Chapter 718: Frost Queen…. Interlude

“I see… so that’s what happened. Honestly, it’s hard to believe—but considering your state right now, Your Highness, I don’t think I have the right to doubt it.”

A full day had passed since the sudden attack of the Frost Giants and their monsters, and the city under Count Roverick was still struggling to recover.

Repairs were already underway despite the damage, and aid was being distributed to those who needed it, the people forcing themselves forward even after witnessing something that had nearly wiped them out entirely.

Yesterday had felt like the end.

And yet now, somehow, life continued.

The despair that had settled over the city was slowly being replaced with something else—something fragile, but real.

Hope had returned, and it all stemmed from a single person.

Inside the Count’s office, the atmosphere was far more controlled, though no less heavy.

Roverick stood across from Snow as she calmly explained what had transpired in the north, her tone steady as if she were recounting something far less significant.

Even now, he couldn’t fully grasp it.

At the same time… he didn’t need to.

Because the answer was right in front of him.

Snow sat behind his desk, her posture relaxed, yet her presence filled the room in a way that felt completely out of place.

Even with her power restrained, there was something unnatural about her—something that pressed quietly against everything around her.

It was familiar.

Roverick had only felt it once before.

From the Grand Duke, Luther Heavens himself.

The presence of a transcendent.

And now that same weight lingered in the room, carried so effortlessly by someone who, not even a day ago, had still been within reason.

His gaze lingered on her, a faint tension still present in his chest as he tried to settle his thoughts.

“…To think it would come to this.”

It wasn’t said with disbelief anymore.

Just quiet acceptance.

At this point, things like pride or formality no longer mattered—not when the person sitting in front of him had single-handedly turned what should have been a catastrophe into something survivable.

’How did the Princess reach such enlightenment at such a young age…? No… that’s not it.’

Roverick’s gaze lingered on her, his thoughts tightening.

’How did this even happen…?’

He couldn’t make sense of it.

There had to be a reason—there was a reason Snow had stepped in so willingly before, offering her support without hesitation.

Even her decision to personally handle the dungeon back then… it all pointed to something more.

But this?

This went far beyond anything he had expected.

He had his suspicions.

Anyone in his position would.

But even then, he knew better than to dig too deep.

Some things weren’t meant to be questioned, especially when the result stood right in front of him.

The truth was simple.

Because of her… the last remaining city in the northern lands still stood.

That alone was enough.

Roverick exhaled quietly, letting the weight of his thoughts settle.

There were still questions—far too many—but the way Snow spoke, the way she answered… it was clear she was only giving what she was willing to give.

Hints.

Fragments.

Nothing more.

And at this point—

He didn’t mind.

“For now…” he straightened slightly, his tone returning to something more formal, “I’ll have to take my leave, Your Highness. There are still matters that require my attention.”

Snow nodded lightly, her expression unchanged.

“That’s fine. I’m sure you’re busy, Count. With everything that’s happened, there’s a lot you’ll need to manage.”

She paused for a brief moment before continuing.

“I’ve already requested personnel from the capital. They should be arriving soon—both to assist with the repairs and to provide temporary protection. It won’t solve everything, but it should ease the burden.”

Roverick’s eyes widened slightly at that, a flicker of relief passing through him.

“Your generosity is… deeply appreciated, Your Highness. Truly.”

Snow gave a small nod in response, nothing more.

With that, Roverick turned and made his way toward the door.

His steps were steady, but slower than usual, as if his thoughts were still trying to catch up with everything he had just heard.

The door opened.

Then closed behind him.

Silence returned to the room.

Snow remained where she was, her gaze drifting slightly, unfocused for a moment as the weight of everything lingered—not on her shoulders, but somewhere just out of reach.

“Are you alright?”

The voice broke the quiet.

Snow turned slightly, her expression softening as she met Riley’s gaze.

There was a hint of worry there—subtle, but clear enough for her to notice.

“I’m fine… I just feel a little disoriented, that’s all. Everything else is normal,” she said, adjusting her posture slightly. “It’s like trying to move something that’s suddenly attached to your body. It listens… but it doesn’t feel completely natural yet.”

She paused, then added more gently,

“But don’t worry. This authority won’t harm me.”

Riley stayed silent for a moment, watching her more closely than usual.

There was a faint doubt in his eyes—not because he didn’t trust her, but because what she was dealing with wasn’t something simple.

Still…

He could tell she wasn’t lying.

“If you say so, I’ll trust you,” he said at last, leaning back against the sofa. “But if anything feels off—even a little—tell me immediately.”

His voice lowered slightly.

“I’ll rewrite everything if I have to.”

Snow blinked, then let out a small, amused laugh.

“Fufu… I appreciate the concern.”

—

As for why Roverick hadn’t noticed Riley at all—

That was Cheshire’s doing.

The floating cat head drifted lazily nearby, completely unseen, his magic wrapping around both of them and bending perception just enough to keep them out of sight.

It wasn’t anything complicated—just a quiet layer of concealment that made people naturally overlook their presence.

Riley didn’t really need it.

But the Count was already exhausted, and the last thing he needed was more questions, more pressure, more unknowns added on top of everything else.

And, of course—

Cheshire had insisted.

“Let them have the room to themselves~”

So Riley stayed quiet.

—

“But man~ what the hell even happened yesterday?”

Cheshire’s voice suddenly cut in, his head spinning lazily in midair as if the tension meant nothing to him.

“It still feels like some weird dream that just… happened out of nowhere. So casually too~”

He tilted slightly, eyes narrowing.

