Ch. 7: A Face Lacking Composure
Frost was shocked at the report his aide had brought to him, but he immediately regained his composure.
Frost: “Tell me the details.”
Aide: “Yes sir. According to the information, there are people who felt animosity regarding the close relationship your highness had with the princess.”
Frost: “…”
Frost furrowed his brow slightly as he returned to his room, accompanied by the aide.
Frost: “…I see. I understand what you’re getting at.”
Frost shed his cape and turned back towards his trusted aide.
Frost: “Bring me the information on the lord’s villas, plots of land, storefronts, and anything else immediately. Also, increase the number of guards around the castle and on the border. I will not allow a single one of them to escape through my net after this. Go!”
Aide: “Yes sir!”
The aide hurriedly left after receiving an order filled with rage.
Frost: “This is my error… I wasn’t able to detect such a simple plan…”
Frost’s composure had never slipped, but now his face was contorted in frustration.
Ch. 8: Wanting to See Each Other Again
As the servants finished with the preparations, Frost sat alone in his room.
Frost: “What has me this frantic… the other party involved in this is the Princess of Traumere… by that, it’s a political matter so… the one most capable of preventing this from escalating is me.”
Frost folded his arms and looked out the window, where it had already grown quite late.
Frost: “…I can’t carelessly command the situation myself… however…”
Pain and bitterness permeated his words.
If only one of the servants had been standing there, they wouldn’t have believed what they were seeing in Frost.
Frost: “OO… please… be safe.”
Frost’s voice went unheard by anyone else as it was swallowed up by the winter night.
…
……
At that time…-.
OO: “…it’s no use… it just won’t open.”
I tried to find a way to get out of the room I was locked up in and let out a sigh at the lack of results.
But…
(It’s gotten colder than it was before… it might already be the middle of the night.)
As I breathed onto my frozen fingers, I looked up towards the sky I couldn’t see.
(How can I get out of here? I can’t… think straight, it’s so cold…)
————————
Frost: “Somehow, you… no, it seems I will need to change my opinion of you.”
Frost: “I’ll return when business is concluded, so wait at the castle for me.”
————————
(I thought he had been opening up to me a little… but I’m positive that I must have done something wrong for things to have ended up like this.)
OO: “Frost…”
I crouched down and hugged my knees, becoming as small as I could.
My fingers… and my feet were frozen… I was gradually losing feeling in them.
(I’m sure I caused trouble for them.)
————————
Frost: “You may move freely within the castle. You’ll be shown to your room. You may retire now if you so desire.”
————————
I recalled Frost, so full of majesty and with such a dignified bearing.
(Of course, I wouldn’t be a good match for him…)
I tightly grasped my skirt and closed my eyes.
(But… I want to see him one more time.)
As my vision grew dim, I thought of Frost and followed after him like I was chasing a light.
Ch. 9: The Voice I Want to Hear
…
The snow had fallen in heavy piles as midnight passed…-.
At the castle, they had finally finished narrowing down the places OO could be confined.
Aide: “Now Lord Frost, we can form up a search and rescue team and send them out, so please wait just a little longer.”
Frost: “…no, I’m going.”
Frost spoke as if by reflex.
Aide: “But Lord Frost, there’s no need for you to personally…”
Frost: “Silence. Right now, it’s a race against time. I’ll start in the southern area of town. The rest of you hit the center and the northern area.”
Servant: “Yes sir!”
After assembling, the split forces left the castle.
Frost watched them go and clenched his right hand into a fist.
Frost: “I swear… I will find you…!”
…
……
(… a sound…?)
As my consciousness had dimmed, and I’d started to fall asleep, I heard something coming from far away.
??: “…….-, ……, ……!”
OO: “…!?”
The sound was nearer now, and I slowly looked up…-.
Frost: “OO! Are you there OO!?”
(Eh…? That sounds like Frost!? No way…!?)
I thought my ears were playing tricks on me, then…-.
A loud sound reached my ears, and the door of the small room was thrown open.
Frost: “OO, are you alright!?!”
OO: “Frost…?”
I opened my eyes, bleary with tears, and large, white arms wrapped tightly around my body.
Ch. 10: First Kiss
Frost: “OO, are you alright!?!”
Frost came straight for me and held me tightly.
OO: “Frost…”
(He’s warm…)
His large hands enveloped my own.
I gradually felt a gentle warmth spread through my fingers that had been completely frozen through.
Frost: “OO, I’m sorry for making you wait so long that you became so cold… this is all my fault.”
OO: “Don’t… apologize… I’m the one… who is sorry…”
I grasped onto Frost’s hand even though there was no strength in my fingers.
Frost: “I told you not to apologize so easily.”
His tone of voice was so kind and warm now, completely different than it had been back then, and that warmth filled my heart.
OO: “…right.”
He stroked my cheek, and I smiled back at him.
Then his red eyes wavered with confusion.
Frost: “I can’t believe something like this happened while I was away…”
OO: “It’s alright. You came to get me after all. And you came here yourself…”
As I said it, Frost’s face took on a frown.
But eventually, he appeared to give up and smiled faintly, then…-.
