IRER 41

Chapter 41 

On the Brink

Why is he smiling like that?

Brody felt a slight sense of discomfort at Teddy’s smile. But since she had seen how well he handled things before, she quickly brushed off the unease and redirected her thoughts.

Brody looked at the majestic fortress ahead.

‘I never thought I’d come back here again.’

Just like when she’d left, Brody had not expected to return. She had no idea what awaited the two of them beyond those walls.

No, it wasn’t even something that far off—

Fwwt!

“Kyaa!”

The ambush came without warning.

Just in front of the fortress, in the open plains, an arrow flew in from somewhere.

Brody’s horse, Crimbroonie, reared up suddenly, throwing off her balance. The reins slipped from her fingers, and she was thrown from the saddle.

In an instant, the sky and ground flipped, her vision spun wildly.

‘What do I do? Should I curl up? Try to roll so I don’t get trampled? No—first, I have to make sure I don’t break my neck…!’

A flood of thoughts rushed through her mind, but Brody realized instinctively that she wouldn’t be able to do anything more than react on impulse.

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact.

“Hhk!”

Crash! But the impact was far softer than she’d expected.

Brody’s body rolled across the ground, wrapped in something firm yet soft.

“Brody!”

A familiar voice rang out, followed by a familiar breath that enveloped her.

It was Aidan.

He had been ahead of her just moments ago—how had he managed to catch her midair and wrap her in his arms before hitting the ground?

Was that even possible?

Teddy stared at the scene in disbelief, but there was no time to marvel.

More arrows were flying toward them from behind.

“Damn it!”

Aidan cursed and rolled again with Brody in his arms.

In her jumbled vision, Brody caught a glimpse of Crimbroonie panicking. Through the horse’s beautiful coat, she could see an arrow shaft sticking out.

“Crimbroonie!”

Brody instinctively called out her horse’s name.

“Brody, are you hurt?”

“N-no, I’m okay. I’m fine…”

Once Aidan saw that Brody could respond clearly, he nodded and took off running with her in his arms.

Teddy covered them, and the clever Kais quickly understood the situation and sprinted toward Aidan.

With a nimble leap, Aidan mounted Kais with Brody still in his arms.

Carrying his master, Kais let out a fierce whinny and charged forward, just as Aidan drew his massive sword.

Swoosh—

With one clean motion, Aidan swung his sword from its scabbard, releasing a wave of cold energy that rippled out in a spherical blast.

Dry grass was uprooted and swept up in the sword’s energy.

Through the swirling dust and grass, a group of riders in the distance pulled their horses to a stop.

Aidan’s sharp eyes locked onto them as he held Brody even tighter in his arms.

A low, guttural growl slipped through his clenched teeth.

“Jax.”

Jax? Brody forced herself to turn her head, heart pounding violently.

Beyond Kais’s dark mane, she could see small figures. She couldn’t identify them clearly, but Jax was not alone.

Before she could get a better look, Aidan turned his horse sharply.

“Teddy! Get Crimbroonie and go to the fortress for reinforcements!”

Teddy looked flustered.

“What? Leave you, sir? What about Lady Brody—?”

Brody would’ve preferred to send Teddy with her too, but that wasn’t an option.

Jax was here. That meant Brody was in even more danger if she wasn’t by Aidan’s side.

“Go now!”

A gust of wind from Aidan urged Crimbroonie toward the fortress. The injured horse, despite the arrow, galloped ahead under the force of the wind.

Teddy and Kais followed close behind.

Arrows flew again. Aidan turned and blocked them with his sword, shouting to Teddy:

“Don’t look back! Just get inside the fortress!”

And thus began a breathless chase.

Aidan occasionally stopped to shield them, but thanks to Kais’s speed, he managed to stay right behind Teddy.

The fortress gates gradually came into clear view.

“…!”

But Aidan was forced to slow down due to a sudden pain—not because it was unbearable, but because he felt something alarming.

He had survived many battlefields. A mere claw digging into his arm wouldn’t normally bother him.

“Y-Your Highness…”

Brody was pale and trembling.

That familiar sensation—like bugs crawling through her veins—began creeping up her body again.

Aidan bit his lip hard as Brody’s breathing grew more erratic.

He gathered the cold energy he had spread to protect them and funneled it into Brody.

Chilling energy spread through every corner of her body.

Her fingers, which had been digging into his arm, suddenly lost strength.

She slumped weakly against him, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

“I’m sorry… Your Highness…”

“Don’t worry, Brody. Nothing’s going to happen.”

