As the last echoes of the cardinal's prayers reverberated, a hushed silence fell upon the gathered nobles and delegates. All eyes turned towards the esteemed figure. With a commanding presence, the cardinal raised his hands, and his voice resonated.

"By the grace of the divine, I hereby declare the winter hunt to officially commenced!"

The cardinal's declaration served as a signal for the hunters and their retinues to prepare themselves for the hunt. Within moments, some nobles soon started their hunt.

Erza's eyes followed Jellal's figure as he made his way toward their tent, preparing himself for the upcoming hunt. Concern washed over her, knowing the dangers that awaited him in the wilderness. She couldn't help but worry for his well-being. As he donned his armor, Erza approached him

"I'm worried about you, Jellal," she murmured, her voice filled with genuine concern.

"There's no need to worry about me, Erza. I had been waging wars in my entire life, I will not lose to this." He smiled as he held her trembling hands.

She was silent, he slightly lowered his gaze now meeting hers. "I'm more worried about leaving you here alone."

As silence bled, Jellal reluctantly released her hands, and a heaviness settled in Erza's heart. She stood there, lost in her own thoughts, unable to find the right words to express her feelings. Being surrounded by aristocrats and navigating the intricacies of noble society, filled her with apprehension and a sense of unease.

"I-I'll be fine. You worry about yourself, not me." She said reflecting his gaze.

Jellal reached out and gently cupped Erza's face, his touch tender and filled with a mixture of longing and regret. She knew that Jellal had obligations he couldn't simply abandon. With a heavy sigh, she mustered a small, bittersweet smile and whispered,

"Fine, then come back to me then." She said.

Erza reached up and untied the scarlet ribbon that adorned her hair. Without a word, she carefully tied the ribbon to the hilt of his sword, securing it in place. Jellal's eyes softened as he noticed the ribbon adorning his sword. He reached out, his fingers grazing the fabric with a mixture of gratitude and affection.

"I will," he said with a grateful smile and pressed a gentle kiss to Erza's forehead.

Erza's gaze lingered on Jellal's departing figure. As she stood there, lost in her thoughts, a messenger approached her, disrupting her reverie. The messenger, dressed in the regalia of the royal family, bowed respectfully before Erza and held out a sealed envelope.

With a nod of thanks, Erza broke the seal and unfolded the parchment, her eyes quickly scanning the written words. Her expression shifted, a mixture of surprise and intrigue crossing her features as Erza read the message.

"Lead me to Her Majesty's quarters." She said as she closed the letter.

As Erschelle stepped into the opulent chambers of the empress, her breath caught in her throat at the sight that greeted her. The room exuded grandeur, adorned with intricate tapestries, gilded furniture, and delicate porcelain vases. But it was the empress herself who truly captivated Erschelle's attention. I never thought the empress could be this beautiful. Too bad, she died right at the beginning of the first novel. She thought as she greeted her.

The empress, a vision of regal elegance. Her beauty was striking, her blonde hair was ethereal and serene. However, in contrast to her façade, a cold voice commanded the attendants to leave.

"Now that we are alone, Erschelle," the empress spoke, her words resonating with an unsettling coldness, "Tell me, what has been setting you on loose with our plans. You said you can eradicate him before my Alexis comes back. But, look, he's stirring up unnecessary attention from the emperor again."

"I had other plans. Ever since that night happened, I realized that my enemy was not Jellal alone, but someone's been spoiling my plans, Your Majesty."

"You mean a rat is gnawing at your plans?" The empress's lips curled into a faint smile. She was amused to think that a crazy woman like her would be suspecting others of spoiling her plans.

"Yes. I saw the man who tried to kill me that night." She exclaimed making the empress furrow her brows.

"Who is it?" she asked seriously.

Erschelle's heart raced as she stepped out of the empress's chambers, her mind still reeling from it. She staggered a step back as she held the man's face in her view. She clenched her fists, feeling a surge of anger in her. The dark-blue-haired man, wearing a black hood, was no other than the archmage of the tower, Acnologia.

As Acnologia's piercing gaze locked onto Erschelle, the intensity of her rage flamed. He did not even dare to greet her. Well, he was an archmage and even though she's a princess now, considering her marriage to Jellal, the archmage has the freedom to choose whether or not to greet other nobles except for the royal family. It was customary for him to greet them but he sees no reason to greet her considering Jellal's origin. He was about to excuse himself but Erza could not tolerate the disrespect that he had for her husband.

"I did not know that the sage of the magic tower has gone blind after years of his studies." She said bluntly making him freeze and turn to see her.

His brows furrowed, a tingling sensation coursing through his veins. He could sense the underlying tension and hostility emanating from her, her words sounded like derision that even if he had the autonomy to get his ways done but when someone from the imperial family would demand him to do something, he had to oblige.

"I apologize for such misconduct, Princess. The magician of the tower greets Her Highness, Princess Erschelle," he said as he forced himself to offer a curt greeting.

