Aden knew death, as he had killed often. He was now unaffected by it, despite having once thought that those he killed could speak and had willpower. He knew that he had to kill to survive though.

“Thankfully, she will live.” The doctor stood in front of Aden with evident tension. “I don’t know what stopped her breathing, but it was only for a moment. She is sleeping now.”action

Aden motioned him to go away. He looked ready to explode or behead someone with a glance if they dared disturb him now.

“She just needs to wake up.” Doctor Ves bowed his head, trying his utmost best to console his master.

Aden heard numerous people walking about as Ves opened the door to leave, but the sounds didn’t annoy him as he was focused on Ilyin’s well-being. The Delrose family had gone into emergency mode after Ilyin had fainted and the seventh floor was full of people bustling around.

Normally, only the least amount of people needed, would quietly walk these corridors on any given day, because the owner disliked noise, but now, speed was of the utmost importance and the need for tranquillity fell by the wayside.

Idith had managed to contact the Empire, even in the heavy snowstorm, and Milo had arrived speedily with medicinal herbs in his carriage, despite not planning to return for a year.

The maids who had attended to the previous Duchess had come to the seventh floor, one after another, as they had taken care of someone from the Empire before, and therefore, had the experience needed to care for Ilyin.

Wearing long-sleeved shirts and thick winter coats, due to the mansion being colder than ever before, they were vividly reminded of the fact that the Duke was the only person in Biflten who could influence the temperate, which made them fear him. They knew that he could make them freeze to death inside the mansion if he chose to, and they would’ve preferred to have been outside in the snow because it was warmer!

“Sir, it is Idith.”

Aden was in Ilyin’s bedroom, and Idith opened the door after knocking softly. He saw Milo through the crack of the door, who stood with an inexplicable expression as he’d faced a disaster upon entering the bride’s bedroom not long ago.

“Report,” Aden grunted.

The room was much warmer than the corridor, and Idith removed his thick winter coat as he spoke, “The records of the succession ceremony were stored in the Blue North estate, so it took some time to locate them.”

“And?”

Idith hesitated as he looked at Ilyin, “This is an unprecedented event. I have looked over the previous Duchesses who had been from the Empire, but there had been no strange responses like the one Ilyin experienced.”

While Idith reported, Milo handed the herbs to the maids and explained to them what the properties of each herb were and what they could be used for. No matter how much experience the maids had tending to someone from the Empire, they were winter locals at the end of the day, so he had to explain to them in depth.

Next to him, Ves busily examined the herbs too, as he was also a winter local, but he was better than no doctor at all.

“What about an Empire doctor?” Aden asked.

“I tried to bring one,”  Idith chose his words carefully, “but no one was willing. People may have suspected who I was, but it is nearly April here, sir.” This was the coldest month in Biflten, and no one from the Empire would willingly come during this Godforsaken season.

“You may all leave,” Aden instructed.

Lost in deep thought in the quiet room, Aden sat close to Ilyin and stroked her hair as gently as a butterfly’s flutter. Her breathing was even and she was in a deep sleep but he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she didn’t wake up.

Biflten had always been cold from as far back as Aden could remember and he’d assumed that he would live and die in this weather. He had never thought of summer before and had not understood why his mother wanted to go to a hot place. When he was young, she’d told him stories about how the sun was bright and warm, the wind cool, and how one had to squint to see the scenery at times.

Aden had thought that would be a nuisance and found the idea of wearing thin clothes very peculiar, therefore, he’d never yearned for the summer as she had.

However, his first taste of this unfamiliar warmth had been an unforgettably powerful experience. He’d thought that it was the scent of the sun, rather than the summer itself which had drawn him in, and as he gazed at Ilyin, who looked cold at first glance but had been warmer than anyone here, he was reminded of that magical experience. Aden thought Biflten would become unbearably cold if she was not here and he felt uneasy about the cold for the first time.

***

Ilyin didn’t have a clue as to how long she’d slept, as her dreams had seemed long and there had been many. At first, her dreams had shown beautiful landscapes of Biflten but had gradually distorted into nightmarish scenes at the Arlen Estate. Amongst them were past events she’d never experienced before and she’d desperately searched for the mobile for reassurance whenever she saw Viscount Arlen, but it had eluded her.

Darkness abounded as her brain slowly drifted out of her dream state, which dissipated quickly, and she began to feel fearful and disorientated because she wasn’t sure where she was. Ilyin then felt something against her back and realized that she was lying on a soft bed as she cautiously opened her eyes.

“Ilyin?”

She heard the voice in the dark and even forgot to close her eyes as she turned her head, “Aden?” He didn’t answer her, and she was growing anxious as she thought that this was another dream. “Aden, are you there?” She asked, beginning to panic.

“Yes, I am.” His answer finally came with a deep sigh, as if he sounded relieved.