The howling wind left him disoriented.
Whether they were scraping against the cliff to slow their descent or not, the jarring noise and sudden jolts had happened dozens of times already.
Each time, Latian trembled, fearing he might fall.
Thankfully, Claude’s arm was firmly wrapped around his slim waist, holding him in place.
Before long, a violent shake and a deafening crash reverberated around them.
His mind went blank for a moment, but he felt no pain.
As he shivered pitifully, a calm yet indifferent voice settled near his ear.
“You can let go now.”
Claude lowered Latian until his backside touched the ground.
It was only then that Latian realized they had made it safely to the bottom of the cliff.
He slowly opened his eyes.
As soon as Claude released his hold, he collapsed onto the ground.
“Hah… Ugh…”
Never in his life had solid ground—land he could actually stand on—felt so precious.
Having barely survived, Latian lay sprawled out, breathing heavily.
Today’s events would surely haunt him forever.
“So.”
A cold voice suddenly cut through the air, making Latian lift his head despite still lying down.
Leaning against the cliff, Claude tilted his chin with a haughty air.
“A bastard, wasn’t it? Didn’t you say you’d curse me if you died?”
“……”
“Go on. Continue where you left off.”
For some reason, the blue of Claude’s half-lidded eyes looked especially piercing.
The mocking chill in his tone made Latian hesitate before shifting to sit upright, facing him.
“Uh… Brother… You know that was all nonsense, right?”
With his dirt-streaked face and slumped shoulders, Latian looked every bit like a guilty man.
A soft scoff escaped Claude’s nose.
Latian lowered his head even further, his voice carrying a hint of grievance.
“I was really scared! You still don’t trust me, do you? I thought… If things went wrong, you’d just abandon me… I was afraid you’d leave me behind.”
“……”
“But still… Thank you for saving me.”
Relief made his nose sting.
He sniffled, rubbing at his eyes.
The awkward silence stretched between them as Latian let out small, uneven breaths.
Claude, who had been watching him quietly, found himself at a rare loss for words.
He had assumed Latian would shake off the ordeal as if it were nothing.
He hadn’t expected him to cry.
Unconsciously, Claude clenched and unclenched his fist.
Holding Latian for the first time, he had noticed just how thin and delicate his frame was.
That lingering sensation felt oddly persistent.
“…You…”
Just as Claude parted his lips to speak, a voice from above interrupted him.
Latian looked up, just as Sien and Haen landed steadily on the ground.
“Ah, are you alright?”
“You’re not hurt, are you?”
Their questions were directed at Latian.
They naturally assumed Claude would be fine.
“Ah, yes. I’m alright.”
Claude dusted himself off and got to his feet. Latian followed suit—
“Ugh.”
A sharp pain shot through his ankle, making him instinctively flinch.
Sien and Haen immediately fretted on either side of him.
“Advisor! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“My… ankle.”
“Gasp! What do we do? Can you walk?”
He couldn’t remember exactly what had happened, but in the frantic struggle to avoid falling, he might have thrashed too hard and twisted his ankle against the cliffside.
Now that the tension was fading, the pain was finally catching up to him.
“Let me take a look. Give me your leg.”
Sien crouched down to examine his ankle.
That’s when he noticed—his skin was already darkening with bruises.
“Oof, that looks painful. It’s not broken, is it?”
Haen shuddered as he watched.
Latian began to panic along with him, but Sien rummaged through the spatial pouch on his waist and spoke up.
“Good thing I have a healing potion from Wibner.”
“Oh, bless that angel… The saint of Winter Castle…”
“Drink this and rest a little. You’ll be fine once it circulates through your system.”
Latian gratefully accepted the healing potion and drank it down.
A few steps away, Claude let out an exasperated sigh.
Feeling self-conscious, Latian hunched his shoulders.
Then, Claude spoke.
“Let’s rest for a bit.”
Latian recalled how Claude had mocked him earlier, saying he’d only delay the schedule.
The healing potion was already working—he could probably move soon.
“If it’s because of me, I’m fine! We can move right—”
As he tried to stand, he wobbled.
Before he could steady himself, Claude, who had somehow gotten closer, pushed a hand against his forehead.
