* * *

“It’s been a while since I last came here.”

“Right. Not since we were fifteen.”

Standing in front of the ice cave, Carlisle and Jerome dismounted.

Jerome, hands behind his back, scanned the cave’s surroundings, a laugh escaping him as old memories surfaced.

“Remember how the Grand Duke trapped us in this cave for a month? We almost died. Starving, with monsters everywhere. I wanted to escape, but you kept insisting we stay.”

“……”

“Even back then, you were such a stubborn kid.”

“At least I didn’t pretend to be sick to escape like you.”

Carlisle snapped irritably.

While Carlisle had survived by gnawing on goblin hearts, Jerome had been carried out, feigning illness.

Some things never changed—Jerome was still infuriating.

Jerome narrowed his eyes at Carlisle’s response.

“I’ve told you for years, it wasn’t an act. I was genuinely hurt. I took that goblin king’s hit for you.”

“Then you turned around and allied with him to attack me. I never knew you spoke Goblin so well. What did you even say to make that fearsome goblin king side with you?”

“It was a goblin queen, actually. And what a girl wants to hear is obvious. Anyway, be quiet now. I need to find the entrance.”

Jerome stopped before a wall inscribed with strange symbols, tracing them with his palm.

As he did, the hidden entrance to the ice cave slowly revealed itself.

Carlisle, peering into the dark interior, spoke with a detached voice.

“You do realize that if we’re caught, we’re both dead?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I almost got executed.”

Jerome nonchalantly waved his hand and stepped inside.

Carlisle followed, sighing.

The ice core, imprisoned within the walls, roared furiously at the intruders.

As they walked through the darkness, Jerome nodded toward a distant, faint light.

“We’re here.”

Past the narrow passage, they entered a space as large as a training ground—a place where the young Jerome and Carlisle had often sparred.

Jerome stretched his shoulders, speaking as he did.

“Oh, and this time, let’s not follow Carmen’s rules.”

Carlisle nodded without protest.

Carmen’s rules, five guidelines set by the Grand Duke to discipline them, were often disregarded except for the final one: no matter what, they were never to become so consumed by their duel that they actually killed each other.

‘So he’s seriously thinking of killing me this time.’

Carlisle let out a scoffing laugh, as if Jerome was laughably beneath him.

After all, there was no way someone like Jerome, who had been imprisoned in an underground dungeon for years, could kill him.

Unlike Jerome, who had wasted away in confinement, Carlisle had maintained his combat skills by hunting monsters over the years.

Things would have been different if Jerome could fully wield Mephisto’s power, but with the holy magic seals suppressing that force all over Jerome’s body, he was clearly no match for Carlisle.

Hoisting his greatsword onto his shoulder, Carlisle issued a mocking challenge.

“Any last words you’d like to leave behind?”

“…”

“Don’t worry. Even if you die, I’ll take good care of Jeanne and the kid…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jerome charged at him. Carlisle ducked, and with a loud clang, their swords clashed.

The impact kicked up a circular cloud of dust at their feet, and both swords trembled from the force of the collision.

Deflecting Jerome’s blade to the side, Carlisle took a step back.

‘Strange. His strength isn’t bad at all. Actually, his aura control and sword movements are even better than before. But something feels… restrained.’

Even after being locked away underground for so long, Jerome’s fighting instincts hadn’t dulled.

True to form, he was still a monster.

When Jerome slashed his sword through the air, stalactites from the cave ceiling plummeted toward Carlisle.

Carlisle enveloped himself in aura to deflect the falling rocks, then adjusted his grip on his greatsword, holding it now with just one hand.

‘Shall I draw him out more? See what he’s truly capable of.’

To be honest, Jeanne was nothing more than a useful chess piece to Carlisle.

He was occasionally surprised by her unpredictable nature, but that was the extent of it.

The thought of being her true lover had never crossed his mind.

Though, admittedly, when he noticed the mark left on Jeanne’s neck, presumably by Jerome, Carlisle had felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.

‘Yes. It was just irritation, nothing more.’

He convinced himself that the annoyance stemmed from a predator’s instinct, a fear of losing his prey, not from any feelings of affection.

As he mused on, Carlisle raised his voice.

“This might not be the best time to mention this in the middle of a fight.”

“…”

“But Jeanne and I… we’ve decided to become lovers.”

Jerome stared silently at Carlisle before responding in a flat, dry tone.

“The Waverley Asylum isn’t too bad. The torture there is brutal, but at least they serve good meals.”

“Don’t treat me like a lunatic. If you’re that curious, go ask her yourself.”

“…”

“She blushed when I brought it up.”

