Page 28 of Quest

Sir Jiang responded to Prince Darcel’s assurances with a gruff snort I did my best to ignore.

I glanced out the window. By the sun’s measurement, it was nearly noon. “It’s this late? You should have woken me sooner.”

Prince Darcel waved away my apology. “Our delayed start won’t put us too far behind; progress would have been slow if I’d woken you too soon. Are you sure you’re sufficiently rested?” His concerned eyes caressed my face as he stepped closer, awashing me in his alluring proximity. “You appear flushed. Are you alright?”

He reached out and gently brushed against my forehead, as if checking for a fever. Despite the innocence of the gesture, heat flared at his touch. I staggered back, nearly tripping in my haste to create much needed distance.

Confusion furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I stammered, hoping he couldn’t hear the rapid, uneven rhythm of my pounding heart.

His frown deepened. “But you’re rather warm. You’re not sick, are you?”

His consideration was making it increasingly difficult not to like him—friendship was one thing, romance was quite another—but resistance was becoming a fight my heart no longer wanted to endure. “The sunlight was on my face while I slept.” My heated blush deepened my skin, as if desperate to contradict my weak excuse and reveal the true reason for my fluster to the man who had caused it.

Desperate for distance, I hastily went to the other room to pack, but to my horror he followed, as if determined to torture me. He crouched beside me and I stilled, my breath catching as he leaned closer, awashing me in his piney scent. “What is it?” My breathless voice sounded too feminine to my ears.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” His low tone seemed to reach inside me, curling around my heart. I averted my face so he couldn’t see the way he affected me.

Unable to speak, I simply nodded.

“I know the impatience I displayed at the beginning of our journey as well as my insistence on haste might make you feel obligated to adhere to a strenuous timetable, but it was wrong for me to push you beyond what you were capable of. Please don’t exert yourself beyond your strength.”

The gentle apology lured my gaze back to his face, filled with a sincerity that surprised me. “With how much I disregarded your title and fought against your desires and orders in the beginning, do you believe I would concede now?”

A slow, crooked smile toyed the edges of his mouth. “That is strangely reassuring. If you’re certain, then we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.” He finally departed.

It took me a moment to recover from the effects rendered by his proximity before I could resume rolling up my futon and rejoin the others waiting at the temple entrance. Kael approached with a map, but though he stood closer than Prince Darcel had moments ago, my body didn’t react to his presence.

“While you were asleep we went over the travel plans. This is our planned course to reachginsei-zanpeak.” He traced the route from the temple up the mountain. Despite my inexperience in navigation, I could tell it would take at least several days to reach our next destination.

Though I fought to keep my expression impassive, I couldn’t entirely mask my worry. Sir Jiang noticed and sighed. “The trek will be more arduous than the one to reach this temple.” I heard the implication veiled in his words: he doubted I could handle it.

I lifted my chin, striving to appear confident. “I will do my best not to hold up the group.”

He frowned, clearly unconvinced. Prince Darcel stepped forward. “Ren has already proved himself capable. We must trust him, and also offer our assistance when needed.”

He cast me a smile, as if ensuring I’d noticed his attempt at camaraderie, but I turned my back to him…not because I was unhappy with his efforts, but because returning his grin would cause me to venture further into dangerous territory than I likely had the strength to endure. His coming to my defense for a second time and show of friendliness was doing nothing to help my resolve to maintain a professional relationship; anything deeper had no place between us when I was currently masquerading as a boy.

Unfortunately he misinterpreted my gesture as a dismissal. I heard his quiet sigh, but he didn’t force his presence on me, for which I felt a mixture of gratitude and a secret sadness.

I obsessively mulled over the interaction as I approached the temple’s inner sanctum to return Lumis to its resting place before our departure. However upon reaching the alcove where I’d found him, I felt an uncharacteristic heaviness settle in my chest, as if in resistance. Leaving the lantern behind seemed logical—after all, carrying it further would only add unnecessary weight to our journey.

Yet as I prepared to set it down, a flicker of doubt whispered through my mind, compelling me to reconsider. Should I bring it with me after all?

In answer, the temple’s shadows seemed to stretch towards the lantern with an almost palpable yearning, urging me to leave it behind…as if the curse’s subtle influence at slipped inside these sacred walls to weave through the dim light, sowing seeds of discouragement.

As I stood deliberating, a sudden warmth from the lantern pulsed against my palms—a comforting glow against the creeping darkness, subtly encouraging me to bring the enchanted lantern with me throughout the duration of our quest. With a resolving breath, I tightened my grip on Lumis, deciding to trust the instinct that urged me to keep the lantern close. With Lumis cradled securely under my arm, I turned away from the sanctum and met with the others waiting at the temple entrance. Upon seeing the lantern they lifted their eyebrows in silent question, but didn’t object to its presence.

When we began our descent, the temple’s mystical presence and ornate, dragon-carved eaves became obscured by the thick, rolling mist that perpetually cloaked the lower reaches of the mountain—concealing it until I or another of my descendants ventured here again, an invisible guardian watching over the winding paths and verdant slopes that spread below.

Ginsei-zanloomed in the distance, its majestic peak capped with perpetual snow that shimmered like scattered silver beneath sunlight’s touch. From our vantage point, it was but a delicate outline against the broader canvas of the sky, a reminder of the arduous journey that lay ahead.

The first part of our pilgrimage was uneventful and relatively easy, given my recent rest and the strengthening draft I’d taken prior to setting out. We spent several hours meandering down the slope. The path from the temple was narrow and treacherous, weaving through dense patches of bamboo and overgrown ferns. Ancient moss-covered lanterns lined the trail, their once-bright lights now just faint glimmers in the fog, guiding our cautious steps down the steep incline as the wet stones and twisted roots sought to betray our footing.

By the time we reached the base of the mountain, our legs were weary. We took a brief respite beside the cold and rejuvenating waters of a clear mountain stream rushing towards the land below, but with only a few hours of daylight remaining we soon pressed on, to the disappointment of my aching legs.

The valley unfolded before us, a vast tapestry of grasslands dotted with clusters of cherry trees and the occasional shimmer of a small lake, with wildflowers adding a splash of vibrant color across the green expanse. Our path wound through rice paddies that mirrored the expansive sky, their surfaces still and tranquil. The gentle terrain was less formidable, the open spaces beckoning us to quicken our pace, even as the stunning vista invited us to linger.

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