Chapter 14

"Oh..."

The sobs continued as the bodies entered through the grand entrance of the demonic castle. And meanwhile, on the castle rooftops, smiling, the princess approached Ethan with excitement.

"I finally found you!"

Her enthusiasm became even more evident as her joyful words rang out.

However, Ethan didn't feel the same way; "Not now," he decreed. His gaze made the young princess's body tremble.

But why did it seem like this hadn't worked out the way Ethan had hoped? After the tremble, a small smile formed on her beautiful face. Her crimson eyes burning with excitement.

"...So beautiful!"

Her thoughts raced fervently in her mind, yet she restrained herself. Her smile faded, and with slow steps, continuously attempting to showcase the sensuality of her curvaceous body, she continued to approach Ethan.

There was no response, not even to her obvious sensuality. Ethan said nothing. This was the opening she needed to finally sit beside him.

"Those eyes..."

Her gaze, constantly wandering, scanning the entire landscape around them, always ended up directed at Ethan's face. She analyzed him every moment, his face, his hair, and especially his eyes.

"How can they be so beautiful?!"

The glow of the blue moon emerged from behind the castle, illuminating her back and contrasting with Ethan's purple eyes. And she recorded every detail of this moment in her mind.

Meanwhile, the red moon hanging in the sky emitted a glow that perfectly matched the excited eyes of the beautiful princess. However, Ethan didn't show the same interest. His eyes hadn't even considered turning towards her since she sat beside him.

As much as possible, the princess calmed herself. She turned and began to look at what Ethan was so intensely observing. His eyes didn't move, and he didn't even blink normally.

Part of her joy remained, but it was impossible to maintain the smile even internally. How could she be so focused on Ethan to the point of not noticing something so important?

The extensive rows of bodies, the endless cries that now reached her ears, and her subjects, all gathered for one purpose, to mourn for those who were lost and for those who were injured to protect them.

Meanwhile, acting so childishly, there she was, the princess of the kingdom, smiling while many of her soldiers and knights agonized in silence and others lost their lives.

As the morning breeze followed, tossing back the long gray hair of the princess, their noises and sobs echoing from the city were the only sounds on that rooftop.

Neither of them moved or said a word. As they watched that sad scene, a deafening silence remained between them until the sobs ceased.

With the closing of the castle gates and the end of the rows of bodies, Ethan stood up. And after one last look at the city, he walked towards the stairs. Followed by the princess shortly after.

***************

In the kitchen, seated around a table, Aiden and Riley looked at something of strange appearance. The cook claimed it was what Ethan desired, or the closest she could get to it. But those two couldn't believe in such doubtful words.

They glanced at each other; "I'm not going to be the first to eat this!" they both agreed in thought.

With a smooth and shiny surface, what appeared to be a dish made simply by having the ice from the Frozen Peaks brought by the three knights as the main ingredient was before them. Stored in an oval-shaped metal container, its bluish body bore small protruding cracks and exuded a penetrating cold capable of affecting the very table where it was placed.

"Are you sure this is right..?" questioned Aiden, tapping his small silver spoon on the strange bluish dish. "Hmm... In terms of consistency, it seems like you really nailed it. It's cold too, but... is this even edible?!"

After the brief touch, the spoon in his hand began to freeze slowly, causing Aiden to pull back.

"You guys are too picky eaters!" the cook exclaimed, clicking her tongue and turning her face in disapproval. "Where is he? Ethan was supposed to be here by now."

"Now? Probably..." Riley pondered.

A creak echoed, and the kitchen door swung open; "He should be on his way." Clovis affirmed, entering the room and sitting next to Riley.

"...What's this supposed to be?" he asked, looking at the container on the table.

"Seriously? You too?"

The cook turned and walked across the large kitchen, going to the drawer where the silverware was kept and returning with two small silver spoons in her hands.

"Thanks," Clovis said, taking both spoons and keeping one. "So, is this what you did with those ingredients? ...Is the Frozen Peaks ice in here too...?"

