Chapter 33
At first, she didn’t realize that the man before her was Ash Valiant.
Even standing still, the aura of beauty that radiated from him was overwhelming. Normally, she would have pulled Aria into her arms and stepped back, but by the time she came to her senses, her hand was already reaching out to him. And then—clasp.
The moment the being in front of her grabbed her wrist, scenes she couldn’t remember began flashing through her mind.
It was instantaneous. Forgotten memories of Ash filled her head all at once.
Charlotte unconsciously held her breath and tightened her grip on the hand that held her. Countless memories had resurfaced so suddenly—it wasn’t just the shock that rattled her, but the realization of how she could have ever forgotten Ash in the first place.
“…When I was a child, didn’t Your Grace protect me from a monster?”
Ash had been the one who saved her from a monster, the one who treated her warmly when everyone else despised her.
[Charlotte, I hope you forget everything so it won’t hurt too much. Forget the monster’s attack, your injuries. Forget my hideous—no, my snow-white form, white like fresh fallen snow.]
The one who spoke such gentle words until the very end—how could she have forgotten him?
[We met only briefly, so you likely won’t remember. There’s no need for you to remember.]
[But if you do, could you tell me when it was?]
[…I will.]
Only then did Charlotte understand the meaning behind Ash’s cryptic words. She now knew why the mountain scouts had blocked her from meeting him before. Like puzzle pieces clicking together, everything started to make sense.
The curse Ash had told her about as a child… back then, before the monster attack, she hadn’t understood what it meant. But now she did.
“The scouts lied. Ash was injured protecting me from that serpent monster, and the curse changed his appearance. That’s why they said he hadn’t recovered yet…”
Not knowing this, she had felt resentment toward Ash, even a sense of betrayal. Charlotte gazed quietly at him. Alongside her guilt, the memory of young Ash’s voice—calling himself hideous—echoed in her ears. And before she knew it, she had spoken aloud: that Ash was still as beautiful and pure as freshly fallen snow.
His silver eyes widened in surprise before softening again.
“It has been a long time since I last heard those words. You said the same thing the last time we met.”
“!”
“That one sentence… it is what kept me alive until now.”
…Everyone else cursed by Leopold had ended their own lives within days. But her simple, sincere words—warm and honest—had pulled him back from the brink countless times. Ash swallowed down the rest of his thoughts, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
“…But even if I appear white as snow, that doesn’t mean I’m not dangerous. Please, take Aria and leave this place.”
“Dangerous? What do you mean?”
“You remembered how I fought that monster, didn’t you?”
She nodded. Back then, even though the curse had already manifested, Ash had fought alone until his father returned.
“Doesn’t it strike you as strange? At that time, I was only three years older than you. How could a boy like me possibly fight a monster?”
“!”
“Since returning to the North, I’ve fought against monsters countless times. Each time, the curse consumed me, and I became what I am now. At first, it was torment… but eventually, I learned to wield it. Like this.”
Ash’s scaled hand brushed the ground until he picked up a heavy rock. With just a squeeze, the stone crumbled, shattered, and disintegrated into dust.
“When the curse manifests, I gain power beyond human limits, enough to fight monsters. That is why I am dangerous.”
But more than the strength, the hallucinations that plagued him during each manifestation were the greatest danger. He never knew when he might lose himself, as his father had, swallowed by madness. Though part of him was glad Charlotte remembered, another part desperately wanted her to leave.
For now, the voices were silent. But the fear of losing his sanity and hurting someone remained lodged deep in his chest.
Ash handed Aria back to Charlotte. The child reached for him, but he deliberately turned his face away. Even being this close was already becoming unbearable. Still, Charlotte showed no intention of leaving, even after watching him crush a rock like it was nothing.
“…If the curse is manifesting now, then… that must mean you were injured by a monster.”
“…”
“I can’t abandon someone who’s wounded.”
“Lady Blanche.”
“You ask me to leave you behind, now that I’ve regained my memories? Impossible.”
If she insisted on staying, he could have ordered her out. He could have summoned the mountain scouts to drag her away. But the Charlotte before him wasn’t just “Lady Blanche”—she was the childhood friend who had cherished him, as he had cherished her. Ash let out a quiet sigh.
“What will it take for you to leave?”
“I’ll leave when your curse subsides.”
“…That is my intention.”
