This kingdom of snow seemed forever trapped under a gloom. When Li Yue woke in the early morning, the view outside her window was misty and a dull, greyish black. In the dim light, she could faintly see moving sources of light.
These were the workers heading to the mines early in the morning. Most of the engineers responsible for construction and design traveled by carriage.
Li Yue found herself missing the sky of Parvati. It was clean and clear, making one feel much more comfortable. At the very least, one’s mood wouldn't start the day in such a state of depression.
She changed her clothes. Her attire appeared far too thin to most of the local residents, but the reason Li Yue wore it was simple—it was easy to move in.
As she put on her hat and prepared to head out, the ring on her ring finger flashed slightly, and a bag of plant seeds appeared in her hand. Li Yue opened it to check. Although she didn't recognize what they were, they felt heavy; it seemed she had gathered everything Aestherin wanted.
She opened her bedroom door, debating whether to go for breakfast. She headed toward the same place they had eaten the night before, but when she arrived, someone was already there.
Lane seemed to have woken up even earlier than Li Yue. He was cooking something in a side room, while Aestherin sat in a chair sipping coffee. Except for little Melina, all three of them seemed to have risen exceptionally early.
Hearing the door open, Lane glanced out from the kitchen and gave a knowing smile. He wiped his hands and prepared to make another portion of breakfast. Outside, the whistle of a prison guard sounded, urging the prisoners to wake for their morning run.
Aestherin looked at Li Yue, feeling that same faint trace of fear she had felt the night before.
“This is for you.” Li Yue produced the bag of seeds and pushed it toward Aestherin.
“How is this possible...?” Aestherin was stunned for a moment. She opened the bag and looked at the fresh, emerald-green seeds. Every single one was full of vitality, protected by superb life-sustaining magic.
“A friend of mine sent them to me.” Li Yue extended her left hand to show the ring. Aestherin froze for a second, apparently not expecting this cold, lifeless young lady to have a lover of her own.
“The Cecilia flowers—can they be planted?”
“Yes. If I use my magic to accelerate their growth, they only need half a month to bloom.” Aestherin did a quick calculation; the result seemed to be exactly fifteen days.
“Um... thank you.” Aestherin wanted to shake hands, but feeling a bit awkward, she pulled her hand back.
“That lov—friend of yours must be from the Southern Continent.” Aestherin gently stroked the seeds. “Otherwise, these seeds wouldn't possess such vitality.”
“I suppose so. I contact her often.”
“These seeds are all top-quality and wild. Even in the lush Southern Continent, they would be very difficult to collect.” Aestherin smiled. “She must consider you a very important person to take your request so seriously.”
“Her? How could that be... she’s just a dummy,” Li Yue said. A faint flush appeared on her pale, sickly face. She touched her cheek, feeling a sense of warmth for the first time.
She simply turned her head away, leaving a surprised Aestherin in silence.
Can she actually feel shy? Looking at her like this, she seems quite human. Quite cute.
Lane enthusiastically served breakfast. It had been a long time since Li Yue had eaten three regular meals a day; this quiet, peaceful life actually made her feel somewhat unaccustomed.
“There’s an extra portion of bread,” Li Yue noted, looking at the food on the table.
“Remember that poor man from last time? Those people in the Outer Ring are all marginalized; maybe he knows something.” Lane rubbed his beard. “It’s fine if he doesn’t. It’s just a piece of bread.”
“You just want to give alms, don’t you?” Aestherin seemed to have something more to say.
“Isn't this all thanks to our eldest Miss Aestherin? Because of her, we can live here peacefully with food and shelter.” Lane quickly changed the subject, and the two of them began bickering again.
“Eldest miss?” Li Yue asked, confused.
“Ah, I’m the eldest daughter of the Ein family from the Inner Ring, but I don't like going back,” Aestherin said with a shrug. “It’s nice here. Quiet. Aside from the occasional family events I’m forced to attend and the pressure to get married, there isn't much else.”
“Green eyes are the symbol of our family, just as the great nobles of the Royal Court generally have white hair and red eyes.” She paused as she spoke, then looked at Li Yue.
“Ah... I have nothing to do with those people.” Li Yue looked away. Lane tactfully changed the subject, making a few jokes with Aestherin.
Li Yue felt that these two were quite similar. Both had magic they excelled in; one was focused on healing psychological problems, while the other only cared about her greenhouse and ignored the secular world.
I want to escape too. To find a place where no one knows me, take Clo with me, and live a stable life.
After the blood demon is dealt with, I’ll find a place to live quietly. I could buy a small manor and live a comfortable life off the wine and crops we produce.
