Episode 18. The One Thing Missing
The servants working at Lacrahan's castle were incredibly diligent, never neglecting their cleaning duties.
Because the weather in the north had been unpredictable lately, they always checked to see if any corners had grown moss or if any insects were eating away at them.
Today, as the servant walked down the hallway to diligently clean, he noticed an open door ahead of him, and Lacrahan standing there.
He called out to Lacrahan,
"Your Excellency!"
When the north first emerged, everyone there feared the war hero Lacrahan.
Some even feared him.
But now, ten years later, everyone loved him as much as family, regardless of social status.
"Your Excellency! Why are you here? Today, the Princess...!"
The servants working at Lacrahan's castle were incredibly diligent, never neglecting their cleaning duties.
Because the weather in the north had been unpredictable lately, they always checked to see if any corners had grown moss or if any insects were eating away at them.
Today, as the servant walked down the hallway to diligently clean, he noticed an open door ahead of him, and Lacrahan standing there.
He called out to Lacrahan,
"Your Excellency!"
When the north first emerged, everyone there feared the war hero Lacrahan.
Some even feared him.
But now, ten years later, everyone loved him as much as family, regardless of social status.
"Your Excellency! Why are you here? Today, the Princess...!"
The door slammed shut before his very eyes. Had he taken even half a step further, the door might have broken his nose. The servant flinched, and water overflowed from the jug he was holding. He scratched his forehead and turned around.
“Aren’t you the Grand Duke? Did I misread you?”
The servant resumed his journey as if nothing had happened.
***
Lacrahan was on edge, worried that someone working at the castle might have seen Bercheria’s body. He stood firmly in front of the door, fearing it might be opened.
“Get dressed,”
He said without turning around. Truthfully, the best way to get out of this situation would have been to quickly apologize for suddenly opening the door and leave, but now that someone was passing by, that was out of the question. He felt fortunate that he had prevented anyone from seeing Bercheria.
“I came to talk to you. Let’s get dressed first.”
Why should his voice be croaking at a moment like this? Lacrahan cursed silently.
Having participated in the war at the age of 17, Lacrahan’s thoughts and actions were quite mature for his age. He's always thought he's maintained his dignity and integrity as the Grand Duke of the North, but he couldn't understand why he let his guard down around that woman. Perhaps it was because she wasn't so easy. He could have acted as relaxed as he had with Kelita just moments ago, but the moment he came to his senses, this was how things ended up.
Lacrahan exhaled softly and looked at his arm. Even now, the faint traces of his tattoo were visible beneath his white shirt.
"I'm all dressed."
At Bercheria's voice, he cleared his throat and turned around. She stood before the mirror, hands clasped, looking at him as if nothing had happened. Her gaze wasn't angry or resentful. That fact alone brought Lacrahan a sense of relief.
"First of all, I must apologize. I should have checked properly before opening the door."
"It's okay."
Bercheria, too, seemed unfazed, wrapping her arm around her shoulder and avoiding eye contact.
"I didn't mean to, and you seemed surprised too."
To be honest, he was more surprised now than then. She also reacted completely unexpectedly. The more he looked at her, the more curious he became.
“You were standing in front of the mirror. Was this the reason?”
Lacrahan rolled up his sleeve and showed it to Bercheria. Bercheria’s lips parted when he discovered the tattoo on his arm. Just a moment ago, Bercheria, waking up from sleep, tried to examine her injured ankle and discovered a geometric pattern engraved there. She knew it was the mark of a divine object, but it was only half. Thinking that the other half of the incomplete pattern might be somewhere, she approached the mirror to examine herself.
Then Lacrahan appeared, showing her the other half of the divine object engraved on his body. Was such a thing even possible? Or had there ever been a case in history where a guardian deity’s divine object shared its half with a human?
“How did this happen?”
Lacrahan shook his head and pointed toward her feet.
“Have you ever heard of a divine object being divided like this?”
“No, not like that.”
Bercheria let out a long breath.
“I’ve never heard of it. Do you know of any such cases?”
“Hmm.”
Lacrahan sat on the edge of the bed.
“I’ve never heard of it. I wonder if it might be because we were in the tower together...”
It was a possibility.
Her mother always seemed anxious when she climbed the tower once a day.
She’d throw dry bread at Bercheria, and even when she’d whip Bercheria for wanting to go outside, she’d always rush out.
Yet, she always emphasized that the tower was built just for Bercheria.
No one else could live in it, just for her.
“Bercheria.”
Her body shook as her name was called in a deep voice.
Lacrahan placed his tattooed arms on his knees and looked at Bercheria with his eyes lifted.
“Could you possibly take this out?”
She walked towards him, trying not to rush.
