Chapter 15

After a grueling day of work, Kael felt his muscles relax as he soaked in a hot bath. Wiping the water droplets from his face, his gaze drifted to the nearby window and he stared outside. Light snow, which had accumulated during the day, was being lifted up by the breeze and swirled in the air—it made for a pretty view.

“It reminds me of her…” Kael murmured, as he rested his head against the ledge and crossed his arms. “Though if the wind was stronger, it’d be more similar.”

Away from prying eyes, Kael was able to set aside the stately front he maintained in presence of others and act without pretense. As he watched the powdered snow dancing in the wind, thoughts of Irene seeped in his mind. He thought she was a good match with Theorin and their fierce snowstorms.

‘She reminds me of the white wolf I met in a blizzard—unbelievably mysterious and charming, but a solitary existence that appeared lonely… ‘I can’t believe I’ve fallen so hard like this… I must really be my father’s son.’

They had only crossed paths in an informal setting, so he couldn’t understand why the memory of her was so deeply imprinted in his mind. He’d hoped to see her again on their journey to Renslat, even if he’d have to make it look coincidental, but ultimately he was unable to see her again since that incident at the castle wall. As a result, for the rest of the trip he remained desperate to see her and worried that they couldn’t meet.

“I hope she’s not having a hard time…” he muttered. He knew well the sense of loss one could feel from losing everything overnight after blindly dedicating themselves to a single mission, and how such people fell apart because of it. He couldn’t stop pensively mulling over the emptiness he’d glimpsed in her. Sluggishly soaking in the warm water had him feeling dizzy and meditating over unnecessary things. “I should get out. I keep having useless thoughts,” Kael uttered with a heavy sigh, as he lifted himself out of the tub.

The thin robe he wore into the tub that had been loosely wrapped around his body now clung to his 6.2 feet tall, slender frame. Transparent and heavy from the water soaking through, nothing of his elegant figure was left to the imagination. His broad shoulders and his especially long limbs with moderately-toned muscles, which enhanced the look of whatever he wore, was on full display. As Kael peeled off the cumbersome gown to change into the thicker robe prepared, his smooth and lean abs twitched. Then, wiping his hair with a towel, he stepped out of the bathroom.

“Who?” Immediately, Kael halted in his tracks when he detected the presence of another in what should’ve been an empty room.

“Irene M. Voltern greets His Highness, the crown prince of Perkan.”

“Oh. Um…” As soon as Kael realized it was Irene, he stiffened and froze. If she hadn’t been watching him, he would’ve covered his mouth with his hand and groaned. Even if he was trained to maintain a certain level of solemnity and gravitas as a prince in front of others, nothing could’ve prepared him for a situation like this. Suddenly, the words he’d spoken earlier that day came rushing back to him when his eyes caught sight of Irene’s outfit. ‘This is crazy.’

“I heard you called for me. What do I have to do?” Irene asked.

The only thing that pulled Kael’s mind out of his frenzied thoughts was Irene’s unique unemotional and business-like tone. Clearing his throat, Kael replied, “If there’s anything to do… It’s late, so I’m retiring to bed…”