Duke Argenthoz, upon hearing the news that Rudnine was going to the Frozen Land to save Yvonne, ran out in terror.
But no matter how much he tried to stop him, it was no use.
Duke Argenthoz, realizing that he could not break Rudnine's already hardened resolve, pleaded with him not to go alone, but to go with a wizard or another knight.
However, he firmly refused, saying that they would only be a hindrance in a situation where time was limited.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Since he had to bring quite a lot of Thiels, Rudnine packed lightly and left with only his sword.
“Oh my... this cruel Duke!!!”
Ant Rudican vented his resentment at the sight of Rudnine leaving him behind.
And then he prayed earnestly.
“Please come back safely.”
Although Duke Iels had left in secret, rumors soon spread that he had gone to the Frozen Land to save the life of his lover and hero, Princess Yvonne Argenthoz.
The Duke's sincerity in loving the Princess became a heartbreaking romance of the century, and everyone prayed for the Duke's safe return.
Prince Felix, who was to ascend to the throne the very next day after the weakened Emperor John abdicated, sighed when he heard this news.
It wasn't his regret that Duke Rudnine Iels didn't attend his coronation.
It was no longer surprising that his love and devotion to Princess Argenthoz were so consistently great.
"The Frozen Land... How reckless. But if it's Duke Iels, he'll be there. I think he'll come back alive."
"If it's the Frozen Land, isn't it a place that's hard to return from? Will it be okay?"
Prince Felix smiled as Consort Evelyn, whose condition had improved significantly, expressed her concern.
“No, Mother. The Duke would go to hell for Princess Yvonne.”
“I guess he loves her too much.”
Consort Evelyn smiled and added softly.
"That's good, Camilla. I think Yvonne will be happy."
As her memories and mind began to become clearer, she looked longingly in the direction of the Argenthoz mansion.
But as the days passed, people became more skeptical.
“The Duke will not return.”
“Yeah… Even if you call yourself a Sword Master, that’s not true.”
“No matter how much he loves her... It’s a shame. Even the Duke.”
And the fears became reality.
The promised migration passed, but Duke Rudnine Iels did not return.
The warmth of black healing flows in affectionately.
“Pembe.”
Today, too, I smiled as I felt the healing magic in my dark space.
How long have you been here?
A place with nothing.
What allowed me to hold on and not crumble in this lonely space was Pembe's healing magic, which never tires, and Rudnine's faintly audible voice.
I didn't know the content, but I could still tell that he was by my side.
But at some point, Rudnine's voice suddenly disappeared.
From then on, I was anxious and scared.
Did you give up on me and leave?
In that case, it would be better to die.
No, I have to believe him who said he loved me...
"It's tough."
As the time spent alone grew longer, I became anxious and could no longer bear it.
"Ah."
Then, suddenly, I remembered the letter my mother had given me before the expedition to Consort Evelyn.
I searched through my pockets just in case, and strangely enough, there was a letter inside.
I'm still trapped here, in the same condition I was in when I last fought Toylat, and I even have the letter intact.
“I should have seen it a long time ago.”
I glanced down at the key necklace with the moon and sword engraved on it.
From the beginning, I knew that I had the necklace with the key to the Iels family's treasure vault that Rudnine had given me, so I had been fiddling with it and missing him.
I carefully opened the old envelope and took out the letter.
In the old letter, which showed the traces of time, I could see the unfamiliar handwriting of my mother, who did not write often.
~~~
Evelyn's decline.
I'm writing a letter that you can't even read.
After His Majesty was poisoned, I couldn't bear the pain.
As I entered the Empress's greenhouse, which had been suspicious since the last time, I was chased away by a strange snake.
Fortunately, I wasn't bitten.
But after being bitten by a venomous snake, my condition seems to be worsening. I'm currently pregnant with my second child. Will I be able to raise her safely?
As you know, I have a quirky personality and don't have any friends... The only friend I have is Evelyn, but it's hard and sad not having anyone to confide in.
I'm so frustrated that I'm writing a letter, something I don't usually write.
You little snake that will be torn to pieces and burned...
If I die because of that snake, who will avenge me? I'm afraid that if I tell my husband, he and everyone else will be in trouble.
Why am I so scared?
...I want to live. I want to live and cherish Barden and our second child in my womb. The wizard says that the second child will be a beautiful daughter.
That snake that was squirming... I should've just strangled it. I'm annoyed that I just ran away.
― Camilla Argenthoz is furious.
