Chapter 17. The Good Princess, covered in filth
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Sponsored by Io. Thank you ❤️ (2/2)
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Arriving at the palace in Anut, Kayan was forced to retreat from the imperial court to the performance hall.
Hashad was in the middle of a sword duel with his aide.
He had stopped by as a formality, expecting to be turned away, given the hour.
Even if he hadn't, Hashad had been using all sorts of excuses to avoid meeting with him, but for some reason he'd invited him into the performance hall.
Kayan's eyes hardened even more today, a feeling that had always made him uncomfortable ever since he entered the palace.
After a while, he reached the Emperor.
Beads of sweat formed on Hashad's sun-red hair as if they were about to fall.
For an instant, his gaze fell upon Kayan, but he did not interrupt his course.
Several more minutes passed before the sharp sound of colliding metal faded.
Hashad's eyes folded in half, feigning a little surprise, as if he had finally noticed Kayan.
When Kayan stepped closer and offered a polite greeting, Hashad helped him to his feet and patted him on the shoulder.
"Oh, Kayan, it's been a while, welcome."
The malice toward the black wolf (Kayan) was nowhere to be seen on his face as he greeted an old friend.
"The negotiations with Elmir were handled as you ordered."
"Ah, I see. Now that I think about it, you must have just returned from Elmir. I've been so busy with the rebels lately, I'd forgotten."
"Specifically......."
"Never mind. I'm sure you're in good hands. Kayan, this is your job, isn't it?"
Hashad breathed harshly and gulped down the water the servant had brought him.
"I’m flattered."
"You have traveled a long way. It's daylight and you're ready to report. You're so diligent, I feel like a mean boss berating my subordinates."
"I apologize."
"Apologize? You're a hard man."
Hashad smiled wryly.
He gave Kayan a quick glance up and down, wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel handed to him by a servant, and spoke again.
"You're looking much better now that you've been away from the battlefield for a while. I'm sure you're bored, but it's for the best, and you should probably stop wandering around and mind your own business. I'm sorry for your loss, but I can't afford to take advantage of a loyal servant who's given his life for a revolutionary cause."
"...."
"Better yet, get a woman to take care of the house and have an heir. Well, you're not doing me any favors on my subject."
A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Hashad's mouth.
He had been Emperor for quite some time now, and he still hadn't gotten a consort.
Despite the pleas of several of his ministers, Hashad had only scoffed that he had no time for such matters until the rebellious molecule was completely rooted out.
Even if the Emperor did change his mind and hasten the process, deciding who to put in the position was a complicated matter.
So far, the women who had spent the night with him had been thrown out of the palace, their bodies too gruesome to look at.
Given the emperor's sadistic and grotesque sex life, it was clear that none of the women from the high status families would want to be empress.
Returning to normal breathing after a brief respite, Hashad snatched the sword from the aide's hand and held it out to Kayan.
"Will you be my opponent for the first time in a long time?"
When Kayan didn't immediately accept, Hashad raised an eyebrow and held the blade closer to him.
"I dare not be your opponent."
"You are mocking me now."
Despite Kayan's protests, Hashad remained stubborn.
Sensing that the offer was not made lightly, Kayan stared at the sword in front of him for a moment before reluctantly accepting it.
As soon as Kayan raised the blade, Hashad's eyes narrowed slightly and he straightened his stance.
Kayan watched Hashad, as still as a stone statue holding a sword.
It was Hashad who broke the subtle silence between them.
He thrust his sword toward Kayan's sharp point.
A shrill roar rang out as Kayan reflexively blocked the attack.
Hashad rushed at Kayan with even more swiftness than when he had fought the aide earlier.
Kayan focused solely on defense, narrowly avoiding Hashad's blows.
The Emperor's sword was far too merciless for a light duel.
Kayan remained steadfast and unmoved as his master charged at him, intent on killing him.
As the fight dragged on, one side attacking, the other defending, the smirking Hashad's eyes grew as cold as the northern winds.
Then, at a crucial moment, Hashad's blade sliced into Kayan's shoulder.
Kayan did not parry the blow, knowing that this was the end of the fight.
He twisted slightly, allowing the blade to graze just enough to draw a small amount of blood.
