Chapter 57
At last, the Ice Throne crumbled so completely that its form was unrecognizable, and only then did his movements stop.
When he turned around, he saw cracks spreading through Janet’s body, slumping to the ground like ice, and black smoke enveloping her.
“What is your name?”
“There’s no name worth telling a demon.”
“Is that so?”
Atanas raised his sword. As if sensing her fate, Janet closed her eyes and muttered in a small voice:
“Ah, my king… someday I shall return to your side…”
Before her final words could finish, the merciless blade fell, ending her life without hesitation.
As Janet vanished, the ice puppets that had moved according to her will froze in place. Not long after, they collapsed like marionettes with their strings cut.
“Is… it over?”
A knight’s question echoed through the silent Ice Banquet Hall.
Atanas, staring quietly at the spot where Janet had disappeared, exhaled deeply.
“It’s over.”
Though the words were short, their resonance was immense.
The knights raised both hands high and shouted loudly, “Waaah!”
Atanas, hearing their exuberant cries in the empty hall, did not adjust their formation but allowed them to revel in their joy.
As soon as he confirmed Janet’s disappearance, he immediately turned and hurried down to where Flora was.
“Father…”
Venio, wounded in multiple places from protecting Flora, called to him with a trembling voice, showing no sign of pain.
“Flora’s body is still so cold.”
“Show me.”
“Yes, yes.”
Venio slowly lowered his trembling hands and carefully laid Flora across his lap.
“Flora, it’s Dad. Dad’s here now.”
A warm, healing hand grasped one of Flora’s hands.
“Please… please open your eyes.”
Kneeling, his voice full of desperate pleading, the hall fell silent once more. His choked voice was heavy with regret, and tears began to spread across everyone’s faces.
“Flora, please…”
Venio grasped her other hand, praying as earnestly as Atanas did.
Yet, Flora did not move.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m sorry I’m late.”
Atanas was overwhelmed with deep regret.
If he had known, he would never have gone to the capital.
‘This all happened because I foolishly sought wealth without knowing my place.’
His resolve to change for his family’s happiness had brought the worst possible outcome.
‘If only I hadn’t left…’
The word “if” was like a curse, showing an irreversible reality.
Atanas’s eyes reddened with the impossibility of his wish, and a tear fell from one eye.
The warm tear landed on Flora’s hand, which he held so desperately—and like magic, a miracle happened.
Flora twitched. Her hand moved.
Seeing the movement in the hand they held, Atanas and Venio’s eyes widened.
“…D-Dad?”
The small voice that followed was the one they had longed for so much.
“Where am I? Wh-why…”
Before Flora could finish her question, Venio pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Whoa!”
Atanas then embraced both of them without hesitation.
“Sniff… sob…”
Flora, startled by Venio’s crying, held him and asked:
“Why are you crying, Oppa? Who hurt you? Why are you crying?”
He shook his head silently.
“Gosh, you’re so hurt!”
Flora, panicked and unsure what to do, looked at Atanas.
“Oh, Dad too!”
Seeing Flora’s face surprised yet completely normal, Atanas breathed a sigh of relief and laughed.
Flora, feeling safe, watched the two big, bear-like figures shed tears and felt a twinge of regret.
‘I must never do something like this again.’
Though necessary for dramatic effect, doing this twice would surely cause unbearable trauma.
‘But that won’t happen again.’
With the ransom paid, there was no need to pretend to be kidnapped.
Still, Flora diligently wiped the tears from Venio’s eyes.
“Don’t cry. Okay?”
Though Venio was older and strong, his tears made him look strangely fragile.
‘Whatever is on him must be really intense.’
Unable to resist comforting him, Flora continued to soothe him.
“I’m not crying.”
‘First wipe the tears from your eyes, then talk.’
Of course, Flora silently blamed herself a little, since she had caused the tears.
‘Since he’s so vulnerable, I have to protect him.’
Unaware of her thoughts, Venio gave a faint smile at her small, delicate hands.
‘I’ll need to train more to prevent this from happening again.’
The two siblings, thinking the same thing without realizing it, turned their heads at Atanas’s call.
“Let’s head home now.”
The weary knights behind them seemed pleased.
They had defeated the demon and rescued Flora; they would want to return home and rest.
‘But this isn’t the end yet.’
There was still joyful news left; he couldn’t just let them leave.
Flora, nestled in Venio’s arms, dug through her chest and pulled something out.
“Ugh, Oppa, I got this.”
Atanas’s eyes narrowed at the ice-carved key.
“What’s this?”
Atanas took the suspicious object, and Flora smiled innocently.
“I took it from that demon.”
“What?”
“When the demon looked away—whoosh!”
She gestured as if she had hidden it inside her body. Atanas and Venio looked back and forth, dumbfounded between the key and Flora.
Atanas wondered whether to scold Flora for stealing someone else’s belongings or praise her for boldly taking it from the demon.
Flora, knowing all along, smiled innocently and confidently said:
“Rian Saemsaemi said stealing is bad. But this isn’t stealing.”
She even added a plausible explanation.
“The demon said if he owns something and I take it, it’s okay. Since he said it, it’s not stealing. So this belongs to Oppa and me.”
Half for killing the demon, half for retrieving the key. Atanas blinked his single eye at his daughter claiming ownership so skillfully.
“But where does this key go?”
At Venio’s innocent question, Flora eagerly raised both hands.
“Umm… ah! The basement! It’s for the basement!”
“Basement? Does this castle even have a basement?”
One of the knights at the back spoke up.
“We don’t know yet. We couldn’t explore the castle after entering because we immediately went into battle…”
“Ah, that’s right. We came here in such a rush.”
Atanas nodded in understanding.
Suddenly, a loud noise came from somewhere, and the banquet hall began to shift.
The knights cautiously approached and, startled, exclaimed:
“Stairs leading to the basement!”
Before anyone could say more, the basement appeared, and they quickly asked:
“Shall we explore it immediately?”
Atanas thought for a moment and shook his head.
“No, the castle might collapse at any moment; it’s safer to leave.”
“No, no!”
Unexpectedly, Flora shouted.
All eyes turned to her. Slightly embarrassed, she nevertheless spoke loudly and confidently:
“This castle won’t collapse!”
“Did that demon say that?”
Venio asked. Flora rolled her eyes and answered in a small voice:
“He was talking to himself. He thought I was asleep and kept talking.”
‘Sorry, Janet. I ruined your image like this.’
Flora silently apologized, but outwardly she spoke confidently.
Since Janet was on her side, any lie would be forgiven.
“This castle is like the Devil’s Forest itself. If he lives, it won’t disappear. If he lives, there’ll be no one to take care of me. So he’ll stay in this castle.”
Flora, her voice trembling, said this, and Venio quickly held her and looked to Atanas.
“Father, the Devil’s Forest has existed unchanged for ages. This castle must be the same. If it has absorbed the forest’s magic, it won’t vanish as long as the forest remains.”
Atanas nodded seriously at her reasoning.
“Indeed… it’s possible. If it were going to vanish easily, it would have collapsed the moment the demon died. Even if the demon is gone, not all monsters disappear, so the magic remains.”
Seeing their overly serious expressions, Flora added her own thoughts.
“And this castle is pretty. I want to keep it.”
With a hint of selfishness, she implied exploring the castle, and unexpectedly, her father agreed.
“Alright, then this castle shall be yours.”
