Chapter Text
Once upon a time, in the Pearun Kingdom—known as the coldest continent of all—there lay a land wrapped in the beauty of snow and a winter so long it seemed endless.
In the morning, the whiteness was so pure it could almost blind you, and at night it became something ethereal: snow scattered everywhere like fine powdered sugar, shimmering under the moonlight as if the world were dusted in white fairy dust.
And yet, beneath this beauty was a harsh reality.
The nearly endless, merciless cold made life difficult for the people of the kingdom. Farming was a struggle, and even the simplest tasks of daily life became burdensome. Their main source of life—the Lake of God Tears—had been frozen for longer than anyone could remember.
There is a legend about this lake…
"A god felt sorry for the Paerun Kingdom that was always frozen and created this lake that would not freeze.
Humans initially cheered because of this lake that could not freeze. However, humans quickly started to become greedy for more and eventually lusted after something that they should not have touched.
That made the god shed some tears as he took away the water from the lake. The humans finally realized their greed and protected this lake.
They continue to pray that that god will once again bless this lake with water. When the water returns to the lake is the moment that the god returns from the south."
This ancient legend is tied closely to the Sekka household, where a married couple now lived in gentle happiness.
It was a rare thing among nobles and royalty, who often treated marriage as nothing more than a political trade, a contract, a convenient means to an end. But in the Sekka home, love—true love—had taken root.
But Rock Sekka and his wife were different.
Rock met her one January during the festival, the time when people gathered to pray for the goddess of water to let the lake flow again. She had short light-brown hair and green eyes, looking perfectly ordinary at first glance.
Yet there was a warmth about her—a kindness that shone brighter than the lanterns of the festival. Though she came from a humble noble family, she did everything she could to help the people of Pearun, not just wishing for better days but working for them with her own hands.
Rock Sekka could not help but fall in love. And in time, he married her. She, too, loved him sincerely and took his hand without hesitation. The two of them lived a romance so genuine and pure it felt like the kind of noble or royal fairy tale everyone loved to read—one of the rare stories where love was real and not written into a contract.
But then, one night…
Something happened.
On the night the duchess gave birth, the moon shone brightly above the Pearun Kingdom, casting its silver light as if encouraging her. The maids worked tirelessly at her side, and soon a baby boy arrived—crying so loudly and fiercely that everyone took it as a sign of perfect health.
And after the boy was born, something extraordinary happened.
Winter did not linger as long as it usually did. Not only that—the Lake of God Tears, frozen for as long as anyone could remember, began to melt. Its waters flowed freely for the first time in years, spilling into the sea for an entire week before froze again.
A miracle.
That was what people called it. They believed the newborn had been blessed by the goddess herself. The melting lake felt like a sign—a welcome to the child, a promise of hope, a whisper that the ancient curse might one day be lifted and mercy granted to the frozen kingdom.
Some said the new heir of the Sekka household would bring blessings to this land. Others whispered that the boy was destined to become someone great, someone who could change the fate of Pearun for the better.