~~~
“What, is this the end? Hahaha.”
What a ridiculous, vain, and stupid mother you are.
And I felt sad and sorry because our personalities were so similar.
A snake.
Fuck. That Omoko was the one who killed my mother.
The tears that I thought had dried up fell heavily.
Mom, I killed that snake cub Omoko. The Empress is dead, too.
And I, I have someone I love. I want to live too. I want to live.
I will definitely live.
I won't give up.
I'll hold out here, desperately, until everyone saves me. I'll believe.
Unlike my mother, I told everything to my loved ones, so they said they would save me.
I held onto the old letter and cried, enduring and enduring in that abyss.
It's been exactly two weeks since Rudnine left for the Frozen Land to rescue Tiels.
Meanwhile, Carol Demirant has been diligently searching the entire continent with the information of the Demirant Guild to save Thiels.
The 36kg of Tiels that had been stored in the Iels family were transferred to the townhouse in the capital of Argenthoz, and when combined with the 19kg of Thielw that Carol had obtained by threatening the heirloom of a noble family of a certain kingdom, the total was 55kg.
It was a huge amount, but it was still woefully inadequate to save Yvonne.
The healing wizard Monet Ergel was horrified by Yvonne's rapidly dwindling vitality and confided in Duke Argenthoz and Barden.
"Honestly, it's a miracle that she's still alive, the Princess. She has considerable mental strength."
“This can’t be happening.”
“Yvonne...”
To those who were frustrated, Monet Ergel bitterly told them that time was running out and that they should prepare themselves mentally.
And on the morning of the day after the full moon had passed.
“Our Princess... what should we do?”
Eudela muttered sadly as she cleaned Yvonne's fingernails.
“The Duke is also pitiful. Why are such good-looking men and women being subjected to such trials...?”
Starting with Eudela, who eventually burst into tears, Pembe also started crying, and even Liana started crying.
“I can’t send them like this... sigh.”
“Duke Iels hasn’t returned yet. Let’s wait a little longer.”
Carol, the only one who didn't cry, cheered them up.
"I believe him. He's so persistent. I believe he cares more about Princess than I do."
“That’s true, but...”
As soon as Liana finished speaking, the door flew open.
It was the Duke of Argenthoz.
“Your Excellency?”
“Gasp, ugh. Ugh, uh-uh-uh-uh!”
A patient who shouldn't have run.
No, has the Duke of Argenthoz, a wizard, ever run around in the first place?
“Your Excellency! You mustn’t overdo it!”
When Liana was startled and ran to him to help him up, Duke Argenthoz shouted loudly, sweat beading on his forehead.
“The Duke, gasp, gasp! Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!”
Although he couldn't keep the promised date, Duke Rudnine Iels finally appeared at the Argenthoz mansion.
He returned silently, carrying on his back the 180kg Thiels that he had rescued to save his lover.
But those who saw him were terrified.
The noble Duke's clothes were torn to pieces and covered in bloodstains.
“Where is Yvonne?”
With a hoarse voice, Rudnine looked for Yvonne first.
“Your Excellency. Why don’t you rest for a while... or rather, change your clothes first.”
Barden tried to stop him from going straight up to Yvonne's room, but Rudnine shook his head.
"How prepared are the rest of the Thiels? I want to start treatment quickly."
"Ah..."
Barden was moved by his sincerity and enthusiasm and swallowed back tears.
“I think that’s enough.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Only then did Rudnaine smile faintly.
The tea, which contained 200kg of Thiels, a mixture of the lover's life, a huge amount of money, and everyone's efforts, slowly flowed into Yvonne's mouth.
Carefully and very slowly.
Yvonne drank that much tea without spilling a single drop, even though she was unconscious.
A suffocating silence flowed.
After a while.
The pure white fingers placed on the blanket twitched first.
Soon, her eyelids opened, and they began to see Yvonne's clear, amethyst eyes.
The moment when eyes that seemed like they would be closed forever opened, no one could say anything in disbelief.
She opened her mouth first and called out to him affectionately.
“Rudd.”
As soon as Yvonne opened her eyes, she saw a wounded man in her field of vision and burst into tears.
She reached out to him.
Only then did Rudnine blink.
Yvonne is alive. She's alive. Everything is okay now...
The extreme pain, loneliness, and fear he had experienced at the Frozen Land melted away in an instant.
Rudnine forgot his pain and smiled brightly, hugging Yvonne tightly.
"Thank you, thank you. Thank you for waking up, Yvonne Argenthoz. Thank you so, so much. Thank you for being alive. Thank you so, so much."
