Episode 79. The Beginning of a Knot (3)
Leah gulped as she watched the maid who had stormed out in a flurry. Rubbing her eyes again, she saw the woman sitting in the bathtub, her voluminous hair still shining golden.
Leah had prided herself on having experienced quite a variety of things as a maid.
Despite her young age, she wasn't born in the North like the other maids, and she had assisted many noble ladies. She had even met a foreigner, the unimaginable prospect of being from the North.
But none of that was surprising anymore.
To be confronted with the blonde, known as a witch, right in front of her.
"What, what's wrong, Leah?"
Bercheria tilted her head as Leah lay sprawled on the floor, wondering.
"Uh, what's wrong?"
It seemed she should go see Leah.
She missed the water in the bathtub, but she was still worried about her.
As Bercheria stood up from the bathtub, her hair tumbled down her shoulders.
"Ah."
So that was why.
It was because her hair was a different color.
Mother always scolded Bercheria, repeating the same thing. That no one in this world had blonde hair, and that it was only a sign to let others know she was under a terrible witch's curse.
But the world she encountered was different from what Mother had said.
"It's been a while since I've heard someone say thank you," she said, meeting a woman who gave her a kind reply.
"I really enjoy bathing you. You're like a baby who knows nothing."
Leah smiled brightly at her.
"Le, Leah."
Leah slowly pushed her hips back, a look of fear plastered on her face.
Bercheria stopped mid-sentence and smiled faintly.
Leah blinked in surprise, then abruptly stood up and ran to the bathroom door.
Bercheria couldn’t bear to watch Leah’s back as she pushed the door open with trembling hands, so she lowered her head.
Still, she held onto the hope that someday she might have a chance to explain herself to that child.
She also anticipated that she might smile again.
“I...”
Startled by the unexpected voice, he looked up to find Leah, who she assumed had gone outside, turning to face Bercheria.
Tears were welling up on her freckled cheeks, as if she’d cried in the meantime.
“Are you really a witch? I heard blondes are cursed.”
“Oh.”
Sad, though.
“I’m not a witch, but I, yeah, am cursed.”
It was a truth the blonde couldn’t deny.
Bercheria expected Leah, having confirmed her feelings once more, to scream in horror and run away, but this time, she didn’t.
“Why did you tell me...”
Instead, Leah asked, tears streaming down her face.
“Why did you curse us?”
“...!”
Bercheria didn’t understand what she meant, but she knew all too well how to respond.
“I, ah, never did that to anyone.”
It was she who was cursed, abandoned.
Bercheria, whom the world had discarded because she was blonde, had been picked up by her mother.
Although her life had been an abused one, if it weren’t for her mother, she would have already disappeared from the world, somehow.
“To anyone...”
She hadn’t done anything.
Silence flowed between the two women, who were far apart.
How much time had passed?
Leah bit her lip and stared intently at Bercheria. She stood there for a moment, then wiped her tears with the back of her hand and said,
“I believe you.”
Leah sniffed and walked towards Bercheria. She picked up the gown at the entrance and covered her pale shoulders, which had stood naked in the cold air.
“Mom. My mother is gone now, but when she was alive, she told me that people should live by what they see. She said that if you only believe what others tell you, you’ll end up being scammed by a swindler and end up on the street.”
Bercheria slipped her arms into her gown and raised them so Leah could tie the waistband.
“I’m not smart. I don’t really know how the world works. But the way I see it...”
Leah muttered, playing with the end of the beautifully tied ribbon.
“You're someone I want to protect.”
“Protect?”
“Well... my heart feels a pang, and I want to feed you one more spoonful of food, and I want to protect you...”
Tears filled her dark eyes, wide and round, as she looked at Bercheria.
“Am I being rude to say this?”
Bercheria’s blank expression softened.
“Not at all.”
It was a smile that made her suddenly feel as if her surroundings brightened and her heart was filled with emotion.
The blonde woman seemed to be on a different level from them.
Just a smile on her face seemed enough to make her soul melt away.
As Leah mused on such absurd thoughts, a soft, warm palm cupped her freckled cheek.
“Oh, you’re not rude.”
