IRER 43

Chapter 43 

 Ice and Sun

“Yeah, he said thank you for saving him.”

But Brody couldn’t properly hear Aidan’s answer this time either.

Because a sudden, stabbing pain pierced through her heart.

“Gah!”

“Brody!”

Seeing Brody clutch her chest and lose her balance, Aidan turned pale and shouted.

“Haah…!”

Previously, it had felt like a wave of heat crashing over her, but now it was as if a sharp spear was precisely aiming at and stabbing through her.

Beads of cold sweat broke out across her face and neck almost instantly.

Behind them, heading toward the fortress—only one person gave chase.

The imperial princess, riding a massive white horse with golden mane, was galloping at terrifying speed.

For a moment, flames rose around her and scorched the withered grasslands.

Whoosh! Crackle!

“Your Highness!”

It seemed Jax had removed the poisonous herb from his mouth, as he shouted from beyond the flames.

These flames erupted as backlash whenever the princess lost control of her power.

She might be able to harm her enemies this way, but it also meant her own soldiers couldn’t get near her.

“Cover Her Highness! Archers, form ranks!”

At Jax’s command, the soldiers finally snapped out of their panic, abandoning their rampaging horses to regroup.

“Your Highness, please—be careful!”

It wasn’t clear whether his voice reached her past the blazing flames.

But the princess had already shut out everything else from her focus.

Her relentless golden eyes were locked solely on Brody.

Brody, looking over Aidan’s shoulder, saw the princess approaching, golden hair whipping in the wind, backed by crimson fire.

The beauty was so intense it gave her goosebumps.

Not human—an angel, no, a grim reaper wearing an angel’s face.

But pain soon clouded her vision.

“Ahh… Huff, huff…”

The searing heat spread from her heart, flowing through her veins and leaving sharp pain throughout her body. It felt like needles stabbing from inside out.

Aidan bit his lip, turned Brody to face him, and held her in his arms. His large hand pressed firmly against her back, and he carefully began to infuse her with a cold aura.

“Ah!”

The princess’s heat and Aidan’s cold clashed inside her.

Brody buried her face in his chest in agony, grabbing at his clothes with one hand and his arm with the other.

But her grip kept slipping. She seemed unconsciously trying not to hurt him.

“Brody, it’s okay. You can hold on tighter. I’m fine—just hang in there, please.”

“Ugh… sob…”

Eventually, Brody, half-conscious, clutched everything within reach with all her strength. Crack. Red marks began to appear on Aidan’s neck and shoulder.

The two opposing forces raging within her nearly made her pass out.

One moment she burned, the next she froze. She felt as if she were being scorched and frostbitten at the same time.

Clang, clang, like metal being forged.

But Brody wasn’t iron—she was flesh and blood.

Terror gripped her as she felt she might break apart from the pain.

The two forces were equally matched and refused to yield, using her body as their battleground.

Maybe it would’ve been better to be consumed by just one.

“Your Highness, please… huff, just do it… all at once… don’t hold back…”

“No. That would hurt you even more.”

“I—already… feel like I’m dying…”

Aidan’s tunic became soaked with her tears.

Her body trembled violently, as if in seizure. Several times, Aidan had to hold her steady so she wouldn’t fall from the horse.

He had to make a decision.

Aidan let go of the reins, allowing Kays to run freely.

Then he embraced Brody tightly with both arms.

The delicate cold energy he had been using suddenly surged with force.

“Hup…”

A torrent of cold burst into her like a waterfall.

Bzzzt—! Bzzzt—!

Strange sounds echoed in her ears, clouding her mind.

Her fingertips stiffened, her lips trembled.

But the searing pain within her was gone.

“How dare you!”

The princess’s furious voice rang out from a distance.

“Brody, Brody! Are you alright?!”

Feeling her hands go limp and her body sag, Aidan called out in panic.

Brody, barely able to move her cold, frozen eyes, gave him a weak smile.

“…Yes.”

And with that, she closed her eyes.

The ground trembled as hooves thundered in.

The princess’s horse had caught up to the slowing Kays.

Aidan turned his horse and glared at the princess, now surrounded in a wall of fire.

The two powers began to clash again.

❖ ❖ ❖

The world was either black or white.

At least, that’s how it appeared to Brody right now.

Peaceful if you called it peaceful. Boring if you called it boring.

A murmur of voices shattered that stillness, and Brody frowned.

‘Ugh… heavy.’

She felt like she’d just awakened from a long dream filled with chills.

Now, by contrast, everything was warm and comfortable.

Too warm. Too heavy.

Her body felt like it was soaked with water—so weighed down she couldn’t move.

Her fingers twitched. She decided to try something else.

She forced open her eyelids.

It felt like her upper and lower lids were glued together, but after tremendous effort, Brody finally opened her eyes.

