Chapter 303: Return



It was deep into the night, the air crisp and biting as cold winds swept through the land.

Above, the stars dotted the vast expanse of the sky, their faint glow casting a serene, ethereal light over the world below.

A woman stood alone on a grand balcony, her silver hair shimmering under the starlight like strands of moonlit silk.

The chill in the air didn’t faze her; instead, it invigorated her.

As an ice mage, she found solace in the cold, often seeking moments like this to deepen her connection to its essence, especially during the seasons when winter was absent.

The winds caressed her skin, their icy touch a familiar comfort.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she breathed deeply, the frosty air filling her lungs.

Then, with a soft, measured sigh, she reopened them, her amethyst-colored eyes glimmering faintly under the night sky’s glow.

She turned away from the balcony, her graceful movements a blend of elegance and quiet power.

The glass doors leading back into her opulent room slid open slightly, and a shadowy figure emerged, its form wreathed in flickering tendrils of dark mana.

Bowing deeply, the figure’s presence seemed to heighten the coldness of the air around them.

“So, what news?” she asked, her voice calm yet laced with a quiet authority that demanded nothing but the truth.

The shadow shifted, shimmering with an otherworldly energy as the darkness dissipated, revealing the figure beneath.

A young woman in a maid’s uniform stood there, her head bowed in deference. Lumia, the loyal maid, exuded grace and poise, yet her voice trembled slightly when she spoke.

“…It’s-“

“The same as usual?” The woman interrupted, her tone sharper now, carrying a subtle edge that froze the air between them.

“Y-yes…” Lumia stammered, her unease growing as she glanced at the faint frost spreading from beneath her master’s feet, creeping across the ornate marble floor of the balcony. Princess Sophiel brushed a stray strand of her silver hair behind her ear, her delicate fingers grazing the smooth skin as she leaned slightly against the marble edge of her balcony.

Her right hand rested on her chin, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon as her mind worked through the troubling situation at hand.

Days had passed since Riley Hell had entered the Trials of Light, a path known for its grueling challenges and unpredictable dangers.

While Sophiel was no stranger to the trials’ reputation, this extended silence gnawed at her. The trials were perilous, yes, but rarely did they extend beyond a few days.

If one more day passed, Riley would have been within the trials for over a week- a fact that sent a ripple of unease through her otherwise composed demeanor.

“What about Elder Sister?” Sophiel asked, her voice cutting through the crisp night air as she shifted her gaze to Lumia, who stood obediently nearby.

The maid, Lumia, felt cold sweat trickle down her back, but she steadied herself, refusing to let her nerves betray her.

Summoning her resolve, she responded as evenly as she could, her voice carefully measured.

“Her Highness… Princess Snow has been acting as usual,” Lumia began, her words precise, though her tension was palpable. “She’s been patiently waiting at the entrance of the trials nearly every day. However, from what I’ve observed, she has resumed her usual duties at the castle during important moments. She’s… handling her responsibilities.”

“Is Father together with her?” Sophiel asked, her amethyst eyes narrowing slightly. “…Yes,”

“Tsk.”

Annoyed by the turn of events, Sophiel let out another frustrated sigh.

Snow’s unexpected return to the imperial castle had completely upended her plans.

While her sister had been away, Sophiel had been working tirelessly to consolidate her influence and take root within the palace’s inner workings.

It had been a calculated effort, and one that had been progressing well-until now.

Snow’s presence was like a natural disaster.

Everything Sophiel had been building was now in shambles, and the cause of this disruption could be traced back to a single, unpredictable variable: Riley Hell.

It seemed that Riley’s presence had brought Snow and their father closer than ever before.

Whether Sophiel liked it or not, Riley had become a key figure in their family dynamic, his influence extending even to the Emperor.

This development was infuriating, not just because of its impact on her ambitions, but because it felt so utterly out of her control.

She couldn’t place the blame squarely on anyone.

The situation was unprecedented and entirely unforeseen.

Yet the facts remained unchanged: Snow, once distant from the Emperor in her own way, was now frequently seen at his side.

Day by day, her position as the official heir to the throne was being cemented.

A small, bitter part of Sophiel couldn’t help but wish that she, too, shared the same closeness with their “ever-benevolent” father.

Perhaps, in another life, things could have been different.

But given the history between them-the wounds, the unspoken grievances, the years of estrangement—such a relationship was an impossibility.

And to make matters worse Snow was highly cautious when it came to matters involving

Riley.

Snow wasn’t just protective of him; she was serious, unwavering, almost possessive.

It wasn’t difficult to see how much he meant to her, and the way she spoke about him left little room for doubt.

