[{"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-708":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},1218800,1604,"Chapter 707: Inheritance","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-708",708,"\u003Cp>All her life—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold had always been her ally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The biting winds that howled across the north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The endless snowstorms that swallowed entire landscapes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountains buried under thick layers of ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frozen lands where life itself struggled to exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of it ever bothered Elea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To others, the cold was something to fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something to endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that slowly ate away at the body and mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to her—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold was quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was honest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t deceive, didn’t betray, didn’t demand anything from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It simply... existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that stillness—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It numbed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her regrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her desires.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything that made the world feel heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold took it all away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for Elea...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the only thing that allowed her to keep moving forward in a world that never seemed to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A continent ravaged by war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kingdoms rising, only to fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empires built on ambition, collapsing under their own weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humanity—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Always divided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Always fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never truly united.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t matter how much time passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing ever changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because of that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea had always believed in one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That humanity would eventually fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was by their own hands...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or by the demons that lurked beyond their borders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slow, certain end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A miracle happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chosen by the gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A being that shouldn’t have existed in such a broken world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brought something no one had seen in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Real hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind that didn’t feel fragile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind that didn’t fade overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind that made people believe again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The humans who once stood divided...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Began to unite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not by force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not by fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because they wanted to follow him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His presence alone was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His smile—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unassuming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet powerful enough to quiet nightmares that had haunted the continent for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battles that once felt endless began to turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despair slowly gave way to something warmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And before Elea even realized it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That same person had slipped into her world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Into her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Into her—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frozen heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not forcefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like warmth seeping into cold hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like sunlight touching frozen ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart already belonged to someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Saintess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one chosen by the gods to stand beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one destined to walk with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the two of them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t just fulfill that role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They loved each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea knew that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the very beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time in her life...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold that had always comforted her—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t feel enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They say denying your feelings will break you eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sooner or later, something cracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not Elea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had chosen this path long ago—chosen to freeze her heart, to bury everything beneath layers of quiet, unmoving cold. It wasn’t forced on her. It wasn’t a defense anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was simply who she was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frost answered her like it always had—pure, absolute, beautiful in its stillness. No hesitation. No pain. No longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That cold she held so perfectly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something faint. Something small. Like an itch she couldn’t quite reach. It crept from the very edges of her being, slipping through the cracks she never thought existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Annoying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if she couldn’t have the hero?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was never hers to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was for her friends—if it was for the people she chose to protect—then nothing else mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing should have mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yes... her name... it’s Celestine... hehe... please, Elea... my little Celes... take care of her...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minerva’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weak. Fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day... the saintess lay in bed, her strength already gone, her life slipping away just as new life entered the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when Minerva died—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A disturbance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something in her cold, unmoving heart shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mother...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Hng?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea’s eyes opened slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing she saw was a face far too close to hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Celestine...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re finally awake... seriously...\" Celestine let out a long breath, her shoulders dropping. \"We were really getting worried, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, that’s right, aunty!\" Anica’s voice followed right after, loud as ever. \"Yesterday, after dinner, you suddenly collapsed on the way to your room!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ooh... really now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea blinked a few times, her voice calm, almost absent-minded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine’s expression tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re taking this too lightly again...\" she said, lips forming a small pout. \"This is why I told you to stop doing everything on your own. Shopping, housework... you don’t have to do all of it yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t often she saw Celestine like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Annoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aunty, are you alright now?\" Anica leaned in slightly, eyes full of concern. \"Maybe you should take more medicine. We took— I mean, kindly asked the village doctor to come yesterday. And we even kidnap— I mean, gently asked a traveling priest to check on you too...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She coughed, trying to fix her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...They both said you’ve been lacking energy or something...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea couldn’t help it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small smile slipped through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see...\" she said softly. \"Thank you for worrying about me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze lingered on them for just a moment longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...But I’m fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liar....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine said blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You always say that... and yet you’re always hiding something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine’s voice didn’t shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was steady. Too steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, mother... you’re sick, aren’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words came out clean. Direct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea’s fingers twitched slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Fufu, no, I’m not, dear—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said that last month too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine cut her off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice rose, sharp enough to slice through the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It lingered, heavy and awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Anica—who usually spoke without thinking, who laughed through anything—went quiet. She shifted in place, glancing between them, unsure what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine didn’t look away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes stayed locked on Elea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, there were tears in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just... there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, mother...\" her voice softened, but it hurt more this way. \"What’s really wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I told you... I’m fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, you’re not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no hesitation this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine took a step closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know... I’ve always done everything you asked of me,\" she said, her voice tightening. \"I worked hard. I listened. I did my best in everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hands clenched slightly at her sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve been a good girl. The perfect daughter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And I never asked you for anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea’s chest felt tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Celestine—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not even the things I chose to ignore until now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Made Elea tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...So at least...\" Celestine’s voice cracked, barely holding together now. \"At least tell me what’s wrong this time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances... she would’ve let it go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t the first time Elea had collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t the first time something felt off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But yesterday—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...It seems your mother was struck by a curse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Curse?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine’s voice from then echoed in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes... quite a powerful one at that.\" The priest had frowned, his expression troubled. \"I’m surprised she survived this long. It seems her mana is... unusually dense. It’s been holding the curse back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding it back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not removing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...But it won’t last,\" he had continued quietly. \"It’s only a matter of time before the curse fully takes over.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No... then do something!\" Celestine had stepped forward without thinking. \"You’re a priest, right? You can fix this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that hesitation told her everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry... there are limits to what I can do,\" he admitted. \"To cleanse a curse of this level... we would need someone of much higher authority.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Like who?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...The Pope. Or a Saintess.