A taut silence stretched between the two men.
Snow swirled violently through the courtyard of the Grand Duke’s castle.
On top of me was Kairic—a gigantic, muscular man who happened to be completely naked.
Above him stood Damian, his own coat thrown over us as he radiated enough killing intent to freeze the air.
And in the middle of this absurd sandwich situation, only one thought crossed my mind.
...It’s warm.
There were two human furnaces pressed against me, and Damian’s coat carried that cool herbal scent that always seemed to follow him.
The northern wind might as well not have existed.
“Get off her.”
Damian practically spat the words out.
His hand was clamped around Kairic’s neck hard enough to look capable of crushing bone.
The calm, disciplined commander of the Holy Knights had vanished completely.
What stood there now looked more like a territorial predator whose territory had just been invaded.
Unfortunately, Kairic was hardly intimidated.
He swatted Damian’s hand away as though brushing off an annoying fly.
“Quiet.”
His lip curled.
“You stink.”
Even while speaking, Kairic’s crimson eyes never left me.
There was something utterly wild about them.
Untamed.
Primitive.
Yet hidden beneath that wildness was a strange fixation.
A curiosity that bordered on obsession.
“Warm.”
He tightened his arms around my waist.
“Mine.”
Then he rubbed his face against my chest.
Like a giant dog that had finally found its owner.
No.
Not a dog.
More like a wolf that had stumbled upon its favorite prey.
“Ha...”
A vein bulged on Damian’s forehead.
“This insane beast.”
His hand moved toward the dagger hidden beneath his coat.
“Wait. Time out.”
I thrust my arm out from under the coat.
Then—
SMACK!
I slapped both men squarely in the chest.
“Gah!”
“Urgh!”
The two men stumbled apart simultaneously.
Using the opportunity, I climbed to my feet.
Brushing snow from my tangled hair, I looked from one to the other.
“Everyone calm down.”
Pulling my mink coat closed, I sighed.
“What is this, a dog-fighting arena?”
I pointed at Damian.
“Sir, put the knife away.”
“You can’t stab a patient who just finished treatment.”
“But he was holding you—!”
“I’m not dead.”
I grinned.
“In fact, I was perfectly warm.”
Then I shifted my gaze toward the ruler of the North.
Kairic sat in the snow without the slightest trace of embarrassment.
His eyes remained fixed entirely on me.
Snowflakes landed on the hard planes of his muscles and melted instantly.
Wet black hair.
Crimson eyes.
A body carved by battle and wilderness.
Honestly...
It wasn’t a bad sight.
“And Your Grace.”
The moment I addressed him, it almost looked as though his ears perked up.
Human ears, admittedly.
But still.
“You should probably put some clothes on.”
I gestured around us.
Knights and servants throughout the courtyard stood frozen in shock.
Their lord rolling around naked in the snow was apparently not part of the daily schedule.
“...Clothes?”
Kairic finally looked down at himself.
Then blinked.
Yet instead of embarrassment, he merely looked back at me.
“You put them on me.”
“...Excuse me?”
“Your hands were warm.”
His expression remained perfectly serious.
“You do it.”
Wow.
The audacity.
Had the curse melted his brain along with everything else?
Damian finally lost what little patience he had left.
“You insolent—!”
He stepped forward.
“Lady Violetta is an Imperial Envoy!”
“Show proper respect immediately!”
Picking up his discarded coat, Damian threw it at Kairic.
Kairic caught it.
Sniffed it.
Then immediately frowned.
“Disgusting.”
He tossed it back onto the snow.
“Take it away.”
“You—!”
The atmosphere instantly became explosive.
I sighed.
Again.
Then picked up Damian’s coat, shook off the snow, and draped it over Kairic’s shoulders.
“Wear it.”
My smile remained pleasant.
“Otherwise...”
With a metallic shhk, I extended my collapsible baton.
Silver segments snapped into place.
Blue holy flames flickered menacingly at the tip.
“I might put you back to sleep.”
I tilted my head.
“Forever.”
Kairic’s gaze shifted to the baton.
Then his eyes sparkled.
Not with fear.
With interest.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
He obediently accepted the coat.
“...I like that.”
His voice dropped lower.
“You’re fierce.”
Then he nodded firmly.
“You pass.”
“Pass what?”
“My standards.”
His grin widened.