Only when he saw that Kayan's shoulder was covered in blood did Hashad's blade stop.
"Damn, why didn't you stop me?”
"It was a mistake."
"Hmm, is that so? It seemed like you could have stopped it... If you say so."
One corner of Hashad's mouth lifted slightly.
Kayan realized that Hashad was not in a good mood.
"So much for a duel. I've made a mistake by giving you a hard time. Would you like to go to the springs of Apeso?"
"I'm fine."
Apeso's spring was a magical spring that healed injuries.
It was also a forbidden zone, accessible only to wolf warriors who had earned the emperor's permission.
Traditionally, the waters of Apeso were a way for the Emperor of Anut to assert his authority.
However, its healing properties diminished over time, making it of little use to the many majors of Kayan.
As such, Hashad's invitation was merely an empty gesture.
"Sure. You haven't done much to deserve this, so it's not fair. In my love for you, I've forgotten the time-honored traditions of Anut. Now go back inside and get some rest."
Hashad tossed his sword to the ground and left.
By the time he turned his back on Kayan, he had completely erased the false smile that deceived his opponent.
***
The next day, as soon as it was light, all the people of the outbuildings were summoned.
There must have been about a hundred people.
With so many people in one place, the spacious yard quickly became cramped.
There were two types of women in Ihedia's eyes.
Those with despair in their eyes, as if they were about to die, and those with relatively calm faces, as if they had already adapted to life here perfectly.
They seemed to be in the same place, yet living in completely different times.
The only thing they had in common was that whenever they made eye contact with Ihedia, they gave her a strangely hostile glare.
One of them even whispered something to the person next to her and let out an unpleasant sneer that seemed to point at her.
Meanwhile, Ellie, who had finished taking a head count, stood in front of them and spoke.
"Why don't I see 30?"
"Well, 30 is really sick, and she's not in any condition to work."
Ellie's expression darkened a little at 5's worried reply.
In the morning, 30 was still making grunting noises.
She could barely walk, let alone work.
Ellie shifted her gaze to Ihedia and spoke again.
"Very well, since we have a new person here, I suppose 77 can pick up where 30 left off, but tell 30 that the mercy of the caretaker's discretion is only for a day, two weeks at most. Maybe less if she catches Lady Netira's eye, and of course she’ll be responsible for what happens after that."
The breathing of the women in the outbuilding became erratic for a moment at the stern warning Ellie gave 30.
The punishment for a slave who became too ill to work was obvious.
Those who lived in the outbuildings were worse off than livestock.
Anything of no value would be ruthlessly discarded.
Ihedia bit her lip involuntarily as she thought of 30 drenched in a cold sweat.
After the headcount was complete, she followed Ellie’s instructions and arrived at the stables.
Even before entering, the smell of animal waste vibrated through the air.
30's job was to clean it all day.
‘I wonder if I can get it all done today.’
Ihedia was the only one assigned to the stables.
It would take a full day of work to clean this large area by herself.
"Well, 77, I'm going to be gone for a while, so don't mess around and keep it clean."
The stablehand who was taking care of the horses said with a scowl.
Once he was gone and she was alone, Ihedia took a deep breath and picked up her cleaning tools.
Ellie was right, she needed to get used to this place as soon as possible.
She began diligently cleaning up the messes she could see.
After a couple of hours, she seemed to have gotten used to the nauseating odors.
In the meantime, her clothes were a mess and her hair was disheveled, but she took small solace in the fact that she had something she could immerse herself in without thinking.
Just then, someone entered the stable.
Ihedia felt a faint twinge of recognition at the sight of a familiar face.
"This guy doesn't work, where else would he be.......Ah, Princess."
Doa looked at Ihedia in surprise.
She tilted her head slightly in greeting.
When their eyes met again, Doa's face flushed with bewilderment as he took in the sight of the Princess covered in filth.
****
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Write a comment
Io (Monday, 11 December 2023 21:47)
Thank you for the chapter!! ❤️ poor Ihedia�
Emmanuel801 (Monday, 11 December 2023 23:24)
Thank you for the chapter. Oh my Gosh!!! When will her misery finally finish????