The Inescapable Celibate Heir Chapter 131: Landing

Calista and Samuel were chatting casually about the unique culture of Lytheria and the vast, lonely expanses of the sea. 

Samuel was surprised to learn that Calista was a freelance photographer who often traveled alone to remote, uninhabited places to capture stunning landscapes. 

He found himself admiring this independent and beautiful woman. 

Back in his younger days, he too loved to travel and seek out adventures in places few had seen. 

But now, work consumed most of his time, leaving little room for such pleasures.

Calista also had a good impression of Samuel. Despite his young age, he was already successful, well-traveled, and a great conversationalist. 

In fact, Samuel was not nearly as kind to other women, especially those he met through arranged dates set up by Diana and David. 

He often deliberately annoyed his dates to avoid being controlled by them. 

But today, he was kind to Calista because Victoria liked her, and Calista seemed to have no ulterior motives, making their interaction easy and pleasant.

"Hey, maybe we could exchange contact info," Samuel suggested. "I'd love to hear more about your travels."

Calista glanced at Samuel, noting his sincere expression. He didn't seem like the type of guy who would try to hit on a girl he just met. 

After a brief hesitation, she agreed and gave him her social media handle, smiling sheepishly. "I often travel to places with poor signal, so I might not reply promptly. Hope you understand."

Samuel nodded understandingly. He was more interested in seeing different perspectives on life and didn't expect her to respond enthusiastically. 

Just then, Ross came to find Samuel, and Victoria took Calista to get her luggage, arranging a room close to her own. 

Victoria had been the only woman on the ship recently, and spending all day with the men had become tiresome. Having Calista around made everything, even meals, more enjoyable.

The next evening, the cruise ship docked. Joe was quickly picked up by his family. 

Before leaving, he invited Calista to stay at his home, which held some status in Lytheria. 

However, Calista declined as she had already booked a campsite in Frostholm. 

Though the conditions there were basic, it was the best spot in Lytheria for photographing the Northern Lights. 

Unfortunately, due to the ship's delay, she missed the last convoy to Frostholm and would have to wait two more days for the next one.

Upon hearing this, Victoria invited Calista to spend the next two days with them. 

Victoria wanted to buy some souvenirs for Mira and other friends. The souvenirs didn't need to be expensive, just representative of the local culture. 

She asked Calista to join her for shopping, and Calista mentioned that Lytheria had many traditional artisans who made local-themed items like silver jewelry and birch wood carvings of reindeer and the Northern Lights.

Victoria spotted a shop window displaying a finely crafted wooden reindeer that looked almost lifelike and decided to go inside. 

The reindeer was only about the size of two palms but was intricately carved. 

Its antlers were elaborate and beautiful, its muscles smooth and graceful, and its raised hoof gave it a lively, spirited look. 

Its eyes were a transparent light blue, likely inlaid with locally sourced sapphires, giving the wooden reindeer a lifelike vitality.

The more Victoria looked at it, the more she liked it. She approached the counter and asked, "Hi, how much for the wooden reindeer in the window?"

The shop owner, a young, pretty girl named Ruth with platinum blonde hair in two braids, was busy with her accounts and didn't look up until she was asked. 

She lazily glanced at Victoria and said, "That one's not for sale. But you can check out the other wood carvings and silver jewelry in the shop."

Victoria looked around the shop, but none of the other items appealed to her as much as the reindeer in the window. 

She asked again, "Why isn't the reindeer for sale?"

Ruth had only taken over the shop a few months ago and was struggling with the accounts, which were not adding up. 

Frustrated, she finally put down her pen, deciding to give up on the numbers for now. 

She then took a good look at Victoria and was surprised. 

Ruth had always been considered beautiful and popular, but Victoria's beauty was of a different kind, making Ruth more patient.

She softened her tone and explained, "It's not that it's not for sale. The reindeer is on consignment, and its owner is a bit eccentric. He insists that buyers solve a puzzle first." 

For three years, no one had been able to solve the puzzle, and many couldn't even understand the question. That's why Ruth had initially said it wasn't for sale.

Calista, intrigued, asked, "What kind of puzzle? Let's give it a try." She found the challenge interesting and wanted to take a shot at it.

Ruth frowned, trying to remember. "It's a picture with lots of squares and some black and white pieces. I think it's called..." She trailed off, unable to recall the name.

Victoria stepped closer to the counter and asked, "Do you mean chess?"

Ruth slapped the table excitedly. "Yes, that's it! Chess. It seems you know this strange game. Maybe you can solve the puzzle." 

She then turned to a cabinet and retrieved a wooden box. Inside was a partially completed hand-drawn chessboard. 

Very few people in Lytheria played chess, and even fewer tourists knew how to play. Most people gave up as soon as they saw the chessboard. 

Occasionally, someone who knew a bit about chess would try, but the puzzle was quite difficult, and they couldn't solve it. 

Plus, it was just a wooden carving, not a priceless treasure, so no one was willing to spend much time on it.