Warm sunlight fell like rain on the lovers who were embracing each other and shedding tears.
The two beautiful people were so dazzling that those who were watching were so happy that they cried for a long time.
I miraculously survived.
But this time, my lover, Duke Rudnine Iels, has fallen...
The Sword Master—that is, the one who had reached the peak of his physical strength—had not been able to get out of bed for a week.
He went all the way to Frozen Land to get Thiel's magic stone because of me.
I asked what on earth had happened to make him so badly injured, but Rudnine refused to answer, saying it was not important at all.
“Haa... I feel so sorry for that person.”
I cleaned off six plates of steak for breakfast today, and muttered as I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
Eudela put her hands on both of my waists and spoke to me.
"But, Princess! The Duke, who had been by your side the entire time you were unconscious, was in even more pain. He said that your treatment was complete and that you should just recuperate. Don't worry too much."
“Still...”
“He contacted me through the magic communication device this morning, too. His voice was pleasant, wasn’t it?”
"Yes."
“Okay then.”
Eudela, smiling brightly, cleaned up my plate.
'I miss you, Rudd.'
Rudnine's voice has improved a lot since then.
However, when I asked the healing magician Monet Ergel from the Mare Kingdom, who was staying at the Iels Mansion, he said that I absolutely must not move yet.
Rudnine kept insisting on seeing me, and he was in trouble, so I asked him to stop.
"Hmm. Still, I want to see him too. If Rudd can't move, should I go?"
I scratched my head, walked to the study, and sat down at my desk. Pembe followed me, jumped onto my lap, and started nagging me.
"Eudela's right. The real Duke was going to die anyway if you died. So stop being sorry and just treat him well."
“Follow me to my death! That’s crazy.”
"Didn't you know the Duke was crazy about you long ago? Now I know for sure, seeing as he risked his life to go there and retrieve the Thiels' Magic Stone."
I smiled as I watched Pembe grumble.
I knew very well how much Pembe had done for me.
Even while my consciousness was immersed in the dark abyss, I continued to feel the immense healing magic that Pembe was pouring out on me.
The problem was that everything flowed out like a leaky poison.
I narrowed my eyes at Pembe.
“But Pembe. Are you really going to stay here?”
"Yes."
But no matter how much he tried to stop him, it was no use.
Duke Argenthoz, realizing that he could not break Rudnine's already hardened resolve, pleaded with him not to go alone, but to go with a wizard or another knight.
However, he firmly refused, saying that they would only be a hindrance in a situation where time was limited.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Since he had to bring quite a lot of Thiels, Rudnine packed lightly and left with only his sword.
“Oh my... this cruel Duke!!!”
Ant Rudican vented his resentment at the sight of Rudnine leaving him behind.
And then he prayed earnestly.
“Please come back safely.”
Although Duke Iels had left in secret, rumors soon spread that he had gone to the Frozen Land to save the life of his lover and hero, Princess Yvonne Argenthoz.
The Duke's sincerity in loving the Princess became a heartbreaking romance of the century, and everyone prayed for the Duke's safe return.
Prince Felix, who was to ascend to the throne the very next day after the weakened Emperor John abdicated, sighed when he heard this news.
It wasn't his regret that Duke Rudnine Iels didn't attend his coronation.
It was no longer surprising that his love and devotion to Princess Argenthoz were so consistently great.
"The Frozen Land... How reckless. But if it's Duke Iels, he'll be there. I think he'll come back alive."
"If it's the Frozen Land, isn't it a place that's hard to return from? Will it be okay?"
Prince Felix smiled as Consort Evelyn, whose condition had improved significantly, expressed her concern.
“No, Mother. The Duke would go to hell for Princess Yvonne.”
“I guess he loves her too much.”
Consort Evelyn smiled and added softly.
"That's good, Camilla. I think Yvonne will be happy."
As her memories and mind began to become clearer, she looked longingly in the direction of the Argenthoz mansion.
But as the days passed, people became more skeptical.
“The Duke will not return.”
“Yeah… Even if you call yourself a Sword Master, that’s not true.”
“No matter how much he loves her... It’s a shame. Even the Duke.”
And the fears became reality.
The promised migration passed, but Duke Rudnine Iels did not return.
***
The warmth of black healing flows in affectionately.
“Pembe.”
Today, too, I smiled as I felt the healing magic in my dark space.
How long have you been here?
A place with nothing.
