Ilyin looked up to the full moon which was still as bright as it was in her dream.

“Isn’t there a loss to the Merchant to visit the nobles without an appointment?”

“You don’t have to worry about Acid,” Aden comforted her.

It was like he expected. Ilyin was someone who always thought of others even if something bad happened to befall her.

You can be a little more, no, way worse and selfish and that still wouldn’t be bad.

“You promised me in the early day,” Aden whispered into her ear, “you have winter’s everything, as long as you are in Biflten forever.”

Don’t feel bad for using what’s given to you. He thought as helped Ilyin get on a horse.magic

“Right now, just worry about yourself,” Aden looked back at her after getting on the horse himself.

“Thank you.”

Always, really. Ilyin held onto his hand that was holding the reign.

Thanks to the blue cloth the morning air wasn’t cold despite the horse’s fast movement. In fact, Ilyin even felt a growing warmth which she knew was due to the nerves and fear.

She leaned against Aden on the horse. His arm felt so dependable even though that was the only thing she had to hold on to. Ilyin closed her eyes and leaned against him. When she opened her eyes the sky and Aden’s shoulders and jawline filled her sight. Even though he was riding the horse, every time Ilyin opened her eyes, he turned back to smile at her to calm her down.

It was only a moment to Arlen mansion. Aden rode past the summer’s border he saw earlier in the day, and quickly approached the mansion.

Ilyin remembered again the time she rode away from the mansion in the symbol-less blue Nos carriage. She didn’t expect that she would come back.

Ilyin clenched Aden’s hand despite herself. Aden kissed the top of Ilyin’s head. It was the softest consolation.

“Will it be okay, Aden?” Ilyin asked again.

“Of course,” Aden nodded. He continued after a small pause, “Whatever you are afraid of, it is okay.”

“If I go to see my mother, they will know the relationship between the Acid Merchant and I.”

That couldn’t be avoided. It also meant that Aden’s face would be revealed which in turn might have an impact on Biflten. If that happened, if Ilyin’s father found out that she was married to Aden, the Duke of Biflten, he would definitely try to exploit it to his favor.

“Stop right there!”

The soldiers called to halt aggressively. They could turn back if they wanted. Ilyin tightened her grip around Aden’s hand. Since she was wearing the blue cloth, they couldn’t have seen her face.

If they turned around right now, if she chose to believe that the foresight was just a bad dream, she would still be El of Acid Merchant, and there would be no problem caused to the Merchant and Biflten.

“Winter isn’t that weak,” Aden softly caressed Ilyin’s head as if reading her mind. From the top of her head, his warmth covered her. “Don’t worry and do as you wish.”

The soldiers approached. They would still be able to see her face. She had to decide.

Ilyin, who had her head down, lightly kissed Aden’s cheek. It was an impulsive gift, enough to clear Aden’s mind momentarily.

Ilyin got off the horse on her own. The blue cloth that Aden had carefully put on her covered her face right up until below her eyes.

She approached the soldiers. Behind them, she could see a knight look down at her. Ilyin slowly raised her hand to the top of her head. She grabbed the veil covering her and without hesitation removed it.

Her beautiful silver hair shone in the moonlight. The knight and the soldiers’ mouths widened in surprise.

“Let us through,” she ordered firmly after revealing her face.

***

The Arlen mansion bustled, news that Ilyin de Arlen who disappeared had returned spread quickly like wildfire.

To the world, she was seen as an immature noble youngling, who was raised with all the love and care in the world but left against her father’s wishes to find love in the north. The rumors began from the mansion and the choice of rumor that was going to be spread was completely up to Viscount Arlen.

“I’ve chosen my place of marriage.”

“Where?”

“The north.”

The Viscount tried hard to find out which family she married into. The daughter who left without a word had really disappeared without a trace.

Arlen mansion originally didn’t have much communication with the north. To be precise, they didn’t have a reason to be friends. If anything, if they had communicated more, the Viscount would know who it was that Ilyin had wed.

Not knowing which family in the north she married into, Viscount Arlen had to keep steering away from questions related to Ilyin’s whereabouts whenever guests visited the mansion.

He was worried about who it was that she married.

There weren’t many well-known families from the north. There was only one family that was widely known and that was the family of the Duke of Biflten and unless they were crazy, they would never accept a mere youngling of Viscount into their family.

Biflten was in the winter region so if she really happened to go there, it would be faster to forget about his stupid daughter. For Ilyin who was raised in Arlen — which was as hot as the south around the capital — Biflten was too cold of a place for her to survive. Also, wasn’t Biflten a land of monsters?

There’s no way. Viscount Arlen dismissed even the thought of it possibly being the Duke of Biflten and was slowly looking into other families of the north.

To begin a deal with Acid Merchant, which was in charge of the north, was an absolute turning point.