Kavala sat in her private office, meticulously reviewing the list of girls selected as new scholarship recipients for the National Academy.
It was delicate work—choosing which young women would be groomed, educated, and ultimately positioned in places of influence throughout the empire.
A translucent red bird suddenly materialized in front of her.
The crimson shape circled Kavala's head once before landing delicately on her outstretched finger. Upon closer inspection, it wasn't truly a bird at all—but rather a sphere of glowing light sculpted into avian form.
Kavala tilted her head, a frown creasing her elegant features.
"It's far too early for them to have reached Ronheim..."
She cleared the papers from her desk, creating space, and blew a soft breath toward the luminous messenger.
The bird-shaped light scattered like dust, its particles rearranging themselves into shining letters that hovered above the polished wood.
The report was brief, clinical—devoid of personal opinion or emotional color.
It had been sent by one of Kavala's Watchers, embedded within Chloe's retinue for precisely this purpose.
The glowing letters dispersed into the air and vanished without a trace as Kavala exhaled a second time.
"An unknown assailant?"
Kavala's frown deepened.
"And Chloe used that as an excuse to dismiss the knights...?"
And the notion that Chloe had actually punished the knights herself was even more absurd.
Kavala refused to believe that weak, broken child would have taken such action on her own initiative.
Kavala clicked her tongue, her expression tight with displeasure.
"What a useless girl."
She had sent Chloe north to monitor Callius—to ensure the Marquis wasn't plotting anything suspicious. Instead, the foolish princess was simply dancing to the man's tune like an obedient marionette.
Kavala sighed in annoyance, pressing her fingers against her temples.
She could easily imagine Chloe stupidly following Callius's instructions and dismissing the royal knights without a second thought.
A knock at the door interrupted her brooding.
"It's Dnieper, Sister."
"Enter."
Dnieper entered with his characteristic rough gait—moving like a man who could be deployed into battle at a moment's notice.
Kavala leaned back in her chair, studying him with cold eyes.
"The holy relic. Did you find it?"
For Kavala, recovering the lost artifact was far more urgent and important than whatever Chloe was doing in the frozen wastelands of the North.
Dnieper shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Sister."
Kavala's eyes sharpened like drawn blades.
Dnieper kept his gaze lowered as he delivered his report.
"It appears the relic was taken outside the palace. We should expand the search, considering the possibility that the gypsy woman stole it and fled."
"Ha."
Kavala sighed deeply, tilting her head back against the chair.
"Search the auction houses. The black market. Everywhere."
If a thief steals treasure, they inevitably try to liquidate it as quickly as possible.
Since it wasn't an item obtained through legitimate channels, the relic would most likely appear in the shadowy underground markets where questions weren't asked.
Kavala fought to keep her voice calm and elegant, though fury simmered beneath the surface.
"If it disappears into some collector's private vault, it won't be easy to recover. We must find it before that happens."
"Yes, Sister."
"Understood?"
Kavala sighed softly and fixed Dnieper with a penetrating stare. Her gaze remained razor-sharp.
"Don't disappoint me again, Dnieper."
She rose with smooth, fluid movements and approached him.
Her delicate hand reached up to stroke Dnieper's cheek—tracing the small scars that marked his face like a map of past violence.
"I would hate to regret bringing you back when you were nothing but a fugitive with a price on your head."
Her soft, low voice caressed his ear like velvet hiding steel.
Dnieper swallowed hard and nodded.
"Yes, Sister."
Kavala passed him with a small, satisfied smile.
"I'm tired. It's been an exhausting day. I need to... lift my spirits."
Dnieper knew exactly what that meant.
"I've prepared a new woman for you at your residence, Sister."
Kavala's smile widened with genuine pleasure.
She left the office with leisurely, unhurried steps—a predator satisfied that her next meal was waiting.
Morning arrived far earlier in the North than it ever did in the South.
The fierce wind and swirling snowstorm that had rattled the shutters and disturbed my sleep throughout the night had vanished as if they'd never existed. The pre-dawn sky was startlingly clear.
Even before true dawn broke, the streets of Abene bustled with activity as if it were midday.
When I emerged from my room—wrapped so tightly in the furs Lamia had given me that I could barely open my eyes—all the snow on the roads had already been cleared away.
The moment I stepped outside, frigid air sliced across my face like a blade, making me shiver violently.
Every breath I exhaled emerged as white vapor.
I looked around eagerly, desperate to find the carriage and escape the biting wind.
That's when my eyes met Callius's.
He was checking his horse's saddle with practiced efficiency.
"Good morning."
"Yes, Marquis. Did you sleep well?"
We exchanged light, pleasant greetings.
He had been with me constantly since leaving the palace, and now he felt... a little familiar. Almost comfortable.
I smiled back at him as he offered me a bright grin.
I was staring at him intently when he caught me looking.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Oh! No, I—"
"You look surprised. That's the expression on your face."
Startled, I quickly apologized.
"Is it? I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it—I just thought you looked a lot like someone I know..."
"Someone you know?"
"Yes. A... friend."
One of Callius's eyebrows rose slightly.
"Are you referring to that 'most precious friend' you mentioned before?"
I suddenly remembered the story I'd casually told him about Karl during our carriage ride and felt a pang of regret.
"Ah, well..."
I tried to brush it off, but Callius wasn't letting it go.
"It's fascinating that Your Highness's dear friend resembles me. I look quite different from most Southerners. Where is your friend from?"
That was something I was curious about too, honestly.
"Well... I've never actually asked him specifically."
"I see."
Callius tilted his head slightly, clearly finding something odd about my answer.
It did seem strange that I claimed Karl was a dear friend, yet I didn't even know where he was from.
Callius didn't stop there. He pressed for more details.
"Who exactly is this friend? If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about him."
I couldn't possibly tell him the full truth about Karl, so I deliberately changed the subject.
"It's freezing out here. Where's the carriage? I'd really like to get inside."
It wasn't just an excuse to avoid his questions.
Yesterday, when I'd briefly stepped out of the carriage, the nyak leather coat had blocked the wind well enough. But standing here now, fully exposed to the icy air, the coat felt utterly useless.
My body temperature was dropping by the second. I was actively shivering.
Fortunately, Callius didn't push the matter further.
But what he said next was genuinely shocking.
"You can't take the carriage from here."
"What? Then how—?"
"You'll have to travel by horseback."
"What? But I don't know how to ride a horse!"
Unlike me—who was genuinely panicking—Callius remained completely unfazed.
He nodded as if he'd expected this exact response and calmly reassured me.
"Your Highness can ride with me."
"T-together?"
I immediately imagined myself sitting in front of Callius on the saddle.
"Yes, please. That would be acceptable."
"Very well, then."
I took Callius's outstretched hand, preparing to mount the horse.
But instead of simply helping me up, he lifted me bodily into his arms and then gave a very strange order to his subordinate.
"Tie it securely."
'Huh? Tie what?'
While I was still processing this bizarre command, one of Callius's knights approached us carrying a large cloth.
Then—without any warning whatsoever—he proceeded to tie Callius and me together with the fabric, binding us so tightly that we became essentially one combined lump.
'WHAT...?!'
In the South, Kavala plots in shadows, hunting for lost relics and tightening her web of control.
In the North, Chloe discovers that Northern hospitality involves being literally strapped to your husband-to-be like cargo.
Cultural exchange has never been quite so... binding.
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