The Inescapable Celibate Heir Chapter 119: The Reindeer's Wail

Samuel sneered, grabbing Nick by the collar and dragging him outside. "I think you've been in the warmth for too long and your brain isn't working. Time to cool off."

Nick kept begging, but Samuel kicked him out the door. The cold wind hit Nick, who was only wearing a thin sweater, making him shiver as he cried for mercy. 

"Samuel, come on! I'll freeze out here. I know I can be a jerk, but I'm still your cousin!"

Samuel was unfazed, slamming the door shut and coldly telling Ethan and the others, "Let him in before he turns into an icicle."

Eric and Roy tried to stifle their laughter until Samuel went upstairs with his coffee. Then they burst out laughing. 

Ethan smirked at the door, which was being pounded from the outside. Nick's big mouth had finally gotten him what he deserved. 

After a while, Roy opened the door and let Nick back in. Nick quickly jumped inside, the warmth making his nearly frozen fingers tingle. 

He rubbed his hands together and glared at his friends. "Why didn't any of you warn me? You really left me out there that long!"

Eric shrugged. "I did warn you. You're just too thick to get it."

They spent a few days at the ski resort before heading to another vacation spot. 

This resort was known for dog sledding and reindeer riding. They were all experienced horseback riders, but reindeer were new to them.

The resort manager, Declan Ross, confirmed their riding skills and suggested, "Riding a reindeer is kinda like riding a horse. You could try our reindeer racing challenge. If you can cover 1.24 miles in under five minutes, you'll win a souvenir and a free dish from our menu."

Nick was intrigued. "Aren't you worried about losing money? If we all finish in under five minutes, you'll have to give away six free dishes." 

He wasn't concerned about the money but was motivated by the challenge. Considering his horseback riding speed, he thought it would be easy if reindeer were similar.

Declan laughed and waved his hand. "It's not that easy." 

The snow made it slippery, and reindeer couldn't run at full speed. 

He'd been running the resort for many years, and not many customers had managed to complete the challenge. 

On the contrary, the activity stirred up the customers' competitive spirit, and he ended up making more money from renting out the reindeer.

Samuel said, "It depends on the quality of your reindeer."

Eric, also interested, asked, "Has anyone ever succeeded? The key is the reindeer. If it doesn't have the stamina, no matter how skilled I am, it won't work."

Declan confidently replied, "Of course, we have a record wall. The fastest time is two minutes and fifty-three seconds! As for the reindeer, some are better than others. It's up to you to choose wisely."

They followed Declan to pick their reindeer. He explained the basics and demonstrated how to ride. 

Then he let them choose and get acquainted with their reindeer before the challenge. 

While they were selecting, a group led by a girl in a bright red fur cloak entered another pen. 

Victoria noticed the cloak's luxurious fur but quickly refocused on choosing a suitable reindeer.

As she walked around the pen, Victoria spotted a separate enclosure with a pure white reindeer. 

Unlike the usual gray or brown, this one was entirely white, with long white eyelashes and elegant antlers, looking like something out of a fairy tale. 

It glanced at Victoria with a haughty expression.

"I want this one," Victoria said decisively.

Declan hesitated. "Do you know why it's kept alone? It's wild and unmanageable. No one can tame it."

Victoria's interest piqued. "What's its name?"

"It's called Queen," Declan continued to advise against it. "I recommend choosing a more docile reindeer. Queen might hurt you, which would ruin your experience."

But Victoria was determined. Ethan joined them, overhearing the conversation. "Let her try. She won't give up otherwise."

Declan reluctantly opened the gate, allowing Victoria to get acquainted with Queen. 

Victoria circled the reindeer, growing more satisfied, but noticed a small notch on its tail. 

Unlike the other reindeer's rounded tails, Queen's had a cut. She pointed it out. "Is this notch natural?"

Declan shook his head, looking uncomfortable. "No, it was cut by a previous guest. That's another reason I didn't want you to choose her." 

He paused, then continued, "Queen is too temperamental. Sophia Britton bought her but couldn't tame her, so she cut her tail and returned her."

Victoria frowned, feeling a surge of anger. This Sophia seemed petty, taking out her frustration on an animal.

Just then, the sound of a reindeer's wail and a woman's laughter, accompanied by the crack of a whip, came from nearby. 

Victoria glared at Declan. "What's going on? Is someone mistreating the animals here?"

If that were the case, she didn't want to stay at the resort any longer.

Declan quickly reassured her. "No, it's not that. The group that just came in is Sophia and her entourage. She always whips the reindeer when she comes to choose one."

"Why do you work with someone like that? Can't you refuse her?" Victoria found it odd. 

Declan clearly didn't approve, so why didn't he stop her?