Sophia Celestria

The carriage rocked gently along the forest road, wheels crunching over the thin layer of snow. Morning light filtered through the curtains, soft and pale, painting faint gold lines across the velvet interior.

Sophia Celestria sat legs crossed in silence, one gloved hand resting against her chin as she stared out the window. The landscape of the Valemont lands passed by. The northern mountains beyond the wall that was considered a forbidden zone as it was still not fully explored. The monsters that roam through the lands were immeasurable and it’s a feat in itself how the Valemont family has defended the north consistently. The entire region was cold, vast, unrelenting, much like the man she was about to face.

Her reflection stared back at her faintly in the glass, calm blue eyes, golden hair tied neatly back beneath a light hood, and that small beauty mark beneath her left eye that always drew attention she never sought. Anyone who saw her now would think of her as composed, regal, and untouchable. She wore clothes that look tailored to fit her body with a narrow waist flowing into soft, powerful curves, a large chest, and strong, voluptuous thighs. Nothing about her posture asked to be noticed, yet everything about her presence made it difficult to look away.

Inside, however, there was only disappointment.

She had thought about Kain more times than she cared to admit these past few days, mainly about what he said, what he done, what he once was.

Her fingers tightened slightly against her lap.

There was a time, long ago, when everything had been simple. The three of them, Eira, Kain, and her would play in the gardens of Valemont Keep during the summer when the snow would give way to a short season of nice weather. They would chase each other between the hedges in the garden and pretend to be the hero, princess, and monster. Eira and her would fight over who would be the princess or hero, but Kain always took it upon himself to play the monster not wanting to fight.

She remembered the laughter, the warmth, the little boy who would puff out his chest and declare, “When I grow up, I’ll marry both of you!”

The memory drew a reluctant smile to her lips. “Idiot,” she murmured softly, her voice tinged with fondness she did not want to feel.

But then his mother died and everything changed.

Kain had grown colder, withdrawn. The fire in his eyes dulled into something bitter. When Eira awakened her aura, and Sophia followed soon after, Kain did not share in their joy. He fell behind, and in that shadow, envy took root.

Eira had tried to reach out, she always did. Sophia still remembered her coming to her one evening, desperate and worried, asking her to help mend things between them.

But Kain did not want peace as he only saw reminders of he is lacking.

As time went on, the boy who once smiled under the summer sun began to glare at everyone who surpassed him. And with Sophia, it became worse. Possessiveness where there was once affection. Pride where there was once sincerity. Lust where there was once love.

She had endured it at first, hoping the Kain she once knew was still buried somewhere beneath the cruelty. But with every jealous word, every controlling glance, that hope died a little more.

Until, finally, he said what he did and she had enough.

Sophia exhaled slowly, her eyes drifting toward the horizon.

Ahead, the dark spires of Valemont Keep pierced the pale morning sky, its banners fluttering faintly in the wind.

“No more chances Kain...,” she said quietly.

Her tone was steady, but there was a sadness beneath it, the kind reserved for something already lost.

“Kain Valemont…whatever remains of him…died long ago.”

The carriage began to slow as it approached the gates. Sophia straightened her posture, expression smoothing into calm indifference. Whatever she would say next, whatever she would see, she had already decided.

----

Morning light slipped through the tall windows of Kain’s room, pale and cold, scattering across the wooden floor. The fire from the night before had long gone out, leaving only faint warmth in the hearth’s ashes.

Kain stirred awake to the dull throb of pain pulsing through every inch of his body. His arms, legs, shoulders, his body screamed in protest the moment he tried to move. He let out a slow groan, staring up at the ceiling.

“Guess I’m still alive,” he said, half-smiling.

He forced himself upright, each motion stiff, and stretched until he felt his muscle loosen up. His muscles burned, but the ache was different now, it felt less like agony and more evidence of effort. He thought back to the previous night, the rhythm of their sparring, the sting of Eira’s strikes, the bruises he earned through failure and improvement.