A strange ceiling came into view.

Well, it wasn’t like she’d seen anything familiar lately.

Where was she?

Why couldn’t her body move?

Brody slowly turned her head.

Thankfully, that much she could still do.

“Brody!”

Sensing the motion, a tall man with black hair rushed over.

His sharp features were scrunched into a worried frown as he looked down at her.

“Your Highness…”

Her voice came out cracked and dry, like parched farmland.

Startled by her own voice, she cleared her throat, and Aidan immediately reached out, brushing her forehead as he asked,

“Are you awake? How do you feel?”

Brody looked at him, moving her eyes diligently.

Seeing him meant she hadn’t been captured by the princess. That was a relief.

As for her body…

Not good.

She couldn’t move as she wanted.

‘Something’s wrong, isn’t it…?’

Brody struggled again to move her heavy body.

A deep frown creased her brow.

‘But… it’s not quite like before. I can move my head and speak. I’m not being controlled…’

Seeing her try to move, Aidan slipped his hand under her shoulder.

Carefully, he pulled her up from beneath the covers.

“Haah…”

Once upright, she felt significantly better.

Her arms even began to move.

Her legs, though, still felt like stone…

“Mm? …What is this?”

The next moment, the mystery was solved.

Brody blinked wide-eyed at the mountain of blankets piled on her.

One layer, two layers, three, four…

How many were there?

And they were thick! Together, they were at least a hand and a half tall.

“Why? What’s wrong, Brody? Tell me—are you hurt?”

“Yes, something was wrong. Until just now.”

“What do you mean? Nurse! Lady Murphy!”

Hearing Brody say there was a problem—technically had been one—Aidan turned pale and shouted for Murphy.

“Lady Murphy?”

Brody blinked. Wasn’t she the one managing the duke’s camp during the war?

Before Aidan could answer, the door opened and in walked Murphy.

“You called, sir?”

With her usual stern face.

It was indeed the same Murphy.

Oddly happy, Brody greeted her.

“Madam!”

Murphy looked surprised Brody was awake.

For a moment, her blank expression cracked with a mix of shock and relief.

“Oh, my lady. You’re awake.”

As they exchanged greetings, Aidan jumped in.

“Brody said there’s a problem. Can you take a look?”

“Where do you feel discomfort, my lady?”

Brody looked between the two of them with wide, startled eyes.

Finally, she spoke.

“Unfortunately, yes. There was a problem.”

Both of them leaned forward, eager to hear.

“I think I almost got crushed to death.”

“……”

Aidan blinked. Murphy’s eyes narrowed.

Brody went on, watching their expressions.

“I woke up and couldn’t move at all. Well, my legs still aren’t moving, so technically it’s not over yet.”

“……”

At her wry remark, Murphy slowly straightened.

With a stern glance at Aidan, she said flatly,

“I did say it was too much.”

She didn’t slap him, but her eyes clearly had.

Realizing what she meant, Aidan looked sheepish and scrambled to remove the blankets.

“It was your doing, wasn’t it?”

“I-I just thought… warmth was good for recovery…”

As the covers came off and her legs were freed, Brody pulled her knees up to her chest.

Fortunately, she could move fine now.

A bit stiff, but compared to almost dying in the south, this felt like a mosquito bite.

Well—worse than a mosquito, but still.

Like waking up from the flu.

“Do you feel anything else uncomfortable?”

Murphy asked.

Brody smiled and nodded.

“No, I feel great.”

“I’ll bring you some food then.”

And with that, Murphy left.

Her no-nonsense way of checking on Brody and walking out felt oddly comforting. It made Brody smile.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

But Aidan still looked serious.

Brody answered lightly on purpose.

“Yes, surprisingly so. Maybe I’ve gotten stronger? I guess going through it once built up some resistance.”

In truth, she was just as surprised.

Back when Aidan’s and the princess’s powers were battling inside her, she’d thought for sure she’d die.

But then—her brave words turned hollow.

The moment she recalled it, that sensation returned.

She flinched.

A cold shiver ran down her spine before she could stop it.

Seeing her go pale again, Aidan did too.

He immediately pulled her into his arms.

“You say you’re fine, but you don’t look it.”

“Ah… what is this… My body really is fine, but…”

Seeing her clasp her trembling hands tightly, something cold and painful gripped Aidan’s chest.

No external wounds, but…

Spiritual injuries caused by clashing powers couldn’t be seen.

Worried, he instinctively pulled her onto his lap and held her tightly, gently rubbing her back.

As they shared warmth, her shaking gradually eased. Brody sighed deeply, her breathing settling.

She finally relaxed against his solid frame.

‘Ah…’

That’s when she realized exactly where she was sitting.

They’d been this close in the south, but still—it had been a while.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been this close to him.’

She became aware of his presence again.

And her pale face rapidly turned bright red.