Chapter 6

The following days felt like Alexander's worst nightmare.

Charles made him clean the windows in the freezing cold, "accidentally" knocked over boiling water, which scalded his hand, and even pretended to fall ill in the middle of the night, forcing Alexander to rush around the city in search of the right medication.

One night, as Alexander was kneeling on the floor tending to Charles' wounds, Charles let out a soft chuckle. "I just don't get it. With the way Louise treats you, why don't you just leave?"

Alexander's hand froze mid-motion, the ointment spreading across Charles' bruise. "I still have a promise to keep."

"What promise?" Charles narrowed his eyes.

Alexander said nothing as he quietly continued to apply the medicine to Charles' wounds.

With no warning, Charles kicked him aside. "Why are you acting all mysterious? Let me make one thing clear. The torture that you're being put through right now is meant to teach you your place! Louise is never going to fall for you, and you will never be able to beat me!"

Bending over, he gripped Alexander by the chin. "Don't bother coming tomorrow. Remember this—if you ever try something again, I will make your life a living hell."

…

Alexander dragged his exhausted body home. He had barely settled onto the couch when his phone started buzzing nonstop.

"Alexander, bad news! The 99th task Charles has assigned Louise is to climb a snowy mountain and harvest glacier lilies… Unfortunately, there was an avalanche, and Louise is trapped up there! Who knows what might happen to her?"

By the time Alexander got to the foot of the mountain, the snowstorm had been going on for a full day.

Just as he was about to head up the mountain, the search-and-rescue captain stepped forward to stop him, his expression grim.

"No one is allowed up there right now! The avalanche has only just subsided, and another could strike at any moment. It's far too dangerous. Even our most experienced rescue teams aren't willing to take the risk!"

Alexander stared up at the snowy mountain peak. "If we wait any longer, she'll die," he said, his voice trembling.

"But going up there alone is a suicide mission!"

"Then, I'll die trying."

Without another word, he turned away, strapped on his crampons, slung his rescue pack over his shoulder, and plunged into the raging snowstorm without looking back.

The icy wind sliced his face like a blade. Snow had gotten into his collar, melting against his skin and soaking his clothes with freezing water.

He made his way slowly up the slope. Even though his fingers were starting to turn purple, he gripped tightly onto the climbing rope.

Three hours later, he finally found an unconscious Louise by the edge of a cliff.

Her leg was stuck under a fallen rock, her face as pale as the snow around her.

"Louise!"

Alexander threw himself forward and frantically dug through the snow with his bare hands, oblivious to the pain as his fingernails cracked and split.

"Wake up…" he whispered, trembling as he patted her on the cheek. He carefully wrapped a thermal blanket around her. "I'll take you home…"

Louise was completely unresponsive, and her body was ice-cold from head to toe.

With his teeth gritted, Alexander used rescue rope to tie her to his back. Step by step, he made it back down the mountain.

The descent proved even more difficult than the climb up. He stumbled and fell so many times that he eventually lost count. By the time he neared the bottom, he was practically crawling on all fours.

When he reached the base camp, his windbreaker had already been ripped apart. His knees were a bloody mess.

As soon as the medical staff took over Louise's care, Alexander's vision went black, and he collapsed into the snow.

…

When Alexander woke up, the pungent smell of disinfectant filled his nostrils. He jolted up, immediately gasping as pain shot through his wounds.

The nurse held onto him. "Don't move. You've lost too much blood. You need rest."

"What about Louise? How is she?"

"Ms. Lawrence's condition has stabilized. She is currently resting in the VIP room."

Hearing this, Alexander ripped out the needle in his arm and stumbled toward the VIP wing of the hospital.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he heard voices coming from inside.

"You almost died because of Charles! You've already done 99 tasks for him. Is he really worth it? Look at this video! If Alexander hadn't carried you down the mountain, you'd be a frozen corpse by now!" Cynthia yelled.

After some silence, Alexander heard the video start to play.

In the video, he could be seen covered in blood, struggling through the snow as he carried the unconscious Louise on his back.

He fell down and got up again. His knees were bloodied, but he never loosened his grip on the woman on his back.

Toward the end, his strength had nearly given out, and he collapsed to the ground. Even then, he used his body to cushion the fall, doing everything he could to make sure that she would not get hurt.

"All these years, he's taken bullets, gotten alcohol poisoning while drinking for you, and even driven recklessly to the point of nearly losing his life—all for your sake. Do you really feel nothing for him at all?"

A long silence ensued.

"No." Louise's voice was calm and clear. "Even if he died for me a thousand times over, I would never feel anything for him."

Suddenly, they heard a loud smash. Alexander had accidentally knocked over a small flower pot.

The room door swung open violently. The moment their eyes met, Louise's eyes widened slightly. However, before she could say anything, he had already turned around and walked away. His frail figure looked as though a gust of wind could knock him over.

"Louise, go after him and explain yourself!" Louise's friends were frantic. "He was willing to lay down his life for you. That was such a cruel thing to say! What if he really leaves?"

Louise stared into the dark, empty hallway. Her chest felt inexplicably tight, but she simply sneered and replied, "He won't."

"How do you know?"

She turned around to return to her bed. "Because he loves me. His love knows no pride, no limits. Even if I trample all over him, he'll still come crawling back."

Louise's friends looked at each other and sighed.

It was true. Everyone was aware that Alexander's love for Louise knew no bounds.

How could he ever bear to leave her?