A blizzard raged outside Silvergard Fortress.
The wind battered the black granite walls, rattling the stained-glass windows in the fortress’s northern wing.
Inside the birthing chamber, flames from the magical fireplace danced among the stacked logs, struggling to keep out the cold seeping through the gaps around the windows.
On a bed layered with white wolf fur, Duchess Freya von Silver cradled her newborn son.
Her face was still pale with exhaustion.
Her black hair spilled across the pillow, and several strands clung to her sweat-dampened temples.
Yet, as she gazed at the baby in her arms, her weariness seemed to fade for a moment.
“So, you’ve finally arrived,” she whispered softly.
The baby had jet-black hair and a pair of sapphire-blue eyes.
Freya gently brushed his cheek with her fingertip before offering a small smile.
“Your hair is just like your mother’s and Elena’s.”
She lowered her head and kissed her son’s forehead.
“Welcome to this world, Aiden.”
His name left her lips with the tenderness of a mother welcoming a new member into her family.
Beyond the chamber, the footsteps of servants echoed through the corridor.
The fortress physician had confirmed that Freya was in stable condition, while the servants prepared warm water, clean cloths, and everything needed to care for the newborn.
However, one person had yet to arrive.
Duke Richard von Silver, the head of House Silver, was still outside the fortress.
His night patrol had not ended when the blizzard began to worsen.
Reports of monster movements near the border had forced him to inspect the defensive routes before returning to Silvergard.
Freya understood her husband’s responsibilities.
This fortress was more than just their family residence.
Silvergard was one of the most important defensive strongholds on the Borealis Continent, where humanity struggled to survive against monsters roaming the vast expanses of snow.
Even so, she hoped Richard would return soon.
Tonight, she did not want to welcome their son into the world alone any longer than necessary.
Not long afterward, the door to the birthing chamber opened.
A sixteen-year-old boy entered with calm, measured steps.
His silver hair was neatly arranged, his clothes were immaculate, and his composed demeanor made him seem more mature than most boys his age.
Edward von Silver, the family’s eldest son, approached the bed.
“Mother, how are you feeling?”
“There’s no need to worry. I’m fine.”
Edward breathed a sigh of relief.
Only after making sure his mother was truly all right did he turn his attention to the baby in Freya’s arms.
“So, this is our little brother.”
Freya nodded.
“His name is Aiden.”
Edward studied the tiny face for a while.
He did not rush to touch the baby, merely observing his sapphire-blue eyes and black hair, which contrasted with his own silver locks.
“Welcome to our family, Aiden.”
His words were simple, but sincere.
Unfortunately, the peaceful atmosphere did not last long.
“Where is he? I want to see him!”
A loud voice came from beyond the door before another boy entered the room.
Cedric von Silver, the family’s second son, was fourteen years old.
He strode forward with barely contained excitement.
His silver hair was slightly disheveled, as though he had just run all the way down the corridor.
Edward closed his eyes for a moment.
“Cedric, you could at least knock first.”
“I did knock.”
“You pounded on the door.”
“The important thing is that they knew I was here.”
Cedric hurried toward the bed but stopped when he saw the baby in Freya’s arms.
He tilted his head.
“Is he really that small?”
Edward gave him a flat look.
“He was just born.”
“I know. I just thought babies would be a little bigger.”
“Based on what?”
“Nothing. Just a feeling.”
Freya let out a soft laugh.
Cedric’s antics always had a way of easing the tension in a room.
He then noticed Aiden’s tiny hand peeking out from beneath the blanket.
“How strong do you think his grip is?”
Edward immediately turned toward him.
“Don’t.”
“I haven’t done anything!”
“And it would be better if you continued doing nothing.”
“I just want to know whether he has any talent.”
“Talent for what? Crushing someone’s fingers?”
Cedric frowned but eventually pulled his hand back.
“Fine. I’ll wait until he’s a little older.”
He stared at Aiden with such seriousness that he might as well have been making an important vow.
“Then, as soon as he can stand, I’ll teach him physical training.”
“No,” Edward replied.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to explain to Mother why our little brother cries every day.”
Freya suppressed a smile.
“You two don’t need to plan Aiden’s entire future tonight.”
Cedric shrugged.
“I just want him to grow up strong.”
“Then start by being the kind of older brother who doesn’t scare him,” Edward said.
Cedric snorted but offered no further argument.
A few moments later, a little girl appeared in the doorway.
Elena von Silver was six years old.
Her black hair fell past her shoulders, while her sapphire-blue eyes surveyed the room with curiosity.
Unlike Cedric, who immediately approached the bed, Elena paused to look at her mother first.
Only after Freya nodded did she move closer.
“May I see him?”
“Of course,” Freya replied.
Elena stood beside the bed and looked down at her little brother.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Her gaze shifted from Aiden’s face to her own black hair, then returned to the baby.
“His hair is the same color as Mother’s and mine.”
Freya smiled.
“That’s right.”
Elena gave a small nod.
Black hair was not entirely unfamiliar in their family.
Freya had it, and so did Elena.
Richard and their two sons, on the other hand, had silver hair, a trait widely associated with the bloodline of House Silver.
However, Elena was perceptive enough to understand that something ordinary within a family might not necessarily be considered ordinary by outsiders.
“Will other people talk about his hair?” she asked.
Edward turned to look at his younger sister.
Even Cedric, who usually always had something to say, fell silent.
Freya gently stroked Elena’s head.
“Some people might talk about it. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with Aiden.”
Elena lowered her gaze for a moment, considering her mother’s answer.
“Then I’ll help him if anyone says anything mean about him.”
Cedric immediately chimed in.