“I don’t know if it’ll work, but I’ll try.”
Bercheria, kneeling on the bed, reached out to touch Lacrahan's arm, but paused, her gaze locked with his.
He nodded slightly, her silent question of whether this was right.
This time, without hesitation, she placed her palm on his arm.
She felt his body heat and the rock-like muscles twitching beneath her skin.
Swallowing dryly from the needless tension, Bercheria concentrated and closed her eyes.
She recalled the moment when the tower transformed into a staff.
It had happened so quickly that she doubted whether it would work, but she still had to do everything she could.
The scene flashed before her eyes like a painting.
The sound of the carriage carrying her mother.
Lacrahan, who had been startled by it, was holding her and telling her to come to her senses.
"Ah."
Bercheria suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Lacrahan.
She saw him, eyes closed, quietly surrendering himself to her.
"There was one thing missing."
Bercheria lifted her knees and stood up from the floor.
And then she pressed her lips against Lacrahan's, who was sitting below her.
"...!"
Lacrahan's eyes widened at the sudden kiss.
Tatiana shrugged as she walked down the hallway.
Her self-esteem was skyrocketing because of the strange woman following her from behind.
"Just trust me, Princess!"
Kelita, who was following Tatiana, smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Tatiana."
"You may not know this, Princess, but my sister and I are very close. The other day, we almost stayed up all night talking."
“I’ve never heard of it. Do you know of any such cases?”
“Hmm.”
Lacrahan sat on the edge of the bed.
“I’ve never heard of it. I wonder if it might be because we were in the tower together...”
It was a possibility.
Her mother always seemed anxious when she climbed the tower once a day.
She’d throw dry bread at Bercheria, and even when she’d whip Bercheria for wanting to go outside, she’d always rush out.
Yet, she always emphasized that the tower was built just for Bercheria.
No one else could live in it, just for her.
“Bercheria.”
Her body shook as her name was called in a deep voice.
Lacrahan placed his tattooed arms on his knees and looked at Bercheria with his eyes lifted.
“Could you possibly take this out?”
She walked towards him, trying not to rush.
“I don’t know if it’ll work, but I’ll try.”
Bercheria, kneeling on the bed, reached out to touch Lacrahan's arm, but paused, her gaze locked with his.
He nodded slightly, her silent question of whether this was right.
This time, without hesitation, she placed her palm on his arm.
She felt his body heat and the rock-like muscles twitching beneath her skin.
Swallowing dryly from the needless tension, Bercheria concentrated and closed her eyes.
She recalled the moment when the tower transformed into a staff.
It had happened so quickly that she doubted whether it would work, but she still had to do everything she could.
The scene flashed before her eyes like a painting.
The sound of the carriage carrying her mother.
Lacrahan, who had been startled by it, was holding her and telling her to come to her senses.
"Ah."
Bercheria suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Lacrahan.
She saw him, eyes closed, quietly surrendering himself to her.
"There was one thing missing."
Bercheria lifted her knees and stood up from the floor.
And then she pressed her lips against Lacrahan's, who was sitting below her.
"...!"
Lacrahan's eyes widened at the sudden kiss.
***
Tatiana shrugged as she walked down the hallway.
Her self-esteem was skyrocketing because of the strange woman following her from behind.
"Just trust me, Princess!"
Kelita, who was following Tatiana, smiled brightly.
"Thank you, Tatiana."
"You may not know this, Princess, but my sister and I are very close. The other day, we almost stayed up all night talking."
"I see. I'm lucky that I got to meet Tatiana first, huh?"
"Of course! Just trust me!"
Tatiana laughed.
Kelita gently pushed Tatiana's back forward.
After parting ways with Lacrahan, she had many thoughts.
She summoned a few servants working at Lacrahan's castle and asked them a few questions about him, but they didn't provide the answers she wanted.
She didn't intend to blame Lacrahan.
Kelita, having lived in the imperial court for so long, knew the various nobles well.
The Periat emphasized the importance of premarital chastity, but most people didn't adhere to that teaching.
They could meet at a party or outside.
If they were compatible, they could easily conceive or bear children.
Men and women were equally prone to promiscuity, so it was an unwritten rule among the nobles not to ask about their pasts.
They knew that asking wouldn't do any good.
None of those who married and lived like that had experienced any particular problems. They still socialized and enjoyed happy marriages.
So Kelita planned to do the same.
'What kind of woman could she be?'
Having lived in the North all his life, Kelita hadn't expected Lacrahan to be without a woman.
It didn't matter if he loved someone or had loved someone.
After all, it would be Kelita who would marry.
But upon actually arriving, it seemed necessary to sort out the situation.
"He's the kind of man who treats women like stones. What kind of woman could she be that he'd rush to see her in such a hurry?"
