"Beauty..." Gideon said as he was also tranced with Pier's appearance.

"Huh?" Pier asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

He looked back once more at the townspeople and everyone was still staring at him.

'Am I not welcome here?' He thought as everyone was silent.

Elena gritted her teeth as she watched everyone who was just cheering for her a few minutes ago all stare at Pier as if they were staring at some sort of godly being.

'How dare that loser steal them from me!' She silently fumed. She immediately turned to Asher to tell him to do something. However, she was surprised to see Asher also quietly staring at Pier with unknown emotions.

The Crown Prince had a look of longing and awe on his face as his eyes scanned the young master's tall and confident posture. Pier really did look like a prince that came out of a novel.

"My eyes are not worthy enough to see something like this."

"Ah, the sight of such stunning man to have grazed been upon by my wandering eye!"

"Don't you think the young master resembles the Prince of the Forbidden Snow?"

"Really?"

"Wait... now that you've said it... he really does look and resemble the Prince of the Forbidden Snow!"

People were whispering about Pier and how he resembled the second male lead of a certain novel that was popular among the commoners. The Prince of the Forbidden Snow was the certain antagonist of the novel 'Back to the Nights of Winter'.

"Pale skin, blue eyes, tall frame... the young master really does resemble the prince!"

"Only if he had white hair, he would certainly be the real-life reincarnation of the Prince of the Forbidden Snow!" A young commoner maiden squealed as she shamelessly raked Pier's entire figure with her eyes.

Elena who heard all the whispers of the people in the boundary flared up in anger. Her blood boiled as to why Pier was getting the attention that she wanted.

She turned to Asher and held the prince's arm. Asher who realized he was staring at Pier turned his head to the lady who had a pitiful expression on her face.

"Your highness, can we proceed now to the important things we needed to do? I wanted to rest if I dare may say for I am still tired from what has happened this morning." She said and coughed a little bit.

Asher who saw the fragile woman in front of him called upon his servants.

"Bring Lady Elena a coat to protect her from the cold as well." the servants bowed respectfully before hurrying to grab Elena a coat.

She smiled warmly at the Prince and Asher did the same. Their warm interaction made some of the people who were watching Pier look back at them and admire the two.

Elena smiled as she turned to look at Pier.

'Now I have everyone's attention again.' She secretly smirked as her gaze landed on Pier.

But it soon faded away as she saw what was happening.

The handsome knight that helped the young master get off the carriage was kneeling in front of him while he was tying something in Pier's hands.

---

"Young Master, please allow me to put these gloves on your hands for you might be cold." Gideon offered once Pier was fully revealed off the carriage.

"Wha...t? Wait, no, Gideon, you don't have to," Pier whispered hurriedly as people were still watching and it would definitely be embarrassing if someone were to put on his gloves for him.

"I can do it alone!" He expressed in an embarrassed manner but Gideon already had the gloves in his hand.

"I insist, young master. You have not brought any servants to tend to your needs thus as your knight, I will also partake in their duties of serving the young master." Gideon said and Pier's face reddened in so much embarrassment with Gideon's words.

What he thought was the knight simply standing in front of him to put on the gloves for him was far from what Pier had expected because Gideon instead kneeled in front of him and he had lent out his hand.

"Gideon, wait, you don't have to kneel, please!" Pier said as he rushed to help Gideon stand up but the knight of the fourth battalion had already firmly made his decision to put on Pier's gloves for him.

Pier sweatdropped as he watched Gideon take his hand and carefully put on the gloves in both of his hands.

He looked around the people who were previously watching him and he sighed in a little bit of relief as he saw everyone's attention focused on the couple that was in the middle of the town square.

The Prince and the Lady's obvious affection for each other was like a warm fire that made everyone be like a moth that was enthralled with it.

After Gideon successfully put on Pier's first glove in his hand and tied the strings to ensure it won't come off, the knight was about to put on the second glove when Pier felt someone burning holes in his head.

