Late autumn slipping into early winter, the wind was sharp enough to cut.

The remote and gloomy Nan’an Temple felt colder than ever this year. Katherine Bishop, dressed in barely enough to cover herself, walked barefoot on the ground—the sharp stones tearing into her soles, blood dripping with every step. Every move forward was agony.

Her wrists were lined with tiny wounds, all from stabbing herself with a hairpin. That pain was the only thing keeping her awake as she pushed forward—step by step—to arrive at the place she needed.

Just outside Nan’an Temple, where the Cold Spring lay.

Three days post-rebirth, she’d been waiting for this exact moment—to meet Alexander Griffin.

The one man who could turn everything around for her.

It was freezing by the Cold Spring. Katherine’s whole body shivered in the biting wind. Her legs gave out for a second—almost sending her tumbling.

But she managed a flirtatious curve of her lips, body softening slightly, making her look like a fox draped in charm.

“Your humble subject Katherine Bishop greets His Highness the Prince.”

In the misty water, Alexander Griffin sat shirtless, his toned body half-submerged. The fog curled around him, slowly fading to reveal a face sharp as blades, cruelly handsome.

His gaze was colder than the spring he soaked in.

His eyes landed on the blood-spattered stone at her feet, and his brows drew together.

She’d sullied this place.

Noticing his expression, Katherine inhaled deeply. “Apologies, Your Highness. I’ve dirtied your spring.”

Without even a flicker of emotion, Alexander turned his head and spoke in a cool, low voice, “Kill her.”

“Yes, sir.”

A shadow darted from the darkness like a predator. In a flash, a sword gleamed in the air!

Feeling death close in, Katherine panicked and shouted, “Alexander Griffin! If the butterfly venom isn’t treated, you won’t live past three months! I can cure you—I know how to break the curse!”

The sword halted mid-air.

Had it been anyone else, the claim wouldn't have meant much. But this was Katherine Bishop—the former lady of the Chancellor’s manor, a renowned medical prodigy personally trained by the court’s chief physician.

If she said three months, then that was all he had.

“The butterfly venom feels like thousands of insects gnawing at the heart when it acts up. The pain is unbearable. None of the royal doctors have found a way to counter it.”

She paused, then added, “Your Highness loses nothing by trusting me. If I can’t help, you can kill me afterward.”

Lucas pushed his sword forward slightly. “How do you know about the poison in His Highness’ body? No one outside this room should know! Are you working with whoever did this?!”

Katherine gave him a look like he was hopeless. “So not everyone at His Highness’ side is as clever as I thought.”

Lucas blinked, stunned. Did this woman just call him an idiot?

Alexander suddenly smiled, just a little, as he looked at her—so utterly unlike the naive girl he remembered.Even though they'd only met once or twice, Katherine Bishop had changed so much it was like she’d become a completely different person.

Looked like being forced by the Bishop Manor to take the blame for Margaret Bishop this time had really done something to her.

She’d definitely grown a bolder streak.

The searing pain in Alexander Griffin's body flared up like thousands of insects gnawing at him. He frowned from the sharp sting, then in the blink of an eye, leapt out of the freezing pool—his movements so fast they left an afterimage. By the time Katherine focused again, he was standing in front of her, fully dressed.

He looked down at her from above. "Miss Bishop, you should know what happens when someone lies to me."

Katherine met his eyes, her fox-like ones full of determination. "I don’t plan on lying, and I’m not going to find out."

Because she really could cure the Butterfly Gu poison.

Women who could look him in the eye weren’t many. Ones that cocky? Yeah, this was a first.

"Three years gone, and you’ve gotten way more daring, Miss Bishop."

Katherine smiled, her cheeks rosy with a hint of flirtation. "Thank you for noticing, Your Highness."

Alexander's mouth twitched slightly.

Was that… supposed to be a compliment?

Just then, a sound came from outside the wall.

Lucas instantly gripped the sword in his hand.

"Looks like someone followed you here, Miss Bishop."

Katherine smirked and shrugged. "Pretty useless guy. Trailed me all this way and still didn’t catch up."