As he resumed his composure, his gaze met Erza's, a flicker of disdain crossing his features. He watched her as she reminded him of his place with a voice laced with coldness.

"Don't you dare disrespect me again, Acnologia. I will not tolerate anyone who dares to mock the royal family." She said before allowing him to leave.

She heaved heavily as Erza's thoughts grappled with Erschelle's emotions. What on the earth are these emotions, Erschelle? It's as if your body instinctively recognizes him as a threat.

As Acnologia entered the empress's chambers, a heavy silence settled in the room. Acnologia's piercing eyes shifted from the floor to the Empress after greeting her. A subtle hint of curiosity painted the empress's face as she saw a mark of disdain in his gaze.

"I guess you saw her."

"Are you trying to ridicule me, Empress Selene?"

"Ridicule with what? Ah, I see. I guess you could not help but notice how much the two of them look like each other,"

"Do not remind me of her." He said as he sat on the opposite seat.

"Why not? She was once your master, Acnologia. Isn't it Irene who had you under her tutelage before-"

"Enough! I did not come here to chitchat with that woman. You said you wanted me to take care of something. What is it?"

"Oh, I should've asked you to take care of that thing but instead Erschelle came up with a brilliant idea."

"That woman? I thought your request is subjected to Rung Blanche but now you're telling me that his very own daughter had plans better to silence that loose cannon?"

"She's clever. She saw the man I ordered to assassinate her that night but instead of imputing the accusations on me, she was now directing it to her father. What a funny thing." She chuckled as she remembered their conversation.

"It would far be a blunder on the assassin's part to wear a royal emblem, Your Majesty. If that will be the real case then it could lead to various interpretations, it might seem as if the royal family orchestrated the plan."

"She claimed that she saw his complexion. Ocean blue eyes and tan skin, she now wants to link that man to the slaves that her father owns in the southern borders."

"However, the assassin that you had requested never had tan skin or blue eyes."

"But I asked him to wear a magic stone that alters his appearance. Too bad, I can't confirm it now because of your stupid spell," she said as she sipped her wine.

"We can't just leave traces if we want to have a perfect crime, Your Majesty."

"That's the problem. I want to make things messy this time."

"Don't tell me you'll agree with Rung Blanche's proposal?"

"No, I'll agree with both. I want to watch them draw swords on each other's necks."

"What about your son?" he asked as he remembered how the prince bothered him about his decision on Erschelle.

As Erza traversed to their tent, her mind was still filled with the weight of the discussions in the empress's chambers. Will she consider my plans? She asked herself. The noble ladies had been prying their eyes on her from a cautious distance. She could feel it but to her surprise, it felt normal.

"Erza, isn't it?" a voice greeted her from behind.

She looked through her shoulders, surprised to see the crown prince. As their eyes met, Alexis flashed a warm smile, his eyes sparkling with glee. She hastily bowed and greeted him. He chuckled and without hesitation, he approached her, holding her hand as she asked her to rise.

"It's been a while, Erza. I heard that many things had happened to you while I was away." He said as he brought her hands and placed a soft kiss on them.

Erza felt repulsive, she did not know either but she doesn't find it inappropriate for the male lead to show such interest in a married woman like herself. She knew he was the flirtatious and obsessive type troupe of the male lead in the series, she was actually cheering on him but seeing his actions in real life, made her uncomfortable.

"It's an honor to be acknowledged by someone like you, Your Highness," she replied, her voice soft but polite.

Alexis chuckled, seemingly at ease in her presence. "Please, call me Alexis," he insisted. "No need for formalities between us."

"I apologize but I can't grant such a request, Prince Alexis. I am a married woman and others might misunderstand if I don't use honorifics with you and please do address me as Erschelle. Only Jellal calls me by that name," she said retreating her hand to her gown.

"I-I see," he replied sternly as he tightened his jaw at the mention of his brother's name.

As the conversation was about to continue, Alexis' aide arrived. Erza chose to step back as she saw the aide whispering to him.

"Inform the empress that I shall be there shortly," he instructed.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I apologize for the interruption, Erza. I mean, Princess E-Erschelle. I will seek you out again soon. There is much we have yet to discuss. I really have to go."

"I understand, Your Highness," Erschelle feigned a smile.

Alexis nodded appreciatively, his gaze lingering on Erschelle for a moment longer before he turned to leave.

"Thank you for your understanding, Erza,"

She sighed as she stared at the sky. She paused and let the snow fall on her face. As she slowly felt the coldness of the snow, she decided to head to her tent. On her way to their tent, Erza's eyes caught sight of Callista from a distance. She hesitantly approached her in their barracks. As she entered, Erza observed Callista chanting a prayer to tend to the wounded individual.

"Oh, I greet Her Highness, Princess Erschelle."

"Please don't be wary."

"W-what brings you here, Your Highness?" Callista asked.

