Chapter 603: A Cold Heart Interlude.

“Princess Sophiel Luvenitia White Germonia Leven, and Young Master Riley Hell have entered!”

At the butler’s proud announcement, all conversation in the grand banquet hall stilled.

Heads turned in unison toward the grand staircase of the Imperial Castle.

And there they were—descending slowly, hand in hand.

Riley wore the empire’s finest ceremonial attire: a tailored coat of black silk trimmed with crimson and gold threads that shimmered under the chandelier’s glow.

The silver crest of House Hell gleamed proudly on his chest.

Beside him, Sophiel seemed almost ethereal. Her gown, pure white with subtle hues of lavender and pale blue embroidered along its hem, flowed like starlight in motion.

Her hair, soft and silvery purple, caught the light as she smiled—serene, regal, and heartbreakingly beautiful.

The crowd could only murmur in awe.

“Oh my…”

“How radiant…”

“The empire’s future is in safe hands indeed.”

As they stepped down, the atmosphere seemed to soften around them.

Their gestures were graceful, synchronized; Riley guiding Sophiel with a gentle touch, she following with effortless poise.

Together they looked every bit like the perfect couple—fairy tale incarnate, the prince and his princess stepping out from legend into life.

When they reached the marble floor, a hush swept the hall.

The orchestra began to play, soft notes blooming into a waltz that filled the air with warmth and wonder.

All eyes remained on them. All hearts, perhaps, too.

Except for one.

From the far corner of the hall, Snow stood quietly with a glass of champagne in her trembling hand.

The golden bubbles shimmered like mockery under the glittering lights.

Laughter and congratulations surrounded her, but she could barely hear any of it.

The hall’s splendor blurred—the jeweled chandeliers, the petals scattered across the floor, the smiling faces of nobles—until only they remained in her vision.

Riley and Sophiel.

He was smiling again.

That familiar, tender smile.

The same one he used to give her.

Snow’s lips parted faintly, but no sound came out.

Her chest tightened. Her heart ached in rhythms she could no longer control.

She didn’t have to come here.

She could have burned the letter, ignored the invitation, stayed hidden in her quiet corner of the world.

But she didn’t.

When the dance finally ended, the grand announcement followed—the true purpose of the evening at last revealed.

The Emperor himself stood, his voice carrying across the grand hall.

“With my blessing, the union between Princess Sophiel Luvenitia White Germonia Leven and Riley Hell is hereby recognized and celebrated by the Empire.”

A wave of applause erupted like thunder.

The air was filled with cheers, the clinking of glasses, the music swelling once more in triumph.

Snow stood still, her hands clasped lightly in front of her.

And then, before the entire hall, Riley turned to Sophiel.

Their eyes met—so full of warmth and devotion that it made even the coldest nobles smile.

Slowly, he leaned in and kissed her.

Thump—!

It wasn’t a simple kiss. It lingered. Soft, tender, and achingly long.

And with every passing second their lips refused to part, Snow’s heart froze a little more.

Her fingers tightened around her glass.

Her reflection in the golden drink wavered, fractured by the trembling surface.

“…I see now,” she whispered under her breath.

The applause grew louder.

The nobles cheered.

The orchestra shifted into another melody—this time lighter, more celebratory.

Young bachelors began asking ladies for a dance, laughter filling every corner of the hall.

Several men approached Snow, bowing politely and asking for her hand.

She smiled faintly, gave a polite shake of her head, and refused every one of them.

Then, quietly, she turned away from the dazzling lights, the music, and the warmth.

Her steps echoed softly against the marble floor as she slipped out from the crowd.

Unbeknownst to her, Riley’s gaze followed her from across the room.

That piercing, familiar blue—watching as she disappeared beyond the golden glow of the chandeliers.

…..

Two months passed.

The start of a new semester arrived, and the academy once again bustled with life.

Snow’s days resumed their rhythm—lectures, research, training, late nights spent perfecting her spells.

She avoided Riley and Sophiel with practiced ease.

Their names echoed faintly in the halls, carried by whispers and laughter.

Rumors of the imperial couple’s visits, their rare appearances, their perfect image as the academy’s shining pair.

Snow heard them all—but never listened.

Her life went on in quiet focus, her grades untouched, her reputation as the top of the magic department unwavering.

Neither Riley nor Sophiel approached her again since that day.

And for a while… that was enough.

….

Days slipped by like they always did—quiet, dull, and heavy with a routine she no longer cared to count.

But that morning, as she stood at a small fruit stall in the academy market, the usual chatter around her made her stop.

“Hey, did you hear?”

“What?”

“Apparently, someone saw Princess Sophiel leaving Riley’s room… really late at night.”

Snow froze mid-motion, her fingers brushing over a red apple.

“A-Are you serious?” the other girl whispered.

