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In the eastern part of the empire, it was a snowy night.
Elio walked in the mountains and forests with heavy steps. He was tripped by the gravel under his feet from time to time, and then slowly got up. Although his body was covered with scars and blood was constantly oozing, he no longer felt any pain.
Where is Sister Anna?
I really want to eat cake again
My hands are cold
Mom, no, mom is gone.
I'm the only one left
Why
Why is this happening? I don't understand
Why would kind-hearted sister Anna be like this?
So uncomfortable
Why didn't you tell me?
I'm too weak.
Yes, why should I live when I am so humble?
Yeah, why live?
It will just make everyone hate it.
That dirty child
The child who doesn't know etiquette
The child without family
It's me
Stumbling one last time into the snow, Elio could not get up.
In the vast snow, he curled up on the grass, his body trembling, his eyelashes covered with heavy frost, making it difficult to open them.
Let it all end here.
A final realization arose in my heart, my consciousness gradually blurred, and my clenched hands slowly opened, waiting for the final moment to arrive. If this was the end of it all.
At some point, a petite figure walked out from the snowy forests, surrounded by goats, purple snakes, elks, and snowy owls. These intelligent mountain animals followed her quietly.
Silently, these animals lifted the boy up and then slowly walked into the dark forest behind them.
After an unknown amount of time, the boy woke up in a hazy orange-yellow light. He felt warmth around his body, and he was lying on something soft.
Is this heaven or hell? A thought flashed through Elio's mind, and then the sound of a snowy owl woke him up and he slowly sat up.
"Are you awake?" A pleasant voice came from behind.
The boy then turned around and looked at the fairy-tale-like environment.
This open space is surrounded by fine, frozen green branches and leaves, filtering out the outside cold like a windproof wall. Above the head, tiny berries appear among the frozen green, emitting a warm orange-yellow glow that embellishes the night.
A girl with long silver-purple hair was sitting on a thick tree stump. It seemed as if he had just woken up from her knees. Behind her, goats and elk were crouching quietly. A snowy owl was perched on her shoulder, and a purple-scaled snake was coiled around her arms.
"Are you a fairy in the forest?" Elio thought of the old fairy tales he had heard in the tavern, the eternal girl holding a jellyfish wreath.
"Probably. Do you have any wish you want to fulfill?" asked the mysterious silver-purple girl.
"Any wish is acceptable? I, I want to revive Sister Anna."
Elio looked at this otherworldly girl and felt that everything was like a dream.
"Yes, because I am the witch of eternal frost, Kornos."
"But as the price of your wish, you will ascend the icy throne and reform this thousand-year-old empire with ice and blood."
The girl's eyes closed slightly and then opened again, and in those beautiful eyes the boy fell asleep again.
Lifting the boy onto her knees again, the girl's hand gently caressed his eyes.
"I finally found you, the child of Crown Prince Ansroy, Elio Cang Jusselberg."
"According to the agreement, you will become the emperor of the empire. Since I found you in the beautiful winter scenery of rime, from now on, I will call you the King of Rime."
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