Chapter 158

Once upon a time.

The world was covered in snow, yet amid it, flowers still remembered to bloom their petals. At the northern edge lay the Kingdom of Prisean.

The rooftops were covered in white snow, and ice-transparent streams flowed beneath, while at night, the northern lights colored the sky in this winter kingdom.

The cold made survival difficult, but it also strengthened people’s unity.

The citizens banded together in the cold. From small villages to fortresses, regardless of commoners or nobles, everyone in the kingdom lived helping one another.

Every morning, children in the village ran through the snow-covered streets, spreading laughter, while adults shared warm conversations watching them.

As evening came, crimson lights spilled from every home, illuminating the streets softly, and the aroma of fragrant soup wafted throughout the city.

If there was anyone shivering in the cold without a place to go, they would be guided into a warm home brimming with kindness.

Even when deep into the night and snow began to fall softly, no one paid any mind. For even in the cold winter nights, their hearts were warm.

It was undoubtedly cold and lonely, but within winter lay a faint warmth, a place like a fairy tale kingdom.

While the people of Prisean were kind-hearted, all of this was possible because there were parents supporting their children.

King Edrion and Queen Lasié.

They were far from mere monarchs sitting on thrones issuing commands. Like parents, they cared for the citizens, embracing them like a mother when times were tough.

To the people, they were parental figures instilling hope and courage.

And here, there is a young princess.

She is beautiful.

She is adorable.

“And an incredibly lovely princess, the most in the world.”

“Really?”

It was Carami telling a music box story. Because Perka asked why only Asies was being told the story, they all ended up gathering in the living room to listen.

In the midst of the captivating moment, when Carami’s tone suddenly raised, Perka felt an odd sensation and reflexively voiced her doubt.

Thorvar and Asies blinked in silence, seemingly sharing a similar feeling. Carami, slightly embarrassed, cleared her throat.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I got a bit too excited. Ahem, I’ll start again.”

Bringing love to the kingdom, the snow princess shaped by snow and cradling winter.

Without expressions and speaking little, the princess simply existing brought a beaming smile to those around her.

Once she grows, she would become a woman more beautiful than anyone else in the world. The man who wished to take her away would need unanimous approval from all the citizens, they nodded.

The princess, who had been special since infancy.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say she was a treasure nurtured by the entire kingdom.

However, the citizens held a great concern.

“The princess doesn’t smile.”

“Indeed. She’d be even more beautiful if she smiled.”

“Not just that? My daughter who works in the palace says she’s never even heard the princess’s voice.”

The princess was emotionless.

No one had ever heard her voice.

Even the nurse and maids desperately tried to coax her voice by shaking toys, yet the princess’s lips remained sealed.

She did not speak, nor did she even cry, leading to concern that perhaps she was unwell.

“She is in excellent health. It’s simply that she doesn’t speak.”

With these words from the royal physician, the people’s worries deepened.

So much so that rumors circulated suggesting she was a doll rather than a person, and at each mention, the king would let out a deep sigh.

Should I strike her to force her to cry?

He could never do that. To the citizens, the beautiful princess was a delight, and in her father’s eyes, how beautiful she must be. A daughter who wouldn’t hurt even if placed in his eyes.

There was nothing he could do but sigh.

At that moment, the queen spoke up.

“Please stop sighing. The princess will hear you.”

“But, dear queen, the princess is now four years old. She hasn’t even heard ‘Father’ once yet. Are you not worried?”

“What is there to worry about? Perhaps she has nothing she wishes to say yet. If we wait, she will surely show her voice, so don’t be impatient.”

“…Sometimes I think you are too optimistic.”

“Good things are good things. The princess thinks so too, doesn’t she?”

The princess had no response. Her expression gave no clue as to what she was thinking, as she fought against the drowsiness pressing on her eyelids.

If she closed her eyes, her head drooped as if about to fall into dreamland.

The queen let out a shallow sigh filled with resignation.

“Oh dear. You took a nap during the day, and yet you’re sleepy again. How many hours a day do you sleep?”

