“Geonin isn’t an ally of Aisen, is it?”

Adam nodded to Holly’s question. However, not being an ally didn’t mean they were enemies. An ally of Aisen meant a nation that exchanged necessary goods with each other.

“Yes. We are self-sufficient in food in Aisen.”

The ability to farm in Aisen, which was surrounded by snow and ice, was thanks to the mystical power of the magic stones. Holly looked forward to the day she could see this power with her own eyes as she scanned the map with interest.

The continent of ‘Mont Glasica’ looked like a pie with a bite taken out of one side. Her gaze stopped at the indented part of the map.

“I’ve heard that when in Geonin, one must visit the waterfall.”

This was something she remembered hearing from guests when she worked as a clerk in Halidem. Adam traced his finger over the map in response to her comment.

“Are you talking about this waterfall?”

The famous waterfall was located at the southernmost point of Geonin, splitting the land between Geonin and the east side, ‘Diamant.’

“Yes! It’s said that lovers who get drenched by the waterfall together will never part.”

As she spoke with an excited voice, Adam lifted his head to quietly observe the top of her head.

“Why do you ask?”

Holly blinked in surprise under his direct gaze.

“Have you finally made up your mind?”

The question she threw at him came back as another question. It seemed that even the oblivious Adam had noticed her always reticent stance in her relationship with Cahill. Holly felt embarrassed as she remembered the times she had been fully committed to Cahill while also pulling back.

“I was being stubborn about unnecessary things.”

Her face turned red with embarrassment. Adam looked down, avoiding her gaze.

“As long as you’ve realized it now.”

Holly lifted her head and rolled her eyes at him in a not-so-annoyed manner. She was irritated at Adam for teasing her even though she was the one who brought it up.

“That’s good to hear.”

Adam muttered to himself, seemingly with a bittersweet smile.

* * *

The group stood on a steep cliff.

“How exactly are we supposed to get drenched by the waterfall?”

Holly stood at the edge of the cliff, peering down with disbelief at the vast drop below. The height was dizzying, and no path leading down was in sight.

“Don’t get too close. It’s dangerous.”

Cahill said, pulling her back by the arm.

“Danger? You know of such things, Your Highness?”

Adam exclaimed, his voice filled with astonishment.

“But they said there’s only one waterfall in Geonin.”

Holly murmured dejectedly, her eyes drooping.

“Do you want to see a waterfall? Should I make one for you?”

Cahill, seeing her shadowy expression, was ready to roll up his sleeves. The sight of her sad eyes tugged at his heartstrings. Making her smile again seemed like no challenge at all if it meant creating a waterfall.

“Though it wouldn’t mean anything if it’s not this waterfall.”

Holly sighed, shaking her head sadly. The thought of not being able to make her happy made his shoulders slump. He quickly glared at Adam, his gaze demanding a solution.

Adam, eager to earn the approval from the person he admires, Cahill, fell into deep thought.

“Why not just jump down?”

While the cliff was dauntingly high, to Cahill, who could soar through the air, such a thing might be trivial.

“It’s not about getting down there.”

Holly retorted, looking at Adam with disapproval. What mattered to her was the legend that lovers drenched by the waterfall would love each other forever. Such tales were hit or miss, but without even a way down, the slim hope vanished altogether.

“Well, maybe the rumor is true in a different sense?”

She squinted at Adam, puzzled by his comment.

“If couples attempted to reach the waterfall, their lives would surely end side by side.”

Adam reasoned, implying that, in a grim way, they would indeed be together forever. Hearing that, Holly couldn’t help but agree with his logic. It was true, they’d love each other forever.

“So, we have to get down there somehow?”

Holly hesitated before nodding glumly. Cahill smiled broadly as if to say, ‘It’s settled then.’

“Wait, Cahill…!”

Watching his confident actions always stirred a sense of unease in her. Desperately, she called out his name, reaching for him.

However, Cahill was swift. From the top to the bottom of the waterfall, water froze in its course. Droplets that escaped the main flow froze mid-air, and ice chunks of various sizes hung for a second before plummeting down.

“…Did you freeze it all?”

Holly muttered with a mix of worry and admiration. The waterfall, now a cascade of white ice, sparkled like a jewel.

“It’s beautiful.”

Holly couldn’t take her eyes off the frozen landscape.

“Aisen is even more beautiful than this.”

Cahill, who was proud, intertwined his hand with hers as he spoke.

“Really?”

As she wondered what a country covered in snow would look like, her heart fluttered with anticipation.

“Now we just need to sled down.”

“Sled?”

As she asked, Cahill raised his hand as if to explain, then flailed it in the air before letting it drop.

“You’ll see what it looks like soon.”

Seeing it in person would be easier than any explanation. Holly nodded in agreement.

“For a sled to use here…”

Adam scanned the surroundings and then furrowed his brows.

“Go make one.”

“Yes! Understood!”

At Cahill’s command, Adam eagerly responded and then headed into the wooded forest.

“We could just jump down.”

After failing to stop Adam, Holly turned to Cahill. She was curious about the sled but not to the extent of wanting one made just for the experience.

“If he was tagging along on this journey, running errands is the least he can do.”

Unlike her, who felt sorry for assigning seemingly pointless tasks, Cahill was nonchalant.

“Badin. Find us something to eat.”

Cahill turned to Badin, who stood idly by, and gave his next order.

“Your Highness?”

Badin looked at his master with a displeased expression and questioned him. Cahill’s gaze shifted to Holly. Perhaps because of the waterfall being frozen entirely, she was shivering.

“I’ll gather some firewood.”

“Let’s go together.”

Holly grabbed Cahill’s arm. As everyone took on a task, she felt uncomfortable just standing by. Cahill, however, shook his head.

“We need someone to watch our things.”

She had to agree with Cahill’s rare sensible point and nodded. She then avoided the envious gaze of Badin, who disliked moving, since she didn’t want to volunteer for unnecessary tasks.

* * *

Was it a mistake to rest? Soon after lighting the fire, Holly couldn’t stop sneezing. Her eyes stung, and her throat itched.

“Achoo!”

Cahill watched her, finding her sneezing fits somewhat adorable as she struggled with her runny nose and poked at the fire with a stick.

“Caught a cold?”

Holly considered herself robust unless it came to her health, which she couldn’t do much about with the constant changes in the environment. Nonetheless, her condition seemed to worsen, making it hard to just brush off.

“What’s this?”

With tears streaming, Holly poked the fire with the stick she had been using and discovered something attached to it. It was burnt black, making it difficult to discern its original shape.

“Ah. I was wondering if you could eat that, so I tried it, and it turned out to be spicy.”

“…Spicy?”

Hearing Cahill’s words, Holly inspected the unburned firewood. She noticed a small pepper hanging from a twig.

__