OO: “…”
My breath caught.
The overflowing tears stopped, and I forgot about time as it seemed even the second hand had stopped moving.
(Frost…?)
Frost’s pale lips were on top of my cold ones.
(No way… but I’m not imagining this warmth, right…?)
I didn’t even have the strength to stand as large hands supported my head and wrapped around my waist.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw Frost through my blurred vision.
Frost: “It seems… I’ve fallen in love with you.”
OO: “Love…?”
Frost: “Knowing you had been captured by someone’s hand… I was in such turmoil that I couldn’t control myself. It’s… the first time anything like that has happened.”
OO: “But… Frost…”
My thoughts still hadn’t caught up to what he’d suddenly expressed, and I could do nothing other than gaze into his red eyes that shown with a fierce light from this proximity.
Frost: “I never thought a woman like you would make me feel this way…”
After those words, he deepened the kiss and his tongue slid between my lips.
OO: “Nn…”
Frost: “OO…”
Our lips slowly parted, and Frost said my name with so much more love than I’d ever heard.
OO: “…”
At the intense kiss, my mind was simply in chaos.
Not minding me being in that state, Frost once again hugged me fiercely.
(This person was so frantically searching for me…)
His own body was completely chilled.
(He was… thinking about me.)
Tears fell from the corners of my eyes.
They weren’t born from loneliness or even relief, but rather from happiness.
(Me too…)
While I had been imprisoned, I had wanted to see him again no matter what.
As I was held in his arms, I was filled with a warm happiness.
(I love Frost…)
OO: “Your face… looks terrible.”
Frost: “…I could say the same of you.”
OO: “Yeah… we’re quite a pair… both looking like this.”
Our lips met again.
After the long, long kiss… Frost finally let go of me.
But his fingers tightly gripped my hand.
Frost: “OO, I need you from here on out. You’re the one who can teach me about this new sense of values, and love. What do you say? Will you walk this path with me?”
Frost was dignified, majestic, as he spoke to me, and I nodded firmly.
OO: “Yes. If you’ll have me.”
Hand in hand, we kissed again.
The snow continued to fall outside, beautiful and silent.
And that’s how a kiss ignited the love between myself and Prince Frost.
END
Secret Story: Love Born
Midnight passed with the snow piling up outside…-.
Someone had captured OO, and I finally tracked her down, at which point I tightly held her frozen body.
Frost: “OO, I’m sorry for making you wait so long that you became so cold… this is all my fault.”
OO: “Don’t… apologize… I’m the one… who is sorry…”
As she spoke with a frail voice, she held my hand with no strength in her fingers.
Frost: “I told you not to apologize so easily.”
As I repeated those words that I’d told her before, I surprised myself at how gentle it came out.
OO: “…right.”
After OO had replied, I stroked her head and she smiled at me.
(…if I’d made one wrong move, this smile… …)
As soon as I imagined that worse-case scenario, a chill ran down my spine.
Frost: “I can’t believe something like this happened while I was away…”
(Though I was able to rescue you like this, I still put you in danger… I truly am sorry…)
I couldn’t help growing irrationally frustrated at my own weakness.
But she didn’t criticize me…
OO: “It’s alright. You came to get me after all. And you came here yourself…”
(…!!)
————————
Frost: “Why did you not say anything?”
OO: “Well… I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel anything from that. But I didn’t want to disappoint you or sully your name further. I am your guest after all.”
————————
(She was like that back then too. This woman… is strong, and kind.)
I was struck by an intense feeling, and the impact of that gradually changed into love.
Then…
OO: “…”
I kissed her frozen lips gently as if to warm them up.
(OO…)
She still didn’t have the strength to stand, so I firmly wrapped my hands around her head and waist as I kissed her again…
(… this feeling…)
Gradually, the heat returned to her lips, and I felt my own heart fill with warmth.
(I see. So, this is what happens when I kiss the woman I love…)
Then, after I kissed her again and it stirred up a sensation that I had not experienced before…
Frost: “It seems… I’ve fallen in love with you.”
OO opened her eyes slowly and looked up at me, and I gave my heart to her.
OO: “Love…?”
Frost: “Knowing you had been captured by someone’s hand… I was in such turmoil that I couldn’t control myself. It’s… the first time anything like that has happened.”
OO: “But… Frost…”
Frost: “I never thought a woman like you would make me feel this way…”
(This was the greatest mistake of my life as a royal of the proud Snowphilia Family. But… for some reason I am truly glad, from the bottom of my heart, that you gave me these feelings…)
My feelings of overflowing love were tinged slightly just then with frustration, but as if to push it back, I deepened the kiss and pressed my tongue between her lips.
OO: “Nn…”
Frost: “OO…”
I slowly parted from her lips, and the love that had grown in me consumed everything as I spoke her name.
OO: “…”
I wondered if OO was confused, and she didn’t say anything in response…
Not minding her being that way, I followed my heart’s desire and once more held her tightly.
Then…
(I don’t want to be parted from you again. You’re the one who taught me of love…)
With OO in my arms, I held her even closer and firmly made that vow.
END