Chapter 312: Into the Night 2



Snow was always the type of heroine who was adamant and straightforward about what she wanted.

That unwavering confidence and determination made her one of the most captivating

characters in any route.

But anyone who had truly gone through her full storyline-every nuance, every hidden moment—would understand that beneath the composed, calculative exterior she so often portrayed, there was a naïve, fragile girl.

A girl who, for all her mastery in politics and her ability to maneuver through the complexities of royal life, was still blissfully ignorant about matters outside her expertise.

At her core, Snow was pure-a heroine who wore layers of confidence as armor to protect the tender, innocent heart within.

She often acted proactive, especially in her romance routes, not because she was entirely fearless but because it was a carefully constructed guise, a shield to hide the delicate feelings she wasn’t quite ready to confront.

She was the perfect heroine, in many ways.

While she wasn’t the official “main” heroine like Janica, Snow had her own unique charm.

In terms of popularity and what truly made a heroine memorable, she was right up there, captivating players becoming the most popular of all the heroines in the game.

As she held onto my chest, her confident demeanor still firmly in place, I noticed something- the faintest flicker of vulnerability behind her gleaming blue eyes.

It was subtle, but the embarrassment she was fighting so hard to suppress was about to overflow.

Even as her words lingered in the air-seductive, daring, and almost impossible to resist-it was evident that she wasn’t truly ready.

Her invitation, as enticing as it sounded, was nothing more than a bold attempt to mask the nervous anticipation swirling within her.

Carefully, I removed her hand from my chest, holding it gently but firmly.

I shifted my weight, twisting my body forward to reverse our positions before she could even react.

“Ah-!”

Snow’s eyes widened in shock as she found herself pinned beneath me, the sudden change catching her completely off guard.

The confident, teasing expression she had worn just moments ago shattered in an instant, replaced by a deep, fiery blush that spread across her pale face.

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out as she stared up at me, her previous composure now completely gone.

Squirming and crossing her legs, the reality of the situation probably started settling in within her.

For the first time, the fragile innocence she tried so hard to conceal was on full display, and it was… endearing.

“You shouldn’t play with fire if you’re not ready to get burned, Snow,”

Snow’s blush deepened, her lips forming a soft pout as she turned her head slightly to avoid my gaze.

“You’re no fun…” she muttered in a tone laced with disappointment, though I could hear the faint tremble in her voice that betrayed her flustered state.

Her white hair cascaded over the bed in soft waves, catching the faint light in a way that made it almost glow.

Combined with the delicate lace of her barely-there outfit and her ethereal beauty, Snow looked so enticing at that moment that it took everything in me to keep my composure.

Her blue eyes, her elegant yet vulnerable expression-it was an image that could drive any man to the brink of madness.

Carefully, I leaned down toward her, the space between us closing inch by inch.

Her breath hitched ever so slightly as I brought my lips to hers, pressing a soft, tender kiss against them.

“Mhm?”

She seemed surprised but didn’t pull away. Her delicate hands rested against my chest, unmoving, as though she were too caught off guard to even think of resisting.

When our lips parted, her wide, expectant eyes met mine.

She looked as if she were caught between anticipation and nervousness, her earlier boldness now replaced with an air of uncertainty.

I could see the question forming in her mind-What’s going to happen next?—but she said nothing, simply waiting for my next move.

Leaning in again, I saw her eyes flutter shut, her body tensing slightly as she prepared to meet my lips once more.

But instead, I shifted slightly, lowering my head to press a kiss to the delicate curve of her neck.

“Ahn-?”

Her body trembled under me, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she squirmed in surprise.

The sudden shift in intimacy clearly caught her off guard, and she gripped the fabric of my

shirt tightly in her hands.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Hm? Isn’t this what you wanted?” I replied, my tone light and teasing as I let my lips linger just a moment longer against her warm skin.

“I never-“

Her protest was cut short as she shivered again, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of crimson.

Her composure was slipping fast, and it was clear she was struggling to decide whether to continue acting the part of the confident seductress or admit to the vulnerability she was

feeling.

“You said you wanted me to indulge you, didn’t you?”

“That doesn’t mean-” she began, but her words faltered as I kissed her neck once more, this time lingering just a tiny bit longer.

