By the time Jiges reached Mida Village, several days had already blown past like dry leaves.

From a distance, he saw a few armored soldiers shuffling out of the village, faces swollen like pig heads, hands clapped to their cheeks. Curiosity pricked him, so he stepped off the carriage and asked, “What happened to you?”

“Lord Jiges...” The soldiers recognized the chief minister from the capital and pulled long faces. “Her Highness said if we can’t beat her, we don’t get to take the Eldest Princess of the Marl Kingdom back. We just got our beating.”

“You didn’t tell her it was the king’s order?” Jiges asked, voice cool as a winter stream.

“We did.” One soldier stared into the middle distance, doubting life itself. “Her Highness said His Majesty isn’t worth a fart. Then told us to roll back and tell him to stop harassing her in Mida Village. Or, if he keeps poking her, she might stroll into the capital one day and take the throne herself.”

“She really said that?”

Jiges looked toward the small house where Nana Toki lived, a strange light twitching in his eyes. He’d heard the tales—how the Hedon Kingdom’s princess had treated soldiers and common folk with gentle warmth before the ghost-wheat infection. Now she dared to spit out treason like sparks in dry grass.

What is her true nature?

“Lord Jiges, every word is true. If you don’t believe us, ask her yourself.” A soldier pointed at Nana Toki’s house, worry pooling in his gaze. “Just be careful, my lord. Her Highness is strong. Don’t get hurt.”

“Hmph. She’s just a banished princess. I don’t put her in my eyes.”

Jiges drew back his gaze with a cold snort. “You go back first. I’ll pay this arrogant princess a visit. Let’s see if she’s as fierce as you say.”

He was Chief Minister of Hedon—second only to the king, a lone pine standing above a forest of men.

With a flick of his sleeve, Jiges strode past the soldiers and entered Mida Village.

Bang, bang, bang.

He followed the path to Nana Toki’s door and rapped on the wooden panel.

Silence pooled like still water. Two, three minutes trickled by. No one answered.

Just as he guessed the resident must be out, a window creaked above. Jiges looked up on instinct—and before he saw a face, a sheet of water sluiced down from the opened window and baptized him into a shivering, soaked rooster.

Cold knifed from scalp to soles. Jiges almost yelped from the frost biting to the bone.

What in the world was that? How could it be this cold?

“Ah... my bad.” Nana Toki leaned half her body out, a basin in her hands, and shrank her neck like a cautious cat. “I didn’t see anyone below. You okay?”

It was well water Ling’er Long had hauled up, refined by the ice magic in Nana’s body. The temperature could gut most people like winter wind.

Jiges wiped his face with trembling fingers, eyes squeezed shut, about to speak—when a furious shout exploded from inside. “Bingtang! Did you sneak the well water I hauled up to practice magic again?!”

“Wh-what well water?”

“Don’t play dumb. What’s in your hands? Bring it here!”

“Huh? A basin.”

Startled by Ling’er Long suddenly rushing over, Nana’s hands jolted. The basin slipped, spun once, then landed square on Jiges’s skull with a resounding clang.

“Oh, nice ring to it. Must be a decent basin.”

System: “Is that really what you should care about right now?!”

Nana stood at the window, mouth half open in an awed turtle-face. The System was speechless.

This damned host has zero sympathy! You hit a guy, and your first concern is the basin?

“What mess are you making now?” Ling’er Long frowned at Jiges, who lay sprawled and unconscious in the cold water. Her gaze slid to Nana, equal parts tired and resigned.

“You scared me. If you hadn’t yelled, I might not have dropped it,” Nana said, shaking off blame like rain.

“I scared you? Because you stole the well water I hauled up to play magic?” Ling’er Long bristled, anger flaring like sparks. “If you want to practice, fetch your own!”

“There was so much left. Why be stingy?” Nana pouted. “I even purify it for you for free.”

“Can your ‘refined’ water even be drunk? I believed you and tried some days ago. I almost left this beautiful world from the stomach pain!” Ling’er Long’s protest came from the soul.

“...Anyway, not my fault. I didn’t see anything.” Nana slid her eyes away and swiveled the topic like a weather vane. “Wow, lovely weather. How about a good dinner tonight?”