He turned to look around and saw that it was from the lady who was interacting with Asher a moment ago.

Pier raised his eyebrows at the lady and Elena just stood there as she obviously stared at the scenario of the knight kneeling in front of Pier while putting on the gloves for him.

'Now what does this woman want?' He badly wanted to stay away from Elena and the Prince but it seems like Elena was trying to constantly meddle with his own personal affairs.

---

Elena was overcoming with jealousy as she stared at the two.

She wanted something like that too

She wanted someone to put on gloves for her cold hand.

She turned to look at Asher again, but like earlier, Asher had his gaze upon Pier and his knight.

This time, Asher's eyes were not filled with longing and awe but instead were filled with a dark emotion that was on the borderline of being unpleasant.

"Y-Your highness..." Elena called to Asher. The Crown Prince stared at Pier and Gideon for a few more seconds before his eyes shifted to Elena.

"My hands... they're cold..." She whimpered as she hid both of her hands inside the fur coat he had gotten from the royal servants.

"Alright, I will give you some gloves to warm your hand, Lady Elena," Asher said and called on the servants who brought the coat for Elena.

When they finally got back and had the gloves that were suited for the Lady's taste, Elena expectantly looked at Asher.

She was hoping that the Crown Prince would also kneel in front of her to tie her gloves.

"Help the lady put on the gloves for her. We will now start the turning over of the rations for the citizens!" Asher announced as he turned his back.

But far from what she had anticipated, Asher ordered the servants instead to tie Elena's gloves for her.

Elena looked at the Crown Prince's wide back and felt an unspeakable pressure emanate off of him.

'Is his highness mad?' She thought as Asher did not even look back and walked towards the people who made a way for him.

---

"Fear not! The drought will be upon us in the near future but as the future ruler of the kingdom, I have come to fully aid those who tremble in fear and those who are filled with worries!"

Everyone cheered as Asher gave his speech. His astounding and remarkable figure was truly the hope in everyone's eyes.

Soon enough, the rations prepared for people of the boundary have been brought out.

The giving of the rations to the people went for an entire day. Food and extra consumables have been distributed to the people who were eager to receive them and who were worried about the upcoming drought.

Pier stood at the veranda of his room on the second floor of a bricked building. The room was located high enough in the city's center for him to oversee the town square where the people from the palace and people from the boundary were busily interacting with each other.

It was just like Pier have imagined in his mind. The boundary was like a cold desolate place that was occupied by weird people.

He called them weird in the sense that wherever he goes, people would either silently stare at him and other times, some would whisper and he would hear the lines of "prince" and "snow".

'Perhaps, are they talking about Asher?' Asher was the only prince in this city right now but he did not understand what was the 'snow' word he heard for.

He sighed and the chilly air made a cloud of breath from his sighing. He continued to let his roam gaze around the city.

Everything was normal until he saw something from a distance.

'Huh?' He caught the sight of a hooded figure that was peeking from an alleyway across his room. The hooded person was observing the townspeople interact with each other with the people accompanying the prince.

"That is...?" He thought as he observed the hooded person more. He was easily visible to Pier because the person's tall frame stood out and he wore a black coat that covered his body. It definitely stood out in the white-like city that was covered in snow.

The hooded figure watched the people more before he stealthily walked beside shadowed corners of buildings. Nobody noticed him as he continued his silent steps until he reached a certain building that made Pier raise his eyebrows in confusion.

'The City Mayor's office building?' He thought as he watched the hooded figure enter the building of the city mayor.

Confusion and curiosity were starting to build up in him as he recalled the black hooded figure.

'No, remember all those people that died in horror movies because they were too curious?' He called himself as he went inside his cozy yet luxurious room and proceeded to walk onto the bed.

He sat on the bed and soon laid his body on the soft sheets that produced a cold feeling and made his body seduced by the sleep coming.

"Let's not get too curious. I don't want to die like in the movies." He said as he closed his eyes and he slowly start to drift off into dreamland.

