Hannah hopped happily in the snow.

She had just exchanged with the boss for a fairy tale book.

Books are the least valuable things in Brule, yet they are highly esteemed elsewhere, making it difficult to come by a real one.

It was only after she had pestered the boss for a long time that she found it.

It was said to have been collected by a nearby caravan for presentation to the royal family; only some people in the caravan wanted to make a quick buck, so they quietly took a few books out.

This one book alone cost her the weapon parts she had been saving for a long time.

She had initially planned to use those parts to assemble a weapon for herself, but now it seemed she would have to wait even longer.

The book was thin, with hard cardboard covers, and was adorned with a very beautiful, colorful pattern.

She wanted Archer to read her bedtime stories, just like when they were still in Southport.

A long string of footprints was left on the snowy ground, those a bit farther away were quickly covered up again by the heavy snowfall.

Seventeen followed Hannah’s footsteps all the way.

Until there was no place left nearby to hide.

He hesitated for a moment but then followed her.

The snow was too heavy, already blurring the view in front of him.

"Why have you been following me?"

Seventeen didn’t even notice when Hannah had stopped.

He was hungry and cold.

So cold that his legs had lost all sensation, his stopped spine bent by the wind and snow, like a decadent shell of a body stripped of its soul.

"I..." He couldn’t speak, his mouth stiff and frozen a purplish blue. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Hannah struggled to lift the pumpkin lantern in her hand, even standing on her toes.

Seventeen was very tall.

Even half a head taller than Archer.

Hannah had to look up to see him, which was tiring.

"Why won’t you speak?"

Seventeen hung his head, his gaze fell upon Hannah’s face.

He had a face that seemed tough to provoke, with slightly deep eye sockets and slender eyes that held a fierce look.

Especially when he stared intently at someone, his eyes seemed very aggressive.

"Are you mute?" Hannah frowned.

She withdrew the hand holding the pumpkin lantern, her cloak lifting at the corner, revealing the fairy tale book she was holding in her arms.

"I... am not mute."

Seventeen’s voice was hoarse, so hoarse that he had to pause for a few seconds between each word in order to speak clearly.

"Then why are you following me?" The pumpkin lantern in Hannah’s hand swayed, casting a warm orange glow on her big red cloak.

In this white world, only her splash of vibrant red stood out.

That splash of red was also reflected in Seventeen’s eyes.

Even years later, he never forgot that day.

The girl’s expression was lively, even when angry, she was the only light in his dark life.

Seeing Seventeen gaze at her lantern, Hannah quickly stepped back.

The snow was too thick, she nearly fell.

Seventeen instinctively reached out to help her, but Hannah avoided him.

He lowered his head and saw his own dirty, cracked hands, and could only stiffly withdraw them, "I’m..." I’m sorry.

That’s what he should have said.

But he had never apologized before, and no one had ever apologized to him; where he grew up, people never used words of apology.

He thought Hannah might find him too dirty.

But Hannah simply said, "This is a lantern, not a pumpkin, you can’t eat it."

Because Archer had told her a fairy tale featuring a beautiful pumpkin carriage, which she really liked, Archer had made her a pumpkin lantern.

Seventeen paused, and it was a while before he spoke again.