What allowed me to hold on and not crumble in this lonely space was Pembe's healing magic, which never tires, and Rudnine's faintly audible voice.
I didn't know the content, but I could still tell that he was by my side.
But at some point, Rudnine's voice suddenly disappeared.
From then on, I was anxious and scared.
Did you give up on me and leave?
In that case, it would be better to die.
No, I have to believe him who said he loved me...
"It's tough."
As the time spent alone grew longer, I became anxious and could no longer bear it.
"Ah."
Then, suddenly, I remembered the letter my mother had given me before the expedition to Consort Evelyn.
I searched through my pockets just in case, and strangely enough, there was a letter inside.
I'm still trapped here, in the same condition I was in when I last fought Toylat, and I even have the letter intact.
“I should have seen it a long time ago.”
I glanced down at the key necklace with the moon and sword engraved on it.
From the beginning, I knew that I had the necklace with the key to the Iels family's treasure vault that Rudnine had given me, so I had been fiddling with it and missing him.
I carefully opened the old envelope and took out the letter.
In the old letter, which showed the traces of time, I could see the unfamiliar handwriting of my mother, who did not write often.
~~~
Evelyn's decline.
I'm writing a letter that you can't even read.
After His Majesty was poisoned, I couldn't bear the pain.
As I entered the Empress's greenhouse, which had been suspicious since the last time, I was chased away by a strange snake.
Fortunately, I wasn't bitten.
But after being bitten by a venomous snake, my condition seems to be worsening. I'm currently pregnant with my second child. Will I be able to raise her safely?
As you know, I have a quirky personality and don't have any friends... The only friend I have is Evelyn, but it's hard and sad not having anyone to confide in.
I'm so frustrated that I'm writing a letter, something I don't usually write.
You little snake that will be torn to pieces and burned...
If I die because of that snake, who will avenge me? I'm afraid that if I tell my husband, he and everyone else will be in trouble.
Why am I so scared?
...I want to live. I want to live and cherish Barden and our second child in my womb. The wizard says that the second child will be a beautiful daughter.
That snake that was squirming... I should've just strangled it. I'm annoyed that I just ran away.
― Camilla Argenthoz is furious.
~~~
“What, is this the end? Hahaha.”
What a ridiculous, vain, and stupid mother you are.
And I felt sad and sorry because our personalities were so similar.
A snake.
Fuck. That Omoko was the one who killed my mother.
The tears that I thought had dried up fell heavily.
Mom, I killed that snake cub Omoko. The Empress is dead, too.
And I, I have someone I love. I want to live too. I want to live.
I will definitely live.
I won't give up.
I'll hold out here, desperately, until everyone saves me. I'll believe.
Unlike my mother, I told everything to my loved ones, so they said they would save me.
I held onto the old letter and cried, enduring and enduring in that abyss.
***
It's been exactly two weeks since Rudnine left for the Frozen Land to rescue Tiels.
Meanwhile, Carol Demirant has been diligently searching the entire continent with the information of the Demirant Guild to save Thiels.
The 36kg of Tiels that had been stored in the Iels family were transferred to the townhouse in the capital of Argenthoz, and when combined with the 19kg of Thielw that Carol had obtained by threatening the heirloom of a noble family of a certain kingdom, the total was 55kg.
It was a huge amount, but it was still woefully inadequate to save Yvonne.
The healing wizard Monet Ergel was horrified by Yvonne's rapidly dwindling vitality and confided in Duke Argenthoz and Barden.
"Honestly, it's a miracle that she's still alive, the Princess. She has considerable mental strength."
“This can’t be happening.”
“Yvonne...”
To those who were frustrated, Monet Ergel bitterly told them that time was running out and that they should prepare themselves mentally.
And on the morning of the day after the full moon had passed.
“Our Princess... what should we do?”
Eudela muttered sadly as she cleaned Yvonne's fingernails.
“The Duke is also pitiful. Why are such good-looking men and women being subjected to such trials...?”
Starting with Eudela, who eventually burst into tears, Pembe also started crying, and even Liana started crying.
“I can’t send them like this... sigh.”
“Duke Iels hasn’t returned yet. Let’s wait a little longer.”
Carol, the only one who didn't cry, cheered them up.
"I believe him. He's so persistent. I believe he cares more about Princess than I do."
“That’s true, but...”
As soon as Liana finished speaking, the door flew open.
It was the Duke of Argenthoz.
“Your Excellency?”
“Gasp, ugh. Ugh, uh-uh-uh-uh!”
