CHAPTER 14 — Morning in Frostpetal Gardens
Warmth.
That was the first sensation I felt, before thought, before memory. A thick, luxurious warmth cocooned around me like clouds piled into a blanket. My body sank deeper into the mattress, soft enough that I wondered if the Harewyn family harvested feathers from some mythical sky creature just to stuff their beds.
For a moment, I didn't move.
I just breathed.
Slow. Calm. Peaceful.
A real bed. A real room. No frost biting at my fur. No wolf breath on my neck. No wind howling through trees while I tried to survive another night.
…Right. I wasn't a rabbit anymore.
But even with my new body, sleeping on something this comfortable felt like a crime.
A faint tapping sound interrupted my bliss.
"Sir, Kyree? Are you awake?"
Lucy's voice drifted through the door, polite but somehow carrying the authority of a much scarier person.
I blinked groggily, pushed myself upright, and looked around.
Heavy wooden beams lined the ceiling. Morning light filtered through the large window, casting a silver-blue glow across the blankets. Snow drifted lazily outside, sparkling like stars fallen from the sky.
"Uh—yeah," I called. "One second!"
I scrambled out of the bed, instantly letting out a yelp as my feet touched the cold floor. Guess even fancy castles couldn't magically heat the stones.
I grabbed the sweater and pants from last night and pulled them on quickly.
When I opened the door, Lucy gave a small bow.
"Good morning, Mr—Kyree. Lady Isabelle requests your presence in the Frostpetal Gardens."
Requests. Right. More like summons.
"Do I look… acceptable?" I asked, smoothing the sweater.
Lucy blinked at me, then nodded. "Lady Isabelle will not be displeased."
That didn't reassure me at all.
We began walking to them gardens for my fist official meeting.
Walking through the estate in daylight felt different from last night. The chandeliers weren't glowing now; instead the halls shimmered with reflected morning light. Servants moved quickly and quietly, bowing to Lucy and then glancing at me with interest.
Some whispered.
Some pointed discreetly.
One maid outright stared at my hair until another elbowed her sharply.
Apparently I was a spectacle. I wasn't sure what they all knew but the fact that some were acting like this ment that they knew enough about my situation.
I let a little breath as I pushed those thoughts out of my mind. Other people's options don't matter, not really.
We eventually stepped through a pair of glass doors into the gardens—and I forgot how to breathe for a moment.
This place looked like a dream frozen in time.
White stone paths curved around glowing blue flowers with frost-kissed petals. Tall crystal trees grew like sculpted ice, but their branches swayed gently in the cold air as if alive. Small floating lights drifted like fireflies.
And amidst all that—
Isabelle stood in the snow, back turned, speaking to a gardener.
Her pale blue hair flowed down her back in a soft cascade, almost blending into the frost behind her. She was wearing a short cloak today—white trimmed with fur—and a long dress split at the sides to allow movement.
Her rabbit ears twitched once.
Then she turned.
Her eyes found me instantly.
And that tiny half-smile—the one that always meant she was at least 20% amused with me—tugged at her lips.
"Good morning, Kyree."
I bowed slightly. "Lady Isabelle."
"Oh, formal already?" she teased, gliding toward me. "Careful. You'll make me think you're trying to impress me."
My ears twitched.
"I'm just being polite." I said with a wry smile.
"Mhm," she said, unconvinced.
Her attendants stood at a respectful distance, watching quietly. I noticed they weren't glaring today. Suspicious maybe, but less hostile.
A good sign… I hoped.
She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly.
"So, my new attendant," she said lightly, "I need your help with something."
"If it's within my ability," I said cautiously.
Her smile grew a bit too sweet.
"It will be."
Oh no. She's going to test me or something right?
She led me deeper into the garden.
The first task seemed innocent enough.
"Carry this," she said, handing me a woven basket full of pale blue blossoms.
The basket weighed at least 50 lbs (22kg). The flowers must've been heavier than they looked.
I took it with one hand, ignoring the jolt in my arm, as the weight settled into my hand.
