“Your Majesty the Queen.”
When Cheraan carefully opened the door to the inner room and entered, Judith was staring blankly at the candle on the table. The moment the long-tailed candle swayed in the wind that flowed in through the open door, Judith turned her head.
“What about Erwin?”
“I heard she just fell asleep.”
“Yeah... I see. She must be tired. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Judith said as if she was sorry. Cheraan immediately frowned.
“Then you were planning to leave me behind and go alone, Your Majesty? Don’t you know that’s ridiculous?”
Judith smiled, lowering her head slightly. She paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before rising.
“Thank you. Then shall we go?”
“Do you really have to go there? What good would come of it? On a day as beautiful as today, there’s no reason to ruin your joy by going to a place like that.”
“I’m going today because it’s a good day, Cheraan. Because it’s a happy and fulfilling day.”
“I don’t understand... But if you absolutely must go, I will follow you.”
A carriage stood in the courtyard in front of the palace. The man sitting on the coachman's seat and driving the horse was Neos. He took off his usual Combler's armor and pretended to be an ordinary coachman, but Judith could not help but recognize his side face in the darkness. As the carriage began to move with the light sound of the reins being swung, Cheraan sighed deeply and looked at Judith.
“What did His Majesty say?”
“He told me to do as I wish.”
Franz had already realized that no matter how much he tried to dissuade her, he could not break Judith's resolve. He could not understand the deep-rooted reason why she wanted to go see Queen Gilsis today, but he could see that she was determined to see her no matter what.
"If you really must go, then go. But, absolutely not alone. That is the only thing I cannot allow."
"I promise, Your Majesty."
The Black Spire where Queen Gilsis was imprisoned was a long way from the gateway to the capital. Judith stared blankly out the window as the darkness deepened. Her mind was in disarray.
“Your Majesty, please get some sleep. It will take some time to get to the spire.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m not that sleepy right now, Cheraan.”
“You know? How? Have you ever been there?”
Cheraan gave her a suspicious look. She probably thought that Judith had somehow escaped the castle alone and gone to see Queen Gilsis. It couldn't have been otherwise. Because she didn't know Judith's secret.
She probably can't even imagine that in those days, which now seem so distant, Judith was dragged there in a thorn-lined chariot, her hands and feet chained and her mouth gagged.
'The most horrible thing was that even though I looked like that, they didn't cover my eyes...'
Judith smiled bitterly as she recalled the memories of her past life that suddenly came to mind. Usually, criminals who had committed a crime and were sentenced to imprisonment, especially those of high status and nobles or royalty, were blindfolded while being transported to the place of imprisonment. This was to avoid having to directly meet the people who had come to watch them being dragged away.
But Judith's case was different. Instead of blindfolding her, she had a gag put on her mouth. In this way, Judith had to face the people who ridiculed and criticized her all the way to the tower. All of this was the idea of Queen Gilsis.
“I’ve never been there. But... I still remember passing by there the first time I came to Rotair.”
“You don’t look well. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It’s okay, Cheraan. Don’t worry too much.”
Judith leaned her head against the window of the rattling carriage. She forced her eyes shut and tried to sleep.
When the carriage stopped after running along the quiet night road for a long time, Judith woke up before Cheraan could shake her shoulder. It was already pitch black around her. There was little moonlight today, so the only light was the summer constellations scattered across the black sky.
“Your Majesty, please tread carefully.”
Cheraan kept holding the lamp and shining it on Judith’s feet, but she was worried that Judith might twist her foot. Judith got out of the carriage while holding her hand and looked up at the huge spire standing before her. Even in the dark forest where no light could be seen except the light from the lamp, the spire was an incredibly clear black color.
Suddenly Judith felt goosebumps rise on the back of her neck and took a deep breath. As the forest exhaled along with her, the spire seemed to tremble with an ominous and gloomy sound.
“Please open the door.”
The soldiers guarding the door quickly stepped aside when they saw the Combler badge that Neos held out. The entrance to the spire was narrow, and the only thing that went up was the endless spiral staircase. Neos, who had been handed a lamp, took the lead, and Cheraan followed behind, guarding Judith. Water was collected here and there on the stone steps, and each step made an eerie, damp sound.
“I’ll be going alone from here, so you two can wait here for me.”
When they reached the place where Queen Gilsis was imprisoned, Judith said. Neos and Cheraan looked at each other with anxious expressions, but then obediently handed the lamp to Judith.
Judith walked along the dark corridor to the end, politely ignoring the soldiers who were making way for her. And when she finally reached a dead end, she saw Queen Gilsis, curled up on the cold stone floor, as if she were a burden, just as Judith had been in her previous life.
Was it because of the sound? Or was it because of the light?