“There’s a saying that beautiful women are sleepyheads. It wouldn’t be strange for a princess to sleep all day long.”

“Optimism seems to prevail with either of us, Your Majesty.”

“Ahem, how could it not be so with such a lovely daughter?”

With a smile that seemed to say she couldn’t argue with the doting king, the queen embraced the princess. On other occasions, the usually calm princess would whine just like any ordinary child when sleepy.

Perhaps even more so.

But the queen was very skilled in caring for the princess. Cradling her, the queen began to sing a lullaby while gently patting her back.

The snowflakes are falling, to wrap around you.

The moonlight gently comes, to embrace you.

Go find sweet dreams, following the starlight in the night sky.

Stay in love, and peacefully drift into sleep.

Good night, my dear.

Our beloved little one.

You are the prettiest snowflake in the world.

A flower of love blossoming in winter.

The lullaby’s beautiful melody came to an end, just as the princess fell into dreamland, resting in her mother’s embrace.

With the world’s affairs left behind, the king smiled wryly. It was simply amazing how she could sleep so easily.

Of course, at first glance, it was wonderful, but on the other hand, he couldn’t help but worry.

“The princess is slowly growing; shouldn’t we let her sleep alone? We can’t keep putting her to bed forever.”

“That’s true, but the princess doesn’t fall asleep without a lullaby…”

Loving to sleep, yet the princess would stubbornly resist until a lullaby was sung. Just thinking about it made the king weary, and he pondered silently.

How can I make the princess sleep without the queen?

His thoughts didn’t linger long.

An idea quickly popped up in his mind.

“How about creating a device that plays songs? That way, the princess would be able to sleep alone.”

“That’s indeed a brilliant idea. Someday, when the princess grows up and no longer needs lullabies, it could become a keepsake filled with memories.”

Both the king and the queen agreed.

It would surely make for a wonderful gift for the princess.

Diri-ling~ Diri-ling~

A gentle melody flowed.

As the wound-up spring unwound, the snowflakes adorned on the music box began to move.

Above them, water droplets fell, droplets of clear water.

Tears falling from the doll’s eyes.

Though she still had neither feelings nor memories, for some reason, the doll shed tears endlessly.

Tears streaming down her snow-white cheeks were hot, piercing her heart like a nail; that was the emotion of sadness.

***

We excused ourselves to leave Asies alone.

Perka, who had been looking forward to hearing an interesting story, sniffled. Though she acted like a boy on the outside, she was ultimately an emotionally rich woman.

It seemed Asies’s tears resonated with her feelings.

Meanwhile, Thorvar, a person ruled more by reason than emotion, surely found the sight of the emotionless Asies crying to be a new revelation.

And yet, with a serious look, he seemed deep in thought before finally opening his mouth.

“Was that story just now your creation?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“…”

“No, really, it wasn’t.”

Why was it that people didn’t believe her when she said she wasn’t human?

In any case, there was too much suspicion.

What did I do wrong?

“Why do you ask?”

“Your story sounds just like the princess’s story. Could it be the princess’s tale?”

“Really? Is that so? Could it be that my sister was actually a princess? Was the princess from the fairy tale my sister?”

“Well, I don’t really know the details. I just told the story of the music box, but I never imagined Asies would cry.”

Songs have the power to forcibly dredge up deeply buried memories, even after a long time or from when one was very young, as soon as they hear the melody.

Even if they don’t recall the lyrics, they can’t help but hum along.

Hence, the music box containing the lullaby that Lasié had sung to young Asies serves as a device that stimulates Asies in various ways.

Nostalgia naturally stimulates both memories and feelings.

Thus, it was intended to evoke Asies’s sensitivity, but there was no expectation that it would lead to tears. Well, nonetheless, it had yielded better results than anticipated.

‘Though it’s not over yet.’

If you dip something into cold water, you should dip it into warm water next.

If she experienced sad emotions, now it was time to let her feel the opposite emotions.

A winter miracle that melts a cold heart.

Christmas is coming.

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