Chapter 7

Chapter 7

He stood next to Sian, pressing lightly with the tip of his right foot against the frozen surface.

“The edge of a frozen lake is the most solid. The closer you go toward the center, the weaker it gets. The water is also deeper in the middle.”

Why is he explaining this? Is he trying to get me to leave?

Sian tensed, her eyes fixed on him.

He slowly added more weight to the foot testing the ice. The silvery white surface held firm. No cracks, not even a hairline fracture. Perhaps reassured, he pressed harder, enough for her to notice.

When she nervously raised her hand to stop him, a faint crackling noise whispered across the ice.

“What if it crumbles?”

Holding her breath, Sian froze. Only then did he lift his foot and straighten his stance.

“This should be fine.”

“It won’t break?”

“No. It’ll probably break just enough.”

What kind of answer is that?

As if he actually wished for the ice to shatter, his words left Sian staring at him in disbelief. Unbothered, he continued speaking at length.

“This time, let’s make specific demands of each other. Even if it’s a little dangerous, that way we’ll have the motivation to play along.”

“……”

“If the demand is too much and you don’t want to agree, step one pace closer to the center of the lake.”

“You mean we’re playing a game here?”

A game of chicken where they dodged unreasonable demands until one of them finally fell through.

“Yes.”

He affirmed it with a bright smile.

Sian frowned, scanning the ice beneath her feet with unease. This wasn’t like the harmless number guessing games from before.

“I could die.”

“That won’t happen.”

What confidence. He spoke with unshakable certainty, then took the first step onto the ice toward the center. Thankfully, there was no sound of breaking. The frozen lake held his weight.

It should be fine until we get closer to the middle…

Still, Sian remained rooted in place. To follow him so easily, knowing full well he was toying with her, felt wrong.

Then he spoke again, one step ahead.

“I went to the capital recently and happened to run into the Duke of Hertese.”

Duke Hertese.

At the mention of her fiancé, Sian’s eyes widened. Why bring up that man now? Her gaze trembled with unease.

Whether or not he noticed, he continued calmly.

“I thought he’d shamelessly move on with his life after losing you. But surprisingly, he didn’t look well. His eyes were hollow, and even the tailored cuffs of his suit hung loose. Rumor among his circle has it he’s been suffering from insomnia and stomach troubles every day since you left.”

Impossible. He’s acting.

Sian knew better than anyone how cunning her fiancé was. He would feign the image of a tragic man hopelessly in love with his fiancée, winning sympathy and ensuring no one would allow her to break off the engagement. He would wrap himself in the illusion of a grand romance, until in the end, she alone became the villain.

“The Emperor has taken his side, of course. He even intends to send the Imperial Knights to secure you.”

Her body shook at the chilling words.

If imperial authority forced her hand, there would be no turning back. The moment they caught her, the Emperor would order her to marry Duke Hertese. Refusing at that stage would be like defying the Emperor himself.

There would be no choice but marriage.

Sian’s hatred of Dion burned even stronger. The fact that a man who openly kept a mistress could still be treated as if he were some tragic lover. She loathed him.

“What a predicament you’re in, Sister Heartperion.”

His mocking words scraped against her nerves.

She bit her lip hard, suppressing the urge to snap back. He wasn’t wrong. Every part of her situation worked against her, and the only faint hope she had left was the mercy of the temple.

“If even the Emperor is involved, the temple will find it hard to help you. Especially since the Duke appears to be the victim here. The temple cares about public opinion, so they won’t take your side easily.”

Each word constricted her chest tighter and tighter. Sian waited for his judgment as if awaiting punishment. Swallowing hard, fists clenched, she finally heard his verdict.

“Sister, as things stand, the temple has no way to protect you. You should leave.”

The coldness of his tone shoved her straight toward the cliff’s edge.

Refusing to fall, Sian stepped forward. This was a game. He only wanted to play. So with a steady face, she followed him onto the ice until they stood side by side.

“You need to go one step further. You’ve only just reached the starting line.”

He was good at being infuriating.

Grinding her teeth, she took another step. Just one, yet already the ice beneath her feet felt unstable. She thought she heard the faintest crack.

“Help me break off my engagement.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than he matched her step, right at her side.

One step that said refusal as clearly as words. And he didn’t even flinch at the risk.

“Leave the temple.”

His voice was flat, dismissive.

Sian immediately stepped deeper. This time, without hesitation.

“If you help me end my engagement, I’ll leave on my own.”

He followed.

“Leave.”

