The long journey is finally over.
Raphael dragged his father down with his own hands and ascended to the throne.
'So there is an end to it...'
He sat in the blood-stained office chair and stared up at the ceiling for a long time.
In the end. It was just this one spot.
Even though he had shed so much blood and come this far, he still couldn't tell if this place was worth it.
A large amount of paperwork was scattered messily on the large desk.
Raphael's gaze fell on the invitation that had been placed deliberately at the very top.
It was an invitation to a royal banquet to be held in the capital soon. It seemed that attending would involve dealing with a few troubling matters.
The banquet was a nuisance. But this time, Raphael felt slightly excited rather than hesitant.
He hoped that there he could find some meaning to all this.
He was worried that his original goal would be blurred, so he deliberately avoided hearing even the smallest bit of news about the Wintersoar.
He wanted to check on their well-being with his own eyes. If he had the chance, it would be nice to exchange a few words of greeting.
The kindness they showed him back then was the first and everything to Raphael.
With a simple wish in his heart, Raphael boarded the carriage heading to the capital.
And then he heard shocking news right inside the carriage.
"The Duchess of Wintersor died seven years ago?"
It had been only a year since their meeting. Raphael felt his heart pounding with emotion.
At that time, Raphael, who had arrived at the Grand Duke's estate, went to see a good doctor with the gold coins the Duchess had given him.
If it were normal, he would have just ignored her and left her alone, but he felt he couldn't ignore her kindness.
The doctor warned him that the broken bone could have punctured his organs, and he emphasized several times that it was very fortunate that he had come to the hospital in time.
If it weren't for that meeting that day, not only would his body not be the same as it is now, but he might not be here today.
Raphael thought he would repay the favor someday, but then the Duchess passed away.
Besides, Enrica would have been only 10 years old at that time.
'It's too difficult.'
He looked out the window, hiding his expression with a sad heart.
The image of the Duchess's pale face, after she treated his wounds, continued to linger in his mind.
He felt so guilty that he felt like he had hastened her death.
***
When he arrived in the capital, all he could think about was Enrica.
Raphael was born with nothing, but it seemed like it would be much harder to lose what he originally had.
He vaguely thought that the warmth he first felt would last forever.
'Still, I'm sure she would have overcome it.'
Even at a young age, he could see a personality stronger than his.
All he could do was wait, hoping that the thought would become reality.
Moreover, now was the time for Raphael to come to his senses.
The political scene in the capital was fierce. It was a time when the fight for succession was fierce, as the aging King was avoiding their sight.
Raphael was on edge all day, putting serious thought into every word he said.
It was a tiring day for Raphael, who was still new to politics.
"..."
Every night when he couldn't sleep, he would unroll an old magic scroll.
The first person who told him that she would protect him even with her small body.
Would Enrica have been a good wizard?
What will the magic scroll she is drawing look like now?
He would be able to see Enrica's face at the banquet that was to be held tomorrow.
Raphael's heart pounded loudly.
***
A mad murderer who took the throne after killing all his blood relatives, the tyrant of the North.
That's the rumor people were saying about Raphael Kronhardt.
If he were a normal father with a daughter, it would be normal for his daughter to not come near him, but it seemed difficult to live as such a normal person in social circles.
"Your Highness, I congratulate you on your accession to the throne. This girl here is my daughter who recently had her debutante ceremony... Now, please introduce yourself."
The daughter who was brought to her father trembled and repeatedly couldn't even make eye contact with Raphael.
There was sophisticated music playing all around, and the atmosphere was calm, but what they were actually doing was extremely vulgar.
Raphael continued to look around, hiding his disillusioned eyes.
'Pink hair I can't see it.'
He's been waiting all the way from the North just to see her again.
Could it be that she didn't attend the banquet?
Even though it was difficult to hide his heartache, people approached him.
Raphael couldn't control his expression anymore so he retreated to the terrace.
He sat down on the railing, closed his eyes, and finally fell into the silence that had come.
Cough.
At that moment, the faint sound of someone coughing tickled Raphael's ears.
He frowned at the thought of his well-earned rest being interrupted, then quickly sat up and looked for the source of the sound.
"...No way."
It was a strangely exciting feeling that came to his heart like a tickle.
The sound came from below. Raphael looked down from the terrace on the third floor where he was, sticking his head out.
As expected, a shadowy figure of someone moving was seen on the second floor.
"I should go out soon... My head hurts so much..."
The woman was walking anxiously along the terrace, muttering something.
It was a quiet soliloquy that Raphael, standing on the third floor, couldn't hear it.
Cough, cough.
She began coughing again and lowered her head.
The sight of lush hair moving and fluttering together came into view.
Then, when she raised her head, the air surrounding Raphael stopped.
Cheeks and eyes as rosy as if they were dyed with crushed rose petals, and small, plump lips.
It was Enrica Wintersoar.
Every time she sighed, the leaves outside the terrace seemed to rustle.
Her long eyelashes fluttered with every blink of her large eyes.
