Recarnation of the villainess.

The wind howled outside like a mourning spirit.

The "kingdom" the Emperor had granted them was, in truth, nothing more than a forgotten land near the northern border—a political insult wrapped in the illusion of freedom. Cracked roads. A frozen river. Trees that looked dead even in sunlight. And in the center of it all stood the royal estate—if one could call it that.

Salira stared up at the building as the carriage pulled away. "This is less of a kingdom and more of a cursed vacation home."

Adam stepped beside her, eyes scanning the property. "We'll rebuild it."

She scoffed. "We'll have to resurrect it first."

The doors creaked open on rusted hinges. Dust and decay greeted them like long-lost servants. Broken furniture. Torn curtains. Even the air felt… ancient. It was colder inside than outside.

Their footsteps echoed in the massive empty halls as they explored. Rats scattered. One of the walls had a message scratched in it—something in a language Salira didn't recognize. Ominous? Yes. But she was too tired to care.

"Let's make one room usable," she muttered.

By the time night fell, Salira had managed to set up some of the portable heaters she'd packed from Faer's lab. She placed them around the grand bedroom, working fast, hands numb and face pink from the cold.

Adam helped silently, bringing in wood for the fireplace and blocking off windows with spare cloth.

Finally, the room was warm—barely. One working fireplace. One bed. No spare rooms that weren't half-frozen or riddled with collapsed ceilings.

Salira slumped onto the bed and sighed. "I swear, this bed better not be haunted."

Adam raised an eyebrow, setting down a pile of blankets. "I can sleep on the floor."

Her head tilted. "Wait, we're actually sharing a room?"

He nodded. "There are no other viable options."

"None?"

He looked around. "Unless you'd prefer the bathtub."

She snorted. "You're hilarious."

A silence settled in. Not awkward, but… full. Like something unsaid lingered in the air.

Salira leaned back, kicking off her boots and pulling the blanket over her lap. "Fine. But if you snore, I'm throwing something."

"I don't snore."

"That's what all snorers say."

He smirked and turned to drag an old rug near the fireplace. He laid out a blanket and settled down. His movements were smooth, practiced. Almost like he'd done this before. Slept on floors. Lived in cold.

Salira stared at him for a long moment. His face reflected the firelight, sharp and quiet.

"…Adam?"

"Hm?"

"That day, after my blueprint vanished… when I woke up, your coat was wrapped around me."

A pause. "Yes."

She sat up slightly. "Why?"

"You were shivering."

She blinked. "That's it?"

He didn't look up. "You're always so focused on protecting others. But if you're going to build weapons… you should know how to protect yourself, too."

Something in her chest twitched. An ache she didn't expect.

"…You're annoyingly noble."

"And you're surprisingly careless."

She rolled her eyes. "You're welcome for the heaters, by the way."

Another pause.

"…Thank you."

It was the first time he'd said it sincerely.

She turned away, pulling the blanket over her head. "Goodnight, idiot prince."

"…Goodnight, terrifying inventor."

She smiled into the pillow.

But outside the room, in the silence of the long-abandoned hallway, something flickered. A faint light. A shadow moving across a broken mirror. Watching.

And somewhere… the system quietly marked a flag:

"Chapter 20 – Observation successful."