“Yeah, I swear. My friend lives on the same floor. Said she saw the princess herself—hair messy, still smiling. I mean, they are engaged, but still… there’s supposed to be limits in the academy, right?”

“Wow… I guess the Germonia Empire’s about to get a new family member sooner than expected, huh?”

“Ha! Guess their love’s always been that deep.”

Their laughter faded as they walked off, the sound replaced by the soft hum of the marketplace.

Snow stood still, her heart silent—but her grip wasn’t.

The apple in her hand suddenly froze solid, the frost spreading across its surface in an instant.

A second later, it shattered, fragments of ice and fruit scattering across the stall.

“Ah! Miss, what are you doing?!” the vendor exclaimed, startled.

Snow blinked, her voice distant, almost hollow.

“…Please forgive my rudeness. I’ll pay for it.”

She dropped a few coins onto the counter and turned away before the man could respond.

Her steps were quiet, measured, but her chest felt tight.

As she walked through the narrow stone paths back to her dorm, her thoughts began to whisper—soft but sharp, like the cold air itself.

You know why this is happening, Snow.

Get it together.

Her hand clenched at her side. She forced herself to take a slow breath.

…..

Months bled into one another, and before she knew it, the warmth of summer began to creep across the skies once again.

A whole year had passed since Snow first found herself trapped inside this illusion — this world that looked, sounded, and felt like her own… but wasn’t.

Nothing had changed.

At least, not in ways that mattered.

She went to class.

She walked through the same hallways.

She smiled at the same familiar faces that shouldn’t exist here.

And though she reminded herself over and over this isn’t real, the longer she stayed, the more the illusion dug its roots into her heart — making her question what “real” even meant anymore.

Riley and Sophiel had long become the shining stars of this world — the perfect couple that everyone adored.

Every event, every celebration, every whisper of gossip seemed to revolve around them.

It was as if the entire world had decided they were its chosen protagonists, and everyone else was just playing a supporting role in their story.

Every time she saw them together — laughing, walking hand in hand, sharing those gentle, knowing looks — a faint sting twisted inside her chest.

At first, it hurt unbearably.

Then… slowly, it dulled.

Snow eventually realized what this illusion truly was.

It wasn’t a dream, nor a punishment — but a test.

A world designed for one purpose: to break her.

If the illusion’s goal was to make her crumble by forcing her to watch the man she loved belong to someone else, then she would do the opposite.

Instead of falling apart, she would play along.

Instead of resenting their happiness, she would accept it — even bless it.

If this world wanted her to suffer, then she would deny it that satisfaction.

Riley and Sophiel could have their perfect love. She would watch from afar, unmoved.

After all… none of this was real.

Her heart grew colder with each passing day — the frost within her spreading quietly, methodically.

She had long stopped yearning for the warmth of their love.

Now, she only focused on one thing: enduring.

All she had to do was keep her heart sealed, resist the pain, and wait.

Eventually, this illusion would shatter — and when it did, she’d wake up.

…

Before she realized it, another year had slipped quietly through her fingers.

The seasons had come and gone, and with them, the steady rhythm of her false reality continued.

Now, the academy stood dressed in celebration.

Graduation day.

The great gymnasium was filled with the hum of voices, the soft rustle of gowns, and the bittersweet laughter of parting students.

Decorations shimmered under the morning light filtering through tall arched windows, and rows of young mages sat waiting for their names to be called.

At the front of the stage stood Princess Sophiel — radiant as ever — delivering her farewell speech to the graduating class.

Her words were warm, poised, and full of hope for the future.

Each sentence drew small smiles, soft chuckles, and quiet tears from the crowd.

Snow sat among them, listening in silence.

On the surface, she appeared calm, even indifferent — her cold blue eyes fixed on the woman at the podium.

But deep within that stillness… something cracked.

Because unlike the last time she saw Sophiel, there was now a small, undeniable curve beneath her sister’s gown.

A gentle, rounded swell.

Her hand instinctively tightened over her chest.

So, it’s true…

The rumors she had overheard months ago — whispers she’d forced herself to ignore — were real.

Princess Sophiel was pregnant.

The audience murmured in awe, some smiling at the sight, others whispering blessings under their breath. To them, it was another miracle from the beloved couple — another reason to celebrate.

But to Snow… it was something else entirely.

Her gaze stayed locked on Sophiel as the princess smiled and spoke about “love, legacy, and new beginnings.”

Snow’s chest tightened, her heart aching with a familiar sharpness. It wasn’t anger. Not jealousy, either.

It was the kind of pain that came when something you once believed eternal had completely slipped from your grasp — replaced, forgotten, rewritten.

A faint sound escaped her — the brittle crack of thin ice.

It wasn’t heard by anyone else, but she felt it deep inside her.

