lady……? Are you wet?”
Cedric pressed himself tightly against the edge of the narrow seat, worried that the rainwater dripping from his body might splash onto Lavinia’s dress.
The fingertips of the hand holding the handkerchief had turned white.
Lavinia stared at him intently.
It was rather strange to see a man with the most magnificent background in the Empire looking so helpless over nothing more than a handkerchief, practically shrinking into a corner.
“Thanks to you, I’m safe.”
“Then I’m truly relieved.”
“But……”
Lavinia glanced around the narrow carriage and murmured casually.
“This isn’t really how a shield is supposed to protect someone, is it?”
“What?”
“I’m the one who’s supposed to be holding the shield, but right now, it seems like the shield dragged me inside all by itself.”
At Lavinia’s pointed remark, Cedric’s face instantly turned bright red.
Lavinia watched the change with curiosity.
She had never expected a man with that much power to be so transparent and honest.
Cedric opened and closed his mouth as he desperately searched for an excuse, then finally answered in a subdued voice.
“You would have been tired if you had gone with Philip. You would have been caught up in the chaos among all those people.”
“Then are you saying that wouldn’t happen if I went with Your Grace?”
“I was thinking of taking a little detour……”
Cedric placed his hand against the carriage window and tapped it lightly, unconsciously keeping rhythm.
“Of course, only if you allow me, my lady.”
Lavinia stared at Cedric.
His gaze had been wandering aimlessly around the carriage, but as though he could no longer endure the suffocating silence, it eventually settled on Lavinia’s face.
Her lips parted slightly as she was about to answer.
Just then—
Crack!
With an unpleasant crunching sound, as though something had snapped, the carriage tilted sharply to one side and came to a stop.
The torrential rain had instantly turned the weak ground beside the lake into a muddy swamp, causing the wheels to sink deep into the mud.
“What happened?!”
Cedric shouted.
As the carriage lurched to one side, the coachman climbed down to check the situation and shouted back.
“Your Grace! The wheel is stuck! The mud is too deep—we can’t move!”
Only then did Cedric tear his gaze away from Lavinia and click his tongue in annoyance.
Whether it was because of the sudden accident or because he hadn’t gotten to hear Lavinia’s answer was something only he himself knew.
“I’m sorry. Now, regardless of what you intended, it seems you’ll have to stay with me, Lady Lavinia. I’m truly sorry for putting you in this difficult situation.”
Lavinia gazed thoughtfully at the torrential rain outside the window before giving him a faint smile.
“It’s not difficult at all.”
