Chapter 602: A Cold Heart 8

“Hey, hey! Did you hear about the new rumor? Fufu~ it seems the princess and Lord Riley went on a date yesterday!”

“Oh my, really? Does that mean their relationship’s official now?”

“Yes! From what I heard, they even kissed behind the academy fountain! Ah, how romantic—I wish my boyfriend was like that…”

“Oh, damn it, the princess is really taken now.”

“As if you had a chance to begin with.”

“Our dear goddess has finally chosen her eternal love~ how wonderful!”

The hallways of the Magic Department buzzed with gossip, the air practically glowing with curiosity and envy.

Snow walked quietly through the crowd, her steps measured, but her ears caught every word.

Each giggle and whisper brushed against her mind like a needle.

It had been a little over a week since she’d somehow ended up in this strange version of reality—one that looked so much like her world, yet… wasn’t.

Three things had become painfully clear to her since arriving.

First: this place was different.

The academy buildings, the empire, even the layout of the academy looked the same, but the people… the people were off.

Some faces she knew existed here but carried different memories, different lives.

Others—people who should have been here—were simply gone, as if they had never existed at all.

Second: she herself didn’t exist here.

Not as Snow Luvenitia White Germonia Leven, crown princess of the Germonia Empire.

No titles. No family. No recognition.

Here, she was just Snow—a name without history, another student among hundreds.

And third—perhaps the cruelest truth of all—

Riley and Sophiel were together.

Not just together… engaged.

Snow stopped walking, her fingers curling tightly against her chest.

The hallway noise faded for a second, replaced by the soft echo of her heartbeat.

Riley and Sophiel. Laughing together in the courtyard.

Her hand in his.

That easy smile of his—the one that used to be hers.

In this world, they were an open, loving couple.

Everyone admired them.

Everyone celebrated them.

And she?

She was no one.

Snow let out a quiet breath, her eyes lowering to the reflection of the stained-glass windows on the marble floor.

There were several theories swirling in Snow’s mind as to why everything had suddenly turned out like this.

But the one that made the most sense—the one that felt right, even if she hated to admit it—was that the demonic elf had done something to her.

Some kind of spell.

An illusion.

A trap.

To what degree does this world even reach?

She didn’t know.

She couldn’t tell where the illusion began or ended—if it was all in her head, or if her body itself was trapped somewhere far away.

Well, at least she still knew who she was.

That much she could hold onto.

She was rational enough to understand this wasn’t real… or at least, she hoped it wasn’t.

Despite how warped this world seemed, not everything had changed.

Her magic was still the same—untouched.

Her mana still flowed with that same icy sharpness that could freeze rivers and crack stone.

And yet, even with all that strength, she couldn’t find a way out.

No—that wasn’t quite true. Deep down, she probably knew what she had to do to escape.

The thought lingered in her chest, heavy and bitter.

It had something to do with Riley… and Sophiel.

Just thinking about it made her stomach twist.

Even if this was just an illusion, even if none of it was real, it hurt.

It hurt seeing them together—hearing students giggling about their “sweet romance,” the way people used to talk about her and Riley.

Everything that was once hers—the stories, the laughter, the love—had been rewritten with her sister’s name in place of her own.

The world didn’t just forget her; it replaced her.

And the memory that haunted her most was the first time she’d seen Riley in this world.

His eyes—cold, distant.

“Who are you?” he had asked.

Just three simple words.

But they had cut deeper than any sword could.

That moment still echoed inside her, sharp and heavy, every time she tried to convince herself this world wasn’t real.

Because for the first time, she wasn’t sure which hurt more—being trapped in an illusion… or realizing that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t belong anywhere anymore.

Ignoring the rush of anxious thoughts swirling in her head, Snow took a deep breath and shook it off.

There was no point in thinking herself in circles.

What mattered now was finding a way to undo this mess—and if the key to unravelling her situation truly lay with Riley and Sophiel, then so be it.

And so, time slipped by again.

Days passed, each one blending into the next. Snow had slowly come to realize just how strangely difficult it was to even see Riley and Sophiel.

Her item not functioning as it normally would ever since she first met them…

For a pair so adored—practically the academy’s golden couple—they were rarely ever around.

It was as if the world itself was keeping them out of her sight.

