The princess had a strange gift for reading people's faces. The fact that she hadn't kicked me out meant that the mission wasn't the only reason I came here.
At the very least, it meant our bond wasn't a complete lie.
As she led the way, I was left alone with Oliver. Glancing at the masked man behind her, I couldn't help but think about the shift I'd seen in him.
"Hey… was that whole performance really necessary?"
Why did he play along with me up until now? I wanted to know the answer.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He feigned ignorance.
"Aren't you the Grand Warden? You're supposed to be at the Emperor's side, watching his back…"
What's with your obsession with Sansa?
I didn't expect him to respond. But he did.
"I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."
A cryptic answer.
Oliver walked beside Sansa and tossed one final warning over his shoulder.
"Be careful… Frey Starlight. Your punishment may not be over—it depends on what you do next."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that…"
I quickly followed after them.
As we wandered through the cold halls of Moon Castle, I started to notice something strange.
"Do you usually live here alone?"
Aside from the three of us, the castle was completely empty.
"Um… normally, it's full of servants. But this time, it's empty because of some… circumstances."
I had a pretty good idea what kind of "circumstances" she meant.
Eventually, Sansa led us to what looked like a reception room.
I sat across from her, a wooden table between us.
Oliver Khan placed two cups of a green drink that I guessed was tea.
I glanced at the cup, then at the Grand Warden in turn.
"What? Don't you like tea?" he asked.
"I never said that…"
"Then drink it. It's the only thing I'm good at making."
The Grand Warden, preparing tea? That alone proved how empty the castle truly was.
For a second, I even feared he might've poisoned it…
But the content in my cup was identical to the one he served the princess.
Cautiously, I took a sip—only to be surprised by how good it tasted.
Sansa, who had been quietly watching me for a while, finally spoke.
"I suppose you're wondering why this place is so empty... and why I left so suddenly."
"I am," I replied simply.
"This is why."
She raised her palm, and black flames burst forth, spiraling into tendrils of shadow.
A wave of pressure rippled out, sending a chill down my spine.
"My powers... they've been getting harder to control. So I chose to isolate myself until I learn to fully contain them."
Her words were expected ... but I couldn't help but wonder if she was even allowed to share something like that with me.
"So that's why the castle is empty…"
She nodded. "Yes."
"Aren't you overreacting? You seem fine to me."
That was a lie, of course. It hadn't even been a week since we last met, yet she looked noticeably different ... especially her aura.
"It may be an overreaction… but it's better this way. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me."
Her voice wavered slightly at the end.
"Did something happen recently?"
I tried nudging her toward the incident at the Temple, but she shook her head.
"Nothing happened. But..."
"But?"
She hesitated for a moment before locking eyes with me. That seemed to give her the push to continue.
"Lately… I've been able to sleep."
The moment she said that, I remembered how she used to be during the island trial—she never slept at all back then.
"That's a good thing, right?"
She nodded faintly. "Yes, but in return… I've started having nightmares."
"What kind of nightmares?"
A good friend probably wouldn't press her for details ... but I'm not that kind of friend. I needed to understand, for her sake.
Thankfully, our relationship was strong enough for her to feel safe telling me.
"Nightmares of when I was kidnapped. Of how I killed everyone… how I spilled their blood. And recently, I had a dream… a dream where I killed one of the maids."
The moment she said that, a realization struck me.
"May I ask… where exactly did that nightmare take place?"
I asked carefully. Her response came quickly.
"The Temple."
As soon as she uttered those words, I glanced at her, then at Oliver standing behind her.
He was staring at me with those crimson eyes, as if daring me to say another word ... one wrong move, and I'd lose my head.
Noticing the sudden tension in the air, Sansa spoke quickly.
"But they're just dreams. There's no need to worry…"
She really didn't know.
They were lying to her. Letting her believe everything was fine. Sansa wasn't stupid… had she really been fooled so easily?
I swallowed hard and played along.
"But staying here all alone... isn't it a little lonely?"
She turned toward Oliver.
"I have Oliver with me. So I'm not really alone."
"With a silent guy like him? I doubt he makes much of a difference. So, how about I make you an offer, Your Highness?"
"An offer?"
I smiled and gestured toward myself.
"How about I stop by from time to time? Keep you company so this cold castle doesn't feel so empty."
"But—"
"No worries. I can handle myself if anything happens. I've got Balerion, the Black Terror, with me ... and I'm not afraid to use it."
Sansa fell quiet for a while, clearly caught off guard by the offer.
She eventually looked to Oliver.
He stared at her in return.
And in that moment, he noticed the difference ... small, but undeniable. The princess seemed livelier today, more than she had in days.
And the reason… was me.
Oliver closed his eyes briefly before responding.
"As long as I'm around, and he only visits in the morning… I'll allow it."
The moment he said that, I struggled to hold back a grin of victory.
This was it .. I'd secured the chance to follow the system's advice properly.
"I promise I won't disappoint," I said.
Sansa looked at me in silence… then her eyes widened slightly.
"I look forward to it… but, Frey, you've been acting like nothing's wrong this whole time .. are you actually okay?"
"What do you mean?"
She pointed at me.
"You're bleeding… a lot."
"What?"
I looked down—and realized I was sitting in a pool of blood from my earlier wounds.
"Ah, damn it…"
And just like that, I collapsed from blood loss.
"This is really embarrassing…"
…
…
…
Frey passed out in his chair.
Oliver Khan sighed, while Sansa rushed over to tend to him.
The Grand Warden watched the two of them in silence, thoughts swirling in his mind.
He had sworn—he would not fail this time.
This time… he would save her.
His only family.