The Wall of Night 15

“From now on, in Tildyen, you have two choices: stay quietly tucked away, or volunteer for a dog’s death.” A ruthless man who stormed into the deathly silent palace. Anya, the so-called ‘Half-wit Prince,’ is commanded to marry the war hero Duke Evernight and dragged off to his territory. Northerners who reject him. Creatures beyond the Wall that hunger for human prey. And a man as endlessly cold as the frozen land he rules. Anya, who has spent his entire life holding his breath, begins to nurture an ambition for growth at this new crossroads—and amid it all, a very new desire takes root: to be held in the man’s gaze… *** “Anya.” For the first time, his name left the man’s lips. Though it was a familiar combination of letters, it sounded strange. “In the North, there’s a saying: Every moment I decide becomes my fate. So whatever the outcome, accept it calmly.” The man’s words were rough, yet somehow resonant. Standing before him always made Anya feel small, but a new emotion—one he couldn’t quite name—seeped into his chest. Anya didn’t know what people called this fluttering sensation. But it certainly wasn’t unpleasant. “I-I’ll do it.” Anya fidgeted, frozen in place with the man sitting across from him. The boy wasn’t shameless enough to strip naked in front of others, nor bold enough to even attempt it. “I have no interest in male bodies. If anything, I’m already concerned.” Even while saying this, his tone betrayed no actual worry. Rather, his askew posture made him look thoroughly displeased. ‘Concerned? What could he possibly be concerned about?’ Anya was curious, but he didn’t dare open his mouth—not with Evernight holding a knife.