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Both positions are currently vacant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am truly sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was when it sank in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How serious it really was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing here, in front of Elea—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine’s hands trembled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...So tell me,\" she said, her voice low, desperate now. \"Why are you still saying you’re fine?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with that unrelenting gaze, Elea couldn’t help but tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her breath came out uneven, just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just enough to betray her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack...!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somewhere deep inside her frozen heart—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something fragile broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t even clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin fracture spreading through something she had kept perfectly still for so long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Annoying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a matter of moments, she buried it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pushed it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sealed it beneath layers of cold, like it was never there to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fufu... you’ve always been a smart, perceptive, beautiful girl...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn’t something to laugh about!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea’s voice softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for once, she didn’t look away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at Celestine properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not as a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as she was now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time had passed so quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somewhere along the way, the small girl she once held had grown into someone else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea’s fingers tightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That kindness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That warmth in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even her talent... her intelligence...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was becoming more and more like them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like her real mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like her real father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A child meant for something bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something far beyond this small, quiet life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...and Elea had tried to suppress that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only Celestine’s talent hadn’t aligned with that thing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That existence that once tried to destroy the world—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then maybe...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...maybe things would have been different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea shook her head faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine was still Celestine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what slept within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what kind of curse coiled around her soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would never change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...How much did she actually know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea wasn’t sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least... part of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Celestine...\" her voice came out quieter than before. \"Please forgive me this time, alright?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just watched her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know... keeping secrets between us isn’t right,\" Elea continued, a faint smile on her lips. \"But... trust me. It’s something important.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Is it dangerous?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question was immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea didn’t answer right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence pressed in again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No...\" she said at last. \"Not at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine’s gaze didn’t soften.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You’re lying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea let out a small breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Maybe,\" she admitted. \"But not about everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know you have questions,\" she went on. \"A lot of them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes lowered slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Just... give me a little more time. That’s all I’m asking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine stood there, unmoving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weighing her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reluctant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange understanding settled between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unspoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right in the middle of it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anica, who had been awkwardly standing between the two this entire time, blinked in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...So uh...\" she glanced from one to the other. \"...are we fighting or not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fufu... not at all, my dear Anica...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea’s voice softened as she reached out, pulling Anica closer into a gentle hug. Her hand moved to the girl’s head, patting it lightly, almost absentmindedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Celestine and I just had a small misunderstanding,\" she continued calmly. \"I’ll clear everything up soon, so there’s no need to worry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes shifted toward Celestine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Think of it as a different kind of mother and daughter bonding... isn’t that right, dear?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine answered, but there was a pause before it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enough to tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now both of you are lying to me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anica suddenly protested, squirming a little in Elea’s arms—though not all that seriously. If anything, she leaned into it more than she resisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea let out a quiet chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speaking of lying... aren’t the two of you the most guilty?\" she said lightly. \"Especially you, my dear daughter...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught both of them off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anica tilted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you saying, aunty?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fufu...\" Elea’s smile didn’t change. \"You didn’t actually think I wouldn’t notice, did you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...The two of you practicing dangerous [High Grade Magic] deep inside the forest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anica froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"M-Mother... you knew?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Elea answered simply. \"I’m the one who’s been teaching you all this time, remember?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze sharpened just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m both your mother... and your teacher. No one understands your aptitude better than I do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine’s lips parted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why didn’t you—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Say anything?\" Elea finished for her. \"Because I was waiting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For you to tell me yourselves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"T-That’s...\" Celestine looked away, her voice tightening. \"...unfair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s right, aunty!\" Anica added quickly, finally pulling back just enough to look at her properly. \"If you already knew, then why did you keep holding Celestine back with those boring books?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea didn’t answer right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hand slowed on Anica’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I had my reasons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she exhaled softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...But I suppose... it’s partly my fault too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea admitting something like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both girls looked at her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile returned to her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...So,\" she said, her tone lightening just a bit, \"how about I teach you properly from now on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as her frost-bound fate had always been absolute—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This child’s future was never meant to be buried in that same cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Celestine wasn’t someone who should be protected from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...She was someone who was meant to stand above it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To command it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea lowered her gaze slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t much time left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew that better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And still... she had done everything she could. Every small, selfish thing to keep her daughter away from the path waiting for her. To shield her from a future filled with ruin and loneliness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that time was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...It’s time,\" she murmured under her breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackle...!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep within the frozen space of her heart—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was being built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not simply frost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A silent, towering castle formed from absolute cold, its walls layered with suppression, its foundation carved from everything Elea had sealed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at its center—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dark, orb-like mass pulsed faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unstable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Countless frozen chains wrapped around it, binding it in place as thin, invisible threads stretched outward...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Connecting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the way to Celestine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in resistance—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in recognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elea’s eyes closed briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once this was complete...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her final gift—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would be ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something only she could give.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something only Celestine could inherit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Just a little longer,\" she whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She would stay by her side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Celestine would come to hate her for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile formed on her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I don’t mind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in the end—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was just a mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One who loved her daughter far too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My... you came to see me first this time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Queen sat upon her throne, one leg crossed over the other, her posture relaxed but unmoving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vast throne room stretched out before her, silent and empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No guards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even her closest aides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had dismissed them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze settled on the man walking forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those cold blue eyes of his were the same as always—sharp, observant, as if measuring everything he saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How was your exploration?\" she asked lightly. \"I hope you enjoyed it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well,\" he replied, glancing around once more, \"the castle is certainly... fancy in many ways.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fufu... thank you. Everything here was actually designed by my mother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Mother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t press it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he looked at her directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No softening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Soon, you’ll die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words fell flat in the empty hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Frost Queen simply blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2675,"2026-06-03T14:41:10.023Z",1,"novelbin.me","008b81749bed954fd4c2f00c7d91a531c3716eff136d2a3028260a69d099016f","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-709","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-707",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]