Winter drank the water Ivy had just poured for him, and Race did the same. After concluding the annual festival's grand finale, they chose to go to Race's pavilion together. Race still had bandages on his hand and forehead. His wounds were deep, necessitating protection from water and dirt.

"You're lucky you're okay, Race," Winter remarked after siping his water.

Race, who was still drinking, simply nodded. Ivy, however, chose to sit between them and sighed deeply.

"What do you mean by 'okay'? His forehead and hand are injured, Winter," Ivy protested.

"Yeah, I know, but that's nothing out of the ordinary for him," Winter retorted.

"Well, Winter is right. It's just that this time, I got lucky again," Race added, placing his empty glass on the table.

Winter and Ivy both looked at Race now.
"What?" they asked simultaneously.

Race looked at the two people in front of him alternately, then chuckled softly and reached for Ivy's hand on the table.
"I'm lucky to have Ivy. She even used her magic to heal me," Race said.

Ivy smiled faintly at Race, nodding in agreement with Race's statement.
"That's one of my purposes here, Race," Ivy said.

Winter watched Race and Ivy interchangeably, feeling a pang in his heart as he observed their interaction. However, he had to be aware of his position. Winter cleared his throat and turned his face away.

"Ivy is indeed the right woman for you, Race," Winter said.

Upon hearing Winter's words, Ivy felt uncomfortable. She slowly withdrew her hand from Race's, causing Race to look at Ivy with raised eyebrows. Ivy cleared her throat and lightly tapped Winter's shoulder.

Winter turned to Ivy and raised an eyebrow.
"What is it, Iv?" he asked.

"May I ask something?" Ivy said as if redirecting their conversation.

Winter looked at Ivy, puzzled. Race was equally puzzled by why his wife suddenly wanted to ask something.

"What? Just ask!" Winter replied, giving his consent.

"Well... since when have you been ill? Have you been sick since childhood? And, what exactly is your illness?" Ivy asked, eager to know Winter's condition so she could treat him properly.

Ivy's question took aback winter. Instead of answering, he glanced at Race. They exchanged glances and didn't know how to respond.

***
In the palace, it was somewhat quiet. King Michel drank with Mr. Milano and several other kings from the west, north, and south regions. Some ministers from the kingdom were also present. King Okra, the ruler of the north, cleared his throat and poured a drink into King Michel's glass.

"I saw Race's wife, Ivy Marionet, is still fine," he mentioned.

Mr. Milano, taking a sip of his drink, looked at King Okra with a puzzled frown. King Michel didn't immediately respond and quickly downed his drink.

"What do you mean by 'still alive, King Okra?" King Charles from the west, where Ivy was raised, asked.

King Okra smiled faintly and then drank from his glass. King Michel himself smiled mysteriously.

"What are you talking about now? What's wrong with my daughter-in-law Ivy?" Mr. Milano inquired.

All the rulers from different regions looked at Mr. Milano now. King Michel patted his brother's shoulder.

"Our goals are the same, Brother. The same goes for King Okra," King Michel said.

Mr. Milano was growing more puzzled by his younger brother's direction. He looked at King Michel with a furrowed brow.

"Ivy is dangerous, you know. A witch like her is very manipulative. Plus, her blood is mixed with that of a seer. She will be a big problem for Race in the future. I very much want that girl to disappear so I'm not haunted by the downfall of the northern region," King Okra explained.

"Downfall? What do you mean, King Okra?" King Felix from the south region asked.

King Okra sighed deeply, looking frustrated.
"Ivy's parents predicted that the northern kingdom would perish and be annexed by the eastern kingdom. That's why I killed her family with powdered maknola wood poison. Only Ivy survived, and she was adopted by the Marionet family. If I had known there were surviving descendants, I wouldn't have allowed that."

Everyone in the room appeared shocked, especially Mr. Milano. It turned out that Ivy was extremely dangerous, not only to Race but to everyone.

"But a seer and witch like Ivy can be the most powerful shield and useful person in the kingdom," King Felix, who had no ill thoughts about witches (given that Tesla also came from the south), pointed out.

"Yes, King Felix is right. Sometimes I also need a witch for the well-being of the east," King Charles added.

Mr. Milano and King Michel remained silent and lost in their thoughts while King Okra sighed in annoyance as they seemed to be defending Ivy.

"One thing is for sure, someday Ivy could be the biggest problem for Race. Especially, I heard she's Winter's guard as well. Does it make sense for a woman to be a man's guard? Moreover, Ivy is Race's cousin's wife," King Okra said sarcastically while looking at King Michel and Mr. Milano.

After a tense conversation at the palace, King Okra returned to his region by horse-drawn carriage. In the carriage were King Okra and ministers from the northern part. King Okra was somewhat agitated, feeling like he had failed to garner support to get rid of Ivy.

"Minister Chen," King Okra called.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Minister Chen responded respectfully.

"If Ivy Marionet isn't executed in the east soon, we'll raise the flag of war," King Okra stated coldly.

"War? Against the eastern region?" Minister Chen asked, incredulous.

King Okra looked at his subordinate and nodded firmly.
"Why, are you afraid?"

"It's not that, Your Majesty. It's just that their defenses are very strong."

King Okra smiled sarcastically and then looked out the window toward the forests on the roadside.

"Let's use the monsters, their greatest weakness, against King Michel," he said, filled with hatred.
***
Race and Ivy were now in the same bed. Since Race was slightly drunk, they decided to stay in the pavilion. Winter, also inebriated, slept in another room. Race had fallen asleep over half an hour ago. Ivy, however, was still thinking about Winter's story. Ivy gently lowered her hand from Race's and slid down from the bed. Ivy needed to find a way to heal Winter and free him from the forest monsters' pursuit.

Ivy pulled Race's blanket closer before leaving the room entirely. She wore her jacket and walked to the side garden, standing near the fence. Ivy gazed out and took a deep breath.

"What should I do?" Ivy asked herself.
Ivy then folded her hands as she felt the chill in the air.

"Aren't you cold here?" Winter suddenly asked, appearing behind Ivy.

Ivy turned to the source of the voice and raised her eyebrows.
"You're not sleeping yet?" Ivy asked Winter.

Winter smiled and shook his head slightly. He walked closer to Ivy and stood beside Race's wife.

"Why haven't you gone to sleep? Is there something on your mind, Iv?" Winter asked.

Ivy didn't immediately respond, just looking at Winter. She then took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
"I'm thinking about you, Winter. I want to find a way to heal you and free you from the forest monsters."

Winter had suspected that Ivy was thinking about him. He smiled and took a step closer to Ivy. Then, he hugged Ivy without warning, causing her body to stiffen with surprise.

"I'm sorry, Iv! Please, just let me stay like this for a while."

Ivy didn't respond, trying to figure out what to do next. Her hand reached out and lightly patted Winter's back. Meanwhile, her cousin-in-law felt comfortable and tightened his embrace around Ivy.

"Iv, I'm sorry; I can't suppress my feelings for you. I know this is insane and wrong, but I can't help it."

Ivy raised her eyebrows in surprise at Winter's words.
"What do you mean, Winter?"

"I like you, Iv. I know it's crazy and forbidden, but it's the truth."
Ivy was genuinely shocked by Winter's confession.
***