The snow fell slowly, piling up on their heads, but for Riley, it felt like time was moving way too fast.

It had only been a day since he returned to the academy, and yet the winter break ceremony was already just a few days away.

“Are you going back to your hometown, Riley?”

Seo’s soft, emotionless voice broke the silence.

She walked beside him, her red eyes quietly locked onto his right hand, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

The two of them made their way through the lively streets of the commercial district, with eyes flickering toward them from almost every corner.

Riley had gotten used to it by now and didn’t bother paying it any mind.

“Well… I’m not sure yet,” Riley said, his breath coming out in faint puffs of white.

“Why…?” Seo asked, her voice just as calm.

“Because of certain complications,” he replied, a little vague.

“Hm… aren’t you planning on going back with your little sister?”

She tilted her head slightly, still staring at his hand.

“That was the plan at first, but because of… well, my situation, I can’t really enjoy that kind of luxury anymore. I have a few things to settle here before I can leave. Might even end up coming back late, too.”

“So going back now would just be pointless?”

“Exactly.” Riley gave a small laugh. “What about you, Seo?”

“I’m going home, the clan head eagerly waits for my return every time. I can’t disappoint him.”

“I see…” Riley nodded thoughtfully. “Guess even someone like the ‘Hidden Blade’ still cares about his grand-daughter, huh?”

“I wouldn’t exactly say he cares,” Seo replied, tilting her head again. “But… he’s always curious about my progress.”

Riley knew exactly what Seo meant by “progress.”

She wasn’t just talking about getting stronger — she meant her sword skills, her mastery over the Hidden Blade techniques.

In her route, around this time, Seo would have to return to the Eastern Empire and face a series of trials set by her clan.

Trials meant to push her to her limits.

Trials meant to decide her future.

Riley was a little worried.

He knew how harsh the Eastern Empire could be, especially toward someone like Seo.

But at the same time… he also knew there wasn’t much to fear anymore.

Seo was already strong enough — stronger than most would ever realize.

She had mastered almost everything: the first form, the second, the third, the fourth… even the rare fifth form.

She even made small variations of her own, something only real geniuses could do.

That was just how talented she was.

Riley wanted to help her somehow — to make the road a little less lonely.

But he also knew: this was something only Seo could do for herself.

It wasn’t his place to step in.

It was her journey to grow from, her story to write.

“I’m sure your clan head will be surprised when he sees you now,” Riley said, smiling gently as he reached out and patted the side of her head.

Seo didn’t flinch.

She didn’t pull away.

She just kept walking at his side, face as blank as ever — but Riley caught it.

The faintest blush coloring her cheeks, so light it almost disappeared into the cold winter air.

She exhaled a soft breath, a tiny puff of white mist slipping from her lips.

‘She’s so cute…’

The thought slipped into his mind without warning, filling him with a quiet warmth.

Even if she didn’t show much on the surface, even if her reactions were small and easy to miss — to him, it was more than enough.

Because it wasn’t just Seo getting stronger.

She was opening up, little by little.

And Riley was happy just being there to see it.

Smiling gently, Riley’s thoughts drifted for a moment.

Something small, but maybe important, popped into his head — something that might’ve spelled trouble for Seo back then.

“By the way, Seo… is your brother okay now?” he asked casually, glancing at her.

Seo tilted her head slightly, her red eyes blank but curious.

“He’s the same as always. Why?”

“Ah, no reason really…” Riley scratched the back of his head, a little sheepish.

“I just remembered what happened between us back then. I was a little worried he might’ve… I don’t know, blamed you for it or something.”

Seo blinked once, slowly, like she didn’t see what the big deal was.

“He always blames me for everything,” she said in her usual flat tone. “So that’s not exactly new…”

She paused for a second, as if digging through her own thoughts.

“But… he does seem a little more mellow after what happened. I’m not really sure why.”

She tapped her chin lightly, the smallest hint of confusion flickering across her face.

“He’s not as aggressive with me as before, so… I don’t really mind.”

Hearing that, Riley felt a bit relieved.

At least things hadn’t gotten worse for her.

Seo then shifted her gaze up toward him again, her voice just a touch softer.

“Ah, but… Big Sis wants to meet you. Clan Head too. So, if you don’t have anywhere to go this winter break… maybe you could come with me? To the Eastern Empire?”

Her offer hung in the air, simple but heavy.

Riley slowed down slightly, thinking it over.

For a brief second, he almost considered it.

He did need to deal with the Gyeoul Clan eventually — the Hidden Blade himself was one of the two major people Riley needed to get involved in his bigger plan.

If he went now, maybe he could speed things up.

Maybe he could solve a lot of problems early.

But he shook his head quietly.

He already had a plan in motion.

One that didn’t involve going all the way to the Eastern Empire yet.

It was a little risky, sure — but it was the only way to pull the assurance of the Gyeoul Clan without disturbing the storyline too much.

And with time no longer on his side, he couldn’t afford any huge detours.

Little tweaks here and there — even if they messed with the story he once knew — were necessary now.

“While I really appreciate the offer,” Riley said, smiling a little sadly, “sorry, but I can’t. There’s… someone really important waiting back home. I can’t exactly ignore that.”

Seo looked a little disappointed.

But, true to herself, she didn’t make a big deal out of it.

She just nodded quietly, accepting it with that same calm that Riley was starting to find strangely comforting.

“It’s alright,” she said simply.

The two of them kept walking, their steps slow and unhurried as they took in the snowy views of the lively district around them.