She’d asked around, listened to the gossip, even lingered near the places they were rumored to frequent.

Still, nothing.

The so-called “power couple” seemed to vanish whenever she got close, appearing and disappearing like mist.

Part of her was curious.

Part of her wondered what exactly they were doing—where they went when no one could see them.

But she quickly shut down those thoughts.

She didn’t want to imagine it.

The idea alone made her chest tighten painfully.

It took days of searching—days filled with wandering faces, endless whispers, and the gnawing ache of jealousy—but finally, she found them.

“L-Look, it’s them…”

“Wow, they really do look perfect together.”

The voices of nearby students carried softly through the busy streets of the commercial district.

Snow’s steps slowed as her gaze followed theirs.

There they were—Riley and Sophiel.

Hand in hand, laughing quietly as they moved from one food stall to another, sampling snacks and teasing each other over which one tasted better.

It was so painfully normal—so casually intimate.

People around them smiled, some whispering, others taking small glances at the couple as if admiring a painting brought to life.

Snow stood frozen at the edge of the crowd, her breath caught somewhere between disbelief and hurt.

“…Riley…” she whispered under her breath.

The name left her lips like a confession.

The position that should’ve been hers—that used to be hers—was now right there, displayed for everyone to see.

Her memories, her laughter, her place beside him… all of it had been taken, replaced so seamlessly that no one else even realized something was wrong.

A dull thump echoed in her chest as she watched him smile at Sophiel—that same smile that once belonged to her alone.

This was her chance.

She could finally speak to them—Riley and Sophiel—maybe find a clue, a thread that could pull her out of this false world.

She just needed to take one step forward.

One word, one breath.

And yet… she couldn’t move.

Her legs refused to obey, her throat tightening as if invisible chains held her in place.

For a second she thought—is someone controlling me?

But no.

That was just an excuse.

A lie to make herself feel less pathetic.

The truth was simpler.

She was afraid.

But of what exactly, she didn’t know.

Standing there among the gathered crowd—faces bright with admiration, voices full of praise—she could only watch the man she loved more than anyone, smiling happily beside her sister.

Riley.

Her Riley.

He looked at Sophiel like she was the only light in the world, like everything else had blurred into the background.

The sight stabbed through her chest in a way no magic or weapon ever could.

It shouldn’t have hurt like this.

She knew it shouldn’t.

She’d seen him with other girls before. She’d accepted that reality long ago.

She’d even shared him—willingly—with the other four women who loved him just as deeply as she did.

She’d watched him laugh, kiss, and hold them, and though it stung subtly, she bore it quietly because that was how things were.

But this—this was different.

The way he looked at Sophiel.

The way he smiled.

The softness in his eyes. It wasn’t just affection—it was devotion.

Something inside Snow cracked quietly.

He’s my first…

He was the one who took all her firsts—her first dance, her first kiss, her first love.

Everything that made her Snow was tied to him.

My love is deeper than any of theirs…

Her lips pressed together tightly, her hands curling into fists.

Her blue eyes dulled, cold as winter, as she stared at the scene before her—her reflection shimmering faintly in the frost gathering at her feet.

It was a scene that once belonged to her.

Now, it belonged to someone else.

She turned away.

No words, no sound—just the quiet shift of air as she walked off, blending into the crowd like she’d never been there at all.

——

The next time she saw them was four months later.

An entire semester had passed.

And she was still trapped in the illusion.

No matter what she tried—spells, meditation, even self-inflicted pain—nothing broke it.

The world remained solid, seamless, real.

She knew the key was tied to Riley and Sophiel. Every instinct told her so.

But each time she caught sight of them from afar, her steps faltered. Her courage slipped away.

So, she avoided them.

Even when fate seemed to push her toward them—bumping into Sophiel at the library, catching a glimpse of Riley crossing the courtyard—she let them pass.

Pretending not to notice. Pretending it didn’t hurt.

And they, in turn, did the same.

Even when subtly helping them in the background…

Their eyes slid past her like she was a stranger.

Like she truly didn’t exist in their world.

Everything had started to feel… normal, somehow.

The strange world, the twisted roles, even her own absence from the life she once lived—it all blended into something she’d grown used to enduring.

Snow told herself she was fine with it.

That if avoidance was the only way she could protect herself, then so be it.

Avoidance and escape—her new forms of therapy.

It wasn’t like her to run from things.

She was a princess once—raised to face pressure, to hold composure even when everything around her crumbled.

A few words with Riley and Sophiel might’ve been enough to give her answers, to make sense of what had happened to her… but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Days turned into weeks, and silence became her comfort.

She passed by Riley and Sophiel’s names in passing conversation, heard laughter in the halls, and simply kept walking. Ignoring them became a routine.

And she could tell—so had they.

Until today.

The sun was sinking low, spilling warm orange light through the tall windows of Killian Hall.

Twilight stars began to glimmer faintly in the distance as the sky deepened into violet.

Snow was walking the empty corridor, her footsteps soft against the marble floor—when she froze.

Someone was standing ahead.

Riley.

Her heart skipped. The air seemed to thin.

He turned at the sound of her steps, his familiar gray eyes catching hers with a quiet, unreadable look.

“Snow, correct?” he asked calmly.

“…Yes…”

Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

For a moment, all she could do was stare.

Months had passed since the last time she’d seen him this close—since she’d seen the sharp lines of his face, the faint way his lips curved when he spoke.

Her heartbeat quickened, uneven and loud in her chest, like it was trying to make up for all those silent months.

Why was he here? Why now?

Before she could ask, Riley reached into his sleeve pocket and pulled something out.

A small envelope—cream-colored, sealed with imperial red wax, the insignia pressed deep and unmistakable.

He held it out to her without hesitation.

“…For you,” he said simply.

Snow’s eyes lingered on the wax symbol—the crest of the Germonia Empire.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she took it, her mind racing.

A letter, sealed by her home’s crest—something that shouldn’t even exist in this illusion.

“…What is this?” she whispered, her voice barely audible, almost trembling at the edges.

“An invitation,” Riley replied simply.

“Invitation…?” Snow repeated, blinking, not quite understanding.

“Yes,” he continued, his tone calm—too calm. “Snow, as someone who has quietly supported us all this time, I thought it would only be proper to invite you to mine and Sophiel’s official engagement announcement at the Imperial Palace of the Empire.”

Her mind blanked.

“H–Huh…?”

Riley smiled faintly, as though her confusion amused him. “Sophiel personally wanted to invite you as well.”

Snow’s lips parted, disbelief flooding through her. “W–What are you talking about? I never helped Sophiel or anything—”

He chuckled softly, the sound somehow both warm and cruel. “Snowman…”

“Eh?”

“Honestly,” he said, shaking his head lightly, “if you were going to use an alias, you could’ve at least made it sound a little more believable.”

Her blood ran cold.

Riley looked at her with that same calm, knowing expression—the one that once made her heart flutter, now only tightening something deep inside her chest.

“You were the one secretly sending Sophiel those advisory letters, weren’t you?” he said. “The ones that appeared every few weeks during academy events. Every time the council struggled, a new letter would appear in Sophiel’s office—offering practical advice, strategic solutions, and elegant words of reassurance. It was almost as if they came from someone who had managed an entire empire before.”

He paused, studying her expression carefully, his tone softening just slightly.

“Because of you,” he continued, “Sophiel’s workload as Student Council President lessened. The academy ran smoother. Her stress eased. Each letter of yours—those quiet, precise little plans—helped her hold everything together. You’ve done far more than you realize.”

Snow couldn’t move. Her throat tightened as his words sank in. He knew. He knew about the letters—the only thing she’d done in this world to feel useful, to feel like herself again.

She hadn’t done it for recognition.

She’d done it because she couldn’t stand watching Sophiel—her sister—struggle, even if this version of her world felt fake.

And maybe, just maybe, it was her small way of still existing here.

But now, standing before Riley’s gaze, all of it felt exposed.

Riley took a step closer. His boots echoed softly against the marble floor until the space between them disappeared.

Gently, he reached out and held both of her hands—the ones clutching the letter. His touch was warm. Too warm.

“That’s why,” he said quietly, smiling that subtle, familiar smile, “as her lover, I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for Sophiel.”

Snow felt her breath hitch, her pulse beating fast beneath his touch.

“I would greatly appreciate it, if you accepted the invitation.”

The fading twilight painted his face in a warm glow, but to Snow, everything about the moment felt painfully cold.

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