Ilyin jumped back, and the blue cloth fell to the ground. What was that?  She tremored in fear. Out the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a black uniform, decorated with red tassels. The low and clear voice was like a beast, and she could see that he wore no protection on his face. He had indifferent blue eyes and a sharp chin. Their eyes met briefly, and Ilyin flinched but soon calmed down. She couldn’t help thinking of Aden de Biflten but quickly realized that the man in front of her was not he. The man stood still and his jet-black hair blew wildly about in the snowstorm.

“A woman?”action

The man was looking at the carriage when the monster who had been chasing Ilyin, ambushed her from the back. She felt the monster’s hot breath on her neck and the smell of it was revolting. The man drew his sword, and she closed her eyes as in terror as she stood perfectly still between the two. She could not help but think that this was the end. Then, she heard a scream next to her, and the man grabbed her away from the monster. He moved like she was an obstacle he needed to clear, and his large hand covered her face, but the hand was warm enough for her to open her eyes; she saw the monster fall to the snow-white ground, dead.

The man looked down as he stuck his sword into the ground, then narrowed his eyes and bent towards Ilyin. She felt the icy wind against her cheeks now, and it sent shivers down her spine.

“If you don’t want to freeze, hold on to this,” said the man as he draped the blue cloth over her head with a gloved hand, and she felt the warmth return to her as her world turned blue again, thankful that he’d picked it up for her.

“Your highness!”

Ilyin knew only one person here who could be called that, and she closed her eyes in anticipation of meeting the Duke of Biflten. The man standing next to her had vanished in a moment. The cold wind still howled as the fighting came to an end, and a knight who had seen Ilyin escape the carriage escorted her to the castle. She was covered with a blanket but she was freezing under it, only the blue cloth gave her warmth.

I did not thank him. She only remembered his crystal blue eyes; the man had already disappeared.

*

While the knights cleaning up was efficient, they paid little attention to Ilyin. They only took her back to the carriage.

“Wait here, please.”

They seemed to know who she was, yet she was left alone for a long time, but thought that this was far better than being met with hostility.

“Welcome!” said a man wearing a strange outfit. The old man covered himself with a wide cloth while wearing a formal outfit underneath it and Ilyin noticed that it was different from her blue one.

“How can you make her stand like this!” He yelled at a maid, and the blue tassels on his uniform shook along with his voice.

“Please, come this way.” The maid, who wore a red accessory in her black hair, spoke softly and then led Ilyin.

The old man had followed Ilyin to the room and bowed low, “You will rest here for a week.”

“What happens then?” she questioned.

“Has nothing been explained to you yet?”

The horseman hadn’t mentioned anything to her, and then she’d been ambushed by monsters on her arrival and no one else had said anything to her either. “I’ve been told nothing,” she replied. The old man mumbled something as he shook his head. She heard that he was cursing some people named the Delroses under his breath. Who were they? she wondered.

“I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Lidan of the Blue North.” He said in a friendly tone.

“Blue North?” Even though Ilyin could not use a sword, she could distinguish those who trained and those who did not. Lidan was not muscular and he did not have a sword.

“I heard that you had a mishap outside the castle. I will arrange for my people to explain to you all about Biflten.” Lidan, despite his friendliness, was cautious with his words, revealing little to her.