He paused, gritting his teeth and catching his breath. Then he continued with difficulty.

“Because, you hate me?”

Brody stopped in her tracks.

‘Do you… hate me?’

There’s no way that could be. I have you…..

Brody knew about her fondness for her, though she had tried hard to ignore it.

The careful and delicate consideration, the gentle gaze, the pure smile, the warmth urging physical touch.

She had only maintained a reasonable distance because she thought she couldn’t accept it.

When Brody stopped and hesitated, Aiden made up his mind.

He swallowed dryly and spoke calmly.

“Brody, I want you.”

He took off a small vial hanging around his neck.

With his firm words, Brody felt her heart pounding and involuntarily looked back.

“Ah!”

He threw the vial into the pit. The vial traced an arc and disappeared into the darkness.

“Why are you throwing that away!”

Brody looked crestfallen.

How hard it was to make.

She could endure and bear being hurt. But hurting herself was scarier than she thought. But she made it diligently because he needed it. My bloodlike blood…..

“I don’t want you because of this problem.”

He said that and turned away.

Maybe twenty steps back?

He turned again, unfastening the belt that connected his sword.

Then he laid his long sword on the ground.

‘The floor is not only lacking a helping hand, but there are also many obstacles to worry about…..’

He took a dagger in his hand and steadied his breath.

“Your Highness, are you crazy?!”

Yes, maybe he’s crazy. If not crazy, his heart wouldn’t be beating like this.

With so many things waiting for him, he could only see Brody.

Anyway, it’s a life that you wanted to take. But a life not taken. So isn’t it okay to stake your life on her once more?

With Brody’s cry, Aiden ran with all his might. And at the edge of the cliff, he rolled his foot with force and sprang to the other side.

Brody’s face, tense with color, came into his shaking sight.

She was looking straight at him, not turning her eyes away.

But the next moment, Brody’s figure began to rise.

‘Damn! It’s not enough!’

His sight dropped below the land across from him.

As the wall approached his eyes, Aiden hammered the dagger with all his might.

Crash.

The sharp sound of metal and stone colliding filled the pit.

“Your Highness!”

Brody rushed to the pit, fell to her knees, and looked down.
Aidan had stuck his sword in the wall and was barely hanging on.

“What in the world are you doing?!”

The moment their eyes met,

Thud.

The wall he had stabbed his sword into collapsed. It had been a soft clump of earth, soaked with moisture.

Aidan had tried to do something, but he was helpless as his head moved away from the wall. Nothing was within his reach.

“Your Majesty!”

Aidan, falling down, appeared in Brody’s wideopen eyes.

She reached out desperately.

Then from the wall of the pit, hiss, vines reached out.

Aidan, with all his might, reached for the vine that seemed to chase him down like it was alive.

But it was in vain.

The plant couldn’t catch up with Aidan’s falling speed.

And so Aidan’s body disappeared into the lightless darkness.

“No!”

Brody’s tearing scream echoed in the pit.

“No!”

And the next moment, the same scream, but in a low, forceful voice, burst out.

“Brody!”

He saw Brody kick the ground and jump down.

After plunging into complete darkness, nothing could be seen.

Please, not a rocky place!

Aidan prepared to fall and waited to hit the ground.

Thump.

A dull impact hit his back soon after.

“Cough!”

A cough burst from deep within his lungs, and his body bounced up momentarily before falling again.

He stared forward with bulging eyes, still trying to catch the falling Brody somehow, even at that moment.

But still, he saw nothing.

He felt his back getting wet and sensed a draining feeling, like he was losing blood.

“Brody……!”

How, how could this happen? How could she jump down with me? If she dies because of this, I…

While panicking,

“Ugh!”

The next moment, he felt pain in his stomach as something fell on top of him with a thud.

But it was too light for the impact of a person falling from a cliff.

Aidan reached out with his arms, coughing.

He touched the cold skin. Was it a person?

“Co…cough, Bro…cough, dy?”

“Yes, you crazy fool!”

With a scolding, a hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed Aidan’s collar.

Having his collar grabbed for the first time since becoming king, he smiled as he heard the scolding voice.

“Bro, dy……!”

He stretched out his big arms and embraced the living body in front of him tightly. It was definitely a living person. It was Brody.

Caught off guard by the sudden hug, she got stuck between his body and arm, still holding his collar.

Aidan, relieved, pressed his cheek against her warm skin.

“You’re alive……. You’re alive.”

He felt her lips move at the edge of his neck, and soon the answer came.

“Who’s talking……? I was so scared you…… had turned into a pulp…….”

Aidan was startled to hear Brody’s voice.

The content was harsh sarcasm, but her voice was soaked.

This was the first time… since meeting her.

Brody’s slender body, buried in his neck while holding his collar, trembled. Cold droplets fell quickly on his neck.

Brody was crying.

Aidan held Brody tightly, forgetting the pain in his back.

Even at that moment, his back was getting increasingly damp and cold.