"Have mercy on my soul." Kai looked skyward at the Gods, and then held the silver ring that was the centerpiece of the necklace while recalling Princess Diarbara's beautiful face. "Forgive me for what I'm about to do, princess."
He let go of the silver ring and exhaled heavily through his nose.
His hand reached for something behind his cloak.
A blue apple was now within his grasp, the second apple—one that he had taken from the Kirinar Dark Forest earlier before walking down this road. Nobody has the strength to enter the forest and seize the second blue apple.
Even in the last several years, the blue apple remained intact.
Unlike the last time, retrieving it didn't go smoothly, but Kai wanted it to be that way.
As he neared the fortified wall, the rage that he had suppressed throughout these years began to surface. His face contorted into a hideous snarl as he recalled what the kingdom did to its supposed princess.
