A Certain Winter’s Tale

In Winterfall, the land that lost its spring, Noah lives as an errand boy in the most squalid corner of the quietest province. His home is the “Red House,” a renowned brothel in the Sunlit Territory, and though he is not a courtesan, whispers of his beauty surpass that of any woman there. In a town where safety is a luxury, his stunning looks are a constant threat to his innocence.

One day, the Red House faces demolition after refusing the advances of a powerful official from the capital. Determined to save his home, Noah declares that if he must sell his body, he will sell it to the highest man in the land. This bold proclamation brings him before Michaelis, a high-ranking executor and friend of the emperor, who has come from the capital on a mission to find the spring. Together, they journey to the heart of the kingdom: the castle of winter.

Noah is brought to a secret imperial palace, yet the dreaded night with the emperor never comes. Instead, he meets Elia, a mysterious wolf keeper whose profound loneliness and sorrowful air make him impossible to look away from. But there is more to this keeper than meets the eye…