Chapter 2
Reward and Punishment
Crimson droplets stained the pristine snow, each drop spreading slowly across the white expanse. As the red circle widened, Liliette’s face grew pale, her breath catching in her throat.
“My lord, there’s… there’s blood!” she exclaimed.
She started to rush toward him, but the biting wind forced her to squeeze her eyes shut, the chill cutting into her skin. The howling wind was nearly deafening, and through the gusts, she could hear the heavy thud of armored boots sinking into the snow.
When the wind finally subsided, she opened her eyes to find her husband standing before her, having closed the distance between them in an instant. Standing in the shadow of his towering figure, Liliette had to crane her neck to see his face. The setting sun cast a fiery red outline around his dark form, making him appear as if he had just stepped out from the heart of the sunset itself.
