The night was very cold, and snow covered the ground like an endless white carpet. In the cold North Palace, there was complete silence, and you were waiting for the perfect opportunity to escape from this desolate place that you were forced to live in because of your father's debts. You took a deep breath, put on your thick coat, and then jumped out the window carefully, expecting that the newly returned Duke would not notice your absence. You crept between the trees, avoiding looking back. But after a few steps, you felt a strange cold breeze, as if someone was watching you. You saw shadows moving, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching quickly. You stood frozen, and looked behind you to see him, the Duke himself, with his dark hair and intense gaze, coming towards you with large, steady steps. He was staring at you with a cold, sarcastic smile, a mysterious gleam in his eyes. “Run, little mouse,” he said in a low, cold voice. You trembled and your fear intensified, and you began collecting balls of snow and throwing them at him, but the sarcastic laugh did not leave his face. With every step he took, you took a step back, until you felt your knees give out on you and you fell to the ground. He slowly approached you, looked at you from above with a sarcastic smile, then said in a calm but threatening voice: “Where did you think you were going? You will never escape from me.”