Knock knock.
"Cousin Akari, are you in?"
I stood outside her door, my knuckles sore from knocking for what felt like fifteen minutes straight. The morning air was cold against my skin, but it couldn't explain the chill crawling up my spine. Why wasn't she answering? She did come home last night… right?
"Cousin Akari?" I tried again, knocking twice, a little louder this time. Still nothing.
That's when a maid walked by, her arms full of folded sheets. She paused, giving me a strange look.
"If you're looking for Lady Akari," she said, adjusting the sheets on her hip, "she's in the clan hall. Everyone is present. The clan master, Master Hoshino, is there as well."
I froze.
Akari was back. But… why was there a meeting so early in the morning? Did something happen?
"Where is the clan hall?" I asked sheepishly.
Her eyebrows rose slightly, like she couldn't believe I didn't know.
"Can you… take me there?" I added quickly.
She sighed but nodded, gesturing for me to follow.
Good. That saved me from having to explain why I didn't know where the clan hall was in the first place.
When we reached it, the moment I stepped inside, a heavy silence fell over the room.
At first, I couldn't help but admire the hall itself. The long corridor was lined with intricate drawings on the walls—each panel painted with vivid colors, telling the story of how the Hoshinos became the powerful water clan they are today. But then I noticed… the drawings weren't complete. Some were ripped, or faded, or torn in two, like the story itself was broken.
But then reality pulled me back.
At the far end of the hall, seated at the high table, was Master Hoshino. His presence filled the room with an icy weight, and next to him stood Shion, straight-backed and serious—always the perfect right hand.
And then there was Akari.
She was kneeling at the center of the room, her head bowed low, her hands pressed into the floor. She looked small. Defenseless. Like she was begging for mercy.
Everyone else stood around the edges, watching. Whispering.
I froze, trying to understand what was happening.
"Father, please!" Akari's voice cracked, echoing against the painted walls. "You can't do this to me. I can't be given away like some… property. I have my rights!"
Master Hoshino's face was like stone as he glared down at her.
"You have never proved yourself worthy of being a Hoshino," he said, his words sharp and deliberate. "You may have the blood, but you don't act like it. You consort with enemies. You disgrace this clan."
Akari's shoulders shook, but she raised her head, her tear-streaked face burning with anger.
"Just because I don't support your feud with the Akarawas doesn't mean you should marry me off! I already have someone I… someone I want to be with!" she cried. "Even if it puts my life on the line, I will never marry the Ice Queen!"
I blinked.
Wait. What?!
Did she just say… the Ice Queen? As in… Selene?! Or was there another Ice Queen I didn't know about? My stomach dropped. My mind was racing.
So this was the "biggest plan" Selene mentioned?
Master Hoshino's lips curled into a cruel smile.
"The Ice Queen will be a great ally to our clan," he declared. "She rejected the Akarawas and brought us her proposal instead. This is our chance to strengthen our defenses. The Ice Queen can summon a thousand soldiers of ice with a flick of her wrist. She owns vast lands, commands armies. With her at our side, we will surpass even the Clan Lord himself."
The hall filled with murmurs of approval.
My heart was pounding.
It felt like I was watching the panels of a manga unfold before me—but the roles were all flipped.
And now… Rei and Akari were both begging not to marry Selene, while the clan masters fought to claim her as their ultimate weapon.
But one question burned in my chest:
Why? Why did Selene propose this marriage in the first place?
And more importantly…
What was her true plan?
Oh god, the hall was freezing. Each click of icy heels against the polished floor sent a shiver crawling up my spine.
The whole room fell silent as Selene entered, her steps deliberate, her long silver hair tied up neatly for once, making her look… different. Almost regal. She walked straight toward the clan master, and I caught a glimpse of Akari standing stiffly beside Shion. Master Hoshino actually stood and bowed slightly to her.
Where in the manga did it ever say Selene held this kind of status? The author never explored her past. She was only supposed to appear in the final act, storm in unexpectedly, and kill the main character just as Rei and Akari finally found their happiness. Yet here she was — gorgeous, cold, and terrifying, her rolled-up hair framing her sharp face like she truly was some kind of queen.
"Queen Selene," Master Hoshino said, his voice tense. "You should've sent word you'd be joining us. We would've prepared properly." He gestured nervously toward his own high-backed chair. "Please, have a seat."
Selene's gaze didn't even waver. "No need. That seat belongs to you," she replied calmly. Then her cool eyes swept across the room. "Judging from what I walked in on… it seems you've already received my proposal, Master Hoshino."
"Yes. Your messenger delivered it earlier today," he answered quickly.
"Then what is your decision?" she asked. "Do you accept my offer?"
My chest tightened as I watched. So this was her plan. All of this — just to separate Rei and Akari? No way. I won't let her win. I'll find a way.
Master Hoshino straightened his shoulders, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Of course. I'm honored to give you my daughter's hand in marriage, Queen Selene. It would be a privilege to have you join our clan."
I bit the inside of my cheek, furious. But before he could finish basking in his own words, Selene interrupted, her voice cutting through the air like ice.
"Your daughter?" she repeated, tilting her head ever so slightly. "I never asked for your daughter's hand in marriage."
The entire hall gasped. Heads turned. Even Master Hoshino blinked at her in confusion.
"But… my queen," he stammered, "you sent the proposal to my house."
Selene's lips curled faintly, as though amused. "Because you are the clan head. But I never said I wanted to marry from your house. Only from your clan."
Whispers rippled through the hall.
Where was this ice queen going with this?
Her silver eyes narrowed, and she slowly turned her gaze in my direction — like she'd known exactly where I was the whole time.
"I am here," she continued, her words deliberate, "to offer my hand in marriage to Rin Kisaragi."
My heart stopped.
What kind of plot twist is this?!