After much thought, Kelita decided to meet the woman from Lacrahan and explain the situation to her directly.
“I have to speak kindly so that she doesn’t get hurt.”
After all, she would be the mistress of the North, and Lacrahan would be her husband, so how hurt would the woman be?
“Princess! That’s her room! Come here quickly!”
Kelita was pulled out of her thoughts by Tatiana’s shout.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Tatiana, overcome with emotion, came over again and took Kelita’s hand.
"Of course! Just trust me!"
Tatiana laughed.
Kelita gently pushed Tatiana's back forward.
After parting ways with Lacrahan, she had many thoughts.
She summoned a few servants working at Lacrahan's castle and asked them a few questions about him, but they didn't provide the answers she wanted.
She didn't intend to blame Lacrahan.
Kelita, having lived in the imperial court for so long, knew the various nobles well.
The Periat emphasized the importance of premarital chastity, but most people didn't adhere to that teaching.
They could meet at a party or outside.
If they were compatible, they could easily conceive or bear children.
Men and women were equally prone to promiscuity, so it was an unwritten rule among the nobles not to ask about their pasts.
They knew that asking wouldn't do any good.
None of those who married and lived like that had experienced any particular problems. They still socialized and enjoyed happy marriages.
So Kelita planned to do the same.
'What kind of woman could she be?'
Having lived in the North all his life, Kelita hadn't expected Lacrahan to be without a woman.
It didn't matter if he loved someone or had loved someone.
After all, it would be Kelita who would marry.
But upon actually arriving, it seemed necessary to sort out the situation.
"He's the kind of man who treats women like stones. What kind of woman could she be that he'd rush to see her in such a hurry?"
After much thought, Kelita decided to meet the woman from Lacrahan and explain the situation to her directly.
“I have to speak kindly so that she doesn’t get hurt.”
After all, she would be the mistress of the North, and Lacrahan would be her husband, so how hurt would the woman be?
“Princess! That’s her room! Come here quickly!”
Kelita was pulled out of her thoughts by Tatiana’s shout.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Tatiana, overcome with emotion, came over again and took Kelita’s hand.
“She saved us all. Oh, her and His Excellency, to be exact.”
“Save you? What happened?”
“Yes. There was a fire in the warehouse outside, and we almost died. But she gathered us all together and saved us.”
Tatiana smiled, her eyes sparkling.
It wasn’t a story that interested Kelita much, but seeing the child’s face, she couldn’t help but ask again.
“How did she save you?”
Tatiana stamped her foot and gestured for Kelita to come closer.
“Princess. Since you’re a Princess, I’ll tell you. It’s a secret, but you are a Princess!”
Kelita smiled faintly and brought her ear close to Tatiana’s.
“My sister made it rain from the sky.”
Tatiana, who had jumped ahead with a whoosh, stopped in front of a door.
Kelita instinctively moved her legs, but couldn’t escape the child’s voice she’d just heard.
“Sister! The Princess is here!”
Just as Kelita arrived behind her, Tatiana hummed and opened the Bercheria’s door.
A room devoid of any furniture, just a bed and a small table, slowly came into view, and Tatiana proudly spread her arms to show the room’s interior.
“Voila! Isn’t my sister so pretty?”
A bed stood in the middle of the room. Lacrahan sat there, kissing a woman with flowing blonde hair.
Kelita’s fingertips grew cold as ice at the sight of the beautiful room, bathed in the bright midday sunlight.
“Save you? What happened?”
“Yes. There was a fire in the warehouse outside, and we almost died. But she gathered us all together and saved us.”
Tatiana smiled, her eyes sparkling.
It wasn’t a story that interested Kelita much, but seeing the child’s face, she couldn’t help but ask again.
“How did she save you?”
Tatiana stamped her foot and gestured for Kelita to come closer.
“Princess. Since you’re a Princess, I’ll tell you. It’s a secret, but you are a Princess!”
Kelita smiled faintly and brought her ear close to Tatiana’s.
“My sister made it rain from the sky.”
Tatiana, who had jumped ahead with a whoosh, stopped in front of a door.
Kelita instinctively moved her legs, but couldn’t escape the child’s voice she’d just heard.
“Sister! The Princess is here!”
Just as Kelita arrived behind her, Tatiana hummed and opened the Bercheria’s door.
A room devoid of any furniture, just a bed and a small table, slowly came into view, and Tatiana proudly spread her arms to show the room’s interior.
“Voila! Isn’t my sister so pretty?”
A bed stood in the middle of the room. Lacrahan sat there, kissing a woman with flowing blonde hair.
Kelita’s fingertips grew cold as ice at the sight of the beautiful room, bathed in the bright midday sunlight.
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