When Cheraan carefully opened the door to the inner room and entered, Judith was staring blankly at the candle on the table. The moment the long-tailed candle swayed in the wind that flowed in through the open door, Judith turned her head.
“What about Erwin?”
“I heard she just fell asleep.”
“Yeah... I see. She must be tired. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Judith said as if she was sorry. Cheraan immediately frowned.
“Then you were planning to leave me behind and go alone, Your Majesty? Don’t you know that’s ridiculous?”
Judith smiled, lowering her head slightly. She paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before rising.
“Thank you. Then shall we go?”
“Do you really have to go there? What good would come of it? On a day as beautiful as today, there’s no reason to ruin your joy by going to a place like that.”
“I’m going today because it’s a good day, Cheraan. Because it’s a happy and fulfilling day.”
“I don’t understand... But if you absolutely must go, I will follow you.”
A carriage stood in the courtyard in front of the palace. The man sitting on the coachman's seat and driving the horse was Neos. He took off his usual Combler's armor and pretended to be an ordinary coachman, but Judith could not help but recognize his side face in the darkness. As the carriage began to move with the light sound of the reins being swung, Cheraan sighed deeply and looked at Judith.
“What did His Majesty say?”
“He told me to do as I wish.”
Franz had already realized that no matter how much he tried to dissuade her, he could not break Judith's resolve. He could not understand the deep-rooted reason why she wanted to go see Queen Gilsis today, but he could see that she was determined to see her no matter what.
"If you really must go, then go. But, absolutely not alone. That is the only thing I cannot allow."
"I promise, Your Majesty."
The Black Spire where Queen Gilsis was imprisoned was a long way from the gateway to the capital. Judith stared blankly out the window as the darkness deepened. Her mind was in disarray.
“Your Majesty, please get some sleep. It will take some time to get to the spire.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m not that sleepy right now, Cheraan.”
“You know? How? Have you ever been there?”
Cheraan gave her a suspicious look. She probably thought that Judith had somehow escaped the castle alone and gone to see Queen Gilsis. It couldn't have been otherwise. Because she didn't know Judith's secret.
She probably can't even imagine that in those days, which now seem so distant, Judith was dragged there in a thorn-lined chariot, her hands and feet chained and her mouth gagged.
'The most horrible thing was that even though I looked like that, they didn't cover my eyes...'
Judith smiled bitterly as she recalled the memories of her past life that suddenly came to mind. Usually, criminals who had committed a crime and were sentenced to imprisonment, especially those of high status and nobles or royalty, were blindfolded while being transported to the place of imprisonment. This was to avoid having to directly meet the people who had come to watch them being dragged away.
But Judith's case was different. Instead of blindfolding her, she had a gag put on her mouth. In this way, Judith had to face the people who ridiculed and criticized her all the way to the tower. All of this was the idea of Queen Gilsis.
“I’ve never been there. But... I still remember passing by there the first time I came to Rotair.”
“You don’t look well. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It’s okay, Cheraan. Don’t worry too much.”
Judith leaned her head against the window of the rattling carriage. She forced her eyes shut and tried to sleep.
When the carriage stopped after running along the quiet night road for a long time, Judith woke up before Cheraan could shake her shoulder. It was already pitch black around her. There was little moonlight today, so the only light was the summer constellations scattered across the black sky.
“Your Majesty, please tread carefully.”
Cheraan kept holding the lamp and shining it on Judith’s feet, but she was worried that Judith might twist her foot. Judith got out of the carriage while holding her hand and looked up at the huge spire standing before her. Even in the dark forest where no light could be seen except the light from the lamp, the spire was an incredibly clear black color.
Suddenly Judith felt goosebumps rise on the back of her neck and took a deep breath. As the forest exhaled along with her, the spire seemed to tremble with an ominous and gloomy sound.
“Please open the door.”
The soldiers guarding the door quickly stepped aside when they saw the Combler badge that Neos held out. The entrance to the spire was narrow, and the only thing that went up was the endless spiral staircase. Neos, who had been handed a lamp, took the lead, and Cheraan followed behind, guarding Judith. Water was collected here and there on the stone steps, and each step made an eerie, damp sound.
“I’ll be going alone from here, so you two can wait here for me.”
When they reached the place where Queen Gilsis was imprisoned, Judith said. Neos and Cheraan looked at each other with anxious expressions, but then obediently handed the lamp to Judith.
Judith walked along the dark corridor to the end, politely ignoring the soldiers who were making way for her. And when she finally reached a dead end, she saw Queen Gilsis, curled up on the cold stone floor, as if she were a burden, just as Judith had been in her previous life.
Was it because of the sound? Or was it because of the light?
Gilsis's body, which had been motionless as if dead, flinched. Her face, raised, was revealed under the lamplight.