“Did that Queen seriously plan all of that?”

Riley didn’t answer immediately.

His gaze drifted, his thoughts pulling him back to what had happened yesterday.

Because Cheshire wasn’t wrong.

It did feel unreal.

One moment, he had been standing in front of the Frost Queen, the air thick with tension as he questioned her—about Snow, about the trial, about what she was actually trying to achieve.

There had been intent behind everything she said.

Something calculated.

And then—

A light.

It came from the dungeon core within the Frozen Castle, sudden and blinding, cutting through everything without warning.

The Queen had stopped.

Then smiled.

Not cold.

Not distant.

But… satisfied.

And before anything could be said—

Her form began to change.

Slowly at first.

Then all at once.

Her figure… her presence… everything about her began to shift, reshaping into something familiar.

Into Snow.

No explanation.

No ritual.

No grand declaration.

Just like that—

Everything she was… everything she had—

Was passed on.

And in the next moment—

The Frost Queen was gone.

And Snow remained.

It was clear Snow had completed her trial.

At least on the surface, nothing about her had changed.

She spoke the same, moved the same, even smiled the same way she always did.

If someone didn’t know what had happened, they wouldn’t think twice.

But Riley wasn’t just looking at her.

His gaze went deeper.

Past her appearance, past the calm she showed on the outside—into the very core of her existence.

And there it was.

The Frozen Castle.

Not as a place… but as something embedded within her, woven into her being like it had always belonged there.

The presence was unmistakable.

Cold, vast, and absolute

She hadn’t just gained power.

She had inherited everything.

Riley let out a slow breath, his eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned back.

…So, it really worked.

There was doubt.

The whole situation felt too clean, too convenient for something involving a being like the Frost Queen. Nothing about her had ever been straightforward, and the way she left—just like that, without explanation—only made it worse.

And yet…

He couldn’t deny the result.

His original goal had been simple.

Make Snow stronger.

And now?

She stood far beyond what he had even planned for.

More importantly—she didn’t look troubled by it. No instability, no rejection, no sign that the power was clashing with her.

If anything…

She seemed at peace.

That alone was enough to settle a part of him.

But not all of it.

His fingers tapped lightly against the arm of the sofa, his thoughts turning over the same question again and again.

Why?

Why her?

Why now?

And why did the Queen leave so easily?

He clicked his tongue quietly under his breath.

There were answers he wasn’t getting.

Not now.

Maybe not anytime soon.

Snow probably knew more—at least about what happened inside the trial—but he wasn’t going to push her.

Not after everything she’d just gone through. She had already thrown herself straight into helping the city without rest.

The least he could do…

Was give her time.

I’ll hear it when she’s ready.

For now, that was enough.

—

At the very least, there was one thing that eased his mind.

Erebil.

There hadn’t been any sign of her interference.

Not during the trial.

Not after.

Nothing.

Riley’s expression darkened slightly as he thought back to yesterday.

He had lost his composure for a moment—used his divine energy without thinking.

That alone could’ve drawn attention.

Too reckless…

He exhaled quietly.

There were no guarantees when it came to that goddess. Just because she hadn’t appeared didn’t mean she wasn’t watching.

Next time—

He’d be more careful.

He had to be.

—

And then…

There was something else.

His gaze shifted slightly, unfocused again as another thought surfaced.

The Grand Duke.

Yesterday, the man had only appeared briefly—just long enough to acknowledge them—before leaving again with his knights, heading further east into the northern lands.

No explanation.

No delay.

Just movement.

…Like he was chasing something.

Riley frowned slightly.

Whatever it was—

It wasn’t normal.

All of a sudden, everything had piled up.

One day.

That was all it took for things to spiral into something far more complicated than it had any right to be.

Riley let out a quiet sigh, leaning back slightly as he ran a hand through his hair.

“…Seriously.”

It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to chaos—but this was different. Too many things lined up at once. Too many unknowns, too many moving parts, all crashing together without giving him time to sort through any of it properly.

Still…

As long as the result was good, that’s what mattered.

Snow was safe. Stronger. Stable.

The city survived.

That alone outweighed everything else.

He exhaled slowly, letting the tension settle.

Then something else clicked.

“…Ah.”

Right.

The academy.

Somewhere along the line, he had completely pushed it out of his mind. The sudden break the principal had announced—it had to be over by now, or at least close to it.

Which meant—

They were expected back.

And more importantly…

“They’re probably waiting.”

The other girls.

Riley could already imagine it. The worry, the questions, the unnecessary panic building up just because the two of them disappeared without proper notice.

He glanced over at Snow.

“Snow, how long are you planning to stay and help here?”

She tilted her head slightly, thinking for a moment.

“Hm… just enough to ease the Count’s burden a bit more. Why?”

Riley watched her for a second before answering.

“I’m not stopping you from helping,” he said calmly. “But you need rest. It hasn’t even been a full day since you received that kind of power.”

His tone stayed even, but there was a quiet firmness behind it.

“And we need to head back soon. Demerit points aside, the festival’s still ongoing, and the others are waiting. Not to mention the academy probably wants their student council president back by now.”

A small pause.

“…And Principal Leilah is probably overworking herself to death.”

Snow blinked.

Then—

A soft laugh slipped out.

“Fufu… I see.”

She leaned back slightly, her expression easing.

“I suppose you’re right. I do need some rest… and we shouldn’t keep them waiting too long.”

Her gaze drifted for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts.

“I’ll finish what I can here for now.”

Then she looked back at him.

“Let’s return this afternoon.”

Riley gave a small nod.

“Sounds good.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep