Chapter 31
“...”
“...”
After the weighty question hung in the air, silence followed, like a stone thrown into a still pond, sending ripples of cold unease through the room.
But this time, the quiet didn’t last long. The princess, who had been staring at me intently, opened her mouth again and pressed me further.
“Answer me. Were you thinking about him?”
“Yes.”
“...”
“Is that wrong?”
I responded sharply. There was nothing to be gained by being conciliatory now, so I refused to back down.
The princess smirked bitterly, shaking her head.
“You still don’t seem to understand your mistake, Your Majesty.”
“Mistake, you say.”
“That’s why you’re locked in this room again.”
Her pale finger traced the cold edge of the door. Ever since Alpheus had disappeared, I had been confined to this room, not allowed to step outside.
It was the kingdom’s decision, made in response to the chaos that had ensued. While His Majesty was being treated, the Queen was to remain isolated, with no one permitted to enter or leave. It was the kingdom’s feeble attempt to manage the turmoil after the king had fallen gravely ill.
But notably, there was no resolution regarding the princess. They either couldn’t decide on an appropriate punishment for her or were too afraid of her power to act.
“You used that naive Hero to threaten my father’s life. You should consider yourself lucky you weren’t given the death penalty.”
“I never meant for that to happen. Do you have any proof otherwise?”
“That kind of wordplay won’t work now. Everyone in the palace knows you incited Alpheus to duel my father.”
“That’s just your assumption. The only fact we know for sure is this: someone stabbed the Hero in the back with a blade and used witchcraft to plunge the palace into chaos.”
“...”
“And that person wasn’t me.”
I laid out the facts calmly and logically. Truth and reason were powerful weapons for those who wielded them well.
The princess, still young, lacked the poise to counter me. Her face flushed bright red as she snapped, her voice rising.
“That… that was just a mistake! I was panicked; I didn’t mean for that to happen!”
“Could you say the same to the injured soldiers? To Alpheus?”
“Yes. They’ve already forgiven me. They said they understood and told me not to worry.”
“If you find solace in answers given under the weight of power, then think that if you must.”
“I... I…”
The princess bit her lip so hard her pale skin whitened further. Her lost and desperate gaze seemed to search for someone who wasn’t there.
After a long pause, she finally spoke his name.
“I don’t care what anyone else thinks. As long as Alpheus understands, that’s all that matters.”
“Are you referring to the man you stabbed in the back?”
“…Alpheus knows. He knows it wasn’t intentional.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so certain.”
“Don’t you dare—!”
Her fury exploded as she slammed her fist against the wall. The force wasn’t much, but I saw a dark ripple spread out from the point of impact.
It was the same phenomenon that often appeared around my sister, Nerian. Thankfully, the princess didn’t seem to notice it, keeping her eyes locked on me.
“Don’t you dare say something like that. We were happy before you showed up. If it weren’t for you, everything would have been fine.”
“You know that’s a meaningless fantasy. Because I—”
“I said stop talking! I didn’t come here to listen to your excuses!”
“Then why are you here? To exact revenge? Or just to vent your frustrations?”
“I told you to stop!”
“Or perhaps you’re here to accuse me of stealing Alpheus’s love from you out of jealousy?”
“Shut up!”
Her shout was accompanied by a sudden eruption of black mist from her body. In an instant, insects began crawling out of the cracks in the walls, their legs twitching with a cursed energy that exuded deadly malice.
It was eerily similar to the spells my sister used to terrify me as a child. Instinctively, I flinched and stepped back. The princess noticed, and a thin smile curled across her lips.
“Finally, you’re showing the expression I wanted to see.”
“...”
“Did you really think I would always remain a child? Did you think I’d never be able to stand up to you after what you’ve done?”
“Princess…”
“You didn’t expect me to grow so quickly, did you? Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
Perhaps realizing she now held the upper hand, the princess dismissed the crawling insects with a wave, stepping closer to me. Her mere footsteps caused the wooden floorboards to rot and crumble beneath her.
Now, I could only hope she wouldn’t regain the memories she had forgotten. But it seemed that was only a matter of time.
“I won’t just sit idly anymore. Now that I know what I’m capable of, I won’t hesitate.”
