[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game":3,"chapter-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-694":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1218913,1604,"Chapter 693: Frozen Trials 6","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-694",694,"\u003Cp>A week passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow stared at her reflection in the flowing river.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water moved gently, distorting the face looking back at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Freckles across her cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black, slightly wavy hair falling messily to her shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loose skin around her jaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin frame that clearly needed proper meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked... ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse than ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after seven days of waking up like this, she still hadn’t gotten used to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her entire life, she had been called beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A princess carved from snow and light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She never denied it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She never needed to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her beauty was a fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, when she looked at this face—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing majestic about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just an ordinary girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Snow! Where are you? Please hurry up! Clean out those plates! More customers are coming and Head Chef is screaming at me right now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her shoulders stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Coming!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She quickly lifted a heavy pan stacked with wet plates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Water dripped down her sleeves as she wiped them dry with a rough cloth. Her fingers were red from the cold river water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hurried inside through the back entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tavern was loud. Full of smoke, laughter, and the smell of roasted meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Snow!\" the chef barked the moment he saw her. \"I told you to clean those plates faster! Look at all these muscle heads waiting!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced toward the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of large adventurers sat at one of the long tables, armored shoulders bumping against each other, mugs slamming down impatiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry, Chef, haha... the water seemed unclean for a moment, you see...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Water unclean?\" he snapped. \"In a perfectly flowing river next to the church? Are you kidding me right now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehehe...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She forced an awkward laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk! I don’t have time for this. Go help Luie and Kala at the front. Deliver those dishes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Chef.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kal Karam — the owner and head chef — was a huge man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broad shoulders, thick arms, beard covering half his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked more like a veteran warrior than someone who cooked stew for a living.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a dry snort, he turned back toward the stove, grabbing a pan with one hand like it weighed nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Snow—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once a royal princess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once someone who commanded frost and stood above kingdoms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now carried plates of roasted meat and stew through a noisy tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a week, she had tried to understand the trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why this body?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why this life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly was being tested?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her beauty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her heart?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every morning she woke up in a small attic room above the tavern. Every day she worked. Cleaned. Served. Endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No clear objective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Snow! Table three!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m going!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She moved quickly between tables, careful not to spill anything as rough adventurers laughed and argued loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uhm... I’ve been wondering this for a while now but... what are you doing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Riley’s question, the Frost Queen paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers were still gently pressing into his cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing as if she was seriously considering the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds of quiet thought, she finally let go of his face and sat back properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Properly tracing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tracing?\" Riley rubbed his cheeks. They weren’t hurt — just slightly warm from the cold touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She folded her hands neatly on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because recreation needs to uphold perfection in order to match the truth of beauty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That explained absolutely nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longer he spent time with the Frost Queen, the more distant she felt from the version of her he thought he understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first met her, she was cold. Distant. Almost untouchable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was still cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still elegant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she also randomly grabbed his face every twenty or thirty minutes like she was inspecting a sculpture she was personally carving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For reference — they were sitting at her \"banquet table.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though calling it that felt generous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a small square table made of pure white ice. Two frozen chairs facing each other. No decorations. No feast. Just them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding hall was vast and empty, but she insisted on calling this arrangement a banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past hour, the pattern had repeated itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would talk normally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence would fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She would lean forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grab his face with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gently squeeze his cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turn his head slightly left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes she’d adjust his chin angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Study him intensely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then nod once to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And return to her seat like nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first time, Riley was too surprised to react.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second time, he thought maybe it was some strange Frost Queen custom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the fifth time, he started to wonder if she was bored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something about her that reminded him of Seo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though granted Seo was more openly awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Frost Queen had that same strange social disconnect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like she understood people in theory... but not in practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, even Riley’s patience had limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So,\" he tried again carefully, \"what exactly are you recreating?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at him calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In what sense?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In every sense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That didn’t make him feel better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pale white eyes scanned his face again, as if measuring symmetry only she could see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are slight imperfections,\" she muttered quietly. \"Micro-expressions. Inconsistent muscular tension. It disrupts alignment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alignment of what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The ideal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley stared at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You know I’m just a normal guy, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She frowned faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not what I meant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned forward again without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley flinched slightly this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cold fingers cupped his cheeks once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She squished them lightly, his lips awkwardly puckering under the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remain still,\" she said seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am still!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thumbs adjusted the angle of his jaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces were only inches apart now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression was intensely focused — like an artist correcting a final brushstroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long moment, she let go again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Progress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley slowly leaned back in his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m starting to feel like a clay model.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That is not inaccurate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really didn’t understand her at all anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’My tea’s cold now...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin layer of frost had formed along the surface of the once-warm tea in his ice-carved cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t steaming anymore. It just sat there, untouched, forgotten during yet another unexpected face inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you want to rewarm your tea?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Queen asked it casually, as if temperature obeyed her the same way breathing did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She made a small gesture toward the nearby servants standing silently along the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley shook his head and placed the cup down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, it’s fine...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that so? You’re quite weird for a human.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should be the one saying that to you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He almost said it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he swallowed the comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not really.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Complaining about her sense of normalcy would be pointless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at her again and sighed quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past hour, they had done nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few words here and there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long silences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The occasional cheek-grabbing ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even their earlier introduction felt strange — polite, distant, unfinished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like two rulers meeting for formality rather than two people actually getting to know each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she had been nothing but gracious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Courteous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hostility. No threats. No visible malice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which made it worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley leaned back slightly in his frozen chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t invite him here for no reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much he was sure of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if there was a reason, it didn’t feel like it came from hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did she want?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he tried to ask directly, she would smoothly shift the topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... subtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like snow sliding off a roof.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He studied her quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Queen was not someone he could take lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a fight broke out, he would have to use his divinity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no doubt about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t an opponent he could handle casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And using that power was both a guarantee... and a risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her generals were just outside the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few dozen meters at most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley could feel them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their presence wasn’t hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he made one wrong move — if even his aura shifted the wrong way — they would burst in without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that would be troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because he couldn’t handle them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because of how much of himself he had to suppress right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he stopped holding back... this castle wouldn’t stay standing for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your thoughts are deep...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice pulled him back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I can’t exactly have light ones in your presence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She blinked slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your words are well appreciated, but bear no ill will. I can assure you no harm will come to you or your beloved in this castle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley’s eyes narrowed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sure you should be saying that in this place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He subtly glanced toward the servants lining the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toward the massive doors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toward the generals standing beyond them, who could most likely hear every word being spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, the Frost Queen was essentially giving him — an intruder — royal hospitality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not just any intruder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was one of the main reasons her monster army had been decimated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her rare-ranked generals? He had nearly wiped them out because of her orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resentment had to be simmering under the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fueling that resentment wasn’t exactly wise leadership.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in a castle ruled by power and strength, loyalty still mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She does realize I’m one of the reasons most of her forces are gone... right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Their opinions matter not to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said it simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No arrogance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that so...\" Riley muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze didn’t waver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In this castle,\" she continued calmly, \"strength decides position. Nothing more. Nothing less. If they resent you, they may challenge you. If they lose, their resentment becomes silence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t comforting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s a very straightforward system,\" Riley said dryly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is efficient.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She truly didn’t care what her subordinates thought — as long as order remained intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still,\" Riley added, \"trust isn’t something you ignore so easily.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tilted her head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do not ignore it. I simply do not depend on it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell between them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold air drifted lightly across the small table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For someone who ruled a kingdom of monsters, she spoke with unsettling clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t reckless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t naive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which made this whole situation even more confusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why invite me?\" Riley finally asked, his voice more direct this time. \"You know what I’ve done. You know what I’m capable of.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes softened — just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And yet you sit here alone with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because,\" she said quietly, \"you are necessary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1830,"2026-06-03T14:41:09.353Z",1,"novelbin.me","c19ba1e97f8f3ffd5f43ce3c9bcc5027fc8f7ed7a818a157778d89cfe78b2e8a","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-695","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-693",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]