Chapter 63
Translated by Wook
Edited by Iris Sakura
Seeing everyone sitting in a circle, Ricardis thought that this spacious carriage had somehow become a secret base for him and the brothers Isserion and Lewon. No one can come in and out, and only their side can enter at will.
Milia kept her mouth shut, mysteriously keeping silent for a while, then the moment the carriage passed through the Imperial gate, she opened her mouth.
[It’s freezing here.]
Ricardis realized that the ‘here’ she was talking about meant the beautiful white castles. However, as summer approaches and the leaves turn green and the sun becomes stinging hot, the cold she speaks of cannot reach Ricardis.
[The snow that never melts is piled up, and a sharp wind blows with a bite. It is a place where darkness descends in the blink of an eye, making the cold even more severe.]
Ricardis looked out the window and again saw the white castles lined up. The castles, which were closer than before, shone brightly in the sunlight. It was beautiful. But when listening to Milia, it also looked like a winter birch forest laden with soft snow.
[At all times, everyone must not forget that it is winter for you, Ricardis.]
[Yes, Mother.]
[To survive, you will have no choice but to become colder and harsher than this ice forest.]
Colder. Harsher. Milia’s words stuck to Ricardis like frost. Milia gathered them and hugged Ricardis and Isserion’s back. The four heads met. Setistia whined between them. She didn’t seem interested in their discussion. As Milia watched Setistia, she closed her eyes.
[Ricardis. It will be hard. It will be painful. But you can endure it. People are weak, but for the sake of something precious, they can become strong.]
As Milia said those words, she gently stroked the back of Ricardis and Isserion’s head. Ricardis nodded his head. He could endure anything for his lovely young sister, who could not even read the crisis... because suffering was very familiar to Ricardis.
The white castles drew closer. Milia shed her words as she saw the dazzling sight.
[You have to be patient and wait, Ricardis.]
‘It will only get more painful.’ Her words were absolute to Ricardis. To him, what Milia said was not just a guess but a prophecy that would come true in the near future. It was natural to wonder how long such a definite, painful future would last.
[For how long?]
Milia twisted her brows and smiled. This was the first time Ricardis learned that a smile could be so painful.
“Mother... came to me in a dream...”
“Your Highness?”
Ricardis slowly opened his eyes. He had briefly slept at his desk since he had not slept properly for several weeks. Isserion stood beside him and blinked his eyes. Since the death of Milia, Ricardis never once brought up stories about her.
‘Is he sleep talking?’ Isserion was unconsciously sweating profusely and was worried, but Ricardis simply continued to speak.
“It seems to be a perfect connection with my current situation. Hmm...”
Ricardis grabbed his neck and turned his head side to side to loosen up his muscles. This short movement could not relieve the fatigue accumulated over the years, but it was enough to awaken his senses.
“I think she came here to warn me that if I act softly, I will be eaten.”
Ricardis’ expression and mood as he talked about Milia didn’t look bad. Isserion inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and was able to answer with a more relaxed mind than before.
“You look like the queen.”
“I’ve come to my senses. So, what’s going on?”
If Isserion, the person most concerned about his sleep schedule, prematurely woke him up, it means the things he’s going to talk about aren’t something he can solve by himself.
“It’s not a big deal, though.”
Behind Isserion, Senior Knight Lewon had an absurd expression on his face. ‘Isn’t it a big deal that I’m here?’
Ricardis found Lewon and smiled a little.
“Lewon.”
Lewon bent one of his knees and placed his fist on his chest.
“I see the blessing of Illavenia, who calls upon the white night.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
Lewon was Isserion’s younger brother, a senior knight one head taller and with a body twice as thick as his slender older brother’s. The main task of the senior Knights of the White Night was to escort Ricardis, but Lewon was different.
He formed an independent group outside the castle who monitored dangerous people and sometimes even stuck their hands into the situation. He was closer to a mercenary or an assassin than to a knight. If his other senior knights worked on the surface, Lewon was in charge of the perfect underbelly.
Ricardis was reluctant to entrust him with such sordid tasks, but Lewon was willing to do it. It had to be done by the most reliable person. Thus, Lewon, who doesn’t have much to do most of the time, has lately become busy thanks to Rosaline.