Alexander’s eyes narrowed. A figure crawled through a dog hole in the wall, and as soon as he spotted Katherine—

"Katherine Bishop, you filthy woman! Got some nerve running off, huh? Get your ass back with me—now!"

The fat servant lunged at her, trying to grab her arm. Katherine didn’t hesitate to duck behind Alexander.

"Your Highness, aren’t you going to protect your future savior? And also, he just got your nice floor all muddy, didn’t he?"

Trying to get him to do her dirty work, and she even had the nerve to dress it up all proper?

Alexander glanced down—there really was mud smeared across the polished rain stone floor.

The man hadn't noticed the danger at all. His eyes only had Katherine in them, drugged out of her mind with loads of aphrodisiacs he’d fed her.

He wasn’t about to let the prize slip away—not tonight.

"'Your Highness'? Don’t try to fool me. This is South An Temple—middle of nowhere. What prince would be here? Stop messing around and get over—if you don't want me to get rough—”

Slash!

A flash of silver swept through the air as Lucas’s sword sliced through the fat servant’s neck. Blood splattered out, dripping clean off the blade without a stain left on the steel.

Lucas sheathed the sword. Alexander glanced down. "I lent you my blade. Don't think that excuses an explanation."

Katherine pressed her lips together. “Oh… that guy—servant sent by my father—ugh, I mean, the Chancellor. He gave me a heavy dose of aphrodisiacs. Was trying to ruin me tonight.”Katherine spat decisively, catching Alexander Griffin’s eye as they narrowed slightly.

In a blink, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist and the two disappeared from the courtyard without a trace.

Before Lucas could process what happened, a loud bang echoed—the door slammed shut.

Clicking his tongue, Lucas muttered, “Did I just see that? His Highness actually grabbed her by the waist?”

Inside the room, the faint scent of blood lingered. Alexander glanced down at Katherine’s torn, bloodied feet, his brow furrowing.

“Even a lady of the Bishop family shouldn’t go barefoot. The monks at Nanan Temple couldn’t even spare you a pair of shoes?”

Katherine curled her lips into a smile, “They did. I just ran too fast to put them on. Figured if I moved any slower, I’d already be someone else’s easy prey.”

A sudden stab of pain hit Alexander’s chest, his face turning slightly pale, and his tone grew colder.

“You have fifteen minutes to prove that you’re worth keeping around.”

Katherine glanced at the cup of tea on the table. “I won’t need fifteen minutes. Just one breath.”

“Mind lending me your dagger, Your Highness?”

Though visibly annoyed, Alexander tossed her the blade from his waist.

Butterfly Venom, the deadliest poison in Loulan—no known cure in the South, unless the master of the Divine Healers' Valley returned. But that man had vanished eighteen years ago. Most considered him long dead. No one alive should be able to cure it.

Alexander watched curiously. Katherine was just a sheltered noble lady—what gave her such confidence?

Taking the blade, Katherine inhaled deeply, then slashed her palm without hesitation. Blood spilled into the tea bowl.

Her face went pale from the sharp pain, but she pushed through it, letting red wash over her features.

Quickly stopping the bleeding with a silver needle pricked into her arm, she then held out the blood-tinged tea to Alexander. “Drink it.”

His gaze darkened.

Her grand plan was to use her own blood as a cure?

Squinting slightly, he warned, “You’d best not try anything funny.”

Katherine’s smile widened. “You, the fearless war hero of the South, scared of little ol’ me pulling a trick? My life’s in your hands. What’s there to worry about?”

Alexander looked down and muttered, “You’re quick with that tongue.”

Then, without another word, he lifted the bowl and drank her blood.

The metallic taste turned his stomach, and he grimaced. Just then, a pair of delicate hands—still fresh with red—offered him a cup of water, silently placing it to his lips.

He frowned, took it, and downed it in one gulp.

Suddenly, a heat flared low in his abdomen. His expression darkened, fury rising in his eyes.

“Katherine Bishop, did you just drug me?”