She looked much thinner and dirtier than before. Her hair was disheveled and looked like it had been pulled out dozens or hundreds of times, and her lips were ugly with obvious cracks and chapped marks. Above all, her eyes as if covered in fog, were looking around anxiously as if she couldn't see Judith right in front of her.
“Who is it...?”
“...”
“Margit? Margit? Or Helen? Is it you?”
Judith still did not answer but looked down at Queen Gilsis, who was crawling closer to her on the floor. Queen Gilsis, who had been calling out the name of Helen, who had died several years ago, held the rusted bars tightly with both hands. The fingers that held the bars were also emaciated as if they were nothing more than bones.
“Emerea...?”
“Judith, Your Majesty.”
Queen Gilsis's wrinkled eyelids blinked slowly. It didn't take long for her blank, expressionless face to turn into a distorted one as if she didn't know who Judith was. The moment Judith opened her mouth to say another word, Queen Gilsis suddenly started to act crazy.
“You! You wicked woman! You kill my son! Aaah, my son! I will kill you, I will kill you!”
Where in that weakened body did such strength come from? The soldiers tried to run to the sudden commotion, but Judith raised her hand to signal them not to come closer.
Blood was flowing from the corner of Queen Gilsis’ mouth as she cursed. Judith, who had been silently watching the scene, opened the front of her cloak and took out a small pouch. She threw what was inside at the feet of the rampaging Queen. The sound pierced the empty space inside the tower like a blade.
“What... what is this? What is this!”
“See for yourself. Oh, can’t you see? Well, even a perfectly normal person would soon go blind if they were in here. Because there’s no light. Then, touch it with your hand. Perhaps Your Majesty will know what it is.”
Her bare fingers, groping the damp stone floor, picked up something that had fallen on the floor. As her madness worsened, her judgment seemed to have deteriorated, and even though she had been so frenzied and wild, she touched it obediently like a child, holding it close to her eyes to check its shape. After some time, Queen Gilsis suddenly screamed and threw down what she was holding in her hand.
“You...! You! I’m going to kill you!”
“Did you notice? Yes, it’s a commemorative coin with my son’s face engraved on it. Today is his first birthday, so I brought it here to let you know. The head of the son you gave birth to has already become food for wild beasts, but I hope you’ll be happy about it. My child will never grow up to be a villain like Krald. He won’t die a dog’s death either.”
“Ugh! Ah, ah... Ouch! Die! Right now! I’ll kill you. Someone like you would die if I even breathed a sigh of relief!”
“Is that really so?”
Judith's low laughter echoed along the damp floor. Queen Gilsis, shivering and panting, rolled over on her seat, clutching her chest. Judith placed the lamp at her feet and squatted down in front of the bars.
“Shall I tell you an old story? There was a time when the Queen Mother could have killed me with just a sigh. You covered me with a shameful false accusation and locked me up for the sake of your son who was trying to do something dirty to me. Right here, in this black spire, where you are now crying, I was once there.”
“This, this...! Ugh, ugh...”
“Was that all? You even drove my poor husband to death. I was so wronged, so wronged... I cursed you and your son on the spot and swallowed my tongue. And then I came back. To put poison in your filthy mouths, the ones who killed me and the ones I loved.”
The Queen shuddered. It seemed as if she could no longer hear Judith. Judith looked at her for a long time as if trying to engrave her image deeply into her mind, and then stood up, holding the lamp.
“Everything I did, I learned from you. The tricks, the plots, the schemes, everything. So, Your Majesty, it wasn’t me who took your son’s life. It was you.”
“What the, ugh, ugh... aah...!”
“I hope you live long.”
Judith did not look back, even though curses and insults poured out behind her. She did not stop walking but simply descended the tower as calmly as she had ascended it.
Before she got into the carriage, she looked back at the spire once more. Now the tower was no longer smiling wickedly at Judith. Instead, it was standing there quietly, waiting for the day when it would swallow the one life that had already entered its womb.
“Let’s go back, Cheraan.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The carriage quietly left the forest. Judith's eyes, which had been staring into the darkness where she could see nothing, quietly closed.
When Judith's carriage returned to the palace, Franz was waiting for her in front of the Magnus Palace. As soon as Judith saw him lingering in the darkness, she couldn't help but open the carriage door.
Franz hugged Judith tightly as she ran into his arms as if jumping down.
“Are you okay now?”
Franz whispered calmly. Judith, who had been silently curling her fingertips, closed her eyes and buried her face in his arms.
“Yes, Franz. It’s okay now.”
The two lives that were tightly tied together were now able to comfort each other without words. At that moment, tears finally flowed quietly down Judith's cheeks.
She looked much thinner and dirtier than before. Her hair was disheveled and looked like it had been pulled out dozens or hundreds of times, and her lips were ugly with obvious cracks and chapped marks. Above all, her eyes as if covered in fog, were looking around anxiously as if she couldn't see Judith right in front of her.
“Who is it...?”
“...”
“Margit? Margit? Or Helen? Is it you?”
Judith still did not answer but looked down at Queen Gilsis, who was crawling closer to her on the floor. Queen Gilsis, who had been calling out the name of Helen, who had died several years ago, held the rusted bars tightly with both hands. The fingers that held the bars were also emaciated as if they were nothing more than bones.
“Emerea...?”
“Judith, Your Majesty.”
Queen Gilsis's wrinkled eyelids blinked slowly. It didn't take long for her blank, expressionless face to turn into a distorted one as if she didn't know who Judith was. The moment Judith opened her mouth to say another word, Queen Gilsis suddenly started to act crazy.
“You! You wicked woman! You kill my son! Aaah, my son! I will kill you, I will kill you!”
Where in that weakened body did such strength come from? The soldiers tried to run to the sudden commotion, but Judith raised her hand to signal them not to come closer.
Blood was flowing from the corner of Queen Gilsis’ mouth as she cursed. Judith, who had been silently watching the scene, opened the front of her cloak and took out a small pouch. She threw what was inside at the feet of the rampaging Queen. The sound pierced the empty space inside the tower like a blade.
“What... what is this? What is this!”
“See for yourself. Oh, can’t you see? Well, even a perfectly normal person would soon go blind if they were in here. Because there’s no light. Then, touch it with your hand. Perhaps Your Majesty will know what it is.”
Her bare fingers, groping the damp stone floor, picked up something that had fallen on the floor. As her madness worsened, her judgment seemed to have deteriorated, and even though she had been so frenzied and wild, she touched it obediently like a child, holding it close to her eyes to check its shape. After some time, Queen Gilsis suddenly screamed and threw down what she was holding in her hand.
“You...! You! I’m going to kill you!”
“Did you notice? Yes, it’s a commemorative coin with my son’s face engraved on it. Today is his first birthday, so I brought it here to let you know. The head of the son you gave birth to has already become food for wild beasts, but I hope you’ll be happy about it. My child will never grow up to be a villain like Krald. He won’t die a dog’s death either.”
“Ugh! Ah, ah... Ouch! Die! Right now! I’ll kill you. Someone like you would die if I even breathed a sigh of relief!”
“Is that really so?”
Judith's low laughter echoed along the damp floor. Queen Gilsis, shivering and panting, rolled over on her seat, clutching her chest. Judith placed the lamp at her feet and squatted down in front of the bars.
“Shall I tell you an old story? There was a time when the Queen Mother could have killed me with just a sigh. You covered me with a shameful false accusation and locked me up for the sake of your son who was trying to do something dirty to me. Right here, in this black spire, where you are now crying, I was once there.”
“This, this...! Ugh, ugh...”
“Was that all? You even drove my poor husband to death. I was so wronged, so wronged... I cursed you and your son on the spot and swallowed my tongue. And then I came back. To put poison in your filthy mouths, the ones who killed me and the ones I loved.”
The Queen shuddered. It seemed as if she could no longer hear Judith. Judith looked at her for a long time as if trying to engrave her image deeply into her mind, and then stood up, holding the lamp.
“Everything I did, I learned from you. The tricks, the plots, the schemes, everything. So, Your Majesty, it wasn’t me who took your son’s life. It was you.”
“What the, ugh, ugh... aah...!”
“I hope you live long.”
Judith did not look back, even though curses and insults poured out behind her. She did not stop walking but simply descended the tower as calmly as she had ascended it.
Before she got into the carriage, she looked back at the spire once more. Now the tower was no longer smiling wickedly at Judith. Instead, it was standing there quietly, waiting for the day when it would swallow the one life that had already entered its womb.
“Let’s go back, Cheraan.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The carriage quietly left the forest. Judith's eyes, which had been staring into the darkness where she could see nothing, quietly closed.
When Judith's carriage returned to the palace, Franz was waiting for her in front of the Magnus Palace. As soon as Judith saw him lingering in the darkness, she couldn't help but open the carriage door.
Franz hugged Judith tightly as she ran into his arms as if jumping down.
“Are you okay now?”
Franz whispered calmly. Judith, who had been silently curling her fingertips, closed her eyes and buried her face in his arms.
“Yes, Franz. It’s okay now.”
The two lives that were tightly tied together were now able to comfort each other without words. At that moment, tears finally flowed quietly down Judith's cheeks.
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When will be the ss release?
ReplyDeletenext Friday perhaps
DeleteI see, thank you for your hard work 🥰
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