“Me too!”
Edward sighed.
“You don’t even know what you’d do.”
“I’d tell them to stop!”
“And what if they don’t?”
Cedric fell silent.
Elena looked at her brother.
“Then we tell Father.”
“That’s a more sensible choice,” Edward said.
Cedric clicked his tongue.
“You two always make everything complicated.”
Freya smiled at her three children.
“There is nothing you need to settle tonight. Aiden has only just been born. For now, all you need to do is welcome him as your little brother.”
Elena turned back to the baby.
“Welcome, Aiden.”
She gave him a small smile.
“Now I have a little brother whose hair is the same color as mine.”
Aiden gazed back at her with calm sapphire-blue eyes.
Elena seemed satisfied, as though that look alone was enough of an answer.
Meanwhile, Aiden observed the three people gathered around the bed.
Edward seemed calm and cautious, even when faced with something new.
Cedric possessed seemingly boundless energy and a tendency to act before considering the consequences.
Elena was quieter, but her attention lingered on details that her two brothers might easily overlook.
They were his family now.
Aiden did not yet know how their relationships would develop over time.
Nor did he fully understand the world that had become his new home.
But he knew one thing: none of the three children regarded him as a stranger.
They had welcomed him as their little brother.
And for his first night in Silvergard, that was enough.
Time passed.
The blizzard outside had yet to subside when the sound of heavy footsteps finally echoed through the corridor.
Unlike the light steps of the servants, these footsteps were steady and deliberate, accompanied by the faint clink of metal.
The door to the birthing chamber opened.
A tall, broad-shouldered man stood in the doorway.
Snow clung to his war cloak, and his shoulders were damp with melting ice.
His short silver hair was slightly disheveled, while his face bore the exhaustion of someone who had just endured a long patrol in the middle of a blizzard.
Duke Richard von Silver had finally returned.
“Your Grace,” the physician greeted him with a bow.
Richard gave a brief nod.
His gaze immediately sought the bed at the side of the room.
“Freya.”
“I’m here,” the duchess replied.
Richard approached.
He stopped beside the bed and looked at his wife first, making sure she was all right before turning his attention to the baby in her arms.
“I’m late.”
Freya looked at him with a weary smile.
“You were carrying out your duty.”
“Still, I should have been here already.”
“You couldn’t abandon your patrol just because I was about to give birth.”
Richard did not answer.
There were many things he could face without hesitation on the battlefield, but seeing his wife exhausted after childbirth left him struggling to find the right words.
At last, he sat beside the bed.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine. The physician has already examined me.”
Richard nodded before turning his attention to the baby.
“And this is…”
“Our son,” Freya answered.
“His name is Aiden von Silver.”
Richard extended his hand.
Scars marked his fingers, while tattooed lines stretched from his palm up his arm.
The same hand had once gripped a sword amid raging blizzards and faced the monsters threatening the border.
Now, he touched his son’s cheek with a gentleness that seemed almost contrary to his reputation.
Aiden opened his eyes.
A pair of sapphire-blue eyes met the duke’s gaze.
Richard fell silent for a moment.
“His eyes resemble mine.”
“And his hair resembles mine,” Freya said.
Richard studied Aiden’s black hair.
He showed no surprise, as though he had encountered something unfamiliar.
Elena had the same hair color.
Instead, his attention remained on the baby’s gaze.
“He’s remarkably calm.”
“Edward said the same thing.”
“Cedric will probably take that as a sign that Aiden is already ready to start training.”
Freya let out a quiet laugh.
“I’ve already forbidden him from doing that.”
“An excellent decision.”
From near the door, Cedric immediately protested, “I only intended to teach him some light exercises!”
Richard turned toward him.
“Cedric.”
“Yes, Father?”
“Do not teach your little brother anything until he can walk properly.”
Cedric let out a long sigh, as though he had just received an unjust punishment.
“All right.”
Edward turned his face away, hiding a smile.
Elena merely shook her head.
Richard returned his gaze to Aiden.
This time, his expression grew more serious.
“Listen carefully, my son,” he said quietly.
“Silvergard is not an easy place to grow up. Outside these walls, a blizzard can kill anyone who is unprepared. Monsters can appear when the guards let their vigilance slip. And sometimes, human beings themselves can be just as dangerous.”
He paused, then gently touched Aiden’s forehead with his fingertip.
“However, as long as you are under my protection, I will do everything I can to ensure that you have the chance to live your own life.”
Aiden looked at his father.
Richard von Silver was more than a father who had returned to welcome his newborn son.
He was the head of a noble house, the lord of a border fortress, and a commander who bore responsibility for the safety of countless people.
Behind the exhaustion on his face, Aiden could see the resolve of a man accustomed to placing his duties above himself.
Richard carefully lifted his son, supporting the tiny head before holding him close for a brief moment.
Then, as he prepared to return Aiden to Freya, his hand passed through the light of the fireplace.
Aiden saw it.
One of the lines in the tattoo stretching across Richard’s palm glimmered faintly.
Only for an instant.
The light was so subtle that it could easily have been mistaken for a reflection of the fire.
Yet Aiden was certain he had seen something unusual.
The pattern did not resemble an ordinary decoration.
Its lines connected in an arrangement far too precise, as though they formed part of a much larger symbol.
Richard did not notice.
He had already returned Aiden to Freya and was speaking with the physician about his wife’s condition.
Aiden continued staring at his father’s hand.
He could not yet move as he wished, let alone investigate what he had just witnessed.
His body was still far too weak, and there was much about this world that he did not understand.
What exactly was hidden within Duke Richard von Silver’s tattoo?