With just that, Latian toppled backward—only to be caught by Haen behind him.
“I told you not to talk back.”
The cold, aristocratic gaze looking down at him was as frosty as ever.
But strangely, Latian didn’t find it scary.
Maybe his sense of fear had broken after nearly falling to his death.
“The monsters up top.”
“We dealt with them before coming down.”
“Start a fire. Find something edible.”
“Great idea! I was starving anyway.”
“Dad, bring back a really big one.”
“Shut up.”
Ignoring Sien’s teasing, Claude vanished into the darkness.
Haen and Sien busied themselves gathering wood and lighting a fire.
Watching them work, Latian sat in the corner, feeling his ankle gradually heal.
‘Thank goodness.’
If he hadn’t been able to fix his ankle, he would’ve become a complete burden.
And considering he was already under suspicion as a spy, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they had decided it was easier to leave him behind.
Just the thought sent chills down his spine.
Letting out a small sigh, Latian rested his forehead on his knees.
Even now, recalling what had happened made him break out in a cold sweat.
No matter how composed he usually was, he couldn’t shake off the lingering shock.
‘It would’ve been nice if the system had warned me beforehand.’
But thinking back, both this and the time he had caught that awful cold—he hadn’t died.
He wasn’t entirely sure yet, but… maybe the system only warned him about deaths that weren’t avoidable.
After all, hadn’t the system predicted a future where many people in Winter Castle died?
‘Then… does that mean Claude was always going to save me?’
That thought made an odd, ticklish feeling settle in his chest.
‘No, I shouldn’t assume. I can’t trust the system too much.’
Not long after, Claude returned carrying a massive monster over his shoulder.
The twins helped him butcher it by the fire.
By the time they ate, his ankle was fully healed.
But since the sun was already dipping low in the sky, they decided to rest here for the night.
Lying in his sleeping bag, Latian answered the occasional question from the twins.
Then, he realized—someone was missing.
‘Claude?’
Glancing around, he caught sight of Sien walking by and called out.
“Uh… I don’t see Brother. Do you know where he went?”
Sien hesitated for a moment before pointing to one side.
“There’s a stream over there. He should be there.”
“Ah.”
So there was a stream.
Latian, already feeling grimy from the dust and dirt, felt a strong urge to wash up.
Perhaps noticing this, Sien handed him an empty water container.
“The water container is empty anyway. Can you go fill it up?”
Sien gave him a playful wink.
It was a subtle gesture of consideration, hoping that Latian—who seemed more drained than usual—could get some fresh air.
“The lord is there as well, and it’s close by, so don’t worry.”
“…Understood. I’ll be back.”
“Mm, just keep going straight, and you’ll see it right away.”
Latian stood up, took the empty water container, and headed toward the stream.
Just as Sien had said, the path was easy to find.
The moon cast a dazzling glow over the stream, its silver light shimmering on the surface.
Right at the water’s edge, crouched down and rinsing his face, was Claude.
As he lifted his head, their eyes met.
Droplets of water trailed down his jaw, catching the moonlight as they fell.
Latian’s gaze was naturally drawn to the sight—the exposed collarbones and pale nape peeking through the loosely buttoned shirt.
It was a scene straight out of some enchanting tale, so mesmerizing that Latian found himself staring, utterly spellbound.
What finally snapped him out of it was the deep, velvety voice that wrapped around him.
“What are you doing here?”
Snapped back to reality, Latian let out an awkward laugh.
“I wanted to wash up too… and I was asked to bring back some water.”
Feeling slightly self-conscious, he stepped closer and began filling the container with the clear, flowing water.
As the container filled to the brim, Claude, who had been beside him, suddenly stood up.
Latian assumed he was leaving.
But Claude didn’t move.
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence stretched between them.
‘Why isn’t he leaving?’
Latian placed the full container beside him and cautiously dipped his hands into the cool water, deliberately avoiding eye contact.
But then, Claude’s voice came from above.
“You remember when I said I didn’t know why I brought you along?”
That made it impossible not to look at him.
Wiping the remaining moisture from his face, Claude met Latian’s gaze with quiet intensity.
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