‘Her beloved… no,’ Sophiel thought with a grimace. ‘Her official lover at this point?’

The realization brought a mix of emotions that Sophiel couldn’t quite parse. Was it frustration? Envy? Or simply the bitter sting of defeat?

Sophiel knew it was a calculated risk to divert any more attention toward Riley than she

already had.

The last time she tried to probe into his affairs, Snow had been swift to intervene, and with her sister now keeping an even closer eye on him, her options were dwindling.

The power dynamics between them were painfully clear: Snow was far more influential, respected, and though Sophiel loathed to admit it-dangerous.

Facing Snow openly was a fool’s errand.

At this very moment, it was an undeniable fact that her elder sister held the upper hand.

Her power, both political and personal, overshadowed Sophiel’s in nearly every way.

If Snow ever decided to stop showing leniency, to strip away even the semblance of patience she extended as a half-sister, then Sophiel’s carefully laid plans to usurp her position as heir would crumble entirely.

Sophiel had been playing a delicate game, using Snow’s familial bond against her- exploiting the threads of shared blood that might cause hesitation in Snow’s actions.

But she wasn’t naive. She knew that Snow, in her calculating way, was doing the same.

Their interactions were a quiet war, a subtle dance of veiled intentions and measured moves, and right now, Snow was firmly in control of the board.

Still, Sophiel wasn’t one to back down so easily.

She wasn’t blind to opportunity, nor was she ignorant of the implications surrounding Riley.

Snow’s intense focus on him spoke volumes.

There was something about Riley Hell-something significant enough to cause even Snow, the composed and unshakable heir, to waver in ways Sophiel had never seen before.

And then there was what Sophiel had glimpsed-a fragment of the future, a fleeting vision that hinted at Riley’s role in the unfolding of events yet to come.

Whatever his importance, it was enough to make even the risk of Snow’s wrath seem worth it.

“He’s relevant to my future…”

Sophiel’s words slipped from her lips in a low mumble, catching Lumia’s attention.

The maid tilted her head slightly, her confusion evident, but she knew better than to question

the princess outright.

Sophiel’s mind wandered back to the vision shown by her demonic mirror-a cursed artifact capable of glimpsing fragments of the future at the cost of its user’s vitality.

What she saw had left her both intrigued and unsettled. In that future, Riley Hell was unmistakably entwined with her life.

She didn’t hate the idea, nor did she particularly like it.

What truly consumed her was the curiosity-how could such a thing come to pass?

‘How could a man, seemingly infatuated with her sister, end up falling deeply in love with

her?’

‘Did I fall for him?’

‘How?’

‘What circumstances led us there?’

‘What about Snow?’

Sophiel wasn’t the type to be swept away by emotions, especially love. It wasn’t in her nature

to be vulnerable in that way.

Yet, the mirror’s vision implied something far more complicated-something that she

couldn’t ignore.

Too many questions swirled in her mind, unanswered and maddeningly out of reach.

She could consult the mirror again, of course, but the price was steep. Another fragment of her lifespan wasn’t something she could afford to sacrifice, not when her current plans required precision and longevity.

Her focus snapped back to the present as she glanced at Lumia.

Impatience—a rare, uncharacteristic emotion for Sophiel-began to bubble to the surface.

“Lumia, are the Emperor and Elder Sister still at the entrance?” she asked, her tone sharp and

commanding.

Lumia hesitated, sensing the weight behind the question, before responding carefully. “No… they usually only stay until just past midnight.”

“Is that so…” Sophiel muttered, her lips curling into a sly smirk. Her eyes gleamed with a

mixture of determination and cunning as she took a step closer to the bowing Lumia.

With a sudden, deliberate motion, Sophiel reached out and tilted Lumia’s chin upward,

forcing the maid to meet her gaze.

“Lumia, take me there quietly~”

Her tone was almost playful, but the underlying authority was unmistakable.

Sophiel had made up her mind.

If the information she received was always going to be the same, then she would see to it

herself…

“So, this is the entrance to the last divine relic left by the goddess…” Sophiel murmured, her

voice tinged with awe as her purple eyes widened slightly.

Despite being aware of the trial’s existence, she had never set foot here before.

Certain restrictions and a lack of necessity-had kept her away until now.

Behind her, Lumia shifted nervously, her voice trembling as she whispered, “Y-Your

Highness… we can only stay for fifteen minutes.”

Lumia’s hands were clasped tightly, beads of sweat forming on her brow as shadows extended from beneath her, weaving a dark veil that cloaked both their presence.

It was an intricate and taxing spell-one that consumed Lumia’s mana and focus. She knew her limits well, and once they were reached, they would have no choice but to leave.