Erza took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to express her thoughts. She desperately wanted to apologize for Jellal's actions a while ago. He humiliated her enough although not enough to cause a disturbance as he chastised her greetings.

"I must admit, I was wrong a while ago when I just stood there and watched how my husband acted in front of you,"

"Oh, it was entirely my fault, Your Highness. The prince has the right to be infuriated by my actions. I am utterly sorry if I offended you in such a way. I was stationed in the northern mountains for quite a long that I was not able to read the news from the capital. If should I've known, I could've addressed you properly."

Erza reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Callista's arm. She smiled as she thanked her for her kindness. Callista offered Erschelle a seat as she told her that she'd brew some tea for her.

Frustration seethed within Alexis as he made his way to the empress's presence. His mind was filled with thoughts of the interruption that had cut short his conversation with Erschelle. He couldn't help but feel a surge of anger toward his mother for summoning him at such a crucial moment.

"You summoned me, Mother," Alexis spoke in frustration.

"Did I not make myself clear that you stop associating yourself with that woman?"

"You mean, Erza?"

"For heaven's sake, you should've known better than to stop pestering her like you're not the crown prince of this empire. It's scandalous enough that you had fought with that half-ling because of that child. I cannot tolerate such insolence from you."

"That's because you allowed her to get married to that bastard. If you only had objected to father's consent about their marriage then she could've been mine."

"Enough! Did you hear yourself? I cannot imagine how foolish you are, Allen."

"You started it. If only you had listened to my request that she should be betrothed to me before I left for the academy then it could've been a lot easier to tie her to me and not to that bastard. She should've been my wife, not his." He yelled at her.

"I will do everything for you, Allen. Even if it means killing everything that gets in the way but her? No, you can't marry Irene Belserion's daughter. OF ALL PEOPLE, NOT HER DAUGHTER!" she shouted as she held his shoulders.

He stood frozen in shock, it was indeed the first time he had witnessed his mother's anger in such a raw and unfiltered form. Throughout his life, the empress had maintained a composed demeanor in handling the affairs of the kingdom with a calm disposition. But the outburst he had witnessed shattered that illusion, exposing a side of his mother that he had never imagined existed. The intensity of her anger had been palpable.

"IRENE BELSERION, that damned woman." She cursed.

As nightfall descended upon the camp, Caleb's concern for Erschelle's whereabouts heightened. He was summoned by the cardinal upon Jellal's departure for some reason, leaving Erschelle alone when she had an audience with the empress. He immediately went to her place but only to find her absence from their quarters. He felt compelled to seek her out. As he roamed through the camp, his eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of Erschelle.

What on the earth has gotten into your mind, Erschelle? He cursed as he remembered Jellal's words, reminding him to watch her at all times. He emptied his lungs as he finally spotted her red hair. What are you doing in the medical barracks? Caleb thought as approached her cautiously.

"Your Highness, Princess Erschelle," he greeted, making her turn to see him.

Upon lifting his gaze, he was shocked to see her accompany. Caleb tightened his jaw as he saw the snow-haired lady beside her. Erza closed the book and asked Callista if it was alright to borrow it, to which she consented. She excused herself and Caleb only watched from the distance, glancing at the priestess.

"Let me carry it for you, Your Highness." He offered as he carried the three books.

"Oh, since you have your knight now, Your Highness, you can actually borrow the other books you are inquiring about. I can get it later and you can ask him to get it for you."

After ensuring Erza was safely settled in her quarters, Caleb's thoughts turned back to Callista. He retraced his steps to the barracks and saw her waiting for him. As he approached, she stared at him intently.

"Since, I can't carry all the books Her Highness had inquired about, how about you joined me downstairs to the library and assist me," she offered as she grabbed the nearby lantern casting an ethereal light upon her.

"Allow me," he said as he grabbed the lantern from her hands. As she opened the door to the underground library, he placed the lantern on its designated place and it soon went out and the magic stone was activated to lit up the spacious library inside.

"Ah, it's been a while, Caleb." She said as she turned to face him.

"Callista," he said, his voice carrying a gentle tone.

She paused, allowing his words to settle between them. Caleb's eyes met Callista's. Tears glistened in Callista's eyes as she tried to regain her composure. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before finding her voice.

"Caleb," she whispered once more.

Caleb reached out with a gentle touch, wiping away Callista's tears. His fingers brushed against her damp cheeks.

"I... I hate you," Callista continued, her voice quivering.

A bittersweet silence hung in the air as Caleb absorbed her words. Her gaze hardened, and she took a step back, creating distance between them. The tears that had been wiped away now seemed like a cruel reminder of the pain she had endured.

"I can't simply forget what happened, Caleb," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "You left without a word," she sobbed.

"Y-yet I still missed you." She continued.

A/N: I was not able to update sooner because of some personal issues. Thank you for your constant support, JusaLove. That's absolutely fine, and thank you for taking your time reading despite your schedule. Best regards. Hope you appreciate this update. I'll write soon. Thank you once more.