Walking through the snow-covered alleys, listening to the crunching sound under her feet, Livia felt a warmth rising in her chest.
Winter in the Northern Lands was always the same: the sky was dim and gloomy, like a slab of stone pressing down on everyone's head; the earth was covered in white snow, and everything lost its original color. Coupled with the cold and hunger that followed, this monotonous scene was hard not to find repulsive.
But she saw a color she had never seen before.
That color was even more dazzling than a rainbow, and even in this season of wind and snow, it was as striking as the stars in the sky.
The closer she got to it, the more impatient Livia became.
The end of the light pointed directly to the cottage she rented.
If it weren't for making a living, she wouldn't even want to leave it for a moment—
That was her child.
The crystallization of her and Goron Wimbledon.
With him, she felt like she had the whole world.
Thinking of this, Livia quickened her pace again.
However, as she turned into the last alley, her heart was suddenly seized.
She saw more than a dozen lines of footprints in the white snow. Judging from the direction, they had entered from another alley and went straight to the courtyard entrance.
And she was temporarily living in this courtyard.
The neighbors here were all ordinary civilians. Not to mention the Evil Moon, even in spring and summer, there were few visitors. Why would there be so many footprints out of nowhere?
Suddenly, Livia felt dizzy, followed by an unspeakable fear in her heart.
No, stay calm... she kept telling herself, maybe it's just a gang of robbers or refugees who came here—a situation that seems equally terrible to outsiders, but to her, it was her last hope.
But the first sight after she tremblingly walked into the courtyard shattered even this last shred of hope.
The doorway of the house she rented was full of patrolmen in soft armor, one of whom was dressed as a knight, the emblem on his chest indicating that he came from the Cander family who ruled the Northern Lands.
"No—!"
Livia didn't know where she got the strength. She dropped the milk cake she had managed to buy and rushed towards the gate!
At that moment, she was ready to be beheaded.
She didn't even need the other party to make a move. As long as they drew their swords and blocked her way, she would crash into them!
Unexpectedly, they seemed indifferent to her appearance, only slightly stepping aside to let her rush into the house.
The threshold tripped the panicked Livia, and the cold ground tore her cloth skirt like a millstone, but the pain in her knees was insignificant. Tears streaming down her face, she crawled into the small bedroom, wanting to see her child one last time, but found that the expected scene had not appeared—
A blue-haired woman sat on the edge of the bed, expressionlessly teasing her child, while the nanny who usually helped take care of the child stood respectfully to the side, as if the other party was the real owner.
Then the woman raised her head, her gaze sweeping over her—just that one glance made Livia understand that this person and she definitely did not belong to the same category. Although she had an unforgettable appearance, there was no way to associate her with common women. Gentle, weak, charming, emotional... those words that belonged to women were not suitable for her. Even holding a child, there was no trace of maternal light in her eyes.
It was less like she was teasing the child, and more like... she was teasing a toy.
"Nice to meet you," the woman said slowly, "My name is Edith Cander. You should have heard of my name."
The Pearl of the North—Livia's heart trembled. She was the eldest daughter of Duke Cander, the woman who was rumored to be able to lead knights in battle? The name Pearl was well-known in the Northern Lands. Even Goron had mentioned her many times.
Some even said that she was more difficult to deal with than the Duke himself.
"Greetings, Your Excellency," Livia swallowed and bowed down, touching her head to the ground, "May I ask why you have come here...?"
Edith waved her hand, and the nanny next to her immediately bowed and left the bedroom, closing the door as she left.
At this point, she already understood that the nanny she had found was arranged by the Cander family.
They had discovered the secret of the child long ago.
"To put it bluntly, I am here at the request of His Majesty the King to bring the bloodline of the Wimbledon family back to Neverwinter City."
"And then... secretly execute him?" Livia said with difficulty.
"If it was just to erase his existence, it could be done anywhere, without so much effort," Edith untied the swaddling cloth on the child's head, revealing the light gray hair, "His Majesty needs a reason to deceive people, that's all."
Livia couldn't help but be stunned. She couldn't understand what the other party meant. "Your Excellency, I... don't quite understand..."
"It's not as complicated as you think," the Pearl of the North shrugged. "Have you heard of witches?"
...
After listening to the other party's explanation, it took Livia a long time to connect the two things together, and the conclusion she reached was even more unbelievable than a fairy tale! Roland Wimbledon was determined to marry a witch, so he planned to bring Goron's child out to quell public opinion? She didn't quite understand the ways of the nobility, but intuitively felt that this method was too contrary to common sense.
