Chapter 31: 31

Chapter 31

Translator: wuttisyun

*double update for not uploading on monday*

“Your answers will determine whether or not you’re loyal to the Empire.”

Recalling all the plans and strategies I thought out, I opened and closed my mouth with no sound like a carp.

“What does the Empire mean to you?”

This was what I planned on answering.

‘The Empire is the place I was born in and I will sacrifice my life for this Empire till the day I die. Since I am the daughter of the Imperial Family, I will give back to this Empire by marrying whomever you have chosen for me, Your Highness.’

However, the words I had memorised and repeated to myself dozens of times were not coming out.

“Uh-This country-I mean, this Empire is the place I was born in and I will sacrifice my life for this Empire t-till the day I die.”

Blood flowed across the marble tiles and gradually formed a huge puddle. Just three steps. The blood of so many people was in such a small distance away. In the midst of this brutality, I was the only one safe for now.

I fell forward to a crawling position and trembled.

Blood seeped into the white cloth I was wearing that had been neatly ironed. The tip of my hems were soaked in the blood that once flowed through my maids.

“Princess.”

Castor spoke languidly.

“What do you think of the Emperor?”

‘He is my father as well as the father of this Empire. He is someone I respect the most and I believe that Your Highness, who will one day succeed him, will become a great Emperor just like him.’

“H-he is my f-father…as well as the father of this Empire. H-he is s-someone I-I respect the m-most… I don’t know.”

At my shaking words and fragmented sentences, Castor blinked his brilliant golden eyes, that shone like the moon, slowly before dropping himself to my eye level. He pulled the ends of his lips up and smiled nonchalantly.

“What do I mean to you?”

I had seen many death scenes in dramas, movies and novels. I had believed that people getting injured, killed or dying countlessly during wars was something that only happened in stories and did not think that anything could happen in the lives I lived.

But the swords wielded by the knights were ruthless and no one in my palace was spared by their blades. This reality was nothing like the stories of the faraway countries I read or seen. I felt like puking.

When I heard another shriek, I whipped my head around in shock.

“Bess!”

The one whom I had been exchanging snide remarks and laughing with just this morning, screamed and fell.

Someone was screaming while being dragged away while someone else was screaming while their fingers were being sliced off. The harsh shrieks, the suppressed cries and the already fallen maids… In such a short period of time, so many people have died or were brought close to death.

I shifted my gaze and observed the remnants of the slaughter that just occurred in the palace. This scene that stretched in front of me eerily was something I had never seen before, both in my previous and current life. This was neither a dream nor a fantasy. Why?

I just wanted to survive.

Why!

With a cry, I burst into tears.

Stop! I screamed without a sound. Like sand falling through the hole in an hourglass, all the remaining hope I had was slowly seeping away. I could smell blood all over my body. The stark contrast between the white clothes and blood soaked tiles were clear. If the sound of my brain shattering to pieces could be heard at the moment, the sounds would be ear-piercing.

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I did not know anything I could do anymore.

“S…. Save…. Save me please.”

I found out my answer to the last question after I saved Amor which helped fill the rest of my diary. I was never smart but I never considered myself to be dumb. However, the moment I was sucked into the whirlwind which was his golden eyes, I felt as if I had become an idiot.

His golden eyes. My teacher’s words were unknowingly ringing in my ears.

‘God’s token, a power that allows the user to gradually gain power akin to the Gods. Those who possess the power are marked by golden eyes and hence, they also mark those who will inherit everything in the Empire of Kaltanias.’

Even after all the preparations and strategising, in the end, this mess was caused by the unknown factor that was Castor.

“W-why… are you trying to kill me?”

The sword that was slicing through the air stopped.

“… Why am I killing you?”

Castor, who held the sword, looked this way.

“Do you think this is unfair?”

He lowered his head for a moment before smiling slowly and lifting his head again. He lowered his gaze as far as possible.

“If you feel that this is unfair, you should’ve found a way to avoid me…”

“… W-what?”

“The answer.”

His upper body leaned forward slowly. He laughed lowly before leaning over and whispering softly in my ear.

“The answer is, you don’t have to be nice to someone who’s too lazy to find a way, right? It’s because you know nothing, that’s why you’re going to die.”

Castor, who watched his men continue the slaughter, turned his head this way. He blinked his golden eyes slowly.

‘After all the questions were over. The Prince smiled beautifully.’

The Crown Prince smiled.

“This is no fun.”

It was still sunny outside the palace like spring just bloomed but inside the palace, I would only smell blood and tears. My tremors would not stop. My body must be feeling the end of what he was going to say looming.

The white cloth in front of me fluttered like the flag of a triumphant general. (1) I grabbed onto the hem of Castor’s clothes.

