When Angelina woke up in the morning, she had a bad feeling. The wind had howled all night long. The spot near the cave entrance where the Moon Wolf magic core had been placed was now buried under snow. After digging for a while, Angelina finally retrieved the buried light-element magic core.
Although the core's glow was brighter than when she had taken it out yesterday, Angelina's expression darkened. The magic core had not recharged as much as usual overnight. She wasn't sure if placing it on Caesar's chest during the day would be enough to maintain the balance of energy consumption and recovery.
After digging a bit more, she managed to create a small opening to the outside. As expected, heavy snow was falling steadily. The clouds covered the sun, which should have been radiating light. The sunrise was nothing more than a pale gray disk, offering no warmth to the world.
Although the wind from last night had stopped, the snowstorm made it impossible for Angelina to go hunting. In just the short time she had spent digging, the hole she created had already been buried again. It was clear just how heavy the snowfall was.
Giving up on her plan to hunt, Angelina returned to Caesar with the magic core that had been charging all night and carefully placed it back on his chest. The soft light from the core illuminated Caesar's skin. Angelina knew the light-element magic core was doing its job.
Since she couldn't go outside, Angelina lay back down. Every day was exhausting for her. There had been a similar snowstorm before, and back then, she had taken a few days to rest properly.
But this time was different. Unlike the previous storm, she and Caesar didn't have as much food stored. All they had left was one-third of a snow hare they had already eaten most of and a few fruits Angelina had carefully saved. This meager amount would only last them three days, but last time, the snowstorm had lasted four days.
After experiencing so much, Angelina had come to terms with their situation. If the snowstorm lasted more than three days, she would either have to hold out in the cave with Caesar until the snow stopped or venture out into the blizzard to find food. Both outcomes were life-threatening.
For now, all Angelina could do was leave things to fate. If Caesar were awake, he would surely find a way out of this. Angelina glanced at the still-unconscious Caesar. Perhaps that was what she admired most about him—his refusal to give up.
Leaning against Caesar, Angelina closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. She didn't notice the slight twitch of Caesar's left ring finger.
Caesar didn't know how long he had been lost in the darkness. The faint warmth radiating from his chest had kept him from sinking completely.
In his consciousness, time felt both endless and fleeting. It seemed like an eternity had passed, yet also just an instant. When Caesar finally regained awareness, it felt sudden.
He had actually regained consciousness five days ago, but he couldn't move. He could think, perceive his surroundings, but he couldn't move even a single finger.
Although he couldn't open his eyes, Caesar had figured out his current state through his sense of touch. It was nothing short of a miracle that he was still alive—a miracle created by Angelina.
At night, when Angelina warmed him with her body, he could feel it. A noble princess going to such lengths for him—it left Caesar unsure whether he felt more gratitude or guilt. But gratitude definitely outweighed everything else.
Every day, Caesar could sense Angelina leaving the cave for hours, only returning late to prepare food and carefully feed him. Although it was the least appetizing meat Caesar had eaten since being promoted to squad leader last year, it still felt like the most delicious food in the world. And to be fair, Angelina's cooking was improving.
Every day, Caesar focused on circulating his fighting energy. He didn't know if it was because he had lost control over his muscles, but he longed to open his eyes, sit up, embrace Angelina, and share her burdens. Yet he couldn't even lift a finger.
Fortunately, he could still sense a faint trace of fighting energy. The battle with the Moon Wolf had left him gravely injured. He was only alive thanks to the light-element magic core, but his body was riddled with internal and external injuries. A single low-grade light-element magic core could only do so much for self-healing. Who knew how long it would take for Caesar to fully recover?
All Caesar could do was direct the faint thread of fighting energy to his most critical injuries.
His three worst injuries were: the five broken ribs on his side, his severely damaged internal organs from the Moon Wolf's final blow, and the horrifying bite wound on his shoulder, marked by four thumb-sized puncture holes surrounded by decaying flesh.
Perhaps because the shoulder wound was the most severe, the Moon Wolf magic core had been primarily focused on healing it over the past two weeks. Now, aside from the four visible bite marks, most of the wound had healed, leaving behind only scars as evidence of the trauma.
With the shoulder partially healed by the magic core, Caesar had been directing his fighting energy to his other injuries since regaining consciousness.
The broken ribs were a more complicated matter. Caesar dared not attempt to heal them hastily. If the bones healed in the wrong position, he would have to break them again to fix them.