Tiny, fragile pieces of something long-frozen shattering quietly in her chest.

When the ceremony ended and the cheers filled the air, Snow walked away.

She didn’t join the celebration, nor did she congratulate anyone.

Hours later, she found herself standing alone in her dorm room — the same place she had lived in since arriving in this illusion.

The walls were bare now, her belongings neatly packed away, just as tradition required before leaving the academy for good.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

Her reflection stared back — pale skin, silver hair, tired blue eyes that no longer carried light.

This was it.

Her final day at the academy.

The end of everything — or at least, it was supposed to be.

Snow stood in her now-empty dorm room, the faint scent of old parchment and faint perfume still lingering in the air.

The bed was made, her belongings packed neatly into a small case. Everything about the room screamed closure.

She had done it.

She had survived this world.

She had resisted every attempt by the demon’s illusion to break her.

For an entire year, she endured the constant ache, the cruel scenes of love and laughter that weren’t hers.

She watched the man she loved cherish another woman — her own sister — and she didn’t fall apart.

She had accepted it.

She had chosen to remain unmoved.

That was victory… right?

Once she left these walls — once she walked out of the academy — the illusion would fade.

Her real body would awaken.

This dream would end.

That’s what she told herself.

That’s what she had to believe.

Click.

The door to her dorm shut softly behind her.

She paused in the quiet hallway, the golden evening light spilling through the tall windows.

All she had to do now was walk — just walk straight ahead, out of the dorms, past the gates, into the freedom that awaited her.

Yes. That was all.

So why…

Why were her steps slowing?

—[Are you really fine with it?]

A whisper.

Soft.

Familiar.

But it didn’t come from anyone nearby. It came from somewhere deeper — a voice within her that she had spent the past year burying.

Snow froze.

—[You are Snow Luvenitia White Germonia Leven.]

Her fingers tightened at her side.

—[Will you really let an illusion — a fake version of your sister — take your beloved away from you?]

The voice grew colder, crueler, pressing into her chest like a shard of ice.

She gritted her teeth, trying to breathe steadily.

“Pride and love… will get me nowhere,” she muttered under her breath. “This world isn’t real.”

Then why—

Why were her feet moving on their own?

Why did her heart suddenly feel so heavy, each beat echoing like cracking ice?

When she finally blinked, she wasn’t standing near the exit anymore.

She was standing in front of his door.

Riley’s dorm room.

Her face remained calm — perfectly composed, as it always had been.

But deep within her, something fragile and long-forgotten trembled to life.

Each heartbeat felt like ice shattering and reforming all at once — sharp, cold, and alive.

Slowly, she opened the door.

“Sophiel—”

Riley’s words froze midair, his eyes widening when he saw her.

A sharp thump echoed in Snow’s chest — a dull ache that spread deep as the simple name left his lips.

That casual tone of expectation, that flicker of warmth meant for someone else.

“You’re… Snow, right? Long time no see. What are you doing here?”

She didn’t answer.

Click!

The sound of the lock echoed faintly through the room. Her expression didn’t change — no anger, no smile — just an eerie calm as she took one slow step forward, then another, until she stood right before him.

Riley barely had time to react before her hands shot up, cupping his face, and her lips crashed into his.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t tender. It was heavy — desperate — the kind of kiss that begged for an answer she was afraid to hear.

Riley froze, eyes wide.

When she pulled away, her hand lingered against his chest, tracing the rapid beat of his heart through his uniform.

He caught her wrist and pushed it away, his voice unsteady but stern.

“What are you doing, Snow?”

“Don’t worry…. I sealed the door. Sophiel won’t be able to break through it easily…”

“Please, stop saying nonsense and get out before—”

His words cut off as she suddenly pushed him backward.

The strength in her grip caught him off guard — strength she shouldn’t have had.

His back hit the bed behind him, the impact muffled by the soft sheets.

He stared up at her, speechless.

Rustle…

Her robe — the academy’s ceremonial toga — slipped from her shoulders and fell soundlessly to the floor.

“Don’t worry, brother-in-law, my dear little sister won’t be back for a while. As a council president myself, I can guarantee that much.” she said softly, with a faint, twisted smile.

“Brother-in-law…?”

Snow smiled again — but it wasn’t her usual warm smile.

It was hollow, broken at the edges, like someone trying to convince themselves this moment was real.

She stepped closer.

And then, without hesitation, she climbed onto the bed — her movements deliberate, her gaze fixed on him like a predator savoring a meal it had already claimed.

Riley didn’t move.

He could’ve stopped her — should’ve — but for some reason, he didn’t.

Maybe it was shock, maybe pity, or maybe something deeper he couldn’t name.

“AH~!”

Feeling the familiar warmth deep inside her Snow smiled.

…

’I won the bet…???’

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