Night deepened across the Rosenfeld Main Estate.
Cold winds drifted outside the enormous fortress-like mansion while silver moonlight reflected softly against endless snowfields surrounding the North Capital. Dragon banners moved quietly beneath the winter skies while distant knight patrols crossed the estate grounds carrying lanterns through the falling snow.
Inside the mansion however—
Warm silence dominated the upper residential halls.
Kel calmly walked through the familiar corridors alone.
The black marble floors reflected faint golden light from ancient mana lamps hanging overhead while dragon-carved walls surrounded him from every direction.
Every step echoed softly.
Steady.
Controlled.
Yet strangely—
The closer he approached his room—
The more unfamiliar his own home began feeling.
Inside his mind—
Sairen quietly spoke.
"You're nervous again."
Kel calmly reached the final corridor.
"…No."
"You are."
The silver-haired spirit sounded amused.
"You faced Divine Dragon Generals more calmly than this hallway."
Kel ignored the comment internally.
Meanwhile—
At the end of the corridor—
One familiar door stood silently beneath dim golden light.
His room.
The place he spent years trapped within weakness and pain.
The place where countless nights passed beneath bloodstained sheets and suffocating coldness spreading endlessly through his cursed body.
And now—
After everything—
He finally returned here again.
Kel slowly opened the door afterward.
The room remained almost exactly the same.
Large northern windows covered by dark curtains.
Black shelves lined with books.
A fireplace quietly burning near the wall.
Dragon-carved furniture untouched by time.
Even the scent itself felt familiar.
And then—
Kel stopped moving.
Because someone already sat quietly upon the edge of his bed.
A woman.
Long dark silver hair flowed softly across her maid uniform while warm candlelight illuminated her calm expression beneath the silent atmosphere.
The moment the door opened—
She turned toward him slowly.
And smiled.
Gentle.
Warm.
Familiar.
"…Long time no see, Young Master."
Kel quietly stared at her for several seconds afterward.
Then unexpectedly—
A faint genuine smile appeared on his face.
"…Yes."
Another pause.
"It's been a long time, Marine."
Marine.
His personal maid.
The woman who remained beside him even during the years everyone expected him to die.
When servants feared approaching the cursed heir—
She stayed.
When endless nights became unbearable—
She stayed.
When even standing exhausted him—
She still quietly attended him without complaint.
Meanwhile—
Marine slowly stood from the bed afterward.
And for a moment—
She simply looked at him silently.
Not hurried.
Not emotional.
Just carefully observing.
As though trying to confirm the young man before her truly existed.
Then softly—
She walked closer.
The candlelight reflected within her silver-gray eyes while her expression gradually softened further.
"You look taller."
Another step closer.
"Healthier."
Then she paused briefly.
Her gaze quietly moved across Kel's face.
"…And handsome."
The compliment sounded so natural that even Kel blinked once slightly.
Meanwhile—
Marine smiled faintly afterward.
"You truly changed a lot, Young Master."
Kel quietly removed his gloves afterward before placing them near the nearby table.
"Not much."
Another pause.
"I'm still the same person."
Marine immediately smiled knowingly.
"No."
The maid quietly shook her head.
"You're not."
The room became silent briefly afterward.
Because unlike others—
Marine remembered clearly.
The pale dying child.
The trembling hands.
The blood-covered handkerchiefs hidden beneath bedsheets.
She remembered every painful detail.
And because of that—
The healthy young man standing before her now almost looked unreal.
Meanwhile—
Marine softly folded her hands together afterward.
"You must have missed my chocolate sake."
Kel blinked once again.
Then unexpectedly laughed quietly.
A low soft laugh.
"…I did."
The maid immediately smiled brighter afterward.
"I knew it."
Another pause.
"I'll prepare it immediately."
Before Kel could say anything else—
Marine already turned gracefully toward the door.
The moment she left—
Silence returned to the room once more.
Kel slowly walked deeper inside afterward.
His eyes quietly scanned everything.
The bookshelves.
The fireplace.
The desk.
Then finally—
The bed.
He stopped beside it silently.
Because honestly—
Too many memories existed here.
Countless nights coughing blood until breathing hurt.
Countless mornings waking unsure whether he survived another night.
The room itself remembered death.
And somehow—
That reality now felt distant.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly whispered:
"You hated this room once."
Kel quietly touched the edge of the bed afterward.
"…Yes."
The silver-haired spirit became gentler now.
"And now?"
Kel slowly sat down.
The mattress sank softly beneath his weight.
Then quietly—
"…It feels smaller than I remembered."
Sairen laughed softly.
"That's because you stopped living like someone trapped inside it."
The fireplace crackled nearby afterward.
And strangely—
She was right.
Back then—
This room was his entire world.
A prison decorated like nobility.
Now however—
After other realms…
After wars…
After dragons…
The once suffocating chamber no longer felt capable of containing him.
Meanwhile—
The door opened again softly.
Marine returned carrying a silver tray carefully balanced within her hands.
A warm sweet scent immediately spread throughout the room afterward.
Chocolate sake.
Kel's favorite.
The maid quietly approached before setting the tray upon the nearby table.
Steam rose gently from the dark drink beneath the candlelight.
Meanwhile—
Marine handed the cup toward him afterward.
"Careful."
Another small smile.
"It's still hot."
Kel accepted it quietly.
The warmth spread immediately through his fingers.
And strangely—
That simple feeling alone carried nostalgia powerful enough to stop him momentarily.
Because before—
During the coldest nights—
This was one of the few things capable of warming his constantly freezing body.
Kel slowly drank afterward.
The familiar sweet bitterness spread across his tongue instantly.
Warm.
Rich.
Comforting.
And for the first time since returning—
Something inside him truly relaxed.
Meanwhile—
Marine quietly observed him from nearby.
Then softly asked:
"Good?"
Kel calmly finished another sip.
"…Perfect."
The maid looked strangely happy hearing that.
Eventually—
Kel finished the entire cup completely before handing it back.
Marine accepted the empty cup afterward with practiced elegance.
Then quietly bowed slightly.
"I'll leave you to rest now, Young Master."
Kel nodded once.
Meanwhile—
Marine paused briefly near the doorway afterward.
Then softly—
"I'm glad you came back alive."
The room fell silent afterward.
Kel quietly looked toward her.
Yet before he could answer—
Marine already left.
The door closed gently behind her.
And silence returned once more.
Meanwhile—
Kel slowly leaned backward onto the bed afterward.
The soft mattress welcomed him beneath the dim firelight while cold moonlight drifted softly through the curtains.
For several moments—
He simply stared toward the ceiling quietly.
No politics.
No war.
No dragons.
No responsibilities.
Only silence.
Peaceful silence.
Inside his mind—
Even Sairen remained unusually quiet now.
And slowly—
Kel closed his eyes.
For the first time in years—
He truly felt at peace.
Or so he thought.