For the past few days, Caesar had focused on his internal organs. The organs are the body's most fragile parts, and any mistake during the healing process could be fatal. Fortunately, the small amount of fighting energy he could control was gentle enough not to cause further harm.
Additionally, with the Moon Wolf magic core placed on his chest, some of its light-element energy indirectly aided in healing his internal organs. Today, Caesar finally managed to complete a general repair of his internal injuries. Many clots and blockages had been cleared, and necrotic tissue had been broken down and carried away by his bloodstream for removal.
After clearing the blockages and necrotic tissue, Caesar finally felt a faint return of strength to his body. He no longer felt like a lifeless husk, lying there completely powerless.
When Caesar was still unconscious, he had even considered directing the faint trace of fighting energy he could control to his neck to destroy his brain if he couldn't regain consciousness after some time. Angelina had already done more than enough for him—he couldn't drag her down any further. Caesar had his pride as a man.
Fortunately, that dreadful outcome hadn't come to pass. Just moments ago, Caesar had successfully moved his little finger. Although he was completely drained after that tiny movement, he knew it was a sign that his body was beginning to recover.
What puzzled Caesar was why Angelina hadn't gone out today. With his eyes still closed, Caesar could roughly sense the situation within the cave but couldn't perceive what lay beyond the thick layers of snow and rock. He was unaware that heavy snow was still falling outside.
Angelina didn't wake up until noon. When she opened her eyes and saw the snow still falling outside, she sighed softly and began her routine meditation. She could feel her mental and magical power had grown significantly through all these hardships—far more than when she had first left the palace. "Adversity brings out one's true potential," she recalled her teacher once saying.
Her meditation lasted until dusk. Angelina had always been praised by her tutor for being able to sit still and focus, and now she had reached a level of single-minded concentration. If it weren't for the growling of her empty stomach, she could have meditated for more than a day without pause. Many powerful mages measured their meditation sessions in days rather than hours.
When it came time to eat, Angelina hesitated before finally deciding to cut off the last third of the snow hare. She had no idea when the snowstorm would end, and every extra day they could hold on mattered.
That night, when Angelina fed Caesar, she noticed something different. A mage's sensitivity to their surroundings was no less keen than that of an experienced knight. Caesar had regained control over his right hand that afternoon; his palm, once lying flat, was now half-curled into a fist.
Angelina covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. "Are you awake, Caesar?" she asked softly, giving him a gentle push.
Caesar didn't move or respond. He had already exhausted all his strength and had no way of communicating with her through gestures.
But Angelina wasn't disappointed. Instead, she felt a surge of renewed confidence. Caesar's potential recovery was like a beacon in the dark night, filling her with hope and a reason to keep going.
That night, when Angelina held Caesar in her arms, there was no longer any awkwardness or hesitation. She clung tightly to him, as if trying to pull him into her very heart.
The next day, Caesar still hadn't fully awakened, but he managed to move his arm. Angelina watched as Caesar struggled to lift his right arm, attempting to place his hand over hers, as though he wanted to reassure her. But before he could complete the motion, his strength gave out, and his arm fell. Angelina caught his hand before it hit the ground.
On the third day, Caesar was finally able to half-open his eyes. His gaze was soft as he looked at Angelina. In return, Angelina abandoned her usual regal demeanor and, like a shy young girl, met his gaze with bashful tenderness.
Both of them looked disheveled. Their hair was long and tangled; Caesar's face was covered in stubble, and his body emitted a faint odor. Angelina's clothes were tattered and dirty, her face smudged with grime, and her shoes were so worn that her pale toes peeked out. Yet, despite their wild and rugged appearance, they gazed at each other with deep affection.
That night, as Caesar lay there with his eyes half-open, Angelina quietly removed her clothes and slipped into their shared 'blanket.' Wrapping her arms tightly around Caesar's body, she whispered softly, "You'll take responsibility for me, won't you?"
Looking at her delicate face framed by her messy hair and into her bright, determined eyes, Caesar nodded firmly. With great effort, his hoarse voice rasped out, "I will."
Angelina gazed into Caesar's eyes, then leaned forward and kissed him passionately. That night, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
The next day marked the fourth day of the snowstorm, and at long last, the snow stopped.
At dawn, the sky cleared. Supported by Angelina, Caesar limped to the cave entrance. With his hand, he brushed aside the snow covering the opening. As the snow collapsed and sunlight spilled into the cave, a warm beam of light shone on their faces.