Home/The Ice Age Came? And I Just Got Married?!/ch 116

Chapter 116.

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Deep in the mountain range lay the Underground City.

The facility was so massive that tremors could be felt even through the thick rock.

King Aldric sat at the head of the conference table, silently gazing down at a snow-covered map.

Nobles seated around him watched his every move.

Knock, knock.

"Your Majesty."

"Enter."

The door opened, and a man in black uniform bowed deeply—a White Veil liaison officer.

"Captain Russell and Officer Kaelan have failed to send their scheduled report."

Aldric frowned.

"How many Winterstones did they take?"

"Twenty Redstones and fifteen Goldstones."

The room stirred.

"That many?"

"Too many, don't you think?"

"Can we trust him?"

"Still—Kaelan went with him."

Aldric cleared his throat uncomfortably, and the room fell silent.

"Earl Everhart—I'm curious about your thoughts."

The man addressed—Earl Everhart—looked terrible. He bore the marks of long hardship and torture.

Finally, he raised his weary head and glared at Aldric.

"What do you want to know? How it feels to have my daughter—once just a candidate—now marked as the most likely Keeper?"

"Some still suspect you stole that child."

"Wasn't there ample testimony and evidence that my wife was pregnant with her?"

"Indeed."

Aldric nodded, readily agreeing.

"I find that quite odd, too. Hmm."

After a moment, he continued.

"That question will be answered once we bring your daughter here—none of the previous Keeper candidates proved suitable, after all."

Earl Everhart bit his lower lip.

For five years, while being held and tortured by White Veil, he had done everything to delay Eve from being targeted as a test subject.

"Now, finally, it's time to use your child."

But in the end, the day had come when he would see her again.

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 14. The Portal

Graham and Julian agreed on one thing—their father was not a good man.

But whether he had been a bad father to me was another matter.

"Your brothers may not be the most reliable, but I treasure you above all—so if anything happens, follow them."

My father had once said that. I thought he was just giving me general advice for emergencies.

What had he really been thinking?

"What kind of thoughts? Did that man ever think at all?"

Julian sneered at my muttering.

I sighed and looked around—a brief lull.

Russell's interrogation was over, and everyone had gone back to their houses.

Russell and Kaelan remained bound, moved to the barn.

I, Julian, Graham, Logan, Marcus, and Aiden gathered in Eve House to continue talking.

More precisely, it felt like a meeting of children who had White Veil fathers.

"Didn't Father betray White Veil? Why is he still there?"

According to Graham, our father had stolen me from White Veil—so he couldn't be caught.

"Ah—maybe he's still there to avoid being found out?"

At my question, Julian nodded.

"Possible—I thought of that too."

Maybe Father wasn't on anyone's side—neither ours nor White Veil's. Just his own.

No—let's not jump to conclusions.

I could only know his true intent by hearing it from him directly.

"Still—no parent would put themselves before their child. It's infuriating."

Julian clicked his tongue, and Marcus agreed.

"I'm an adopted son, so it's different for me..."

He trailed off, scanning the room.

"Well—we're all in similar boats."

At my answer, Marcus shrugged.

The one who looked most troubled was Aiden.

Logan, as always, showed no interest in his parents' fate—truly a lunatic.

How had he been raised?

Well—the Duke of Cheshwind hadn't sought his child either, so they were even.

"So—what's your plan?"

I asked Aiden. As the protagonist of Ice Age Survival and the Crown Prince, surely he had a strategy.

The novel's plot has changed a lot.

But what if the inevitable still happened—what if "that event" was still coming?

But in Ice Age Survival, I was already dead. White Veil was never mentioned.

Who knew how these changes would affect the future?

I'll have to watch.

The Crown Prince must have a plan.

Aiden was silent for a long time.

Finally, he spoke.

"I'm thinking of going to the Southern Underground City—I'll have to confront him directly."

His plan seemed to have just changed.

Marcus rested his chin and nodded.

"Hmm—it might not be too dangerous. They have no reason to attack non-candidates—they only want our junior."

"The Chairman is right, ma'am—you should stay here safely with the Duke, and the rest of us will go to the Underground City to gauge their intentions."

"If they refuse to let you go?"

Aiden's gaze wavered.

"Then..."

"Whatever happens—prioritize your safety."

Aiden looked at me, speechless.

"I don't want you to be endangered because of this. No matter what, preserve yourself."

Logan, who had been listening, chimed in.

"Right—I'll keep Eve safe here. You don't need to worry about us."

His intention to keep me from the dangerous Southern Underground City was clear.

I shook my head and opened my palm—a small snowflower bloomed. I showed it and smiled.

"Don't worry—I can protect myself."

Silence fell.

No one could deny that I could protect myself.

"Your Grace—I am different from my father."

Aiden's voice carried firm resolve. He lowered his gaze briefly, then met my eyes.

"A king does not abandon his people."

He still held hope—that King Aldric couldn't have abandoned him or the kingdom.

"I have no intention of returning alone, leaving my people in danger."

If his hope were true, how wonderful that would be—I wished for it too.

I wanted the Grandon royal family to end this damned ice age on their own.

All I wanted was to survive until it ended.

"Alright—so His Highness will go to the Southern Underground City with Captain Russell. What about Officer Kaelan?"

Julian asked. Logan answered simply,

"Dispose of him—cleanly."

It was the cold logic of a man who had led armies to victory.

Silence fell again.

"Leaving an uncontrollable enemy alive serves no purpose."

No one could argue. Kaelan had been uncontrollable to the end, and there was no useful information to extract.

Russell's information had been very useful.

I glanced at the map on the table—Russell's marked locations now dotted the Grandon map.

He had provided valuable information about White Veil.

I recalled Marcus raising his voice earlier at Russell's words.

"Perhaps the Duchess should consider joining them—if they find you useful, they'll treat you well."

"What are you saying—to be used until you're no longer useful? All for some good treatment?"

That meant that as long as they coveted my power, they couldn't harm me.

Of course, if they classified me as a complete enemy, that would change.

Until I fully understand White Veil, I mustn't appear hostile.

Just as I was thinking that—

"More importantly—when is our Duke getting his memory back?"

Graham adjusted his glasses and looked at Logan with obvious displeasure.

Aiden and Marcus's gazes also turned to him.

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