He was the King, was it really necessary to go this far?
She gritted her teeth and mustered up the courage to say, "Your Excellency, please forgive me for not believing—perhaps His Majesty has such thoughts now, but that doesn't mean he will in the future. What if something happens, Shero...?"
"Shero? Is that the child's name?" Edith raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem to understand your situation. His Majesty's orders are absolute. You only have two choices: take a sum of money and flee far away, and no longer ask about this matter, or go to Neverwinter City with him, but you can no longer appear in his mother's name, but as a servant of a noble family."
Livia felt tears welling up in her eyes again. Yes, her status was too humble to become part of the royal family. "Who will take care of him in my place?"
"No one."
"Eh?" She suddenly raised her head, the tears that flowed down soaked her mouth.
"His Majesty is not so inhumane. If you choose the latter, except for changing your identity, everything else will remain the same as now. You can still stay by his side and watch him grow up. That noble family has been destroyed in the Church's attack, and Goron's fiancée entrusted the child to you before her death—that's the whole story." Edith paused. "In addition, this news has already been announced in other territories, and the Northern Lands are no exception. In two or three days, you will hear the full content of this news. If he wanted to get rid of you, why would he make such a fuss?"
The Pearl of the North meant... His Majesty was doing this mainly to reassure her?
Livia pressed her chest, and the scene of that night involuntarily flashed in her mind—she sought out the then Fourth Prince when she was desperate, and the other party did extend a helping hand to her. Although he might have ulterior motives, she would have died under the beating of the tavern owner if it weren't for him.
She took a deep breath, wiped her face, and stood up from the ground. Being in a kneeling position for too long made her legs numb, but she still controlled her body. "Pearl of the North, may I ask... does this child have a chance to become king?"
"No." A hint of amusement flashed in Edith's eyes. "Before setting off, His Majesty specifically instructed that you don't need to have any illusions. There is no hope, and no disappointment. Of course, this is forbidden to be spread."
"No, Your Excellency, I won't be disappointed—my greatest wish is for him to grow up safely." Livia's voice became slower and slower, as if she had to use all her strength for every word. "But this still doesn't solve the problem of His Majesty's heir. If he changes his mind in the future and decides to establish a real crown prince, the latter will definitely regard Shero as a thorn in his side, and he will probably not survive by then!" She looked directly at the other party and said word by word, "I know I can't change anything, but if you can't tell me a reasonable answer, please kill me here!"
"Oh?" Edith's eyes narrowed.
That was the taste of bloodlust.
In front of the other party, she was as weak as a lamb.
But even so, Livia still stood up straight and did not back down. "If there isn't one, this day will come sooner or later. I can't personally send Goron Wimbledon's child to his doom, Your Excellency!"
Of course there would be no answer. Even if there was, the other party didn't need to tell a humble maid. All she could do was this... I'm sorry, Goron, Livia closed her eyes, waiting for the coldness of the blade cutting her throat, I'm sorry... my dear.
As if sensing the upcoming separation, the child woke up from his dream and cried.
She tried her best to stop herself from opening her eyes.
She was afraid that if she took just one look, she would never be able to make this decision again.
However, this attack did not come for a long time.
Until Edith chuckled, "Okay."
Livia looked at the other party in disbelief.
Then the Pearl of the North opened her mouth and said the answer silently. It was an even more incredible answer, even beyond her imagination, but for some reason, she believed the other party's words. Perhaps when falling into a vortex, even a straw would become a hope for life, let alone someone who was almost drowning.
It was less that she was persuaded by the other party, and more that she persuaded herself.
Edith threw the crying child to Livia, turned and walked towards the door. "Set off in three days. Prepare your luggage."
"Your Excellency..." As she passed by, she murmured, "There is a tavern owner in Hollow Valley Town, and one of Goron's missing guards, who may know about this."
"I will take care of it myself. You don't need to worry." Edith said without looking back.
After the Pearl of the North left, Livia hugged the child tightly, as if afraid that he would disappear, and the latter also quieted down, burying his head in her chest.
In the violent heartbeat, she couldn't help but ask herself, was that really possible?
In the silent conversation, she clearly saw the answer that the other party said.
It was a simple word, but it had a fascinating magic.
"Eternal Life."
This was the King's answer.