The air was filled with the soft sounds of people chatting, shopkeepers calling out, and the crisp crunch of snow underfoot.

Despite the noise, it somehow felt peaceful between them.

Seo, however, couldn’t help but glance up at Riley, a small frown of confusion tugging at her usually blank face.

As much as she enjoyed the outing, she still didn’t quite understand why they were here in the first place.

“…Riley,” she spoke up softly, her voice nearly blending in with the falling snow.

“Why are we suddenly out right now?”

Riley raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her.

“Do you hate it?”

“No…” Seo quickly shook her head, almost a little too fast.

“It’s just… usually you just ask me to train and stuff. This feels… a bit weird.”

Riley chuckled quietly, a little guilty.

Now that she pointed it out, he realized she was right.

Most of the time, their days together had been all about training — fighting techniques, refining skills, improving their mana control.

He really had leaned on her patience and kindness without thinking too much about it.

“Sorry about that,” he said with a light laugh.

But Seo just shook her head again, this time slower.

“I don’t really mind… I like training…It makes me… understand you more.”

Riley blinked, caught a little off guard by her words.

“Is that so?”

Seo nodded once, her face as blank as ever, but somehow it made Riley’s chest tighten a little.

If that was how she felt, then he didn’t want to weigh the moment down with heavy thoughts.

“There’s not really a big reason why I invited you out,” Riley said casually. “I just wanted to go on a date with you.”

Seo stopped walking for half a second.

“Date?”

Her red eyes blinked slowly, trying to process the unfamiliar word.

“You like spending time with me, right?” Riley asked with a small, teasing grin.

Seo nodded after a moment, a little unsure but honest.

“Then it’s a date,” Riley said simply, his voice light.

Seo didn’t say anything in return — just lowered her head a little, enough that her bangs covered her eyes for a moment.

But even then, he could see the way her breath came out in small, flustered puffs of white, her steps just a little bit lighter as they walked on.

“We’ve never really gotten the chance to relax like this…” Riley said softly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he looked up at the gray winter sky. “Just think of this as me returning the favor… for all the times I’ve burdened you.”

“But you’re not a burden to me—” Seo tried to say quickly, her eyes wide with a rare flicker of emotion.

Riley chuckled quietly and cut her off gently, “Then let’s just say… this is my way of apologizing, after everything.”

He lowered his gaze, a small shadow crossing his expression.

“I’m sorry for leaving you alone all those past couple of months, Seo.”

Seo blinked at him, confused.

In her eyes, it hadn’t been such a big deal.

Sure, she had been sad sometimes, missing him when he wasn’t around.

She remembered those lonely moments clearly — staring at empty training grounds, waiting for footsteps that never came and the warm hand that always puts her at ease…

But she also remembered the promise he made before he left.

In the letter he left… He said he’d come back.

And she had believed him — with all her heart.

She had made some rash choices back then, yes…

But now, standing here beside him under the soft falling snow, everything that had happened during those lonely days felt like a distant blur.

“It’s fine…” she said softly, her breath leaving her mouth in a small cloud of white.

“You’re here now. And… the others were there with me too.”

Riley let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and smiled.

“Is that so?” he said with a small laugh, feeling a bit lighter.

“I guess you and the other girls have gotten pretty close, huh?”

Seo nodded slowly, almost like she was thinking about it herself as she spoke.

“Yes? They said they’re my friends now too… but don’t worry,” she added quickly, her voice a little louder, a little firmer.

“You’re still my best friend, Riley! Also…” she hesitated, then tilted her head slightly in confusion,

“They keep saying they’re your girlfriends and stuff… but I was your first girl-friend, so why does President Snow always get mad at me when I point that out?”

Riley couldn’t help it — he laughed.

A real, warm laugh that echoed lightly against the snow-covered streets.

“Haha… I don’t really think that’s how it’s supposed to go, Seo, but… oh well,” he said, ruffling her hair gently.

He knew Seo still had trouble picking up on social cues sometimes.

Her understanding of how things like friendship, love, and relationships worked was still a little… off.

But honestly, that innocent, pure side of her wasn’t something he wanted to change too much.

Riley already knew.

He had known for a long time now what Seo felt for him — even if she didn’t fully understand it herself yet.

That’s why he had long decided.

Seo’s happy ending would be something he would make sure happened with his own two hands.

He’d make her the happiest woman alive —

Just like he would for all the other girls he loved.

“Well then, enough of the useless chatter,” Riley said with a grin, stretching his arms out a little as if shaking off the heaviness of their earlier talk.

“Let’s enjoy ourselves, shall we? Where do you want to go, Seo?”

“Go?” Seo blinked at him, tilting her head slightly.

“You know, any places you like,” Riley said, nudging her lightly with his elbow.

“This is your day for now. We’ll go wherever you want, enjoy the things you like, and do the things you want to do. Sounds fun, right?”

Seo stared up at him for a moment, a bit confused.

To her, everything and everywhere was already fun as long as Riley was there.

But… since he suggested it… she thought about it seriously for a moment, glancing around.

“Then how about… we go there?” she said, pointing at a newly opened ramen shop nearby.

Riley followed her finger and almost burst out laughing at her first recommendation.

Of all places… a ramen shop.

But he held it back and simply nodded with a warm smile.

“Sure.”

And just like that, the beginning of their date started — at a humble ramen shop.

It was simple, casual, and honestly… perfectly fitting for them.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep