Amelia lowered herself and carefully removed the carpet. Beneath the thick fabric, a square floor was revealed. One of the floors was slightly tilted. More precisely, Amelia had stepped over the edge and fallen into the empty space.
Originally, it was under the table, so it wouldn't have been noticeable. But she had a feeling something was definitely hidden there. Amelia quietly pressed a corner of the sculpture. With a rattling sound, an empty space revealed itself.
“What is this?”
It was literally an empty space. There was nothing. It was a feeling of emptiness. Amelia felt her high hopes fading, and she furrowed her brow faintly.
“...”
Amelia's gaze slowly swept across the bedroom. Her eyes, unable to conceal their disappointment, looked around for a long moment before dropping back to the floor. Amelia reached out to put the piece back in its place, even though it was just the wrong size.
The moment she finally returned the piece to its original place, Amelia felt a strange sense of unease. The color was slightly different from the rest. As soon as she realized this, she completely removed the carpet and pushed it to one side.
Under the carpet, scattered fragments of various colors appeared. Amelia crawled across the floor, feeling through each piece. The thought of finding something made her cheeks flush with excitement.
“There isn’t any.”
But this time, it was a waste. Aside from that one piece, no other fragment could be heard anywhere. By then, Amelia had to conclude that her intuition was too trivial to be of any use.
“What is it...”
Amelia muttered, roughly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She was tired. Her knees were aching from crawling.
"I'll just gloss over the castle and search the village and forest, pretending not to believe Ricky's death. Then you can search the castle."
“Me? How could I...?”
Ivan gave Amelia a short kiss on the lips without saying a word.
“You can do it.”
And he said that as if to boost her confidence.
“I’m no help.”
So, she wanted to do as Ivan expected, but as expected, she felt like she wasn't contributing at all. Having lived her entire life like a stone, sharpened by a sharp edge, the fact that she hadn't accomplished anything properly further humbled her confidence.
Amelia sighed softly and leaned her head against the bookshelf. Her gaze naturally shifted, reaching the shelf.
“...”
Among the randomly placed books, a sharp line, as if drawn with a sharp object, was drawn on the shelf just above one book. It was a spot you wouldn't see unless you sat up and looked up, and it was a spot you couldn't accidentally draw without deliberately drawing it.
This time, it might be nothing. Amelia thought, calming herself down before pulling a suspicious book from the shelf. The edges of the leather and paper, visible over time, had discolored.
Falak.
As she turned the cover, engraved with the name of a common Bible, the pages revealed themselves. Even the middle section contained the Bible's contents in pristine condition.
She sincerely hopes that someday, this writing will reach someone.
But what emerged from the dry fingers was not a Bible, but a secret record. It was a letter and diary filled with someone's wishes.
Please save me.
It was also a scream for help in despair.
“Your Majesty, please go back now.”
Rodan glanced up at the sky. Perhaps because the forest was so unkempt, it was difficult to gauge the time. But hadn't they done enough? Rodan persuaded Ivan to stop wandering through the unimportant forest and go back.
“Isn’t it too early?”
“It’s been at least three or four hours.”
It seemed to Ivan that Amelia had already discovered something, but in reality, quite some time had passed.
“Yes, let’s go back for now.”
Ivan glanced around the forest, which was beginning to darken, and then gave up on exploring further. His single decision was putting the lives of many at stake. He had already encountered wild animals just getting here.
“I guessed where the wolves that were said to appear here and there came from.”
Ivan muttered, recalling the wolf carcass he had slaughtered himself. This forest, with so few visitors, was a dangerous place for humans. Of course, for beasts, it seemed like no paradise.
Surrounded by danger, he hid himself from sight. Ivan, lamenting his own obliviousness to this land, as the saying goes, "the darkness lies beneath the lamp," mounted his horse and took hold of the reins.
"Let's go."
At Ivan's command, Rodan and the knights hurried after him. As if by magic, the sun was setting faster than anywhere else.
“Are you here?”
The castle she returned to was illuminated only by the moon and stars, with a single artificial torch as a landmark.
“I didn’t know the priestess would come out here and wait for me.”
Passing through the gate and arriving at the inner castle, Amelia was standing at the entrance. Joseph, the butler, should have come out to greet Ivan, but he was nowhere to be seen. Ivan dismounted, handed the reins to Rodan, and pointed this out.
“Joseph was busy preparing a meal, so I said I would greet His Majesty.”
It was an attitude that would have made anyone say he was the host, not the guest. Ivan was about to say that, but stopped himself.
“You don’t look well.”
Even though she tried to hide it, Amelia's pallid face, trembling hands, and cold sweat on her forehead were all signs of her agitation. It was clear evidence that something had happened.
“It’s okay...”
They both knew they had to maintain an enemy-like demeanor in front of others. However, they couldn't just stand by and watch as her body crumbled. Ivan instinctively grabbed Amelia's body.
"Thank you."
Then, a small, almost muffled voice pierced his ears. A small hand, with a feeble strength, barely held Ivan's arm.
“If you’re in this condition, you should be resting in the bedroom.”
Ivan lashed out. The knight, sensing his irritation and anger, quickly reached out to Ivan. It was a gesture of willingness to carry Amelia instead.
"Sorry."
Amelia, held in his arms, whispered an apology. Ivan, sensing the faint warmth in her voice, straightened her slender body and embraced her. He then coldly passed over the knight who dared to embrace Amelia.
"What's the matter?"
As they ascended the circular staircase, unguarded by knights, Ethan asked in a muffled voice. Amelia relaxed and leaned comfortably against Ivan.
“I think I can find evidence.”
“...”
“Go back first.”
The voice asking was mixed with a raspy breath. Naturally, it wasn't a sound of comfort.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
“Open the door.”
The knight, who had discovered Amelia and Ivan climbing the stairs, hurriedly opened the bedroom door. Ivan passed through the open door and placed Amelia on the bed.
“I’ll tell him that I’m sick because I failed to purify the land because the evil spirit was too strong, and I’ll call Aaron.”
“...Why him?”
"I found a diary hidden away, disguised as a book. To confirm its authenticity, you must return first. Only when you completely disappear from sight and the enemy appears to be approaching will they relax."
Does that matter now? Do you know what you look like right now? Ivan wanted to ask. But her stubborn face, her eyes sharp with determination, even as she sweated feverishly, blocked his mouth. It seemed Amelia's own safety wasn't what mattered right now.
"I feel like I have an infectious disease, and I feel sick just from touching your body. Go out and return to the palace. Pretend you don't know anything."
“...”
“I will check and tell you everything written is true.”
Amelia spoke softly.
“What was it about?”
Ivan's question was brief. Amelia smiled briefly, but it was far from joyful.
“Where did these people with black hair and black eyes come from, and how did they continue their lineage? Things like that.”
Emptiness, sadness, the loneliness of being an orphan, and a faint burning of contempt and anger among all those emotions.
“Human greed is truly endless and terrible, Ivan.”
Amelia muttered. It wasn't a direct accusation against Ivan, obviously. But Ivan, strangely enough, found it not far from a rebuke directed at himself. The desire of a man who exploited and then abandoned his own woman and children, solely to stand tall as Emperor, was undoubtedly a terrible thing.
“...”
A strange feeling, one he had never experienced before, enveloped Ivan. It was not a pleasant one.
“You take this, in case you get caught.”
Perhaps because she thought Ivan's silence was a sign of distrust, Amelia fumbled under the pillow and found a book. She placed it in Ivan's hand. It was slightly smaller than a regular book and rather thin, making it easy to fit into his jacket pocket.
“Amelia.”
“Ian is at the palace, so I’ll be back soon. So go.”
Amelia said, "Since you hold Ian's life in your hands, there's no way I'd lie to you."
"...Yes."