After all, the Emperor’s shadow knights patrolled this area with unwavering vigilance.

Any unauthorized presence, especially one from a high-ranking individual like Sophiel, would immediately alert them, and the consequences would be severe.

Sophiel nodded, acknowledging Lumia’s warning without turning her gaze away from the cavernous space before her.

Though she wasn’t explicitly banned from visiting this place, the restrictions placed on the imperial family—even someone of her status-made such an excursion questionable.

Not to mention, her timing was far from ideal. If word reached Snow of her interest in Riley, Sophiel’s carefully laid plans could crumble in an instant.

The last thing she wanted was to draw her sister’s attention to her movements.

As she stepped forward, her heels echoed faintly against the stone floor, the sound swallowed

by the vastness of the underground chamber.

She scanned the enormous space with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

The cavern was far larger than she had imagined, its walls carved with intricate patterns that

glimmered faintly in the dim light.

Magic crystals dotted the cavern, their soft glow casting a gentle illumination across the

stone walls. Yet, none of their light held a candle to the brilliance emanating from the large cave ahead.

The golden radiance spilled forth from the cave’s entrance, cutting through the heavy underground darkness and bathing the entire chamber in a light so warm and vivid that it felt like daylight.

Despite the immense depth of this place beneath the imperial palace, the glow from the divine cave seemed to defy the natural laws of light and shadow, making everything around it

shimmer with a surreal brilliance.

“If one proceeds, the journey to the roads shall be opened, and the start of one’s trial shall commence…”

Sophiel murmured aloud, her voice almost inaudible as her gaze lingered on the entrance to

the cave.

Her words were laced with intrigue, and the temptation to step forward grew stronger with

each passing moment.

A part of her burned with curiosity-a need to step inside, to feel the divine power for herself

and confirm what she already suspected.

But another part of her, the rational side, warned against such a reckless move.

“Y-Your Highness!”

The sudden cry from Lumia snapped Sophiel out of her trance.

“What is it?” Sophiel asked, turning to her maid with a calm expression, though her voice

carried a hint of irritation.

“Y-You’re too close…” Lumia stammered, her face pale as her eyes darted nervously between

Sophiel and the golden entrance.

“Oh?” Sophiel glanced down at her feet, realizing she had moved far closer to the cave’s

threshold than she had intended.

She was only a few steps away from entering, the golden light now fully enveloping her figure

in its glow.

It dawned on her that she hadn’t even noticed herself moving forward.

The radiance emanating from the entrance, combined with her own unbridled curiosity, had entranced her.

It was as if the light was calling to her, beckoning her to take that final step. Sophiel smirked slightly, her lips curling upward as she took a deliberate step back. “It seems

I was more intrigued than I thought,”

Determined to regain her composure, she extended her right hand toward the golden light.

If entering the cave was too risky, at least she could let her hand bask in the radiance, hoping to discern something-anything-about its nature.

But as her fingertips crossed into the glow, she felt an unexpected resistance.

Instead of the warm, intangible sensation she had anticipated, her fingers met something

solid.

Cold yet firm. It wasn’t just the air; it was a surface or at least what felt like it. Her brow furrowed, and curiosity spiked once again. “Well, this is certainly something I did

not expect…” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Before she could ponder further, a voice cut through the stillness, deep and resonant, carrying

a weight that sent shivers down her spine.

“You seem rather bold, don’t you?”

The words were familiar, yet unfamiliar enough to leave her frozen in place.

Her eyes widened as she turned toward the source of the voice, the golden light dimming

around her as though responding to an unseen force. Gradually, the figure standing within the cave came into focus.

The shimmering light retreated like a curtain being drawn back, revealing a man whose

presence demanded attention. Golden blonde hair framed a sharp, noble face, and his piercing deep-blue eyes met hers with

an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.

His upper body was bare, exposing a chiseled chest and the defined lines of his abdomen.

Draped loosely around his form was a flowing white cloth, modestly concealing what needed

to be hidden while exuding an air of divine authority.

Sophiel’s breath caught in her throat.

Her hand, still outstretched, rested against his abdomen, where she could feel the hard, unyielding contours of his ab muscles beneath her palm.

It was an undeniably human warmth, yet his presence felt anything but ordinary.

Her gaze involuntarily roamed from the golden locks atop his head to the faint shimmer of

light still clinging to his form, and finally back to those penetrating blue eyes.

An unfamiliar sensation began to stir within her, a heat that rose unbidden from deep inside

her chest.

“R-Riley… Hell?” she stammered, her voice barely audible as the realization struck her like a lightning bolt.

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