Yunus personally opened the bottle of wine for Iver.
As he poured the wine into the crystal glass, its fragrant, sweet, intoxicating aroma filled the not-so-large bedroom.
At noon, sunlight entered from the side and shone through the glistening red wine, casting a dazzling spectrum of blood-red colors across the tabletop.
Iver sat down opposite him, propping up his chin with his left hand. The fingers of his right hand traced gentle circles, brushing against the cold glass.
A faint chill seeped through the crystal into his fingertips—this bottle of wine had clearly just been taken out of storage.
"Mr. Yunus, is this wine you brought?"
Iver asked.
Yunus laughed heartily. "Of course not... How could it be? This is Mr. Maxim's private collection—of course, I didn't steal it. I had his permission.
"When I said I wanted to use it to entertain you, he agreed readily enough. It's truly an honor... Thanks to you, I've had the chance to drink such fine elven wine."
"I remember that one reason the 'Holy Tree' series of wines tastes so good is that the vines are also connected to the Holy Tree itself. In a sense, this wine was brewed from the Holy Tree's fruit—and in another sense, elves are merely the children of the Holy Tree."
Iver smiled. "So, you could say that what we're drinking is also Blood Wine made from the blood of the elven race."
"...Oh dear, Your—"
"—Then, cheers."
Iver interrupted Yunus.
He raised his glass, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared deeply at him. "Your Highness the Prince."
Yunus reined in his smile somewhat and picked up his glass. He lightly clinked it against Iver's, producing a crisp sound.
He raised his head and took a sip of wine.
When he set down his glass