Li Yue didn't dare think any further. The imagination was too beautiful—so happy that it made her afraid. Afraid of losing it.
She brushed the dust off her clothes and prepared to stand up. Lane stopped joking as well. He straightened his attire. Aestherin looked a bit bored; she had to handle some prisoner transfer paperwork today. Once she was done, it seemed only Melina would be there to keep her company.
The wind outside was still bone-chilling. Lane wrapped his clothes tightly around him, while Li Yue simply adjusted her hat. Both possessed excellent memories and followed the route they remembered toward the poor man’s residence.
The two of them knocked on the door, but there was no sound from inside. Lane frowned and sighed as he pushed the door open. The scene inside wasn't what they had imagined; it was completely empty, looking as if no one had lived there for some time.
“Is it because he froze to death and the body was moved?” Li Yue inspected the room's layout.
“Impossible. Very few people come to these places. People who die alone are often not discovered for half a year.” Lane looked at the surrounding dilapidated houses. Most of them lacked any sign of life. He went to push open the doors of several other houses, and all of them were empty.
“There are drag marks, and blood was spilled.” Li Yue took a sniff. “Only one person bled. It has the scent of blood from someone suffering from malnutrition.”
“Even a blood demon doesn't have such a keen sense of smell...” Lane was stunned. “You really might not be from the Royal Court.”
“It’s just that the magic is similar. Why would a great noble of the Royal Court come here?” Li Yue said dismissively.
Lane frowned but soon shook his head. For now, these matters were even more suspicious.
“The traces are gone. It happened about a day ago, and there’s no scent left in the air.” Li Yue shook her head. Lane stepped forward in confusion to investigate. He truly couldn't understand why anyone would want to kidnap vagrants whom no one cared about.
“They probably figured no one would care if they went missing, so they just did it.” Li Yue shrugged.
“Let’s make a note of it. What’s next? Going back?”
“Let’s scout out the factory we’re visiting tomorrow.” Li Yue didn't feel much emotion. Lane looked at the iron cross on the moldy nightstand, feeling a sharp pang in his heart.
“No matter how lowly they are, they still have the right to live.” Lane knelt on one knee, holding the silver cross as he slowly murmured something.
“Are you praying to God?” Li Yue stood to the side, indifferent.
Lane shook his head. Li Yue took a step forward and listened carefully.
“Free from memory and hope, free from what is felt and what is thought...
The dead is not a single dead, but a death forced upon them.
The dead is nowhere, the dead has nothing...
It is merely the world’s fall and absence, the selfishness and indifference of the world.
We have taken everything from it,
Leaving it not a single color, not a syllable, not a hint of warmth,
Here is the snow its eyes no longer watch,
There is the firelight its hope once peered at.
Even what we think
Is perhaps exactly what it thought;
Like thieves, we have already plundered
The tender light of the sun and moon.”
Lane slowly stood up. His expression was solemn as he wiped the dust from the iron cross. He shook his head.
“Perhaps I’m being a bit sentimental. I just feel some guilt over his death.” He gave a self-deprecating smile. Li Yue was stunned. For a moment, she seemed to see a trace of Roland in this man. She frowned, not understanding the emotion.
On the docks beyond the Outer Ring, the cargo workers stood numbly. This place held a bitter cold incomparable to the city interior, and a severe lack of resources. Here, life was a luxury, but death was a common sight. Groveling for survival was the norm; living one day at a time was the reality.
Li Yue stood in the wind, listening to the heartbeats carried by the sound of the gale. One, two... her expression was cold. She didn't understand Lane, yet for some reason, she thought of Roland.
Human life is like that of an ant. This thought coiled in her mind day after day. She denied it time and again, only for it to return repeatedly.
It interfered with her thoughts whenever she made a subconscious judgment. Without realizing it, she seemed to have accepted this statement, only to deny it again whenever she consciously thought of it.
Perhaps what she needed was a little bit of secular warmth. But in this freezing city, where ordinary and kind people suffered from the cold and went hungry, how could they possibly warm anyone else?
She thought of Diana’s family and forced the absurd thoughts from her mind. The cold wind blowing from the sea carried a hint of salt and brine. By the time she snapped out of it, Lane had already walked a short distance ahead and was waiting for her.
She reached into her pocket, wanting to ease the awkwardness of her distraction, only to feel something hard. She pulled it out and saw it was a fruit candy. She didn't know if Diana or Melina had slipped it in when she wasn't looking. She tore open the wrapper and popped it into her mouth, her sharp teeth crushing the candy to pieces.
The faint sweetness stimulated her taste buds, calming her restless heart that was gradually drifting off track. She waved at Lane and trotted to catch up.
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