Her eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Oh. You're… stronger than you look."
"I've been told that," I said, trying not to sound smug.
She turned away too quickly for me to see the expression on her face, but her ears twitched in a way that definitely wasn't neutral.
The second test involved following her through a narrow path layered in frost-slick stone.
"Don't slip," she called cheerfully.
Before I could ask why she was warning me, she cut across a frozen archway and slipped beyond my view, leaving me stranded.
I stepped carefully—
My foot skidded.
I caught myself with space magic. A tiny ripple snapped outward like a stabilizing hand, keeping me upright.
Her ear twitched.
She turned around slowly.
"…Huh."
"What?" I ask innocently.
"Nothing," she said, walking again. "Just… impressive reflexes."
I pretended I didn't see her eyes drifting to my feet, then to the air around me, as if trying to understand how I didn't fall.
The third "test" was more blatant.
She pointed at a stack of boxes filled with gardening tools.
"Move those to the far bench."
"All of them?"
"Of course."
I stepped forward—then froze as Isabelle casually whispered to the gardener:
"He'll probably trip."
I didn't.
I lifted three boxes at once, balancing them against my chest. My physique stat wasn't amazing, but it was enough.
Isabelle blinked once.
Then twice.
"…Show-off," she muttered under her breath.
I hid my smile.
After the chores, she finally let me stop.
We walked along a stone bridge overlooking the frozen pond. Her steps were small and elegant; mine were careful, because I kept noticing her reflection in the ice and forgetting to look where I was going.
"Kyree," she said suddenly.
I straightened. "Yes?"
She glanced up at me. The morning light made her eyes nearly glow.
"What do you think of Winterreach so far?"
"I like it," I said honestly. "It feels… safe."
She hummed. "Safe can be dangerous. Safe makes people careless."
"Is that how it works here?"
"With nobles?" She gave a tiny smile. "Absolutely."
I thought about that.
She wasn't warning me. She was preparing me.
"Thank you," I said softly.
She blinked, as if she hadn't expected gratitude.
Then her gaze softened.
"Kyree… you're strange."
"…Thanks for the compliment?"
"Not in a bad way." She laughed quietly. "Just… different. You don't act like someone who just came from the wild."
You have no idea, I thought.
But aloud I simply said:
"I'm trying my best. I don't want to cause trouble for you or your father."
Her expression flickered.
"…You really think about others too much."
I stared at her, confused.
She looked away quickly, ears dipping in a way that seemed… shy?
Isabelle?
That look is dangerous.
Before I could ask, she flicked a strand of hair behind her ear and regained her frosty composure.
"Well," she announced, stepping aside with a graceful pivot, "you passed this morning's test."
"I was being tested?" I asked dumbly.
"Obviously," she said. "I can't have an incompetent attendant."
I placed a hand over my heart dramatically.
"I'm honored to meet your standards."
She rolled her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement.
She walked past me, toward the exit of the gardens.
"Oh—and one more thing, Kyree."
"Yes?"
She glanced back at me, her expression shifting to one of cool confidence tinged with mischief.
"We're going to the Academy district today, you need to be registered for classes."
My stomach dropped.
"Today?"
"Try not to panic." She waved a hand airily. "It's not your entrance exam. It's just… introductions."
"What kind of introductions?"
"The kind where you stand behind me and look pretty."
I blinked."Pretty?"
She smirked, walking ahead so I wouldn't see her cheeks redden.
"Don't make me repeat myself."
I hurried after her, still processing the fact that she thought I looked pretty—but also terrified of whatever "Academy introductions" meant.
The cold air bit my skin as we stepped back into the estate halls.
But somehow, I felt warm.
Warm with anticipation.
Warm with fear.
Warm with the strange, growing feeling that being near Isabelle was dangerous...in a way that made my heart beat faster.
"Come on, Kyree," she called without turning. "Try not to embarrass me."
I followed her down the hall.
A newly hatched attendant.
A stranger in a noble house.
And for the first time—
Walking beside someone who makes my heart race.