At the Mayor's Mansion
Irene sat beside her husband with exaggerated rigidity—her back perfectly straight, shoulders tense, hands clasped tightly over her lap.
The mayor was speaking with Lucas in a friendly tone soft laughter, exchanged compliments while Irene was present in body alone.
She felt something pressing against her features, a familiar sensation… eyes.
The mayor's wife's eyes.
Irene could feel them piercing her face without shame, as though she were being inspected piece by piece. She didn't turn immediately. She waited, let the sensation spread inside her, then slowly raised her eyes.
Their gazes met.
The mayor's wife smiled.
A wide, calculated smile, devoid of any genuine warmth.
Georgina Ghaffarli…
Daughter of one of the well-known noble families in the south.
She looked much younger than her age or perhaps she was trying to. Her dress was flashy, its fabrics far too shiny, oversized accessories hanging heavily from her neck and wrists. Her makeup was thick, carefully applied, yet lacking true taste.
A familiar atmosphere.
Uncomfortably familiar.
An unwelcome memory slipped into Irene's mind…
Her father's third wife.
The same display, the same sick need for attention, the same look that said: I'm here to make you feel smaller than me.
Irene returned the smile calmly soft, controlled, empty of emotion.
Georgina suddenly cut into the conversation in her overly feminine voice:
"Oh, dear… excuse me for interrupting, but isn't it time for the trip?"
The mayor glanced at his wife and chuckled lightly.
"It seems I enjoyed my conversation with Prince Lucas so much that I lost track of time."
Then he turned directly to Irene.
"You'll be joining us at the training camp, won't you, my princess?"
Irene smiled her usual formal smile.
A trip? What trip? No one told me about any trip. Is he asking to be sure, or is he telling me? Should I refuse?
Despite her inner turmoil, her voice remained steady.
"Thank you for the invitation, Mayor, but I'm not experienced in such matters… I fear I might be a burden."
Georgina laughed a short, ringing laugh.
"Oh, my dear princess… you remind me of myself when I was newly married. I wasn't good at any of these things either. But with time… you get used to it."
She leaned in slightly, as if offering precious advice.
"Especially once you become a mother. All these things turn into habits. Don't worry… I'll stay by your side."
Irene felt a strange disbelief rise within her.
That will never happen in my world.
She replied with manufactured calm,
"Is that so? I look forward to that time… very well then."
She shot a brief glance at Lucas he looked indifferent, as usual.
I really want to kick him.
Everyone headed out to the garden.
The moment Irene's eyes landed on the place, her breath caught for a second.
Horses.
Several horses stood in a row strong, massive, stomping the ground with their hooves.
Real anxiety crept in this time.
She moved immediately toward Lucas, her steps quick, gripping his hand tightly the way ideal wives do in public, her smile fake and barely concealing her anger.
She whispered through clenched teeth,
"What is going on? You didn't tell me we were going on a horseback trip."
He looked at her coldly.
"What's with that expression? And why should I have told you? If you don't like it… just go back inside and wait there."
She tightened her grip on his hand.
"Do you think before you speak? How am I supposed to leave after agreeing and following you here? If you'd told me beforehand, I would've at least worn something suitable."
He exhaled in boredom.
"I don't think about these things. You didn't show any interest in the invitation to begin with. Isn't it your fault for not asking about anything from the start?"
She fell silent for a moment, then said quietly,
"I… don't know how to ride a horse."
He turned to her sharply.
"What? How? You're a princess from a wealthy country."
Horse riding was a noble, royal pastime taught to children of noble families from a young age but Irene had been the sole exception, due to the circumstances she grew up in.
She swallowed and answered quickly,
"I was afraid of horses… and my father didn't force me. He feared I might hurt myself."
A lie.
He looked at her with disdain.
"You're spoiled to an infuriating degree… and now you're going to embarrass yourself."
Her voice dropped.
"This isn't the time for that. What am I supposed to do now?"
He sighed harshly.
"You're truly annoying."
They reached the horses.
The mayor smiled.
"You may choose the horse that suits you, my princess."
Irene hesitated.
"I'm sorry, but—"
Lucas cut her off sharply.
"The princess will ride with me."
She lifted her head in shock.
Silence fell over the place.
Georgina laughed again, her voice dripping with jealousy.
"My goodness… I'm so jealous. Prince Lucas is perfect—such a romantic husband. You're very lucky, Princess."
She glanced at her husband with annoyance.
"No one has ever offered to let me ride with them."
The mayor chuckled lightly.
"I can't oppose your decision, Prince Lucas even if it causes me family trouble."
Everyone mounted their horses.
Irene, meanwhile, was still trying to process what had just happened.
Has he finally lost his mind?
Lucas said flatly,
"Get on first."
She turned to him, her anger barely contained.
"How did you decide that for me without even asking?"
"What's wrong with you now? I saved you from embarrassment. The least you could do is thank me."
She ignored him and looked at the horse.
"I don't know how to get on."
He began explaining, but her dress restricted her movement.
She failed several times.
He shouted,
"What is wrong with you?"
She shouted back,
"The dress is in the way! And the horse is too tall!"
The mayor called from a distance,
"Is everything all right?"
Irene smiled quickly.
"Yes, we're coming, Mayor."
Lucas suddenly stepped closer and lifted her without warning.
She gasped softly.
Their eyes met.
A brief moment… that felt disturbingly long.
He said in a low voice,
"Hold on tightly when I put you up. The horse might move."
Irene couldn't reply—she only nodded.
Lucas mounted smoothly afterward and sat behind her.
He's too close, she thought.
The procession moved.
They were at the back.
She felt his breath against her neck. His large body pressed against hers—deeply uncomfortable. She tried to shift, to create distance, but it was useless.
He gripped her waist firmly.
"Stop moving… or you'll fall."
She froze and lowered her head in embarrassment.
Lucas's thoughts weren't entirely steady.
How ridiculous. Why did I ask her to ride with me in the first place? Since when am I like this?
His gaze fell on the back of her neck, slightly exposed… and suddenly he remembered.
Those images he had tried so hard to forget over the past days.
The scars.
He spoke in a quieter voice,
"I didn't realize the Ice King who is famous for his brutality in battle ,was in fact such a gentle father, afraid that his spoiled daughter might get hurt from something as simple as horse riding practice."
To be continued