Did I see that wrong?
No, there was no way I could mistake such dazzling beauty.
Standing under the warm spring sunlight, Edwin shone brilliantly.
“Senior.”
Edwin, who had been waiting in front of the mansion, strode toward her.
Without hesitation, he picked up Dana’s luggage.
“…Did you come to pick me up?”
Was he worried my bags might be too heavy?
Before Dana could say anything, Edwin spoke.
“I wanted to go to work with you, Senior.”
“….….”
“Sorry for showing up so suddenly.”
He smiled slightly, making it clear that this was entirely his decision.
He had said it in advance, just in case Dana felt bad about it.
Understanding his intention, Dana smiled.
“Thanks for carrying it.”
“………”
Seeing her smile, Edwin’s eyes wavered.
He quickly turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.
The tips of his ears seemed to redden.
Edwin had never experienced embarrassment before.
But whenever he was with Dana, unfamiliar emotions kept surfacing.
As Edwin took a moment to collect himself, Dana began explaining their business trip.
“At least the Imperial Palace will open a gate for us. That means we won’t have to spend days on a train.”
“…I see.”
“We’re not going to be dealing with monsters, so there’s nothing to be scared of.”
Edwin looked down at her with an unreadable expression.
“You mentioned you’ve been to the North before, right, Senior?”
“Yeah, I worked there for a year.”
“What did you think of the Rune Knights?”
Edwin suddenly grew curious.
What did Dana think of the knight order he had once led?
Would she be shocked, like Toni, and call them lunatics?
Or would she, in her usual calm manner, just take it in stride?
Edwin waited for her to speak.
Soon, her clear voice rang out.
“I don’t know.”
Edwin momentarily lost his words at the unexpected response.
Dana continued.
“I never really had a chance to see the Rune Knights directly. I spent most of my time wrapping bandages and disinfecting wounds for critical patients.”
“So, you only met people when they were badly injured?”
“In a way, yes.”
Dana’s answers always strayed from his expectations.
Edwin’s eyes gleamed with intrigue.
By then, they had arrived at the Ministry of Magic.
There, they were given external-use uniforms—robes worn for volunteer work and special events.
Edwin, looking oddly amused, asked,
“Are we the only ones wearing these?”
“Yes.”
Why is he smiling? Dana glanced at him, puzzled.
Beneath each ministry in the Empire, a teleportation gate was installed. The Ministry of Magic was no exception.
As they descended underground, they were greeted by Derek, the Minister of Magic.
Aside from the Imperial Family, only the Minister had the authority to activate the Ministry’s gate.
“You’re from the Potion Management Division, I see. I hope you have a safe trip.”
He then reactivated the gate, mentioning that the palace officials had already crossed over to the North.
Dana bowed politely to Derek before stepping into the gate.
Just then, Derek stopped Edwin.
“It’s been a while, newbie from the Potion Management Division.”
What the hell?
Edwin responded with a mask-like smile as he looked at Derek.
Dana tilted her head, sensing a strange familiarity between the two.
Derek, an old friend of Edwin’s, immediately recognized his true emotions.
Behind that smile lay a clear sense of irritation.
Derek smirked, refusing to back down.
“How’s work these days? I was curious to see how you were doing.”
Then, he gestured toward Dana with a knowing glance.
It was obvious he was eager to hear about his friend’s love life.
Edwin, still smiling, replied nonchalantly,
“As I was walking in, I noticed how dark it was down here. I could brighten it up if you’d like.”
It was a warning—if Derek didn’t drop the subject, Edwin just might set the place on fire.
Ah, so that was a “get lost” in Edwin’s language.
Derek nodded in understanding and quickly disappeared.
He knew better than to test Edwin’s threats.
Watching their cryptic exchange and Derek’s sudden retreat, Dana looked at Edwin with suspicion.
“You and the Minister… are you close?”
“Of course not.”
Edwin responded with an utterly innocent expression.
“That guy is really strange.”
“You’re right.”
“We’ve been delayed quite a bit. Shall we go?”
Edwin wrapped an arm around Dana’s shoulders and led her into the gate.
***
Soon, they arrived at the northern gate.
As expected, the air was much cooler than in the capital.
Edwin asked in a worried tone,
“Are you cold?”
“I’m fine. The uniform is thick enough.”
“Still, if you do get cold, let me know.”
“And what would you do? Start a fire or something?”
Dana joked, making Edwin smile wordlessly.
He scanned their surroundings.
Several wooden cabins stood nearby, likely serving as lodging.
After confirming they were made of wood, Edwin nodded.
‘Plenty of firewood.’
Unaware of his unsettling thoughts, the palace officials began emerging from the cabins one by one.
Dana recognized a few familiar faces—volunteers she had met on previous missions.
They carefully made their way over.
“You must be from the Potion Management Division?”
“Yes, we’ll be in your care.”
“We arrived earlier and have been resting. The Rune Knights are currently having breakfast.”
“What time should we join them?”
“In about two hours. We’ll meet at the training grounds over there.”
The palace official pointed to a rather large building in the distance.
Dana offered a polite, professional smile and headed toward their lodging.
Edwin followed, carrying her bags.
“Edwin, have you had breakfast?”
“No. What about you, Senior?”
“I don’t usually eat in the morning.”
“You don’t have an appetite?”
“Not really. I’m just busy.”
Edwin suddenly stopped in his tracks.
With an incredulous look, he asked,
“What about dinner?”
“….….”
Instead of answering, Dana let out an awkward laugh.
One meal a day?
Before Edwin arrived, she had been getting by on low-quality sandwiches for lunch.
Overworked, malnourished…
At this rate, she could collapse at any moment.
This won’t do.
Ensuring Dana ate properly became his top priority.
Their lodging was on the top floor.
The attic had been converted into rooms, making the space quite cramped.
As a result, there were only two rooms available.
“Looks like it’s just the two of us up here.”
“Yeah. If you get bored, feel free to drop by.”
Edwin smiled playfully.
Seeing that, Dana let out a small chuckle.
After carrying her luggage to the center of her room, he stepped outside.
“I’ll see you in two hours.”
“Alright. You should get some rest too, Edwin.”
Edwin gave a light smile and closed her door.
Then, without hesitation, he swung open his own door, tossed his bag inside, and headed downstairs.
His stride was steady, filled with purpose.
This base was far too familiar to him.
Even the snow piled up to his ankles didn’t slow him down.
Before long, he reached the perimeter guards.
The knights on duty widened their eyes in shock.
“Commander?!”
“Open the door. And follow me.”
There was something different about him.
Half excited, half nervous, the knights hurried to obey.
The place Edwin headed to was unexpected.
BANG!
He kicked open the dining hall doors.
Inside, knights had been stacking bread into towers, but all eyes immediately turned toward the source of the noise.
“Commander!”
“It’s been a while—”
Before they could finish, Edwin flashed them a bright, dazzling smile.
“Shall we play a game?”
The moment the word game was spoken, the knights’ faces turned pale.
In the Rune Knights, game was not a word to be used lightly.
As their Commander and the empire’s third prince, Edwin had never once reprimanded his subordinates.
Even when senior knights needlessly bullied rookies with cruel initiation rites, he had abolished those traditions without hesitation, calling them pointless.
Instead, he had occasionally suggested games.
Everyone would have a fair chance, and the loser would face a penalty.
At first, the Rune Knights had eagerly welcomed his challenges.
After all, they were a group that thrived on excitement.
But after experiencing a few of Edwin’s games…
They had learned the true meaning of fear.
