Fortunately, the worst did not happen.
The white deer came closer and closer. Rega's hands and feet trembled slightly as he carefully moved forward, raising his hand high above his head.
"Yooo~"
Under the sunset, the shadow of man and deer overlapped.
The white deer stopped before Rega, lowered its head, and gently sniffed the red grapes cupped in his small hands. Then, extending its tongue, it curled one up and chewed it slowly.
The sweet and sticky pulp burst with juice and fragrance, filling its mouth with a refreshing taste — a brand-new experience for the white deer.
After swallowing the first grape, it quickly finished the rest.
Rega gazed at the deer in delight. But because his heart couldn't pump blood fast enough, his face turned pale. Sweat poured down his body, soaking through his light silken robe.
"Good fellow," he said breathlessly, "you've eaten my supplies. Shouldn't I at least get to touch you?"
Speaking between ragged breaths, Rega stretched out his small hand toward the deer's neck.
"Yoo?"
The white deer didn't shy away. It let the human child's hand stroke the soft fur on its slender neck, and even nudged his waist pouch with its nose.
Rega grinned brightly. "Greedy one — you can smell I've got more, huh?"
He wrapped one arm around the deer's neck and pressed his cheek against its snowy fur, rubbing gently.
With his other hand, he untied his small pouch and poured out the remaining fruit onto the ground.
A few grapes, a slice of apple, half an orange…
The white deer accepted them all, lowering its head and eating eagerly.
Seeing this, Irik was utterly shocked. His lips trembled. "Your Highness…"
Rega turned toward the dazed knight. A faint blush rose on his pale cheeks as he said shyly, "They're just leftovers I didn't finish. It'd be wasteful to throw them away."
"No, I don't mean that. I mean… I mean…"
At that moment, Irik found himself at a loss for words.
Even he — a man who wouldn't blink when surrounded by assassins — felt deeply shaken.
A white deer taking the initiative to approach a human…
Throughout the entire recorded history of the continent of Weslot, such a thing had never happened.
If the poets and singers learned of this, it would become a legend sung for generations.
No matter what the white knight was thinking, Rega had no energy left to ponder anything.
His heartbeat grew heavier and slower, a ringing filled his ears, and dizziness clouded his mind. His eyelids grew heavy.
"Sir… don't hurt my friend…"
With that weak final whisper, Rega's arm around the deer's neck went limp, and his body collapsed.
Thud—
After a long day of travel, overwhelmed by excitement, Rega fainted dead away.
"Your Highness… Your Highness!"
Before losing consciousness completely, Rega thought he heard Irik shouting and shaking his shoulders frantically.
"Detected rare creature containing trace magical elements. Commencing scan…"
"Scan complete. Species identified: Pure-hearted White Deer. Would you like to begin an exploration?"
"..."
"Explorer unconscious. Auto-exploration sequence initiated. Please wait for results…"
That faint mechanical voice echoed in Rega's mind — but he was already gone from awareness.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
In a small clearing of the royal hunting grounds.
Having fled the camp in sorrow, Rhaenyra now sat quietly upon a fallen tree trunk, her emotions calm again.
In front of her, a handsome knight in white cloak and silver armor sheathed his sword and swiftly built a small campfire.
"Ser Cole," Rhaenyra teased, resting her chin in her hands, "I didn't expect your skills to extend beyond the battlefield."
The black-haired knight, Criston Cole, smiled as he prepared a freshly caught rabbit. "I come from humble beginnings. Before I became a knight, I had to do all the chores myself."
Indeed, Criston Cole was exceptional — not only a knight of honor, but handsome enough to charm any girl.
His gentle words and pure, sincere eyes were deadly weapons in their own right.
Deprived of affection for so long, Rhaenyra was utterly bewitched by him.
Her gaze sparkled as she watched her very own white knight work intently over their meal.
Had Rega been there, he could swear to the Seven Gods that even if Cole served her a lump of charcoal, Rhaenyra would eat it without hesitation.
Rustle… rustle…
Just as the rabbit began to roast, a noise stirred from the nearby woods, putting both of them on alert.
Cole drew his sword, ready for an ambush.
"Snort… snort…"
Moments later, a dark boar charged out of the forest, mad with fury.
Seeing the massive beast thundering toward them, Cole's eyes widened. He dodged quickly, his sword flashing as he turned and slashed across its hide, leaving a shallow wound.
"Snort! Snort!"
The boar, thick-skinned and wild, roared again. Missing once didn't stop it — it lowered its head and charged once more.
This time, it went straight for Rhaenyra, who stood frozen in shock.
"Look out!"
Cole shouted desperately.
In the blink of an eye, the boar tore through the campfire, scattering embers and burning branches through the air like fiery stars.
The flames burst into the night sky, painting it orange-red — like a shower of burning fireworks.
Through that blaze, the boar lunged toward the terrified girl.
Its razor tusks were barely a fist's width away from her soft belly.
Death loomed, breath by breath.
"NO!"
Under the pale moonlight, a piercing scream ripped through the air.
Rega jolted awake, sitting bolt upright, eyes wide with fear.
"You're awake, Your Highness!"
Irik's voice rang with relief.
Rega turned, startled — a campfire crackled nearby.
"T-The fire… it didn't burn down?"
Seeing the flames dancing safely, Rega swallowed hard, his throat still dry.
Footsteps approached from behind. Turning, he saw Irik striding toward him, excitement written all over his face — and a wild pheasant dangling from his hand, tied by a straw rope.
"Sir Knight… where are we? Where's my sister?"
Rega blinked in confusion, panic flashing across his young face.
Irik dropped the bird, knelt before the startled prince, and gripped his shoulders firmly.
"Don't worry. It was just a nightmare."
"A nightmare?"
Rega wiped his forehead, his palm coming away slick with cold sweat.
Irik patted his back gently and began recounting everything that had happened that day.
Slowly, Rega's memory returned.
"Phew…"
He exhaled heavily, relief flickering in his eyes as the terror faded.
"So it really was just a nightmare."
Though it had felt painfully real, Rega was no stranger to dreams like that — nightmares had haunted him for as long as he could remember.
"Sir Knight, that dream… it really scared me."
As his heartbeat calmed, he forced a small, embarrassed smile to hide his lingering fear.
Irik shook his head. "Everyone dreams of bad things sometimes. Best to forget them."
Rega whispered a soft thanks.
Then, as if remembering something, he looked around.
Not seeing the familiar figure he sought, he frowned. "Where's the white deer? Where did it go?"
Irik answered truthfully. "After you fainted, the white deer stayed by your side. It even brought you a red fruit in its mouth.
Before I went to check the traps, it let you rest on its belly. But when you began to stir, it must've sensed it — and quietly left."
"It left?" Rega said, disappointed. "I wanted to bring it back for Father to see."
Irik smiled faintly. "The white deer doesn't belong to the world of men. It came from the forest — and now, it's returned there. You should be happy for your new friend."
"Yes… my friend."
Rega murmured softly, though his heart was reluctant to let go.
Author's Note:I don't have much backlog written yet, so I can only promise two chapters per day for now.
When the novel officially signs, I'll release a bonus chapter.
At 300, 500, and 1000 bookmarks…
At 1, 30, and 100 monthly votes…
Each milestone will unlock an extra chapter as thanks for your support!
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