Golden eyes sparkled within her wide, dazzling gaze.
“You seem like a good girl, Leah.”
“Ah.”
At that moment, Leah had a gut feeling.
She would stand by this beautiful blonde woman and protect her, no matter what happened.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the bathroom.
The two of them turned their heads toward the entrance.
They saw the sounds of several people chatting, along with a few shadows.
“Why don’t you go and see His Grace first? That’s impolite. ”
Leah said in a flustered voice.
“Huh? That’s the butler’s voice...”
“Are you ordering me, a Princess, to get permission from Master Murk? Alex?"
“Princess?”
When Bercheria looked at Leah, she blinked and poured out her words.
“I think she's the Princess. The Emperor’s younger sister. She also admires Lord Murk.”
“Hmm, what?”
“Yes. She’s the one who insists on marriage. Gods and humans can never marry.”
Meanwhile, the noise outside was growing louder.
“Princess. If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to bring His Grace here. ”
“Get out of the way.”
Leah gulped as she watched the maid who had stormed out in a flurry. Rubbing her eyes again, she saw the woman sitting in the bathtub, her voluminous hair still shining golden.
Leah had prided herself on having experienced quite a variety of things as a maid.
Despite her young age, she wasn't born in the North like the other maids, and she had assisted many noble ladies. She had even met a foreigner, the unimaginable prospect of being from the North.
But none of that was surprising anymore.
To be confronted with the blonde, known as a witch, right in front of her.
"What, what's wrong, Leah?"
Bercheria tilted her head as Leah lay sprawled on the floor, wondering.
"Uh, what's wrong?"
It seemed she should go see Leah.
She missed the water in the bathtub, but she was still worried about her.
As Bercheria stood up from the bathtub, her hair tumbled down her shoulders.
"Ah."
So that was why.
It was because her hair was a different color.
Mother always scolded Bercheria, repeating the same thing. That no one in this world had blonde hair, and that it was only a sign to let others know she was under a terrible witch's curse.
But the world she encountered was different from what Mother had said.
"It's been a while since I've heard someone say thank you," she said, meeting a woman who gave her a kind reply.
"I really enjoy bathing you. You're like a baby who knows nothing."
Leah smiled brightly at her.
"It's okay. "
Bercheria tried to calm her sinking heart.
Even if the whole world hated her, as Mother had said, she still harbored the hope that at least one person might see her differently.
That seemed better than enduring the darkness alone.
"Huh."
Bercheria walked toward Leah.
‘Even so, if that good child wants to run away, I must move slowly to let them do so.’
Bercheria tried to calm her sinking heart.
Even if the whole world hated her, as Mother had said, she still harbored the hope that at least one person might see her differently.
That seemed better than enduring the darkness alone.
"Huh."
Bercheria walked toward Leah.
‘Even so, if that good child wants to run away, I must move slowly to let them do so.’
"Le, Leah."
Leah slowly pushed her hips back, a look of fear plastered on her face.
‘This is as far as I go.’
“If I'm terrible, it's okay if you leave.”
Bercheria couldn’t bear to watch Leah’s back as she pushed the door open with trembling hands, so she lowered her head.
Still, she held onto the hope that someday she might have a chance to explain herself to that child.
She also anticipated that she might smile again.
“I...”
Startled by the unexpected voice, he looked up to find Leah, who she assumed had gone outside, turning to face Bercheria.
Tears were welling up on her freckled cheeks, as if she’d cried in the meantime.
“Are you really a witch? I heard blondes are cursed.”
“Oh.”
Sad, though.
“I’m not a witch, but I, yeah, am cursed.”
It was a truth the blonde couldn’t deny.
Bercheria expected Leah, having confirmed her feelings once more, to scream in horror and run away, but this time, she didn’t.
“Why did you tell me...”
Instead, Leah asked, tears streaming down her face.
“Why did you curse us?”
“...!”
Bercheria didn’t understand what she meant, but she knew all too well how to respond.
“I, ah, never did that to anyone.”
It was she who was cursed, abandoned.
Bercheria, whom the world had discarded because she was blonde, had been picked up by her mother.
