How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 659: Frozen Resolve Interlude.

"That is..."

The Crown Princess of the Germonia Empire wavered, her composure breaking under the intensity of his stare for the very first time.

Snow averted her gaze, her grip tightening on the edges of her lunch box.

The atmosphere grew heavy with a pressure far more suffocating than any she had experienced on a field of war.

She took several measured breaths, fighting to regain her internal balance.

"...Fine," she whispered finally. "I will tell you everything."

Lifting her head, she began to speak, weighing every syllable with caution.

She described the recurring dream that haunted her sleep.

She spoke of the mirror.

She detailed the frigid aura that felt like her own essence, yet strangely alien.

She confessed her conviction that a fundamental change had occurred within her following the previous incident.

Ultimately, she admitted to requesting that Seo attack her.

She explained her need to see if that hidden power would manifest instinctively... to confirm if she was still in control of her own soul.

As her voice trailed off, a heavy silence gripped the table.

Riley remained quiet at first. He merely observed her, his face a mask of calm that revealed nothing of his thoughts.

Snow felt her heart race under his scrutiny, feeling more exposed than she ever had before a cheering stadium.

She eventually shifted her attention toward Seo.

Seo sat with her arms folded, her lips turned down in a clear display of lingering resentment.

"...Truly," Snow murmured, bowing her head in apology. "I am deeply sorry, Seo. I promise I will never ask such a thing of you again."

Seo offered no immediate reply.

Instead, she looked toward Riley, seeking a cue on how to proceed.

Riley gave a small, firm shake of his head.

This was a matter for the two of them to resolve.

Snow moved closer, reaching out to take Seo’s hand with a gentle, almost timid touch. As Seo looked up, Snow held her gaze firmly.

"Seo... please, forgive me."

Seo’s mouth twitched slightly.

"I realize my actions were wrong," Snow whispered. "I acted out of selfishness and caused you fear. You have every right to be angry... but please, do not hate me."

A long pause followed where Seo remained silent.

Then—

"...I don't hate you."

Snow’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Then—"

"However," Seo cut her off, puffing out her cheeks and looking away, "I'm not ready to forgive you just yet."

Snow blinked in confusion before her face melted into a smile of pure relief.

"...That is only fair," she agreed. "I will do whatever it takes to earn your forgiveness."

Seo peeked at her again, clearly still annoyed, but she no longer pulled away.

Watching the tension between them finally dissolve, Riley released a soft breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

For the moment, the fire had been put out.

Even if...

He wasn't entirely convinced by Snow's explanation.

Is this another one of your schemes, Evelyn?

The suspicion drifted through his mind, refusing to be dismissed.

Given the recent events surrounding Stacia, it was the most logical conclusion.

His clone—his mirror image—had never been particularly subtle about her meddling.

She didn't rely on blatant lies; she simply nudged circumstances, altering the course of events just enough to secure her chosen path.

And inevitably, the conclusion always favored him.

That was the true complication.

Evelyn only moved when she deemed it vital for his future prosperity or joy.

Riley understood that truth better than anyone else.

But if she was now laying hands on Snow—manipulating her subconscious, her history, and her very soul—she needed to understand one thing.

He would not ignore it.

Riley sighed quietly, shaking his head to clear his thoughts for the time being.

Whatever Evelyn was plotting, the middle of the academy was no place for a confrontation. Furthermore—

It was undeniable that whatever Snow and Stacia were going through, they were becoming more powerful because of it.

He could sense the change clearly.

Just like Stacia, Snow’s soul had undergone a transformation.

When Riley allowed his perception to dive deep, he had seen it—a massive, glacial domain locked within her.

While Stacia’s soul was a blazing sun of warmth and overwhelming presence, Snow’s was the polar opposite.

An expansive world of white.

A silent, ancient fortress of frost stood at the heart of it, enveloped by eternal ice and shadow.

Deep beneath that frozen crust lay an abyss of absolute stillness, lit only by the faint, chilling glow of a pale moon.

Even with his status as an ascended being, Riley had been stunned.

Her soul wasn't merely extensive.

It was terrifyingly immense.

Like a frozen planet, or perhaps something even greater.

"Riley...!"

The call pulled him back to the present.

"Hm?"

He blinked, realizing Snow was gazing at him with obvious concern, her face flushed a light pink.

"Is something the matter?" she asked in a low voice.

"No," he answered reflexively. "Everything is fine."

Snow paused, then gave a slow nod. "I-if that’s the case... then perhaps we can do what you wanted later..."

Her words trailed off into a whisper.

It was only then that Riley noticed his hand was resting firmly against the center of her chest.

It was soft and warm.

He went rigid.

"Oh—"

He jerked his hand back, fumbling in embarrassment and clearing his throat as if to ignore the physical contact.