“As my bride.”
“...What?”
“What did you just say?”
Damian and I spoke at exactly the same time.
Kairic simply grinned.
Then rose to his feet.
With the coat hanging loosely around his shoulders, he looked like a wolf wearing human skin.
“Come.”
He turned toward the castle.
“I’ll feed you.”
And with that, he casually walked away.
Wearing nothing but a coat.
The confidence was honestly impressive.
I stared after him.
Then turned toward Damian.
The holy knight had gone completely pale.
Apparently he was still stuck on the word bride.
“Sir?”
I waved a hand in front of his face.
“Come back to reality.”
“Bride...”
His eye twitched.
“That beast...”
“How dare he...”
“Oh, relax.”
I grabbed his arm.
“He’s probably just talking nonsense.”
“Dogs usually get attached to whoever feeds them.”
Then I started dragging him toward the castle.
“Come on.”
“He said there’s food.”
I grinned.
“Even sightseeing is better on a full stomach.”
“And wolf-watching is no exception.”
The long dining table was overflowing with northern delicacies.
Thick steaks.
Steaming stew.
Rich wine.
Everything the North had to offer.
And yet the atmosphere was more hostile than a funeral.
At the head of the table sat Kairic.
Thankfully clothed this time.
Mostly.
The top buttons of his black shirt were left casually undone.
Across from him sat Damian.
Who looked one second away from declaring war over table manners.
And between them sat me.
“Mm!”
I cut into my steak enthusiastically.
“Delicious!”
Fork in one hand.
Knife in the other.
After overusing holy power, I was starving.
And after fighting off cannibal monsters on a train, I’d earned every calorie.
Everyone else could glare all they wanted.
My stomach came first.
“You eat well.”
Kairic rested his chin on one hand as he watched me.
Then snapped his fingers.
“More.”
Immediately, servants rushed over and refilled my plate.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
I smiled brightly.
“Northern hospitality is wonderful.”
“Don’t call me that.”
Kairic swirled his wine.
“Call me Kairic.”
His gaze lingered on me.
“You saved my life.”
“Then I’ll call you Kairic.”
I had no reason to object.
After all, I was an Imperial Envoy and Special Inspector.
There was no need to be intimidated.
“Good.”
His lips curved.
“Violetta.”
The way he said my name sounded strangely intimate.
Then—
CLANG.
A sharp metallic sound echoed through the hall.
Damian had just set down his fork with considerably more force than necessary.
“The small talk is becoming excessive.”
His icy gaze fixed itself on Kairic.
“Let’s discuss the important matter.”
The atmosphere immediately cooled.
“That collar.”
Damian folded his hands.
“Who put it on you?”
Kairic’s expression darkened.
Without realizing it, he rubbed his neck.
The red marks left behind by the cursed collar were still visible.
“...I don’t remember.”
“You don’t remember?”
Damian frowned.
“You surely didn’t put it on yourself.”
“I woke up wearing it.”
Kairic’s voice was quiet.
“After that...”
His eyes narrowed.
“Everything is blank.”
“When I opened my eyes again...”
He pointed at me.
“You were on top of me.”
A faint smile appeared.
Damian’s eyebrow twitched dangerously.
“Stop joking.”
“Are you claiming someone infiltrated the Grand Duke’s Castle?”
Kairic laughed bitterly.
“The North is full of holes right now.”
He drained his wine in a single swallow.
“Rifts are opening.”
“Monsters keep pouring out.”
“My knights die every day.”
His expression hardened.
“Someone inside opened the gates.”
An insider.
A traitor.
Someone working with Archbishop Cassius.
Someone inside this castle.
“Where are these rifts?”
I asked.
Kairic pointed toward the northern horizon beyond the windows.
Past the endless snow-covered mountains.
A crimson-black aurora twisted across the sky.
As though heaven itself had been torn apart.
“There.”
His voice lowered.
“The Valley of Screams.”
My spiritual sight activated instantly.
And I saw what nobody else could.
Tens of thousands of evil spirits pouring through the aurora.
An endless tide of darkness.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
At the center of the rift—
Coiled deep within the crimson light—
Was something enormous.
Something so vast that my mind struggled to comprehend its size.
A monstrous presence.
Ancient.
Terrifying.
Waiting.
Watching.
And slowly...
It was beginning to wake up.