But the pursuers were rapidly closing in.

Aidan had no choice but to halt and face them.

There were about thirty men. One raised his hand, and they all stopped.

From the group, two riders approached.

One of them, on a pristine white horse with a white mane, was someone familiar—Jax, the Duke of McCarthy.

Beside him was an even larger, majestic white steed with a golden mane and tail like silk. Adorned with elegant ornaments, the horse stepped forward with regal arrogance.

Atop it sat a small figure—no, not truly small, but made to look that way in contrast to the large horse.

A pale face with fiery golden eyes, a sculpted nose, and elegantly closed lips.

But what stood out most was the golden hair that waved like flames, glowing as if it were lit from within.

A woman wearing a tiara that extended like a halo from her head.

Princess Myla Riley looked down at Aidan with a graceful smile.

“The princess…”

“You remember me even from a distance, Grand Duke Mason.”

While Princess Myla seemed relaxed, Aidan’s brow furrowed, veins pulsing.

His sharp instincts sensed imminent danger.

The magic controlling Brody was nothing like when Jax had channeled it—it was far more potent.

Because its source was none other than Myla Riley, blessed by the Spirit of the Sun.

‘That woman is the princess…’

It was Brody’s first time seeing her in person.

A character she’d only read about or heard in rumors was now vividly alive before her.

And the descriptions in books hadn’t been exaggerated. If anything, they had understated her appearance.

A sculpted face that would captivate anyone. Hair so brilliant it sent chills down your spine. And a presence that inspired both awe and dread.

Warm, yet burning—like the sun itself.

As their eyes met, the princess gave Brody a radiant smile.

Then, still smiling, she spoke.

“Grand Duke, I did not come here to fight.”

“Strange words, considering you opened with a volley of arrows.”

“Wouldn’t you say it was a mild warning to a kidnapper?”

“Hah. A kidnapper, you say.”

Aidan scoffed, and Jax stepped forward.

The scar Aidan had left on Jax’s handsome face was gone—perhaps due to the princess’s magic.

Jax stroked the area where the scar had been and said:

“What brother wouldn’t be angry to see his sister taken away without permission?”

Typical Jax. Always playing to the crowd.

Hearing his theatrical tone, Brody felt a headache coming on.

“Brody, my dear, wild little kitten of a sister, isn’t it time to stop resisting and come home?”

Ah… Do I have to respond to that?

Brody, still leaning on Aidan, muttered:

“Your Highness, can’t we just ignore them and go?”

Aidan barely managed to suppress a vigorous nod.

He wanted nothing more than to turn and flee.

But among the thirty men gathered here, it wasn’t them—it was one person he wasn’t sure he could stop.

The power that founded and sustained the empire came from the Spirit of the Sun.

The emperor’s bloodline had always been blessed by it.

Just like Aidan was blessed by the Spirit of Ice.

And for some reason, that power was now emanating not from the emperor or the crown prince—but from the princess.

Others might not notice, but Aidan, who carried the Spirit of Ice, could feel it.

The burning energy flowing inside her.

‘She really does carry a strong connection to the spirit.’

For ages, the Spirit of Ice had been subservient to the Spirit of the Sun, ever since a pact was made at the founding of the empire.

But that pact had been broken when the empire allowed northern autonomy.

This confrontation between the two spirits was something that hadn’t occurred in countless generations.

“Wasn’t it your side who proposed a truce? Marching all the way to Ferdan Fortress—should we consider the treaty broken?”

“Oh dear, what a harsh accusation, Grand Duke. We didn’t come to attack the north. Just return my beloved sister peacefully, and we’ll be on our way.”

“What kind of man would send his wife back to a brother who tried to poison her and control her body with a curse?”

At that, the princess’s brow twitched.

Though the thirty soldiers didn’t murmur, their eyes betrayed surprise.

Still, Jax didn’t falter.

“What kind of monster brother would do such a thing? But wife? Are you saying Brody is your wife? That you’re my sister’s husband?”

Aidan’s grip on Brody tightened unconsciously—as if he would never let go.

Then, with slow, deliberate emphasis, he declared:

“Yes. We are already bound in marriage. Brody is mine by her own choice.”

His solemn voice reverberated through Brody’s body.

This isn’t the time for this—but still, a shiver ran through her, and her heart began to pound.

Her face flushed involuntarily, making the two of them look like a pair of lovestruck newlyweds.

Aidan drove in the final nail.

“You’re the ones trying to steal away my wife. If anyone’s the kidnapper here, it’s you. Enough of this nonsense. Go back.”