"Whew."
Richard let out a relieved sigh. His cold breath dispersed into the empty air, and the very atmosphere around him seemed frozen.
Finally, the summit.
He stood on the highest point of the Karheim mountain range. Slowly, he lowered his head.
An endless expanse of snowy plains lay before him. From this height, not even a trace remained of the footprints he had left on the way up.
"..."
Richard gripped the tip of his left glove and pulled it off.
The hand inside was frozen red.
I'm cold...
Putting the glove back on, Richard hunched his shoulders as much as he could.
How many hours had he spent on this snowy mountain? Before he knew it, the sky had turned pale scarlet, and the sun was about to set.
He had arrived early in the morning, so it must have been more than ten hours.
The problem was...
The Basvalrica fruit.
He still hadn't found the Basvalrica fruit.
I need to find it as soon as possible...
Remaining on this harsh, freezing mountain late into the night was dangerous. Quite literally, he could freeze to death.
Should I search around here first?
Richard began pushing through the snow-laden trees and searching the area around the summit.
It might not be easy to find. Then again, if it were that easy to obtain, why would it be considered rare?
Still, I have to do my best.
He searched for an hour, until his feet were frozen.
Damn it.
Richard still hadn't found the Basvalrica fruit.
Is it really here, or was this all a wild-goose chase?
Zahir... Could that swindler possibly have deceived him? He even began entertaining such an extreme suspicion.
Of course, rationally speaking, Zahir had no reason to lie.
After all, he wanted Richard's blood.
Nevertheless, Richard was beginning to suspect him because there wasn't so much as a trace of the fruit anywhere.
"Haa..."
Before he knew it, Richard had reached the edge of a sheer cliff.
Beyond the cliff, he could see the sky stained a beautiful scarlet. The sun was already setting.
Do I have to come back tomorrow and search again?
Richard heaved one deep sigh after another.
Even if he returned tomorrow, he would still have enough time. The problem was that he would have to climb this treacherous mountain all over again.
Richard dragged his feet toward the edge of the cliff.
Standing absentmindedly at the dizzying precipice, he looked down.
The bottom of the sheer cliff was obscured by fog and could barely be seen. Through gaps in the fog, he thought he glimpsed something resembling blue seawater.
Dangerous.
One wrong step here, and it would all be over.
Just as that idle thought crossed his mind and he shifted his gaze toward the rugged cliff face...
Huh?
His lake-blue eyes wavered.
That...
Just below his feet, hanging from the cliff face not far beneath him, was something of an unfamiliar color.
It consisted of several silvery, round berries clustered together and resembled a bunch of grapes. In other words...
The Basvalrica fruit.
Richard immediately crouched and leaned his head over the edge.
He wasn't mistaken.
It was the Basvalrica fruit!
"Ha..."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Richard swept a gloved hand across his cold, frozen face.
What a relief.
He wouldn't have to climb this treacherous snowy mountain twice.
However...
His lake-blue eyes shone with concern as he looked down.
How do I get it?
The fruit dangled precariously from the cliff face, about an arm's length below the edge where he stood.
They said it was a rare fruit...
It really does grow in strange places.
Richard stretched his arm down past his knee.
"..."
His fingertips trembled violently.
However, they didn't even graze the fruit.
Grr...
Richard groaned, his face contorting.
Withdrawing his hand, he pressed his chest against the edge of the cliff and lay flat. Then he reached down once more.
It was a precarious position, but without going this far, he would never be able to reach the fruit.
Please.
His fingertips stretched downward.
Just once...
His fingertips almost touched the fruit.
Cold sweat streamed down the back of Richard's neck as he grimaced fiercely.
A little farther...
His arm trembled violently.
Finally—
"!"
Richard's fingertip touched the stem of the bluish-green fruit.
Got it!
Richard slowly grasped the stem.
Applying just the right amount of force—not too much and not too little—he plucked it.
At last, the mysteriously shimmering silver Basvalrica fruit was in his hand.
The Basvalrica fruit!
Clutching the fruit, Richard raised himself.
Its vivid silver light reflected in his lake-blue eyes, making them sparkle.
How much had he suffered to obtain this?
Tricked by that damned swindler into coming all the way to the North, which he had thought he wouldn't need to visit again for a while...
Still...
It was all over now.
If he could safely return to the capital with the Basvalrica fruit, he would be able to obtain the potion immediately.
Now I should head back...
Just as Richard finally tried to turn around with a joyful smile—
Whoosh.
A piece of cloth suddenly covered Richard's nose and mouth.
"Mmph, mmph?!"
Someone's firm arms seized his limbs. Richard struggled with all his strength.
The dagger, the dagger!
He tried to shake off the arm restraining him and reach inside his cloak.
But—
The dagger...
His consciousness gradually blurred.
No.
His eyelids grew heavy. His vision faded into darkness.
And then, everything went black.
"Gasp!..."
Richard opened his eyes.
A blade-like wind swept across his face.
"Ugh?!"
He tried to move, but his body refused to obey him. His arms and legs were tightly bound to a wooden chair with sturdy rope.
What happened...
His heart pounded rapidly. Richard slowly raised his head and looked straight ahead.
"!"
He saw the face he should never have encountered.
Cailus stood looking down at him with cold, icy eyes, his black fur-trimmed cloak billowing in the wind.
"Richard Friedrich."
He spoke in a frigid voice.
Two guard knights who appeared to have accompanied him stood on either side, staring at Richard with equally cold gazes.
"Your Highness."
Richard met his eyes, forcing a sweet smile.
"What... is the meaning of this?"
He desperately tried to move his arms, which were bound behind his back. However, the ropes were too tight, and they wouldn't budge.
"..."
Cailus did not answer his question like a courteous gentleman.
Still staring at Richard coldly, he took one step closer.
Then another, and another. The distance between them gradually narrowed.
"Richard Friedrich."
A cold hand seized Richard's chin.
"Ugh..."
Cailus's touch forced Richard's head upward.
"Answer me truthfully."
He spoke as he brought his face closer. His blood-red eyes looked down at Richard without the slightest flicker.
"What is your true purpose?"
There was no mercy in his low voice.
"..."
Richard felt cold sweat trickling down his back.
"I've been wondering why you're doing this to me."
Still holding Richard's chin, Cailus lowered his gaze and carefully scrutinized his face.
"For someone who claims to love me, there are far too many strange things about you."
"..."
"From suddenly declaring your love and confessing to me in front of everyone that day, to the fact that you originally admired Miss Beatus, and even your journey to the North today."
He frowned coldly and roughly swept back his hair.
"Do you truly love me?"
"..."
How had things come to this?
Richard couldn't understand. When had Cailus begun following him? After he came to the North? Or had he been under surveillance since he was at the mansion?
No, the reason wasn't important right now. What mattered was his answer.
Richard forced himself to speak calmly.
"I... love Your Highness..."
That was when—
"You love me?"
A bitter, mocking laugh sounded beside his ear.
Holding Richard's chin so that he couldn't escape, Cailus gradually drew closer.
Their lips approached, and their breaths mingled.
"!"
Richard's lake-blue eyes widened.
Just before their lips met, at that dizzying moment, Richard unwittingly made an expression of blatant disgust.
"Look at you."
Less than a hand's breadth remained between them.
Cailus stopped close enough for them to feel each other's breath. His lips twisted coldly.
He laughed in a low voice, looking down on Richard.
"You claim to love me, yet you recoil in disgust at my touch."
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