Making her squirm even further, I finally let go of the kiss, only to notice the slight glimmer

of tears forming beneath her blue eyes. Instantly, I stopped, chuckling softly at her flustered

reaction.

“For someone so bold just a moment ago, you’re acting quite cute now,” I teased.

Her brows furrowed in embarrassment and frustration, and before I could react, she pushed me back with a sudden cold blast of her frosted mana.

[Low Grade Ice Magic: Frost Orb]

The force sent me tumbling out of the bed, my head lightly bumping the floor.

Although the impact barely registered thanks to my enhanced strength, the dramatic gesture left me stunned for a moment.

As I sat up, I caught sight of Snow trembling under her blanket, her face buried in a deep

blush.

She glared at me, her hand pointed in my direction with shards of ice beginning to materialize

around her.

It was a threatening sight, but instead of feeling alarmed, I couldn’t help but chuckle again- she looked far too adorable to take seriously.

“Relax,” I said with a grin, raising my hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “Do you really think I’d do something you don’t want, Snow?”

Her blue eyes darted away from mine, the frustration in her expression softening as she muttered, “…You’re mean…”

Despite her words, I noticed the icicles melting away, the frost dispersing into harmless white vapor. Snow turned her back to me, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself like a shield.

Standing up, I dusted myself off and carefully approached the bed. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean for things to get out of hand,” I said gently, my voice sincere.

Just as I opened my mouth to explain further, she cut me off with a quiet, trembling voice.

“…I’m sorry, too…”

She didn’t turn to face me, but I could tell from the way her shoulders quivered that she was embarrassed, perhaps even ashamed of how things had escalated.

The proud, confident Snow I was used to seeing had been replaced by someone vulnerable- someone so pure and fragile that it made me want to protect her all the more.

“I should probably go now,”

Seeing how flustered and uneasy she still was, I decided it was best to give her some space to

relax.

Besides, staying in her room for too long, especially now that night had fallen, was a dangerous move on my part.

If the Emperor caught wind of me lingering here longer than an hour-let alone the possibility of sleeping in her room-it might be enough to send him into a fit of rage. The man may have shown me a favorable attitude recently, but that didn’t mean he’d hesitate to strike me down if he thought I was overstepping boundaries with his precious daughter. The overprotectiveness he had for Snow was on par with how the Duke treated Liyana.

Thinking about it, I couldn’t help but smile a little.

Those two really were best friends, weren’t they? Birds of a feather, as the saying goes.

As I stood up from the bed, I reached out and lightly patted the top of her head, even though she was still bundled under the blanket. “Get some rest, okay?” I said gently.

Just as I turned to leave, I felt a tug on my shirt. Glancing back, I saw her hand gripping the

fabric tightly, her face barely peeking out from under the covers.

“Stay…” she whispered, her voice quiet yet full of yearning.

“You know I can’t do that, right?”

“But you slept with me yesterday…”

I winced internally.

That was a unique situation-the goddess had helped me bypass the Shadow Knight’s

detection, and even then, I hadn’t stayed long.

It had been more like an early-morning stopover than an overnight stay.

Of course, explaining all of that to her wasn’t an option right now.

Meeting her gaze, I felt the weight of her silent plea.

I sighed internally, my resolve crumbling under her expectant eyes. “You’re really not making this easy for me,” I muttered, sitting back down on the bed.

Snow’s expression softened, and she let out a small, contented sigh as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself.

I leaned back, resting against the bed frame as I tried to make myself comfortable.

I knew this decision was bound to cause some trouble, but at this point, I couldn’t bring

myself to care.

Whatever happens, happens.

…

Life was hard.

That was a lesson Janica had learned early in life, one that shaped her from a young age.

Despite being born into a noble family, her status wasn’t all that different from a high- ranking official or even a prosperous commoner.

Her family owned lands, yes, but in the grand hierarchy of nobility, they were far from the

top.

There were many people whose titles, influence, and power overshadowed her family’s modest standing.

And that was why Janica grew up with a resolute mindset-one that valued hard work and

perseverance.

She prepared herself for hardships at every turn, knowing that life wouldn’t hand her anything on a silver platter.

That resolve extended to every corner of her life, including matters of the heart.

Lucas, her childhood best friend and the boy she had loved for as long as she could remember,

was no exception.