It seemed as if all the light in the world was contained in those jewel-like, sparkling eyes.
By now, Raphael had felt quite a few things when he thought of Enrica.
Somewhere between the longing and pity for the intense memory, complex emotions had been building up that even he couldn't define.
Raphael's thoughts were so long and deep...
From the moment he saw her again, his feelings for her solidified.
Her pink hair flowed out and reflected in his blue eyes, which seemed to symbolize winter.
His winter, which seemed to never end, was turning into spring.
Even in the midst of all this, Enrica kept frowning and then unfrowning as if she was struggling with something he couldn't understand.
A faint light appeared at her fingertips and then disappeared.
Raphael realized a moment later that the light he had just seen was magic.
It was Enrica who assured him that he would become a great wizard one day.
But now, for some reason, she was having a hard time even generating a small amount of magical power.
"Please, just once. Vermont..."
Enrica, who had been muttering something and desperately trying to use her magic several times, soon gave up on the act.
A tear ran down her cheek as she bit her lip, seemingly resentful.
Raphael's heart sank.
Enrica was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen, but when he looked away from that beauty, he saw other things.
For example, thin cheeks and extremely thin wrists, or dirty, bitten fingernails prove that she is used to feeling anxious and nervous.
Her eyes no longer had the same liveliness they once had.
Raphael wanted to go down right away at the unexpected change in appearance.
It's okay, Enrica. Please don't cry.
Your presence at that time was already magic to me...
It's probably still like that now. He thought he'd try to comfort her by saying something like that.
But he couldn't tell if Raphael's presence would be of any help to Enrica right now. He remembered the woman who had trembled when they met eyes in the banquet hall earlier.
Raphael searched through his coat, wondering if this was the right way to do it. The defensive magic scroll he had been carrying today came out into his hand.
A scroll that was intentionally dropped from the third floor was blown by the wind and reached Enrica.
Enrica suddenly saw a piece of paper fall to the ground with a thud. She looked around cautiously and picked it up.
Her expression was not visible from above, so it was impossible to tell whether she had noticed the scroll. Soon Enrica opened her mouth.
"Hey, who are you?"
He cleared his throat and answered.
"Excuse me, Young Lady. I think my stuff accidentally fell over there."
"This is your belongings?"
Enrica first unfolded her fan and covered her eyes which were red from tears. After thinking for a moment, she spoke in a trembling voice...
"If you bought it somewhere, get a refund. This is a fake worse than a child's imitation."
He thought it was cute how she spoke as if she didn't recognize the scroll she drew. And yet she was even righteous.
But you'll find out soon enough. Raphael said with a click of his tongue.
"I got it in the North a few years ago. Doesn't Young Lady know about it?"
"North?"
Raphael thought that Enrica wouId realize his identity at that moment. But she questioned him.
"I don't know who you're confusing me with. I've never been to the North."
The voice didn't sound like someone intentionally trying to hide the truth.
It was not a childhood that Enrica could not even remember. She left the terrace in a hurry, leaving Raphael, who was suddenly confused and did not respond anymore.
So the scroll was returned to Raphael in the servant's hand.
***
"According to the servants working in the family, she was so shocked by her mother's death that she forgot most of her childhood memories..."
It was two weeks since Raphael returned from the banquet where he had met Enrica.
Back in the North. Raphael began gathering information about Enrica's past years that he did not know about.
After the Duchess's death, she was physically and mentally broken. As if to prove this, she did not show up in society and spent most of her time at home. When she did come out, she would spend her time quietly in a corner of the banquet hall, looking anxious.
The more he learned about it, the more Raphael's resolve became firmer.
He was thinking of marrying Enrica.
Now it was his turn to repay her for the warmth of the winter day. No, in fact, he had been wanting to do this ever since he had heard of the Duchess's death.
H would have done anything to make Enrica happy again.
However, his aide Melua seemed dissatisfied with the decision, and after telling them all the information he had found out, he added his own personal opinion.
"Do you really have to have this kind of marriage? Ever since you proposed to Lady Wintersoar, the Duke's demands have gotten more intense by the day."
"..."
"Not to mention the huge dowry. And not to mention using his daughter to do business. This is too much."
"Watch what you say."
Soon Raphael opened his mouth to answer.
"Didn't they say the Duke was famous for taking care of his sickly daughter?"
"That's true, but..."
"If I had a daughter like that, I would be reluctant to marry her off. I understand."
Melua shook her head as if she had seen some strange scene and closed the door.
Raphael, was left alone, though.
It wasn't an empty promise. He was willing to do anything for Enrica.
First of all, she must try to become healthy.
He would get married to take care of her, but he was also confident that if she said no, he wouldn't even show his face.
If another man said he liked her, he would be quite sad, but he could understand.
But if by some miracle she really does like me...
Raphael really hopes that happens.
Raphael smiled faintly as he thought about his upcoming wedding. It was a spring-like smile.
<Part 1 side story complete>
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