“That power is a curse, Princess. If you use it carelessly, you’ll be hated by everyone.”
“Just like you, then?”
“Everyone but the one who loves me.”
“You’re still trying to act smug. Just shut up and answer my question.”
The princess leaned in close, her face inches from mine, her expression hardened. Her sharp words pierced through the tense silence.
“Where did you send Alpheus?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did you do to him?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“And how did you manipulate his heart?”
“That’s something I can answer.”
At that moment, I straightened my posture. Our foreheads nearly touched, forcing the princess to pull back instinctively.
“I did nothing.”
“Of course, you would say that.”
“He simply loved me.”
“No. Alpheus loved me.”
“No, he loved the part of me that still lingers in you.”
“Don’t try to shake me with ridiculous lies.”
“Do you really think it’s ridiculous?”
“You—”
The princess raised her head defiantly, glaring at me as if to assert her resolve. I met her gaze calmly, refusing to look away.
It wasn’t easy. The more I looked into her eyes, the more my sister Nerian’s face came to mind—those cold eyes that chained me to this prison even after her death.
And the swirling black waves of a curse that once ruled over the witches’ land.
Fear slowly crept into my heart. But before it could fully take root, the princess stepped back.
“This was a waste of time. If you won’t answer, I’ll find the truth myself.”
“You won’t need to. Alpheus will come here to find me.”
“I’m sure he will. But I won’t let things go the way you planned. I’ll bring him back to his senses before you can deceive him again.”
“That will be the true waste of time.”
“This conversation is over.”
The princess turned on her heel and walked toward the door. Pausing briefly at the threshold, she shot me a look of disdain.
“The next time I come, it will be to tell you what punishment awaits you.”
“Then.”
“Until then, enjoy your night.”
She slammed the door behind her, sending up a puff of dust. Only when her footsteps faded into the distance did I let out a deep sigh.
“Haa… ah…”
For some reason, my breath trembled. Perhaps it was because of the remnants of my sister within her, or maybe it was the power she now wielded.
Whichever the reason, I needed to calm myself. I dragged a chair to the window and stared blankly at the landscape outside.
Freedom—it was all I had ever desired. Just gazing at the blue sky used to ease my heart. But not today.
Today, my heart yearned for something else.
My wandering eyes drifted downward, and almost instinctively, I lifted my thumb. The same thumb his lips had once brushed against.
The scent of him had long faded, but I pressed the finger to my lips. If someone were to ask if it helped, I might have said:
“...Cold.”
Of course, it would be. He wasn’t here to warm my cheek anymore. Unable to endure the aching absence, I turned my gaze to the raven’s nest beyond the window.
There, young ravens with bright eyes were beginning to stretch their wings. Among them, the largest one caught my attention, and I softly made a request.
“Go find him.”
“...”
“And come back to me.”
The raven tilted its head as if trying to understand. But ravens were clever creatures, and soon, it understood my intent. With a flap of its wings, it took off into the sky.
Please, return quickly. My eyes followed the bird’s retreating figure until it was nothing but a dot disappearing over the mountains.
When my heart turned cold again, I bit my finger, sinking my teeth in deep enough to draw blood. The metallic taste spread in my mouth.
“Haa…”
“Hey! Is anyone there?”
Still lingering in a haze of emotions after leaving the Queen’s chamber, I suddenly shouted. A servant passing through the corridor rushed over in a fluster.
“Ah… Princess? You called for me?”
“Yes. Find Alpheus’s whereabouts immediately.”
“Alpheus, you say?”
The servant’s expression grew grim as he cautiously replied, “We’ve been searching everywhere, but there’s still no news. By the way, I heard you visited Her Majesty. Did she provide any clues?”
“No, she didn’t. We’ll have to figure this out ourselves.”
“I see. But for now, it may be best to wait. Even if we find him, I doubt the Hero would come back willingly…”
“That won’t be a problem.”
“Pardon?”
“Prepare a messenger immediately.”
Though I spoke confidently, it took immense resolve to commit to this plan. Summoning my courage, I steadied my voice and said,
“Even though I don’t know where he is, I know who can bring him back.”