บท 39: Chapter 39: Humans Discovered in the Forest
"Frozen to death? So you blame the winter? If it weren't for her irresponsible father and that wretched uncle, would she have died?"
...
The White Witch sat on her throne, her voice colder than ever, devoid of any emotion.
In the wake of her chilling words, the entire hall, even the vast plains surrounding the castle, began to fill with shimmering snowflakes.
With just her mood, she could alter the weather.
At that moment, the power of the White Witch, who single-handedly froze the entire land of Narnia, was fully on display.
Seeing this, Ino realized something.
Perhaps during their previous magical encounter, she had indeed been holding back considerably.
...
As time passed, the sparkling snowflakes in the air began to merge with the fierce wind.
Facing the impending snowstorm, Ino regretted telling the White Witch a tragic story.
He had thought that as the antagonist, she might enjoy stories with elements of snow and tragedy.
Who would have thought she would react so emotionally, getting so angry over a story?
The stalemate continued for about ten seconds.
Just as the snowstorm was about to form, the White Witch's voice echoed through the hall.
"Don't tell me such stories again! I'll let it slide this time."
With that, the hall suddenly became calm and quiet.
'Tap, tap, tap.'
Hiding behind the giant statue, Ino listened to the crisp sound of high heels on the ground and let out a sigh of relief.
"If I had known, I would have told a love story about a prince and a princess..."
With a light sigh, he stood up and started looking for his briefcase in the hall, which was now a mess from the earlier storm.
...
A few minutes later, as the White Witch completely left.
The dwarf squad arrived as expected, carrying various cleaning tools—brooms, buckets, mops...
Seeing their well-practiced cleanup, it was clear the dwarfs were well-prepared, knowing their queen's temper well.
Ignoring the busy dwarfs, Ino picked up his briefcase and slowly walked out of the hall.
Outside the hall.
"Honored guest, where are you going?"
Just a few steps out, Ino was stopped by a dwarf.
Looking down, he recognized the dwarf as the White Witch's driver, Simon or something, a somewhat familiar face.
"After attending the queen's banquet, of course, I'm leaving now." Ino squatted slightly to be at eye level with the dwarf.
"Oh no! You may have misunderstood. In Narnia, without the queen's permission, you can't go anywhere. If you're tired, I can take you to your room to rest."
The dwarf spoke with the utmost politeness but with the firmest words.
Listen to this... isn't this just polite detention?
"And what if I insist on leaving?" Eno asked calmly.
Before the dwarf could reply, he changed his tone.
"Alright, I was just joking! This beautiful palace and castle, I haven't admired enough yet. Take me to the guest room."
With that, Ino felt the surrounding cold gradually normalize.
Despite having many thoughts, he could only smile and accept the dwarf's proposal.
...
The castle guest room.
A modest but well-appointed room with all necessary furnishings.
Ensuring no one would disturb him, Ino reached into his inner pocket, pausing for a few seconds before taking out an ancient-looking dice.
Today's events had unfolded too suddenly. From scaring away the faun at the lamppost to encountering the White Witch, there had been no time to think.
Now, reflecting on it, perhaps it had been wrong from the start.
If he hadn't drawn his wand to scare the faun, he might now be a guest in Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's den.
"Ah... recently, it's always like this! A comfortable life is truly a slow poison."
Unlike the villages and towns before, Ino knew that in a place like Narnia, the probability of encountering danger increased exponentially.
Even though the White Witch's story was mostly fairy-tale-like, it still involved large-scale wars, even if few from the righteous side died in the end.
With these thoughts, he turned his attention to the dice in his hand.
"I won't encounter danger in Narnia, I won't encounter danger in Narnia..."
A faint murmur filled the room.
...
A peaceful life often makes people overlook the passage of time.
But time exists nonetheless, and when people realize it, they find that a long time has passed in a blur.
One clear morning.
The castle garden... well, perhaps it used to be a garden, but now the entire land was covered in snow. Apart from an ice-blue rose, there was nothing else.
Ino sat in the garden, and across from him was the White Witch in a long dress and a golden crown.
"...At that moment, the prince suddenly woke up. He recognized his true bride. 'Come, I'll take you home,' he said, taking the girl's hand and leading her into the carriage. The carriage swiftly headed towards the castle, the bright windows already in sight..."
As the story neared its end, the accordion beside him played a gentle and beautiful melody.
At that moment, the singing and the music blended perfectly, as if they were on a midsummer night by the coast, quietly enjoying the sea breeze and listening to the sea's serenade.
However.
The existence of all beautiful things seems to be meant for destruction.
In the distance, a huge shadow was charging towards the garden, sending snow flying in its wake.
Noticing this, Ino immediately stopped playing the accordion and stood aside silently.
The shadow moved quickly, arriving at the garden in no time.
It was a giant wolf, with a body as large as a calf and sharp fangs that made one shudder.
The giant wolf lay at the garden's edge, panting heavily, its massive head bowed in utmost respect.
"Great Queen of Narnia! My subordinates have discovered human traces in the forest..."
...
The White Witch left, and the garden returned to its usual silence.
"The story is finally beginning..."
Ino looked up at the gray-blue sky. Unknowingly, he had been living in this ice castle for over three months.
During this time, besides enjoying various delicacies, he had also gained a high degree of freedom. Whether wandering the castle or practicing magic alone, it was all tacitly approved by the White Witch.
All he had to do was tell a romantic and tortuous love story every day.
Yes, romantic and tortuous.
After two months of interaction, Ino had figured out the White Witch's temperament—she was a literary youth at heart.
She loved stories with perfect endings but challenging journeys.
But that was no problem for him. As a qualified bard, rewriting stories was basic practice.
All he needed to do was change the names and settings of characters like Romeo and Juliet, then embellish the story and retell it.
___
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