“Without treatment?”
“…”
“Then let’s leave the forest together. On the way here, I heard the voices of the mountain scouts. If Your Grace returns to the keep for treatment, then I’ll return to Stelia Castle as well.”
As a child, Charlotte had been as stubborn as her savior Ronan. If Ash refused to play, she would sit at his door and play with dolls until he came out. Even after more than a decade, she hadn’t changed. And so, once again, Ash yielded first.
“…Very well.”
“Then I’ll fetch the scouts.”
“Lady Blanche.”
She had barely turned toward the sound of the voices when Ash called her back.
“When you found out I lied… did it hurt you very much?”
His question caught her off guard, but she could feel the tangled emotions behind it. He had lied because he had no choice, but it had weighed heavily on him ever since. Unable to explain, forced to hide the truth. Charlotte stepped closer.
“Were you sad because I forgot about you?”
“How could I be.”
“I wasn’t either.”
Charlotte’s lips curved into a soft smile.
“Of course, it hurt a little at the time. But now, I’m fine.”
Ash could only stare at that smile as she drew near. He saw the little Charlotte he remembered—so lovely, so radiant. The very expression he had longed to see again countless times since returning North.
Lady Bervel hummed happily as she read and reread the reply from the Kenis couple.
She had already sent them a letter about adopting Aria, planning it so the couple would see it as soon as they returned from their duties with the vanguard. To her delight, the reply had come back far sooner than expected.
She didn’t know the details, but she had heard that finishing the vanguard’s mission didn’t mean their work was done—there were always matters to settle afterward. So a delayed response would have been natural. Yet the Kenis couple had written back immediately.
The letter was two-thirds filled with eager words about how much they wanted to meet Aria, and the rest explained they would quickly finish their obligations and come to Nostrie. In their neat, cheerful handwriting, they gave an approximate date: five days later.
Lady Bervel’s cheeks flushed as she smiled brightly. Though Aria wasn’t her own child, she couldn’t be happier at the thought of the sweet girl becoming the daughter of such a good couple.
“Darling.”
“You’re home early!”
At the voice behind her, Lady Bervel turned, her face lighting up. She rushed into her husband’s arms, and Lord Bervel nuzzled against her shoulder.
“What has you so delighted?”
“A reply from the Kenis couple. Do you want to read it?”
“Which do you prefer—the letter, or me?”
“Oh, honestly, you always say the silliest things.”
To him, the smile on her face was far more beautiful than any letter. He had thought to suggest a walk in the nearby woods, but changed his mind. Instead, he wanted to spend a slow, affectionate evening whispering love to his wife. After peppering her with kisses until she scolded him, he finally let his attention drift to the letter.
Skimming the words, he leaned in and stole another quick kiss.
“Darling!”
“I finished reading.”
“You did not!”
“I did. So, will you go see Lady Blanche?”
“I’d like to give her the letter in person.”
Her voice was filled with excitement. Yet for a fleeting moment, a shadow crossed her face. It was gone almost instantly, but Lord Bervel, famed as a devoted husband, caught it all the same.
“Is something troubling you?”
“Oh… It’s just that I’m a little worried about the lady’s reaction.”
“What do you mean?”
“She said she would give Aria up for adoption, but… she seemed hesitant.”
“That makes sense. I’ve seen how Aria clings to her, calling her ‘Mother.’ They must be deeply attached.”
He nodded, replying calmly.
“But a young unmarried woman raising a child will draw gossip. Nostrie is small, so it hasn’t been an issue, but outside… people will question her. Remember two years ago, when that slaver was caught and the whole Empire was in uproar? He was unmarried as well—pretended to be sheltering abandoned children, but in truth committed vile crimes.”
“!”
“Lady Blanche may care for Aria with the purest heart, but others may not see it that way. In time, though it’s painful now, both she and Aria will see this as a blessing.”
“I hope so.”
“They will, certainly.”
He embraced her and whispered reassuringly. The shadow lifted from her face.
“Five days from now… That’s a bit tricky.”
“What do you mean?”
“The blizzards will start soon. Nostrie always gets a few days of light snow before a sudden storm. They’ll arrive safely, but leaving again will be difficult.”
Ah, that’s right. They had been warned of a particularly heavy snowfall this year.
“Then we’d better see Lady Blanche as soon as possible.”