Before I knew it, I began crying and begging.

“Shall I save you? I can, you know. I mean, if you want to live in a palace alone with dead bodies and their odour.”

He talked slowly before placing his sword on the ground. His gaze shifted from his blade to my hands.

“This woman’s head will be used to decorate the biggest door in your palace. You’ll fall asleep every night watching this head dangling in front of you.”

The moment I realised that the death of all the servants in my palace would be blamed on me and this fact would be announced to all their living families, the anguish that I had been holding burst out of me violently.

“I-I don’t want to be left alive!”

“Of course. You have no choice but to die.”

He whispered with his neck stretched towards me like a black leopard.

In the space where blood fell, things like hair and fingers lay beside it. At that moment, I just wanted to follow where the blood went and lay my head beneath the ground.

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“O-oh, I don’t want to die…”

As he slowly straightened his back, his clothing fluttered along with his movements. The layers of cloth that wrapped around Castor’s body were a mixture of purple and white.

The purple silk had also been embroidered with gold threads at its hems. The embroidery pattern was something that was permitted to be used only by the most splendid and extraordinary nobles.

“Bye.”

When I looked up, there was a flash of light. But I did not know whether it was because of the thin laurel headpiece on Castor’s head, just the sun, or those unisexual golden eyes.

My eyes closed.

Just if.

If I had a chance for a next life, I would rather just die.

***

[The year 821, the 10th day of the month of Habermia.

But the Prince really did appear and asked me.

“I am Castor Dje Kaltanias. Do you know me?”

I nodded my head. For some reason, he wasn’t even looking at me properly. It looked as if his teeth was going to eat me up.

The Prince, who was beautiful, handsome and pretty all at the same time, asked me 3 questions.

“What does the Empire mean to you?”

What do you think of the Emperor?”

“What do I mean to you?”

After asking me all the 3 questions, he gave me a pretty smile.

Then, he killed me.

***

–The afternoon of the 9th day of the month of Habermia.

It was raining.

It just rained so the place was a mess. My feet felt as if it was going to fall apart so I stood still before taking a step forward. As if it were a habit, I scratched my cheek. I rubbed it again and where I rubbed it, I felt a hot pain.

‘Get a hold of yourself.’

I mumbled to myself, “I haven’t hurt anyone yet.”

‘Ashley Rosé!’

“Ashley!”

As I ran towards him barefoot, Fleon yelled at me.

‘What are you doing! You’re not a commoner!’

“What are you doing! You’re not a commoner!”

It had been a long time since we met but his face was still sharp and handsome. Even if he fell in a pile of dung, I would still be happy to see his handsome face no matter how many times I had seen it already.

‘Since I was going to die anyway, it’s better to run to this prince and do something an actor in a theatre company would do.’

Honestly, in terms of just the looks, Dane was more handsome but Fleon’s face was more unique and did not fit usual beauty standards. Among the softer looking men, his face stood out. If I were to be any more honest, his face looked like the mid-boss of an underworld organisation?

“Hurry and get up!”

With little effort, Fleon lifted me up and shook off the dirt from me by himself. I continued to be criticised by him to the point I wondered when it would end.

‘You think you can be so carefree now that Dane’s gone? Are you saying you’ve been acting in front of me all this time?’

“You think you can be so carefree now that Dane’s gone? Are you saying you’ve been acting in front of me all this time?”

I wondered if patience had been left in his mother’s womb when he was born because he continued nagging with his endless stamina.

‘I’ve heard it a couple times now.’

After repeating what he had said a few more times, he raised his head and shouted like a villain saying ‘Let’s wait and see then’. Then, he looked stunned.

“Oh no, you’re bleeding?”

“Oh, this is from something else.”

From far away, his face was blank.

“What?”

Ah, I was talking to myself. Ignoring his reaction and crumpled face, I turned around.

I could hear my brother who I left alone screaming after me.

‘Ah. Now to the left.’

When I moved slightly to the left, I could see Fleon running to the spot I was originally at.

“How? Y-you, how did you get so good at dodging?”

“Hard to say. More importantly, could you stop running?”

Fleon smiled with his head down and reached his hand out for me elegantly.

After hesitating for a moment, I reached out to grab his hand before I immediately lifted my hand.

“How funny.”

Through my messy hair, I saw a face that looked as if it had been finely coated in flour. The ends of my lips lifted and then I laughed.

‘You can’t do that.’

“You can’t do that.”

Even after living this day so many times, the smile that made him look like a child that was satisfied after finishing his lego pieces did not change.

“… Let’s go back.”

“Go back…”

Huh? Fleon’s blinked his eyes, confused.

T/N:

(1): I think she’s talking about Castor’s clothing.

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