“The healers did a good job as all the cuts and bruises are gone...although I still feel sore.”

It brought a small, tired smile to his lips.

He stood and began his morning routine after washing up, the kind of basic training any soldier or athlete might do, though for him it felt monumental.

Push-ups, sit-ups, squats, planks.

The first few were rough, his arms trembled, his breath uneven, but soon the rhythm returned. His breathing steadied, the tension in his body gradually giving way to focus. The pain dulled, replaced by the quiet satisfaction of movement.

After nearly an hour, he finished with a shaky exhale and wiped the sweat from his brow. He felt sore but knew he had to persist if he was planning to make any sort of progress.

“Not bad. I just need to make this a habit. No foundation, no strength. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind.”

Kain did some stretches before throwing on a coat and stepping outside into the brisk morning air.

The cold bit at his skin immediately, sharp and invigorating. He started a light jog around the keep’s perimeter, boots crunching over gravel and frost. His breath came in visible clouds, the rhythm of his steps blending with the distant hum of the estate waking up. The guards watching the keep was in the middle of changing shifts saw Kain jogging but did not acknowledge him. Rather there was a snicker and chuckle among the guards. He could not hear their conversations due to the distance, but he could have guess the topic and the remarks.
 

‘Ignore it...my own training is more important that their remarks’

The chill cleared his mind.

Today was the day he would meet Sophia.

As he ran, his thoughts turned inward. He was not the same Kain she knew, which is a good thing, but that did not erase the things he had done. The memories he inherited still burned, fragments of the cruelty the old Kain had shown Sophia.

No apology would undo it.

‘I do not expect her to forgive me, rather I am surprised she held on this long.’

When the half-hour ended, he slowed to a walk, catching his breath as he returned to his quarters. His body was drenched in sweat, the morning air clinging to him. He stripped off his clothes, tossed them aside, and started a bath before stepping in.

The warmth enveloped him instantly, drawing out a deep sigh from his chest.

He closed his eyes, letting the heat soak into his sore limbs.

‘Just meet her...be honest. Don’t act, don’t pretend. Acknowledge what happened. Don’t ask for forgiveness and end it properly.’

That was all he could do.

‘After all, in the story he remembered, Kain Valemont had never been a more than an extra. The novel barely spared him a paragraph, mentioning his name only in passing before swiftly consigning him to downfall and exile. He was a footnote at best. Sophia, however…she had been one of the heroines. The light of the kingdom. The protagonist’s destined ally and one of his lovers.

Their story began with a simple invitation from witnessing his potential at the academy, Sophia personally asked him to become one of her loyal retainers. That single decision kept them in constant proximity, their paths entwined by shared classes, training, challenges, and quiet moments in between. Over time, closeness turned into trust. She opened her heart to him, and he responded with unwavering loyalty. By the end of their fourth year at the academy, his rise was complete as he was appointed a royal knight, standing at her side not just as a protector, but as someone indispensable to her future.

The webnovel was in the middle of having their engagement announced by the King before I transmigrated, which was surprising. From what I remembered, the King was an overbearing father who adored his four daughters to the extreme. The novel even mentioned that, for a time, he believed the only man worthy of standing beside his princesses was himself, this was when the Queen dropkick that notion into oblivion...literally.
 

So yes...lets just hope I actually never meet him, considering the way I treated Sophia. He’ll probably skip the trail, the explanation, the pleasantries, and go straight to the execution. I’m just trying to survive, no need to interfere more than I have to. I like to do that without angering a king who thinks capital punishment is an acceptable form of family bonding.’

He sank lower into the water until reached his chin, eyes opening slightly to the shimmer of sunlight filtering through the bathhouse window.

“…Hopefully, it works out that way,” he whispered.

The warmth dulled the ache in his muscles, but not the unease building in his chest. The silence stretched as he closed his eyes again, gathering what calm he could before facing the inevitable storm.