"And you're still asking?" Aiden said. "Isn't it obvious just by looking?"

The freezing progressed slowly, but it had just consumed half the space of the wooden table.

Clovis hesitated. Watching the ice creep steadily over the table, he didn't dare even approach his spoon to the container.

"This isn't right..." he said, averting his gaze. "We made this for Ethan. It's only fair he should be the first to try it..."

"That's fair..." Riley agreed.

"I agree," affirmed Aiden. "I wouldn't want someone else to eat something that was meant for me."

"You three..." the cook spoke, watching those three who couldn't even look her directly in the eyes. "You're shameful."

The wait lasted a few minutes. And until Ethan arrived at the scene, what was once half now totaled a whole. The ice had consumed the entire length of the wooden table, causing the knights to push their chairs back a bit.

"Are you sure you just mixed the ice into this..." Aiden hesitated, his eyes meeting the cook's, and he quickly changed his choice of words. "...with the other ingredients?"

"And know it wasn't easy," the cook said proudly. "It took almost the entire night just to mix them."

"The sugar and milk part was easy. The problem arose when I tried to mix the ice with the other two."

She sat in one of the chairs and proudly began to explain how she managed to complete that dish.

"No matter what I did, whenever I put the ice with the other ingredients, they would freeze immediately. Not even fire was of any use initially. I had to use magic to strengthen the fire and then managed to melt the ice and keep it melted long enough to mix them."

"Huh? But isn't the ice from the Frozen Peaks not that troublesome?" Clovis said, confused. "Normally, it melts a little after being taken from the Peaks area."

"We even flew here quickly because of it," Aiden said.

"And also because 'someone' didn't want to be seen, right?" Riley teased, smiling.

"I already told you to forget about that."

"You?" Clovis asked, giving a small smile. "But I didn't say anything."

"Of course. You were too busy tormenting that poor human."

"What are you talking about?" Clovis retorted, teasing Aiden and smiling unabashedly. "At least I didn't steal a cow from a poor farmer."

The argument continued. And the cook watched every scene while smiling discreetly, especially when looking at Clovis. His smiles cheered her up, and knowing that he had such close people made her very happy.

Her chest seemed to warm with every smile that appeared on his face, making her smile instinctively. But soon, a great sadness consumed her, causing her smile to fade or even disappear.

"I'm glad to know that you've been living so well..." she thought, as a great bitterness consumed her entirely.

Her happiness made her happy. But seeing him smile so naturally in front of her made her guilt intensify more and more.

First, seeing him smile naturally fills her chest with joy. And then, when her conscience takes hold of her being again, smiling seems so wrong and cruel. Her heart tightens, as if something is constantly squeezing it every time she shows even a single spark of happiness.

"Thank you, and please..., take care of him." she thought, looking at Aiden and Riley.

That wasn't fair. Feeling happy after simply abandoning him... she wasn't capable of doing something like that. Guilt doesn't allow her, and the pain of having to keep him away makes her eyes fill with tears.

Even though she was also participating in the discussion, Riley wasn't absorbed enough in it to detach himself from the world around him; "...Are you okay?" he asked, noticing tears welling up in the cook's eyes.

Aiden and Clovis's attention also turned to her, causing the discussion to naturally come to an end.

"What..?" she hadn't even noticed the tears streaming down her face. That only happened when the first drop gathered on her rounded chin and dripped onto the floor. "Oh, it's nothing, don't worry."

Her haste to wipe away the tears was as great as her haste to leave that place. Her steps were quick toward the door leading to the castle's other, larger and busier kitchen, and her words came out with a nasal tone; "I'll be right back. I still have to help make today's lunch. Eat in the meantime."

"Eat...?" the three of them questioned, looking at the frozen table. "Who would want to eat that?"

Echoing through the open door, footsteps approached that place slowly. Everyone immediately looked back. It was Ethan, they were absolutely sure. But he wasn't alone.

And there's only one person in this whole castle brave enough to follow him everywhere, even without being invited.

The knights glanced at each other; "The princess!" they affirmed mentally simultaneously.