Chapter 66
“Has the breakfast finished?”
Doyul stared at her.
Thankfully, her eyes were not as cold as before.
Yerin nodded her head with relief.
“How’s your body feeling?”
“I’m okay.”
“Are you really okay?”
Doyul asked the same question Yerin had asked earlier, as if they were a married couple.
Yerin smiled wryly.
“Just a moment ago, the princess was really angry, so why would I lie about something like that?”
It was true.
She no longer felt any pain in her injured arm.
She checked her body again, and the injuries were completely healed.
Finally, Doyul’s expression softened a bit.
“Now let’s start thinking about how to get out of here.”
“Well… it seems like climbing the cliff with our bare hands is going to be difficult.”
Doyul and Yerin looked at the cliff side by side.
It was definitely impossible.
‘But if it was Seollyn’s body, maybe it would be possible.’
Yerin sighed with regret.
With this small body, there’s nothing she can do properly.
Doyul sighed.
“I didn’t expect there to be such a wide space under the cliff.”
“It seems like we’ll have to wander around for a while to find a way out.”
“The only fortunate thing is that there’s water here.”
Doyul gestured towards the flowing water.
“I’m thinking that if we follow the direction of the underground water, it might lead us to the outside.”
“Okay. Shall we get up then?”
Yerin energetically got up.
The two of them started walking along the waterway.
We moved for a while, but there was no sign of a path.
Instead,
“It feels like we’re going deep into the heart of the mountain.”
Doyul opened his mouth with a puzzled look.
Yerin agreed with him.
The darkness was getting deeper.
Looking up at the ceiling, the crack through which light was seeping in seemed to be far away in the darkness.
It must be because we’ve descended so far under the mountain.
‘No, I was just trying to make a contract with the millennium ice, but why is this turning into such a hassle.’
Yerin grumbled to herself and glanced at Doyul out of the corner of her eye.
‘At least Doyul’s body seems to be okay, so that’s a relief.’
Doyul’s expression was calm.
It seems like there’s no particular difficulty in moving.
Yerin nodded inwardly.
‘Well, someone made him a genius, after all.’
Plus, he even ate the Millennium Ice and, as the male lead, he naturally has a strong body.
‘So it’s natural that he’s okay!’
…she thought, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Doyul.
What can I do? I keep worrying about him like he’s my own child.
But then.
“Madam.”
Doyul called out to Yerin urgently.
It was a voice full of surprise.
“Look over there!”
“Yes? Why… what?”
Reflexively, Yerin looked in the direction Doyul was pointing and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Huh?”
Far away, inside the cave.
A bluish light was illuminating the darkness.
The identity of that light was…
“…Ice flowers?”
They were flowers made of ice.
The densely clustered ice flowers dyed the pupils of the two people a bluish color.
Doyul asked in a cautious voice.
“What on earth is that?”
And as Yerin looked at those ice flowers, she had a hunch.
‘We’ve found it for real.’
As described in the original work, the Millennium Ice was a spirit born from the accumulation of winter’s energy.
It was not an ordinary creature with a spirit inside, but rather a being close to the spirit of nature.
The characteristic of such Millennium Ice was the ability to freely manipulate snow and ice.
‘In the original work, when Doyul first met the Millennium Ice, it guided him with densely blooming ice flowers.’
Good.
Yerin pushed up the corners of her lips with satisfaction.
We just need to go that way.
Although we’ve been through a lot, the encounter with the Millennium Ice seems to be successful.
“Let’s go over there for now.”
Doyul hesitated a bit at Yerin’s suggestion.
“It might be dangerous.”
“That may be true, but we can’t just stay trapped here like this.”
That’s true.
The estimated three hours (about 6 hours) felt like we were lost, but the way out was clear.
Right now, I’ve taken some medicine and still have some energy left, so I can keep wandering around.
“I can’t keep wandering like this forever.”
That’s the conclusion I reached.
At the same time, Doyul narrowed his eyes and looked back at Yerin.
“Promise me something.”
“What is it?”
Doyul fixed his gaze on Yerin with an innocent look.
“Don’t go ahead of me.”
“….”
“Always prioritize your safety.”
“….”
“If it seems even a little dangerous, pull back immediately.”
Yerin was slightly taken aback.
Is this like leaving a child by the riverside?
But she could understand why Doyul was so sensitive.
“Okay.”
She obediently nodded her head.
Well, anyway, the Millennium Ice would take a favorable attitude towards Doyul.
It’s natural.
“After all, for an eternity, the first person to be suitable for the Millennium Ice’s contract has appeared.”
The hardships Doyul experienced in the original work were just inevitable when accepting the lofty existence of the Millennium Ice.
The Millennium Ice didn’t try to take advantage of Doyul.
“Shall we go then?”
Yerin was eager to take a step forward.
But just for a moment.
She unintentionally stopped in her tracks.
“Huh?”
Doyul had suddenly grabbed her hand.
Narrowing his eyes, he asked Yerin.
“You just promised not to go ahead of me.”
“….Yes.”
Yerin sighed and matched her stride with Doyul’s.
* * *
A cluster of ice flowers cluttered the view.
The ice flowers seemed to be guiding Doyul and Yerin in one direction, blooming and withering continuously.
Finally, a majestic figure came into view for the two.
“Wow.”
A giant ice wolf was gazing down at them.
Silent, deep blue eyes.
Aurora-like light shimmered over its white icy body.
The ground beneath their feet was covered with blooming ice flowers.
“That’s…!”
Doyul stared at the ice wolf in astonishment, his hand gripping Yerin’s tightly, showing how tense he was.
Meanwhile, Yerin was certain.
‘It’s the Millennium Ice.’
Now, what should they do?
Should they wait for the Millennium Ice to propose a contract to Doyul?
As Yerin was pondering this, the Millennium Ice slowly lifted its head and locked eyes with her.
“Huh?”
Yerin was a bit taken aback.
Why is it staring at me like that?
– I am the Millennium Ice.
Simultaneously, a voice that seemed to directly breathe into her soul echoed in her mind.
At the same time, Doyul instinctively shielded Yerin behind him.
“Madam, are you okay?”
Doyul’s back, blocking her path, was stiff and tense.
Flustered, Yerin asked Doyul.
“My lord, can’t you hear the voice?”
Tension crept into Doyul’s voice at her question.
“What did the wolf say just now?”
“Well, it said…”
Yerin hesitated to explain and decided to keep quiet for now.
It seems like Doyul can’t hear the voice of the Millennium Ice.
– Young lady, do not be alarmed.
As if to confirm her suspicions, the Millennium Ice spoke again.
– My words are directly breathed into your soul, so others cannot hear them.
As expected.
Yerin narrowed her eyes.
She was suspicious of the Millennium Ice’s gaze.
“Why is it talking to me? Shouldn’t it be talking to Doyul instead?”
As Yerin was confused, a thunderous voice echoed in her ears.
“To make a contract with me, you must prove yourself worthy.”
“What?”
Yerin widened her eyes.
“Why is the Millennium Ice talking to me about a contract? I have no intention of taking Doyul’s destiny!”
“Prove yourself worthy?”
“It means you have to pass a test,” the Millennium Ice replied solemnly.
As Yerin observed the Millennium Ice’s serious demeanor, she felt a knot in her stomach.
“What is this all about?”
“I feel like it assumes I want to make a contract,” she thought, feeling uneasy.
“Test?” Yerin tilted her head skeptically. “Why do I have to take it?”
“What?” The Millennium Ice flinched.
Yerin doubled down. “I have no intention of making a contract with you.”
“What are you saying…?”
“In that case, I don’t have to take that test or anything, right?”
The Millennium Ice looked at Yerin in disbelief.
