Chapter 25: 25

Chapter 25

Without rubbing her sleepy eyes, Holly was led by Mona’s hand and sat down in front of the dressing table.

“There was a blanket in the bathroom.”

As Holly was sitting and dozing, her words brought her to alertness immediately. Mona would have asked without much thought, but her face was so hot that she couldn’t stand it.

“I sweat a lot. I will wash it and return it.”

“How can I entrust such a task to a guest? We will take care of it.”

Mona replied sweetly and looked at Holly through the mirror and ran her skin through the back of her hand.

“You must have slept well last night. You have become more beautiful than yesterday.”

She then continued with admiration. Even though Mona must have said this to make her feel good, she was really embarrassed that she would get compliments on her looks from a pretty person.

“But, the clothes…”

Gliding her gaze, Mona frowned slightly as she saw what Holly was wearing. Holly opened her mouth quickly, wondering if she was offended by not wearing the clothes Mona had lent her.

“The clothes you borrowed are a little thin. I get very cold.”

“The clothes I gave you yesterday are pajamas, and there are separate clothes for everyday wear. You’d better wear that first.”

The clothes market must be doing well here.

“It’s okay! Give me the clothes, and I will change myself.”

As she vehemently refused, Mona gazed at her with strange eyes. Holly laughed awkwardly. She wanted to just get along with what they told her to do though she couldn’t. The skin under the clothes was stained with the traces Cahill had made.

It was embarrassing just to show her bare body, but to show those marks… Just imagining it was terrifying.

Every time she closed and opened her eyes, something black obscured them. Her eyelids trembled at the unfamiliar weight. Her skin was stuffy like a mask. Fortunately, the dress was thin and light, so she was able to breathe.

Ahmed, who came to see the news that she had finished dressing, looked at her without saying a word for a long time.

Holly’s face heated up with his admiring eyes from head to toe.

“Oh, sorry, Miss Holly. I couldn’t tell if the person in front of me was a dream or reality, so I can’t help being rude.”

Ahmed saw her embarrassed and opened his mouth quickly. Still, she’d rather him not open his mouth. Then, Mona appeared in Holly’s vision, avoiding her gaze. She glanced at Ahmed and smiled awkwardly.

Holly blinked her eyes slowly, feeling the need to run away.

“You were beautiful yesterday, of course, but not to mention today. All the light in the world is obscured. I think the story of a man who fell in love with the beauty and jumped in without knowing that it was hellfire would be me.”

After one night, Ahmed’s tongue became smoother.

Holly looked at him with tired eyes as he kissed the back of her hand, giving an unfamiliar compliment. She then made eye contact with him and smiled awkwardly.

“Today, as promised, I will guide you through the Royal Castle. Will that be alright?”

A soft voice sounded as if casting a spell. Ahmed smiled contentedly as he looked at Holly, nodding her head.

“I will go.”

Leaving Mona in the room, she followed Ahmed and his men. Men with swords surrounded them.

“Please, understand that this is for Miss Holly’s safety.”

When she was startled, Ahmed replied soothingly. As Holly was about to go down the stairs surrounded by armed men, just like when she came to the Sharif Kingdom, she suddenly felt empty and stopped.

“…But, what about Cahill?”

Cahill was also a guest like her. He was also curious about this kingdom. However, it was strange that he was not involved in this guide through the royal castle.

At her question, Ahmed’s footsteps stopped next to Holly. The tip of his lips, which turned upward from a smile, twitched slightly. Even without turning his head, he could feel her gaze looking up with a puzzled face.

“I sent someone into the room, but there was no reply. He must have been very tired.”

As if the strange silence had been an illusion, Ahmed replied with a smile on his face.

At that, Holly nodded without a doubt. Cahill did it with her all night long before he got up and went back to his room through her window. It was very late, and he deserved to sleep in.

“I see.”

Holly didn’t ask any more questions, as she would become more embarrassed if she continued talking about Cahill. Meanwhile, Ahmed didn’t know about that and smiled gladly at the fact that she didn’t care more for Cahill.