But there was nothing else to say. Could he even ask if he was like them, or could he even claim he was different? Neither of these things was plausible to Ivan.
Originally, it was under the table, so it wouldn't have been noticeable. But she had a feeling something was definitely hidden there. Amelia quietly pressed a corner of the sculpture. With a rattling sound, an empty space revealed itself.
“What is this?”
It was literally an empty space. There was nothing. It was a feeling of emptiness. Amelia felt her high hopes fading, and she furrowed her brow faintly.
“...”
Amelia's gaze slowly swept across the bedroom. Her eyes, unable to conceal their disappointment, looked around for a long moment before dropping back to the floor. Amelia reached out to put the piece back in its place, even though it was just the wrong size.
The moment she finally returned the piece to its original place, Amelia felt a strange sense of unease. The color was slightly different from the rest. As soon as she realized this, she completely removed the carpet and pushed it to one side.
Under the carpet, scattered fragments of various colors appeared. Amelia crawled across the floor, feeling through each piece. The thought of finding something made her cheeks flush with excitement.
“There isn’t any.”
But this time, it was a waste. Aside from that one piece, no other fragment could be heard anywhere. By then, Amelia had to conclude that her intuition was too trivial to be of any use.
“What is it...”
Amelia muttered, roughly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She was tired. Her knees were aching from crawling.
"I'll just gloss over the castle and search the village and forest, pretending not to believe Ricky's death. Then you can search the castle."
“Me? How could I...?”
Ivan gave Amelia a short kiss on the lips without saying a word.
“You can do it.”
And he said that as if to boost her confidence.
“I’m no help.”
So, she wanted to do as Ivan expected, but as expected, she felt like she wasn't contributing at all. Having lived her entire life like a stone, sharpened by a sharp edge, the fact that she hadn't accomplished anything properly further humbled her confidence.
Amelia sighed softly and leaned her head against the bookshelf. Her gaze naturally shifted, reaching the shelf.
“...”
Among the randomly placed books, a sharp line, as if drawn with a sharp object, was drawn on the shelf just above one book. It was a spot you wouldn't see unless you sat up and looked up, and it was a spot you couldn't accidentally draw without deliberately drawing it.
This time, it might be nothing. Amelia thought, calming herself down before pulling a suspicious book from the shelf. The edges of the leather and paper, visible over time, had discolored.
Falak.
As she turned the cover, engraved with the name of a common Bible, the pages revealed themselves. Even the middle section contained the Bible's contents in pristine condition.
She sincerely hopes that someday, this writing will reach someone.
But what emerged from the dry fingers was not a Bible, but a secret record. It was a letter and diary filled with someone's wishes.
Please save me.
It was also a scream for help in despair.
***
“Your Majesty, please go back now.”
Rodan glanced up at the sky. Perhaps because the forest was so unkempt, it was difficult to gauge the time. But hadn't they done enough? Rodan persuaded Ivan to stop wandering through the unimportant forest and go back.
“Isn’t it too early?”
“It’s been at least three or four hours.”
It seemed to Ivan that Amelia had already discovered something, but in reality, quite some time had passed.
“Yes, let’s go back for now.”
Ivan glanced around the forest, which was beginning to darken, and then gave up on exploring further. His single decision was putting the lives of many at stake. He had already encountered wild animals just getting here.
“I guessed where the wolves that were said to appear here and there came from.”
Ivan muttered, recalling the wolf carcass he had slaughtered himself. This forest, with so few visitors, was a dangerous place for humans. Of course, for beasts, it seemed like no paradise.
Surrounded by danger, he hid himself from sight. Ivan, lamenting his own obliviousness to this land, as the saying goes, "the darkness lies beneath the lamp," mounted his horse and took hold of the reins.
"Let's go."
At Ivan's command, Rodan and the knights hurried after him. As if by magic, the sun was setting faster than anywhere else.
“Are you here?”
The castle she returned to was illuminated only by the moon and stars, with a single artificial torch as a landmark.