However, before Pier could finally indulge his sleep, a series of knocks came from the door of his room.

knock! knock! knock!

"Young Master, pardon for the sudden notice but the Crown Prince had instructed us to call for you." a voice that was all too familiar with him spoke from the other side of the room's door.

'This creep again.' Pier thought as he knew it was Caspian's voice that called him. He got up from the bed and proceeded to wear the fur coat that Gideon had given him before he walked towards the front door.

He stared at the mirror that was on his way out the door and checked his appearance. He became slightly conscious because people would stare at him again and he would always wonder what was wrong with his face.

When he reached the door, he grabbed the handle to open it. However, Pier was surprised when he tried to slide the handle to the left because there was a force that was stopping the handle from the other side of the door.

"Why is this heavy?" He questioned himself before he forcefully opened the door and revealed the Crown Prince's attendant on the other side.

Caspian had a calm look on his face as he watched the young master who had a questioning look on his own face because of the heavy handle.

"Was there someone else who was holding the door handle? It was really heavy." Pier asked as he looked at the door handle from the outside part of the door.

"Pardon?" Caspian asked as he adjusted the scroll he was holding in his arms.

"The door handle, it was heavy when I tried to lift it earlier as if someone's holding it on the other side" Pier said as he turned to look at Caspian.

The attendant shrugged his shoulders and responded

"I do not know what you are thinking about, young master. However, to answer your question, there wasn't anybody else except me who was standing outside your bedroom door to wait for your arrival." He explained and Pier nodded his head.

'Weird, I swear it was heavy a while ago or was I imagining it? I'm tired after all.' He thought and proceeded to walk out of the building with Caspian following him.

While they were walking, gazes of servants from the boundary kept on getting directed in Pier's way and he constantly heard the words "prince" and "snow". He wanted to ask them but he was too lazy to do so.

"May I ask what was the reason the Crown Prince had called for me?" He asked Caspian as they neared the platform like part of the town square where the prince was sitting with Elena by his side and he was overseeing the distribution of the rations for the people.

"I'm afraid I do not know the answer as well, young master. His Highness simply tasked me to call for you." Caspian said and Pier nodded his head.

When they reached the platform Asher and Elena were on, Pier bowed down respectfully.

"I heed your call, your highness" Pier said with disinterest in his voice but Asher did not mind it at all. Instead, he motioned for Pier to come up and stand beside him.

Pier's eyebrows twitched at Asher's unpredictable actions. Why was he calling him to stand beside him?

Nevertheless, Pier followed him and climbed the steps of the platform. When he reached the Crown Prince's side, he proceeded to look at Asher.

"What is the matter, your highness?" Pier asked and Asher inhaled a deep breath before he sighed and looked at Pier.

"Am I doing this right?" He asked and Pier was stunned for a moment.

"Huh? Pardon?"

Asher felt embarrassed because he was asking for another person's approval but the words Pier had said to him earlier this day were still resonating loudly in his mind.

"This... What I'm doing for the people. Am I doing this correctly?" Asher asked and both of Pier's eyebrows raised in bewilderment.

"It may be bold of me to do so but why is his highness asking for my opinion?" Pier asked and Asher hesitated for a moment.

"I want to ask for your opinion because the young master seems to know well how to manage people under my rule," Asher said and Pier was even more surprised with the statement.

He stared at the Crown Prince for a few seconds before he sighed.

"It feels like I am training a soon-to-be king, your highness," he mumbled and Asher felt embarrassed because it was his childhood friend who was actually giving him advices on how to be a good king.

Elena only sat there, mixed emotions running throughout her body.

Asher was asking for the young master's help in ruling a kingdom.

Isn't that her work? To aid the prince when he's in need? Yet why is he asking for Pier's opinions?

She silently raged as she listened to Asher's request for Pier and her hate for the young master further bloomed like a deadly flower that emits poison.