Snow’s face turned a violent shade of red, and she looked away as if steam were about to pour from her ears.

Seo, who had been watching the scene unfold with her typical blank expression, finally spoke up.

"Mine is bigger, Riley."

The statement was quiet.

Both Snow and Riley froze in place.

...

"Ahahaha... uhm, Principal, I realize you're going through a lot, but... what exactly am I looking at?"

Alice gripped the paper with two fingers, looking at it with sheer disbelief.

"Please, just sign it..."

"You know I can't do that."

Leilah Grace let out a loud sniffle, her eyes puffy and red. She clutched Alice’s coat as if it were a drowning man's raft.

"Just sign it, Alice! You remember, don't you? I was the one who sponsored your entire first year before any other patrons noticed you. That’s right. I was your benefactor. So, you owe me this!"

"I'm fairly certain that's not how debt works..." Alice sighed, massaging her temples. "I am truly grateful, Principal. I really am. I'll help you with anything else, but this is simply impossible."

Leilah slumped over, pressing her face into Alice’s skirt and sobbing uncontrollably.

"I can't take it anymore—! The nobility, the school board, the festival, the Imperial envoys—everyone is hounding me for something—!"

"Haha..." Alice gave a strained laugh, patting the woman's back. "Please, try not to get tears on the fabric..."

She looked at the document again, hoping she had hallucinated the text the first time.

Resignation of Principal Leilah Grace

Immediate successor: Alice Holloway

Alice sighed heavily.

She was aware of the immense pressure Leilah had been under, but she hadn't expected this level of desperation.

Trying to hand the entire academy over to a student was beyond the realm of logic.

"Crying won't change the fact that there are limits to what I can do," Alice said, trying to be both gentle and firm. "Appointing a student as your successor upon retirement won't be accepted. Not by the board, not by the Empire, and certainly not by the public."

Leilah looked up, her eyes gleaming with a frantic hope.

"But you're graduating this year! You won't be a student much longer. You were already planning to stay as a professor. Given your prestige and talent, you're more than qualified!"

"That isn't the issue..."

Alice placed the paper on the desk and looked Leilah in the eye.

"Being capable and being acceptable are two different things. You're asking me to take over a position that took you a lifetime to earn, and you want it done overnight."

Leilah grabbed Alice’s sleeve once more.

"But you're the perfect choice! You're intelligent, powerful, respected, and terrifying when you need to be—"

"Principal."

"Yes?"

"I am eighteen years old."

The room fell into a dead silence.

Leilah slowly averted her eyes.

"...Age is merely a number?"

Alice stared at her in deadpan silence.

Leilah sniffled again.

.....

'I will be your guide, so keep your focus on a single point...'

That voice returned.

It was steady and mature. It sounded like her, yet possessed a different weight.

Stacia was no longer surprised to hear it.

It manifested in her dreams every night without fail, patient and watchful, like a version of herself from a far-off future.

'My aid and interference carry a price. However, as long as you do not overtax the blessing I bestowed upon you, you should be able to master it when you face the flaming wolf once more...'

The words resonated within her, sinking into her psyche.

She wanted to ask more questions, as she always did.

But before she could utter a word—

FOOOOSHHH!!!

Erupting flames filled her vision.

Stacia’s eyes flew open.

A wave of heat rolled over her as she gasped for air, a bead of sweat tracing a line down her face.

The room remained dark and still, yet her chest throbbed as if a sleeping giant had been briefly disturbed before being forced back into its cage.

"...I still can't grasp it."

Her voice was scratchy as she clutched her chest.

Knowing that such power resided within her only made the frustration more acute.

That vast, alien Qi was there—she could feel its presence—but it remained out of reach no matter how hard she struggled.

She couldn't even tap into a sliver of it.

Since her clash with Flamme, her progress had stalled.

The level of swordsmanship she had displayed that day... the state of being she had momentarily reached... it was all fading like a dream she couldn't quite remember.

Stacia exhaled slowly and opened her hands.

Flames ignited instantly, flickering above her palms with flawless precision.

Three days had passed.

For three consecutive days, she had remained undefeated in the competition.

To the onlookers, she appeared dominant and unshakable.

But she knew the truth.

Tomorrow would be the real test.

Tomorrow, she would be matched against the one everyone hailed as the genius of their era.

Rose Brilliance.

Stacia closed her hands, extinguishing the fire as her gaze sharpened.

She was realistic about her chances.

She would likely lose.

And yet—

This was her opportunity.

Her chance to prove she could stand by his side without being a burden.

Without hesitation or doubt.

Without being left in his shadow.

No excuses would remain.

No more questions.

For that purpose alone—

Stacia shut her eyes and took a deep, stabilizing breath, letting the heat in her Dantian settle.

Silently, she steeled herself for what was to come.