“I didn’t know the priestess would come out here and wait for me.”
Passing through the gate and arriving at the inner castle, Amelia was standing at the entrance. Joseph, the butler, should have come out to greet Ivan, but he was nowhere to be seen. Ivan dismounted, handed the reins to Rodan, and pointed this out.
“Joseph was busy preparing a meal, so I said I would greet His Majesty.”
It was an attitude that would have made anyone say he was the host, not the guest. Ivan was about to say that, but stopped himself.
“You don’t look well.”
Even though she tried to hide it, Amelia's pallid face, trembling hands, and cold sweat on her forehead were all signs of her agitation. It was clear evidence that something had happened.
“It’s okay...”
They both knew they had to maintain an enemy-like demeanor in front of others. However, they couldn't just stand by and watch as her body crumbled. Ivan instinctively grabbed Amelia's body.
"Thank you."
Then, a small, almost muffled voice pierced his ears. A small hand, with a feeble strength, barely held Ivan's arm.
“If you’re in this condition, you should be resting in the bedroom.”
Ivan lashed out. The knight, sensing his irritation and anger, quickly reached out to Ivan. It was a gesture of willingness to carry Amelia instead.
"Sorry."
Amelia, held in his arms, whispered an apology. Ivan, sensing the faint warmth in her voice, straightened her slender body and embraced her. He then coldly passed over the knight who dared to embrace Amelia.
"What's the matter?"
As they ascended the circular staircase, unguarded by knights, Ethan asked in a muffled voice. Amelia relaxed and leaned comfortably against Ivan.
“I think I can find evidence.”
“...”
“Go back first.”
The voice asking was mixed with a raspy breath. Naturally, it wasn't a sound of comfort.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
“Open the door.”
The knight, who had discovered Amelia and Ivan climbing the stairs, hurriedly opened the bedroom door. Ivan passed through the open door and placed Amelia on the bed.
“I’ll tell him that I’m sick because I failed to purify the land because the evil spirit was too strong, and I’ll call Aaron.”
“...Why him?”
"I found a diary hidden away, disguised as a book. To confirm its authenticity, you must return first. Only when you completely disappear from sight and the enemy appears to be approaching will they relax."
Does that matter now? Do you know what you look like right now? Ivan wanted to ask. But her stubborn face, her eyes sharp with determination, even as she sweated feverishly, blocked his mouth. It seemed Amelia's own safety wasn't what mattered right now.
"I feel like I have an infectious disease, and I feel sick just from touching your body. Go out and return to the palace. Pretend you don't know anything."
“...”
“I will check and tell you everything written is true.”
Amelia spoke softly.
“What was it about?”
Ivan's question was brief. Amelia smiled briefly, but it was far from joyful.
“Where did these people with black hair and black eyes come from, and how did they continue their lineage? Things like that.”
Emptiness, sadness, the loneliness of being an orphan, and a faint burning of contempt and anger among all those emotions.
“Human greed is truly endless and terrible, Ivan.”
Amelia muttered. It wasn't a direct accusation against Ivan, obviously. But Ivan, strangely enough, found it not far from a rebuke directed at himself. The desire of a man who exploited and then abandoned his own woman and children, solely to stand tall as Emperor, was undoubtedly a terrible thing.
“...”
A strange feeling, one he had never experienced before, enveloped Ivan. It was not a pleasant one.
“You take this, in case you get caught.”
Perhaps because she thought Ivan's silence was a sign of distrust, Amelia fumbled under the pillow and found a book. She placed it in Ivan's hand. It was slightly smaller than a regular book and rather thin, making it easy to fit into his jacket pocket.
“Amelia.”
“Ian is at the palace, so I’ll be back soon. So go.”
Amelia said, "Since you hold Ian's life in your hands, there's no way I'd lie to you."
"...Yes."
But there was nothing else to say. Could he even ask if he was like them, or could he even claim he was different? Neither of these things was plausible to Ivan.
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