He wasn’t like anyone else she knew-an oddity in a world that often punished those who

didn’t conform.

He was naïve, sometimes frustratingly so, but his straightforwardness was disarming.

It was that innocence, paired with his bold honesty, that made her fall for him.

Yet, his carefree nature, the very thing she adored, often left her feeling conflicted. Janica couldn’t help but be hard on him sometimes.

She teased him, nagged him, and scolded him-not out of malice, but as her own imperfect

way of expressing affection.

To an outsider, it might have seemed harsh, but for her, it was a way of grounding Lucas in a

world she knew could be unkind.

Still, she wasn’t perfect. There were moments when her feelings got the better of her, moments when she overstepped

her boundaries.

She had a habit of keeping other girls at bay, intercepting conversations or interactions with

Lucas whenever she could.

It wasn’t because she hated those girls or even because she didn’t trust Lucas-it was

something far more vulnerable than that.

She feared losing him.

Lucas was a whirlwind of contradictions-a boy who could easily draw others in with his

charm and sincerity, even without trying.

And while Janica knew she had his heart in a way no one else did, there was always that small, nagging insecurity that came with being in love with someone so uniquely radiant.

She didn’t mean any harm, not to Lucas or to the girls she occasionally stood between. Deep down, her intentions were never cruel; they were protective, born from a love that ran

deeper than she cared to admit.

And although Lucas did attract a few girls who were leagues beyond her in status and talent- like Princess Snow, with her regal beauty and political cunning, or Rose, the genius potential archmage whose mastery of magic was nearly unrivaled-even they weren’t much of a threat

in the long run.

There was also Seo, the prodigious successor of the Hidden Blade technique, who had shown interest in Lucas early in their first year.

A handful of other girls from the academy, too, had their fleeting moments of interest.

But none of it lasted.

Most of those girls shifted their attention elsewhere, drawn to someone far more captivating

-Riley Hell. He was the type of person who naturally stood at the center of attention, effortlessly commanding the admiration of everyone around him, including those very girls who might

have otherwise been a challenge for Janica.

And for that, she was grateful.

After all, these weren’t just ordinary girls-they were individuals who towered above the rest.

Whether it was their talent, beauty, or sheer presence, they were people who seemed destined

to rise to the top, leaving everyone else in their shadow.

And that included her.

In the end, Riley swooping in to steal their attention felt like a blessing.

Those girls, with their impossible brilliance and overwhelming presence, had their sights set

on someone else entirely.

It was as though the universe had aligned perfectly to clear her path.

There was no one left who could seriously threaten her future plans for Lucas. No nuisances.

No roadblocks.

For the first time, Janica could breathe easy, knowing that the love she had for Lucas would remain uncontested.

Though, if she were to be completely honest, the thought of Riley taking all those girls did

leave her with a slight pang of complication-a strange feeling she couldn’t quite name. But in the end, none of that mattered.

What mattered was that Lucas was hers, and there was no one left to stand in her way.

Well, that was until a woman Janica had thought was long gone from their lives-a fleeting memory, much like all the other girls who’d shown interest in Lucas-suddenly returned like

a storm in the night.

‘Evelyn.’

Out of nowhere, the name resurfaced, bringing with it a whirlwind of emotions Janica thought

she’d buried.

“So, you met her…?”

“Yes,”

“Are you sure it was Miss Evelyn?” she pressed, her green eyes narrowing as her crimson hair swayed lightly in the breeze.

“Yes, I’m sure of it. There’s no way I could mistake someone else for her….”

“Then where is she now?”

“I don’t know. Honestly, I’m not even sure if what happened was real or just a dream, haha,”

Lucas answered, his lips curling into a fond smile that sent an immediate chill down Janica’s

spine.

As she watched him, his carefree demeanor and that unmistakable glow in his eyes, Janica’s stomach churned.

They stood in the public training grounds, with Lucas swinging his sword in high spirits.

His movements were sharper, more energized, as if the very mention of Evelyn had rekindled

something deep inside him.

He continued to talk about the night before, recalling every detail with an enthusiasm that

felt almost foreign.

Yet, despite the fondness in his voice and the unshakable grin on his face, Janica’s mind was

already drowning in warning signs.

‘Is he so obsessed with Evelyn now that he’s even dreaming of her?’

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