Late at night, Koyuki sat by the window, caressing the bronze key in her hand.
The moonlight from outside the window spilled onto her face, reflecting the restlessness and unease in her eyes.
She had originally thought that the lecherous Shun would, as rumored, keep her in the palace overnight.
However, she hadn't expected him to send guards to escort her and Sandayū to a luxurious mansion reserved for diplomats to rest.
This unexpected respect added to her apprehension.
She guessed that Shun might visit late at night, so she tossed and turned all night, only falling into a light sleep as dawn approached.
The next morning, Sandayū knocked on Koyuki's door early.
Seeing the faint dark circles under her eyes and her haggard face, he could only gently urge her.
"Your Highness, we must go see Shun-sama as soon as possible. The people of the Land of Snow cannot wait any longer."
Koyuki nodded. She quickly tidied her clothes, and then hurried to the palace with Sandayu.
Inside the main hall, Shun was sitting on the throne, drinking his morning tea.
Upon seeing the two enter, his gaze immediately fell upon Koyuki's face.
He stood up and walked towards her, saying gently, "Koyuki, how is it that after one night, you look even more haggard? Even dark circles have appeared."
He gently pinched Koyuki's chin with his left hand, making her look up slightly, then gathered warm Yang Chakra in his right hand and lightly brushed it under her eyes twice.
A warmth instantly spread across her eye sockets, and the previously noticeable dark circles visibly faded.
The sudden intimacy made Koyuki's cheeks flush. She quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet Shun's eyes, and bowed slightly.
"I apologize, Shun-sama, last night I... I didn't sleep well. Please excuse my appearance."
Shun withdrew his hand and turned his gaze to Sandayū and said, "Seeing how anxious you both are, I shall accompany you to the Land of Snow."
Upon hearing this, Sandayū was flattered and quickly bowed deeply.
"This would be too much trouble for Your Excellency, Shun-sama. You are busy with countless affairs, how dare we trouble you to go personally?"
Shun chuckled lightly, his tone relaxed and natural. "It's fine. I've been a bit bored lately, so a change of scenery would be good. Besides, it won't take much time. The sooner we finish, the less suffering the people of the Land of Snow will endure."
After speaking, he snapped his fingers, and a black spatial gate instantly opened in the main hall. The other end of the spatial gate led to a snow-covered mountain.
Shun stepped through first, then turned to see Koyuki and Sandayu still frozen in place.
He waved and chuckled. "Come on, that's the Land of Snow on the other side. Why are you two just standing there? Do you want me to invite you?"
Only then did the two react, quickly following him.
As soon as they stepped into the passage, a biting cold wind assailed them.
The Land of Snow was in the depths of winter, with snow swirling everywhere, the ground covered in knee-deep snow, and their exhaled breaths instantly condensing into white mist.
Koyuki and Sandayu had only worn the thin clothes of the Land of Water when they arrived, and they immediately shivered from the cold, their teeth beginning to chatter.
Seeing this, Shun flicked two faint golden Yang Chakra threads from his fingertips.
One landed on Sandayū, and warmth instantly enveloped the old man. After a shiver, he immediately felt warm all over, and even his stiff, frozen fingers could move flexibly.
Shun did not throw the other Chakra thread, but instead reached out and pulled Koyuki to his side.
A faint golden barrier instantly spread around him, isolating them from the wind, snow, and cold outside.
The warm aura enveloped Koyuki, instantly freeing her from the biting cold. She subconsciously leaned closer to Shun, and the faint masculine scent made her cheeks flush.
Shun looked down at her, a smile on his lips. He raised his hand and condensed a faint golden mark, handing it to Sandayū.
"Sandayū, I'm only giving you four hours to gather as many of Sosetsu's loyal former subordinates as possible. After four hours, I will take Koyuki to the Land of Snow's royal palace to deal with Dotō and those Snow ninjas. Also, do not reveal my true identity."
Sandayū's eyes were filled with gratitude and awe, and he bowed deeply. "Shun-sama, I will not fail in my mission."
With that, he turned and quickly disappeared into the wind and snow.
Watching him depart, Koyuki became a little reserved.
Shun pulled her into his embrace and said, "Koyuki, four hours is still long, and it's boring to stay here. How about I take you out to play?"
Koyuki froze for a moment, and before she could react, their figures instantly vanished from their spot.
The next second, the two stood on a towering mountain peak.
Underfoot was thick snow, in the distance were rolling snow-capped mountains, and the cold wind whistled past their ears.
"The scenery here is good, and it's also perfect for skiing."
Shun held Koyuki in his arms, and a snowboard appeared beneath their feet. Before Koyuki could steady herself, the snowboard shot forward.
The snowboard glided unimpeded on the snow, picking up speed rapidly.
The wind whistled past their ears, and the kicked-up snowflakes splashed onto Koyuki's face, bringing a cold sensation.
Koyuki instinctively cried out, "Ah..."
The two sometimes traversed narrow snow valleys and sometimes flew over small snowy slopes.
Even when they sped down steep slopes, they would launch into the air, tumbling twice before landing back on the snow.
That exhilarating sensation of weightlessness made Koyuki's heart pound.
She nervously clutched Shun's sleeve, her cheeks flushed with excitement and thrill, and her previous caution and reserve had largely dissipated.
Shun grinned mischievously. "Koyuki, is it fun?"
Koyuki nodded, and just as she was about to say "It's alright," their figures vanished again.
The two reappeared on the mountaintop, but this time the location was more dangerous than before.
The slope beneath them was much steeper, almost at a 70-degree angle downwards, and looking down, it seemed as if they could slide directly into the depths of the snow at the foot of the mountain.
"Koyuki, this time it'll be even more thrilling."
The steep slope made their sliding speed several times faster than before, and Koyuki even felt a continuous sensation of falling.
She instantly turned pale with fright, her legs so weak she could barely stand, and her body uncontrollably leaned backward. She pressed herself tightly against Shun's embrace, her hands instinctively wrapping around his waist, burying her face in his chest, not daring to look ahead.
Feeling the tremor of the person in his arms, a mischievous glint flashed in Shun's eyes.
All of this was deliberate on his part. He secretly accelerated their skiing speed, deliberately making them gently bump a few times.
Koyuki's body trembled even more violently, and the hands clutching his waist tightened.
As the skiing speed decreased, her fear was gradually replaced by a strange sense of security.
***
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