"Zizizi!"

  In a secluded er far from the bustling crowd, a motorhome stood eerily still, its surface emitting a faint chill. The entire vehicle appeared as if it had just been removed from a deep freezer.

  "Bang!"

  The door rattled slightly, but the thick yer of ig the vehicle didn't budge.

  "Bang!!!"

  With a louder crash from ihe door flew off its hinges.

  A blonde-haired girl stumbled out of the opening, her exposed skin faintly bruised from the freezing air. She colpsed to the ground, shivering violently, and ed her arms around herself in an attempt to gee some warmth and raise her dangerously low body temperature.

  Thankfully, the outside temperature was much warmer than ihe vehicle. Had it been any colder, she might have passed out from hypothermia.

  Moments ter, anure emerged from the motorhome.

  Half of her body was encased in pristine white ice, yet she moved effortlessly, entirely ued by the cold.

  "Hayasaka…"

  "Kaguya… Miss Kaguya…"

  Hayasaka Ai, sprawled on the ground, raised a trembling hand to stop the young dy from approag. The air seemed to grow colder with every step Kaguya took.

  "You… you o trol it first…"

  Kaguya's usually stoic expression softened slightly, but her body temperature was shogly low.

  Her exposed skin was so cold it could instantly freeze anything it touched.

  This sudden transformation was the result of a special power she had obtained from the mysterious diary.

  Kaguya looked at Hayasaka aated, uo approach her. Instead, she focused on trolling the newfound freezing power c through her. She could feel the energy within her, it was hers to and, but mastering it would take time.

  Gradually, the i her body began to melt, and the temperature arouabilized.

  Meanwhile, Hayasaka slowly recovered from her near-frostbite. Her body warmed up, though a lingering chill still g to her.

  "Achoo!"

  As her temperature returo normal, Hayasaka shen g the frozen motorhome. Clearly, it wouldn't be usable anytime soon.

  "Good thing this spot is remote and out of sight. If anyone saw this, Miss Kaguya's situation would definitely be exposed."

  "Exposure… that might not be a bad thing."

  Kaguya's voice was calm, g its usual aloofness. In front of Hayasaka, she allowed herself a rare moment of vulnerability.

  Hayasaka paused, uanding the implication behind Kaguya's words.

  "Miss Kaguya, are you pnning to inform the head of the family about this?"

  "No…"

  "It's not impossible, but it's too early."

  Hayasaka khat while Kaguya had gairaordinary power, it wasn't yet time to act.

  "Miss Kaguya, will you abandon the iance? Or will you seize it?"

  "I…"

  Kaguya fell silent, uo answer immediately.

  Hayasaka tinued, her toeady.

  "Miss Kaguya, you've always had the potential to i the Shinomiya family, but your ces were slim because your brothers held all the power.

  "But now, with this new ability, you have the means to overturhing. You are no longer bound by their trol. The question is: do you want to cim the iance?"

  "Are you ready for it?"

  Hayasaka's pointed questio Kaguya deep in thought.

  For as long as she could remember, she had never sidered herself a tender for the Shinomiya family's iance. Her role redetermined: a pawn to be married off. The idea of succession had never crossed her mind.

  But now, everything had ged.

  A once-helpless princess had gaihe power of an empress.

  And with the power of an empress came the right to cim everything. Even if her personal abilities couldn't match her brothers', her newfound strength alone was enough to overshadow them.

  Revealing her abilities would instantly make her the stro didate for the iance.

  But was she truly prepared for that?

  "… No. Let's set it aside for now."

  Kaguya shook her head. The leap was too great for her to make all at once.

  "This pives me fidence, but I haven't mastered it yet. It's too early to aow."

  She uood where her newfound fidence came from and knew she wasn't ready to reveal herself.

  "It's wise to wait, Miss Kaguya. Wheime es, you'll o show your strength without hesitation. Half-measures like today won't suffice."

  Hayasaka's advice ractical.

  Untrolled power wouldn't intimidate anyone. Only with mastery and resolve could Kaguya make her move.

  "For now, Miss Kaguya, the key lies with that person."

  "That person?"

  "Yes, the one ected to the diary. They are the source of your power, and their role in all of this is crucial."

  Kaguya's eyes widened slightly as realization dawned on her.

  "Yes… that person is the key."

  Taking a deep breath, Kaguya aowledged the importance of the mysterious individual.

  "Hayasaka, should we try to tact them directly?"

  "That would be unwise."

  Hayasaka shook her head.

  "Think carefully, Miss Kaguya. Why did they reveal their name and location? If the diary grants power, then what about the one writing it?"

  "!"

  Kaguya froze, startled by the question. She had overlooked this detail.

  Why had they exposed themselves? If writing the diary could grant power, they could have easily kept their identity hidden.

  "So, what's their goal?"

  Kaguya's mind raced, her unease growing as she realized the truth.

  And for the first time, she questiohe iions behind the diary.