*Chapter 19: Beneath the Ice, a Fire*
The grand corridors of the Wolter mansion echoed with silence—one that wasn't peaceful, but sharp and suffocating.
Hana hadn't spoken to Sher since the confrontation in the war room.
Sher hadn't tried either.
Not because he didn't want to—but because he wasn't sure what to say. He had seen the storm in Hana's eyes that night, and for the first time, he didn't know if he could calm it.
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### **A Misunderstanding in the Dark**
That evening, Hana passed by the study and heard voices—Sher's voice.
She paused. The door wasn't fully shut.
> "She's getting harder to control," Sher's voice came through.
Her heart stopped.
> "We can't risk her becoming unpredictable, especially when the summit is coming. She needs to stay put."
It was his voice, calm and commanding.
And Klein's reply was worse.
> "Maybe you should just give her the truth already. Or keep her distracted. You know what she's like—digging into secrets will only get her hurt."
Sher responded again—low and unyielding.
> "No. She doesn't need the burden. She's useful when she believes she's free."
That. Word.
**Useful.**
Something cracked inside her.
---
### **The Confrontation**
She waited until Sher came out, eyes narrowed, his collar slightly loosened. He looked like he'd been thinking too hard. Too long.
Too far from her.
"Is that what I am to you?" Hana asked, her voice calm, deceptively calm. "A useful tool to be 'controlled'?"
Sher stopped in his tracks. His whole body stilled.
"You heard that out of context."
Hana tilted her head, a humorless smile playing on her lips. "Funny how the whole *truth* always comes from behind closed doors with you."
"You don't understand what's at stake—"
"No, Sher. You don't understand *me*." Her voice shook now. "All this time, I thought maybe you were cold because you didn't know how to show love. But you're just calculating. You always were."
His jaw tightened. "Don't say something you'll regret, Hana."
"Oh, I already regret everything," she whispered. "Especially thinking I was more than just your shield in this political war."
"You are!" he snapped, stepping closer. "You're—"
She stepped back, and it made his heart twist. "I'm what? Your weakness? Your pawn? You don't even trust me enough to tell me what you're hiding."
Sher's hands curled into fists.
"I don't tell you everything because you'll throw yourself into fire without blinking," he said quietly. "And I'm tired of dragging you out of the flames every time."
Hana's eyes shimmered, but she didn't cry.
She never cried in front of him anymore.
"I didn't ask you to protect me," she said, "I just asked for honesty."
A beat of silence.
"I guess that was too much for a dominant heir who only loves behind closed doors."
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### **He Couldn't Say It**
He should have stopped her then.
Should have said what was buried in his chest.
But he didn't.
Not because he didn't love her.
Because he did.
Too much.
So much that it scared him more than Cenric, more than politics, more than losing everything—because *if he lost her trust*, he'd lose everything that mattered.
---
### **The Distance Grows**
That night, they slept in the same bed—backs turned, bodies cold, hearts burning.
She lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
He stayed still, eyes closed but wide awake.
Neither said a word.
Because beneath the ice…
A fire was waiting to break them.
Or forget them stronger.
---
The next morning, everything was *too calm*. That kind of dangerous calm where nothing is said — but everything is broken.
Hana moved around the mansion like a quiet storm. Her eyes were dry. Her steps precise. She smiled at the maids, gave Mira her usual sarcastic salute, and even told Klein not to prank the kitchen staff again.
But **she didn't say a word to Sher**.
And Sher noticed *everything*.
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### The Cold Wall
At breakfast, she sat across the table from him.
He waited for one of her usual jabs — maybe a "Did the council schedule your next manipulation session?" — but nothing came.
She simply passed him the coffee without looking at him.
"You're… quiet," Sher said at last.
"I thought you liked that," Hana replied. Calm. Too calm.
Sher narrowed his eyes. "You're acting like a stranger."
She tilted her head with a small, almost cruel smile. "Am I? Maybe I was never anything else to you."
That shut him up.
And Hana excused herself before he could speak.
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# The Goodbye That Wasn't One
Later, Sher found Mira hovering outside the garage.
"She's packing a bag," the AI whispered, almost nervously.
His voice dropped. "What?"
"She told Kai she's going to the Chorl estate for a few days. Alone."
Sher's chest burned. "Without telling me?"
"You were… busy," Mira replied cautiously. "Or maybe she just stopped waiting for you to care."
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The Possessive Outburst
He found her by the gates, ready to leave in a hovercar.
"Where are you going?" His voice was too sharp.
Hana didn't even flinch. "Home."
"This *is* your home."
She turned to him slowly, her eyes unreadable. "Is it?"
Sher stepped forward, his jaw clenched. "You're my wife. You don't leave without telling me."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are we playing husband now? I thought I was a contract."
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
"Do I?" she snapped. "Because when I *didn't* know, you said nothing. And now that I *do*, you act like I'm being dramatic."
His fists clenched at his sides.
"You think I don't care?" he asked, voice low and trembling with control. "You think it's easy for me to say anything to you when you constantly act like loving me would be your biggest regret?"
That caught her off guard.
"Then why marry me at all?" she whispered. "If I was just going to make your life harder?"
Sher's eyes softened for a moment — but his pride, his silence, *won again*.
He looked away. "Because I had no choice."
Hana nodded once. "Then neither do I."
And she left.
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### Left Behind
Sher stood by the gates long after the hovercar disappeared from view.
Mira hovered nearby, almost afraid to interrupt.
"She thinks you don't love her," the AI said gently. "And you just proved her right."
Sher didn't speak. Not for a long time.
Then:
> "Tell Klein. No one is to follow her. But make sure she's safe."
"And you?" Mira asked.
Sher's voice was cold.
> "I'll fix it. Even if it breaks me first."
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