A patient who shouldn't have run.
No, has the Duke of Argenthoz, a wizard, ever run around in the first place?
“Your Excellency! You mustn’t overdo it!”
When Liana was startled and ran to him to help him up, Duke Argenthoz shouted loudly, sweat beading on his forehead.
“The Duke, gasp, gasp! Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!”
Although he couldn't keep the promised date, Duke Rudnine Iels finally appeared at the Argenthoz mansion.
He returned silently, carrying on his back the 180kg Thiels that he had rescued to save his lover.
But those who saw him were terrified.
The noble Duke's clothes were torn to pieces and covered in bloodstains.
“Where is Yvonne?”
With a hoarse voice, Rudnine looked for Yvonne first.
“Your Excellency. Why don’t you rest for a while... or rather, change your clothes first.”
Barden tried to stop him from going straight up to Yvonne's room, but Rudnine shook his head.
"How prepared are the rest of the Thiels? I want to start treatment quickly."
"Ah..."
Barden was moved by his sincerity and enthusiasm and swallowed back tears.
“I think that’s enough.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Only then did Rudnaine smile faintly.
The tea, which contained 200kg of Thiels, a mixture of the lover's life, a huge amount of money, and everyone's efforts, slowly flowed into Yvonne's mouth.
Carefully and very slowly.
Yvonne drank that much tea without spilling a single drop, even though she was unconscious.
A suffocating silence flowed.
After a while.
The pure white fingers placed on the blanket twitched first.
Soon, her eyelids opened, and they began to see Yvonne's clear, amethyst eyes.
The moment when eyes that seemed like they would be closed forever opened, no one could say anything in disbelief.
She opened her mouth first and called out to him affectionately.
“Rudd.”
As soon as Yvonne opened her eyes, she saw a wounded man in her field of vision and burst into tears.
She reached out to him.
Only then did Rudnine blink.
Yvonne is alive. She's alive. Everything is okay now...
The extreme pain, loneliness, and fear he had experienced at the Frozen Land melted away in an instant.
Rudnine forgot his pain and smiled brightly, hugging Yvonne tightly.
"Thank you, thank you. Thank you for waking up, Yvonne Argenthoz. Thank you so, so much. Thank you for being alive. Thank you so, so much."
Warm sunlight fell like rain on the lovers who were embracing each other and shedding tears.
The two beautiful people were so dazzling that those who were watching were so happy that they cried for a long time.
***
I miraculously survived.
But this time, my lover, Duke Rudnine Iels, has fallen...
The Sword Master—that is, the one who had reached the peak of his physical strength—had not been able to get out of bed for a week.
He went all the way to Frozen Land to get Thiel's magic stone because of me.
I asked what on earth had happened to make him so badly injured, but Rudnine refused to answer, saying it was not important at all.
“Haa... I feel so sorry for that person.”
I cleaned off six plates of steak for breakfast today, and muttered as I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
Eudela put her hands on both of my waists and spoke to me.
"But, Princess! The Duke, who had been by your side the entire time you were unconscious, was in even more pain. He said that your treatment was complete and that you should just recuperate. Don't worry too much."
“Still...”
“He contacted me through the magic communication device this morning, too. His voice was pleasant, wasn’t it?”
"Yes."
“Okay then.”
Eudela, smiling brightly, cleaned up my plate.
'I miss you, Rudd.'
Rudnine's voice has improved a lot since then.
However, when I asked the healing magician Monet Ergel from the Mare Kingdom, who was staying at the Iels Mansion, he said that I absolutely must not move yet.
Rudnine kept insisting on seeing me, and he was in trouble, so I asked him to stop.
"Hmm. Still, I want to see him too. If Rudd can't move, should I go?"
I scratched my head, walked to the study, and sat down at my desk. Pembe followed me, jumped onto my lap, and started nagging me.
"Eudela's right. The real Duke was going to die anyway if you died. So stop being sorry and just treat him well."
“Follow me to my death! That’s crazy.”
"Didn't you know the Duke was crazy about you long ago? Now I know for sure, seeing as he risked his life to go there and retrieve the Thiels' Magic Stone."
I smiled as I watched Pembe grumble.
I knew very well how much Pembe had done for me.
Even while my consciousness was immersed in the dark abyss, I continued to feel the immense healing magic that Pembe was pouring out on me.
The problem was that everything flowed out like a leaky poison.
I narrowed my eyes at Pembe.
“But Pembe. Are you really going to stay here?”
"Yes."
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