“If you help me.”

“What if I refuse?”

“I’ll keep asking until you do.”

“Until you fall in, you mean.”

“……”

“Just leave.”

“No, don’t say that. Help me.”

She took another step forward, and he matched her again.

The weight of them both pressed down and a brittle crack echoed underfoot.

Sian stiffened.

They were still far from the center, yet the ice already groaned beneath them. True, the water wasn’t too deep here; falling in might not mean drowning. But would the freezing liquid consume her body? Could she really survive it?

“I have no other choice. There’s nowhere else left for me to go. I’d rather stay here in the temple as a nun.”

“A nun?”

“Can a princess like you live as a nun?” He laughed softly, mocking the very idea. His tone carried both derision and disbelief.

“If the alternative is being caged in the Duke’s estate, then yes, it’s far better.”

“So you think life as a nun is preferable to life as a duchess?”

“Yes.”

Sian admitted without hesitation. Marrying a man who had infiltrated her family, kept a mistress, used spies, and only wanted to parade her as a trophy versus living a quiet, devout life as a nun in the temple. Despite her naturally indolent personality, the latter was overwhelmingly preferable.

But he clearly disagreed.

“How could the temple presume to make a princess into a nun? Such insolence.”

In an instant, he crushed her resolve, disparaging even the temple itself. The sole holy sanctuary of the continent. And this was the High Priest, reducing it to nothing more than “the temple” in a game.

Even with her lukewarm faith, Sian was horrified.

“High Priest!”

“You’re loud for the middle of the night.”

He laughed as he moved forward. One more step.

This time, the resulting cracking sound was too loud to ignore.

The next step would shatter it.

Sian bit her lip, her body taut with fear. How deep was it here, really?

She didn’t like leading the way, but the thought of him going first was worse. If he fell in, could she even save him? He moved without hesitation, as though he had a plan. But what if he didn’t? Could she really trust him? At this hour, it would be hard to call for help, and response would be slow. What if she were punished for endangering the High Priest? What if she were expelled?

Maybe it would be better to stop here and find a new priest to consult. No matter how capable he was as a frontier noble, if things kept going like this, she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“Already thinking of quitting?”

His knowing smile suggested he had guessed her thoughts.

“Don’t stop now. You should be asking me again. Ask me to help with your engagement.”

This man…

Her teeth ground so hard they squeaked. His constant provocations only stoked her stubbornness.

What will make him stop moving forward? What will make him help me? Persuasion? Threats? What can I do?

I have to catch him before he falls.

Her thoughts scattered, she blurted impulsively, “If you don’t step back, I’ll grab you. Hard enough to feel like improper contact.”

“And where would you touch me?”

“Anywhere. Everywhere.”

“Pervert.”

Smiling, he dismissed her and began to step forward again.

She lunged and grabbed his sleeve, but he yanked his arm free with ease. Her body pitched forward from the force. Taking advantage of this opportunity, she spread her arms and wrapped them around his waist, holding tight. She felt his body tense under her grip, the muscles of his side and stomach stiffening as though shocked.

He didn’t expect me to go this far?

Startled, he paused briefly before prying her arms away with ease, like snapping a brittle branch in winter. He caught her wrists together in one hand and slammed her down without hesitation.

Unprepared, Sian stumbled and her slender body went sprawling across the ice, sliding several meters.

A long fracture tore through the surface where she struck and slid.

Crack. Crack.

The ominous sound echoed. Dizzy from the fall, she reached out, trying to stand, but the fragile ice buckled beneath her.

Crack! Craaack!

This time, the sound was sharp, slicing through the night. The frozen surface fanned into clear lines.

Sian froze, arms awkwardly raised, not daring to move. She scanned the spreading fractures radiating out like a spiderweb from her body. The air was alive with constant snapping and groaning.

Trembling, she lifted her gaze.

He stood in his navy suit, far across the ice. Her slide had carried her deep into the lake and far too deep. If she fell here, she could die.

“S-stay still…”

Ignoring her plea, he pressed his right foot down deliberately, as if to test the ice. The rules of the game were to step forward if you didn’t agree.

Sian’s blood turned cold. He wasn’t even smiling now. With one brow arched in disapproval, he pressed down harder.

A new fracture branched out from beneath his polished shoe, racing across the ice straight toward her. The crack collided with the spiderweb around her, merging into one.

Craaaack!

The sound was louder than ever, then sudden silence.

The silence before the storm.

Sian could not move. Her mind went blank.

Craaaaash!