As they went down the stairs, they came to the second floor of the castle, a spacious hall with nothing. The man who claimed to be the guide of the royal castle stood in the middle of it and pointed to the four entrances connected to the hall.

“Moving from palace to palace is only possible through these passageways.”

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Like Sharif’s characteristic of not having exchanged with other countries, the structure of the royal castle was also subtly closed. In Holly’s eyes, the structure of Sharif’s royal castle looked similar to that of the continent. Its nature was like Centria, which became a channel between countries.

“Which way would you like to go first?”

“I think it would be better to go from left to right.”

When they finally reached the end of the long hallway, there was an endless spiral staircase in front of her. Holly sighed inside and thanked Mona for giving her low-heeled shoes.

Paintings and ornaments were hung on the stone wall next to the stairs.

“The tower is being used to display works of art.”

“I think the Sharif Kingdom loves art.”

Using an entire building as an exhibition hall? The glass walls of the bridge connecting the buildings were also covered with colorful paintings. It was a pity that from the outside, they couldn’t see the scenery while crossing the bridge though she thought it was remarkable considering it was Sharif’s culture.

“Beautiful things fill a lonely heart.”

Ahmed wrinkled his eyebrows curtly and stared intently at her. His gaze was sultry. Pretending it wasn’t, Holly turned her head away from his eyes.

“Ah…”

She was taken aback. A painting with a rough brush. Sandy hills — Above it, countless stars decorated the veil of the night.

“It’s a desert.”

“A desert?”

When her eyes met him, Ahmed cut off the conversation and erased his displeasure.

“It’s a very hot, cruel place.”

Ahmed’s voice speaking of the desert was dark. There was a passionate feeling that Holly could not fathom as he continued, “It’s a precious painting I got by giving a merchant extra money, but I’m glad that Holly also seems to like it.”

He uttered in a soft voice, as if his mood had subsided, and made a gesture to move forward.

However, she couldn’t take her feet off the desert painting. Ahmed, who was ahead, turned around, unable to hear the footsteps following him. He found Holly stopped in front of the painting and turned his feet.

“Do you like the picture that much?”

Ahmed’s eyes flashed with strange heat. If she nodded her head, it seemed like he would take her off.

“It just feels weird.”

Holly reached out towards the painting. Nonetheless, she couldn’t bear to touch it and moved it in the air as if she was tracking over the painting.

Ahmed was staring at her with expressive eyes.

“If you like it that much, I will give it as a gift to commemorate our meeting.”

“No. That’s okay.”

Holly looked away before he really said he would take the picture off and give it to her. Her feet moved forward, but without realizing it, her head turned backwards.

When the painting finally disappeared out of sight, Holly let out a deep sigh. She didn’t even know if it was relief or regret that she had finally left the painting. Afterwards, when they reached the top of the castle, a door appeared. Holly thought they would go inside, but Ahmed turned his back on the door and walked to the other side.

“This way.”

The place he was leading had a stone wall cut open so that they could look out. She followed Ahmed and leaned against the window sill.

“You can see the Sharif Kingdom at a glance.”

In the distance, Sharif’s people looked hazy. They were busy moving. Holly remembered feeling nostalgic for them.

‘…How did I end up getting an invitation to the kingdom, and things got better.’

At the thought, she let out a low laugh at her changed situation. That dream would be shattered if she left Sharif.

“Shall we go down now?”

Ahmed, who was gazing at her instead of the scenery outside, extended his arm. Holly nodded and placed a hand on his arm. And so, the two people descended the stairs and joined the attendants waiting below.

He then headed to the innermost building of the castle.

“This is a banquet hall. There are halls of various sizes from the first to the third floor, and the third floor is equipped with a lounge and a powder room.”

They went out after looking around the grand banquet hall on the first floor, which is said to be used for the most significant events.

A dark space in the corner could be seen in her passing gaze.

—

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