“Hey! Don’t you dare change the topic!” Ling’er Long steamed.

“Ooh? I just remembered the flowers haven’t been watered. I’ll go get the sprayer.”

And so.

Neither Nana Toki nor Ling’er Long spared a glance for Jiges, who lay outside in a puddle of freezing water, dead to the world.

Only when the sun was about to sink, smearing the sky with ember-orange, did Jiges groan awake.

“Ugh—what in heaven’s name...” He rubbed his aching temples and pushed himself up. His head swam like a boat on chop. He blinked around for a while before his thoughts rowed back to shore.

He’d come to find the village’s princess. So why was he lying here?

A night wind slid by like a cold blade. Jiges, drenched and shivering, let out a huge sneeze.

Achoo! Why is it so cold?

He gripped his clothes and felt the sodden weight. Everything on him was drenched.

Doused like a stray dog. Then knocked out by a basin.

Shards of memory flashed across his mind.

Then a familiar sequence slotted back into place.

That woman...

Thinking of what Nana Toki had done that afternoon, a nameless fire flared in Jiges’s chest, hot as coals in winter.

This princess was lawless!

At this rate, what law remained?

He pushed up, anger dragging him like a storm, and stomped to Nana Toki’s door. His fist hammered the wood hard enough to thrum.

“Coming, coming—who is it? Who goes strolling instead of eating dinner? Got a screw loose?” Nana had just finished eating. She scratched her hair, a teacup in hand, and walked to the door with weary disdain.

Are idiots multiplying lately?

They used to only bug my mood. Now they’re messing with my life!

“Your Highness!” She had barely opened the door when she ran into a face full of thunder—Jiges, soaked and seething. “You’ve disappointed me greatly!”

Nana: “?”

What’s with this guy?

Who barges in at night speaking nonsense no living person can parse?

Standing behind the threshold, Nana eyed the dripping man. He did look familiar.

Right. The guy she knocked out with her basin this afternoon.

“Who are you?” she asked, frankly puzzled.

Why have I been running into so many weirdos?

“Who am I?” Jiges almost laughed from rage, incredulous that someone didn’t know a man of his standing. “I’m Jiges, Chief Minister of the Hedon Kingdom.”

“Chief Minister? What’re you here for—volunteer teaching?” Nana looked him up and down, fishing for intent and coming up empty.

“I’m here by the king’s order to take back the Eldest Princess of the Marl Kingdom!” Jiges glared hard enough to chip stone. “Your Highness, hand her over at once!”

“Ohhh—another one here to claim someone.” Nana drew out her tone, amused and bored. “Since you’re Hedon’s Chief Minister, you must know what happened to the last batch I sent packing.”

“I do. Those men failed and I’ve already dismissed them.” The veteran official lied as smoothly as silk. “I came in person. I trust Your Highness will give me some face.”

“Heh. Give you face? Why?” Nana smiled, snow-bright and sharp. “Do you deserve it?”

“By virtue of being Hedon’s Chief Minister, I do!” He lifted his chin, pride rigid as a spear. “The Marl princess’s safety could be the fuse that ignites war between our nations. If you refuse to hand her over and war breaks out, you’ll be a sinner through the ages of Hedon!”

“What a line—‘a sinner through the ages of Hedon.’” Nana’s laugh was cold as sleet. “Don’t wave country, reputation, and honor at me. I don’t buy it. Say Hedon fights Marl? Say Hedon gets wiped out? I still don’t care. Throne, money, power, the lives of your people—I don’t care about any of it.”

“You—”

“You what? Which one of us is the princess, you or me?”

She showed him a wicked grin. “The person I risked my neck to kidnap isn’t a chess piece for you fools. If anyone uses her, it’s me. Not you.”

“Princess Bingtang! Do you realize your words already violate Hedon’s law?” Jiges’s face went black, his voice dropping like thunder.

“Like I give a damn.”

Nana leaned on the doorframe, brought her face close, and let her voice frost over. “The only reason you’re still speaking is because I’m feeling merciful. If disposing of your corpse weren’t a hassle, I’d have cut you down already. Clear?”

From her teacup, a needle of ice rose like a winter fang and rested, keen and unforgiving, against Jiges’s throat.