Of course, Jeanne’s face had gone red from embarrassment, not affection, but the fact that it had flushed at all was undeniable.

Carlisle lied, keenly observing Jerome’s expression.

There was no visible reaction—clearly, his provocation hadn’t been enough.

Carlisle massaged the back of his neck and continued.

“You know how she is. She can’t even ignore a stray dog on the street. She must have pitied you because you’re so broken. Pity sometimes masquerades as love, you know.”

“…”

“But in the end, she chose me, not you. Jeanne is my lover, not your wife.”

Jerome’s usually composed face grew increasingly cold.

In the heavy silence, he sighed, running a hand through his sweat-damp hair.

Clicking his tongue, Jerome’s gaze turned fierce.

“Shut up and fight me, bastard.”

Jerome, who had been playful before, now unleashed a murderous aura, attacking with explosive force.

Carlisle parried the blows with a faint smile, murmuring under his breath.

“Now you’re showing your true colors.”

✽ ✽ ✽

Freya served me and Marchen each a warm glass of mulled wine when we arrived at the office.

It was a marvelous mulled wine, shattering my belief that they all tasted the same.

Perhaps it was the snowy northern landscape that made it even more delicious.

We chatted the afternoon away, unaware of the passing time, until I suddenly remembered Jerome and Carlisle.

When I asked the steward where they were, he gave me a surprising answer.

“I saw them borrowing horses from the stables earlier.”

“They borrowed horses?”

“Yes, they were heading toward the conifer forest behind the estate.”

I narrowed my eyes.

What business could those two have together in the middle of the night?

A sense of unease crept over me.

Freya smiled, noticing my expression.

“Come to think of it, when they were younger, they often trained together in the ice caves. Maybe they wanted to visit for old times’ sake, now that they’re back up north?”

“Training?”

“Yes, thanks to them, we were saved more than once. They were the ones who got rid of that goblin clan that had taken over the conifer forest.”

I hoped it was nothing more than a nostalgia trip, but my instincts told me otherwise: those two were probably fighting.

I shot to my feet, decision made.

“Lady Freya, could I borrow a horse too?”

Marchen’s mercenaries led the way as we rode urgently toward the ice caves.

The cold wind stung my face, and my anxiety grew.

One of the mercenaries called out as we approached.

“Here we are!”

Two horses stood side by side at the entrance of the ice cave.

The mercenaries gulped at the strange noises echoing from within.

As I approached the cave entrance, one of them, a young man with worry etched on his face, stepped in front of me.

“Lady, please allow us to go in first and find them.”

“No, stay here. Make sure no one from the estate gets close.”

The mercenaries exchanged glances, then nodded.

This precaution was to prevent anyone from getting caught up in a potential rampage.

Pulling up my hood, I stepped into the cave, fists clenched.

‘Why would they come to this dark, frigid cave? Don’t tell me…’

A wild, ridiculous thought crossed my mind.

‘Some kind of… secret rendezvous?’

Given my line of work, it was hard not to imagine bromantic scenarios.

It wouldn’t be all that surprising if those two lunatics were having a romantic tryst in this eerie setting.

The chill seeping out from the cave made me shiver.

‘But seriously, where are they?’

Boom!

The ground shook with a thunderous crash.

I ran toward the sound, following a narrow path that barely fit one person.

At last, I reached a cavernous space larger than most training grounds, where Jerome and Carlisle were clashing, covered in blood.

‘Of course. A pink rendezvous? As if. The North-South Summit would be more romantic than this!’

I sighed at the sight of the two, who clearly hadn’t remembered my plea for them not to fight.

If left unchecked, they’d probably keep at it until one of them died.

It was suicide to get between them, with their aura swirling menacingly, so I clutched my pocket watch and hurriedly summoned.

“O divine beast of Maya, Parak, answer your master’s call at once!”

A brilliant purple light burst from the watch, and Parak, the divine beast, emerged, splitting the ground as he rose.

The sight of the colossal creature made Jerome and Carlisle pause, weapons lowered.

Parak’s bearded form loomed as he slammed his sword into the ground, stopping both men’s attacks.

Clang!

With Parak’s intervention, the fight was finally interrupted.

I rushed down the slope as Jerome blew blood out of his nostril and Carlisle cracked his dislocated shoulder back into place.

They looked like battered boxers after a brutal round.

“Jerome! Carlisle!”

At my call, Carlisle turned to me.

Seizing the opportunity, Jerome lunged at him with a fierce expression.

Carlisle’s eyes widened in realization, but before Jerome’s blade could strike, I dashed forward and stepped between them.

“Stop it!”

Jerome’s sword, wreathed in cold, lethal energy, halted in midair.

* * *