Although her life had been an abused one, if it weren’t for her mother, she would have already disappeared from the world, somehow.
“To anyone...”
She hadn’t done anything.
Silence flowed between the two women, who were far apart.
How much time had passed?
Leah bit her lip and stared intently at Bercheria. She stood there for a moment, then wiped her tears with the back of her hand and said,
“I believe you.”
Leah sniffed and walked towards Bercheria. She picked up the gown at the entrance and covered her pale shoulders, which had stood naked in the cold air.
“Mom. My mother is gone now, but when she was alive, she told me that people should live by what they see. She said that if you only believe what others tell you, you’ll end up being scammed by a swindler and end up on the street.”
Bercheria slipped her arms into her gown and raised them so Leah could tie the waistband.
“I’m not smart. I don’t really know how the world works. But the way I see it...”
Leah muttered, playing with the end of the beautifully tied ribbon.
“You're someone I want to protect.”
“Protect?”
“Well... my heart feels a pang, and I want to feed you one more spoonful of food, and I want to protect you...”
Tears filled her dark eyes, wide and round, as she looked at Bercheria.
“Am I being rude to say this?”
Bercheria’s blank expression softened.
“Not at all.”
It was a smile that made her suddenly feel as if her surroundings brightened and her heart was filled with emotion.
The blonde woman seemed to be on a different level from them.
Just a smile on her face seemed enough to make her soul melt away.
As Leah mused on such absurd thoughts, a soft, warm palm cupped her freckled cheek.
“Oh, you’re not rude.”
Golden eyes sparkled within her wide, dazzling gaze.
“You seem like a good girl, Leah.”
“Ah.”
At that moment, Leah had a gut feeling.
She would stand by this beautiful blonde woman and protect her, no matter what happened.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the bathroom.
The two of them turned their heads toward the entrance.
They saw the sounds of several people chatting, along with a few shadows.
“Why don’t you go and see His Grace first? That’s impolite. ”
Leah said in a flustered voice.
“Huh? That’s the butler’s voice...”
“Are you ordering me, a Princess, to get permission from Master Murk? Alex?"
“Princess?”
When Bercheria looked at Leah, she blinked and poured out her words.
“I think she's the Princess. The Emperor’s younger sister. She also admires Lord Murk.”
“Hmm, what?”
“Yes. She’s the one who insists on marriage. Gods and humans can never marry.”
Meanwhile, the noise outside was growing louder.
“Princess. If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to bring His Grace here. ”
“Get out of the way.”
“Princess!”
The bathroom door opened with a dull thud.
Bercheria turned his gaze from Leah to the entrance. The cold air that had been swirling around outside suddenly rushed in, and at the same time, a woman with voluminous black hair walked in. Tall, in a gorgeous dress, and an even more gorgeous face.
Bercheria turned his gaze from Leah to the entrance. The cold air that had been swirling around outside suddenly rushed in, and at the same time, a woman with voluminous black hair walked in. Tall, in a gorgeous dress, and an even more gorgeous face.
“It’s you. The woman he picked up in the forest.”
The voice from within was sharp. And yet, that face was exactly like Kelita’s.
***
Snowflakes dancing beyond the railing somersaulted against the hem of a pitch- black cloak, carried by the wind. The collar of the cloak, made from a thick fox tail, fluttered beneath his sharp jawline. White breath escaped from beneath his still-drying black hair.
"It's golden! She had golden hair. That woman, the woman My Lord brought from the forest, was a cursed witch!"
Murk's eyes were frozen cold as he walked toward the bathroom where the strange woman was.
"Gold? That's ridiculous,"
Murk thought to himself. The maid must have eaten something bad, or she must have been hallucinating. But why did this feel so strange? It felt like a tiny crack was forming in his normally composed Northern routine.
The sunlight, glinting off his boots as he strode forward, repeatedly reflected and disappeared.
"She shouldn't be blonde."
Blonde hair was the hallmark of a witch. Everyone who claimed to have met a witch described her in the same way. It was like a dazzling, radiant sun. They wanted to praise her, not God. Blue veins bulged across the back of Murk's tightly clenched hand.
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