Translator : Ariana
Chapter 1
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“The Duke of Belliard is passing through Heberton today.”
Ian’s words from earlier in the day came to mind.
Heberton was a quiet town slightly removed from the capital. The outskirts of such a town were crowded with people who had come to watch.
“Is it true that the Duke is really passing through here?”
“It should be any moment now...”
“Oh, there he is, there!”
Bella, who had pulled her hood deeply over her head, stopped walking as the excited voices of the people around her grew louder.
She knew she should avoid attracting attention, but her natural curiosity, like any other person’s, got the better of her.
“Oh my, how many knights are there? It seems even larger than the emperor's procession.”
“...Isn’t the Duke of Belliard practically the real emperor of this country?”
“Hey, don’t say such things! You’ll get into serious trouble.”
“Am I wrong? Even a passing stray dog would know that the emperor is just a puppet of the Duke of Belliard.”
“Well... It’s said that when they meet in private, His Majesty practically prostrates himself at the Duke’s feet.”
Rumours always followed wherever people gathered. She, too, as one of the empire’s biggest sources of gossip, had her ears open to the circulating rumours, so she had no right to blame those who criticised her.
A bitter smile crossed Bella’s lips. She was about to move away from the crowd when another voice caught her attention.
“They say it's true. Even though it’s been two hundred years, he still looks so young... He’s definitely not an ordinary person. Surely, it must be the work of a witch...”
She was straining to hear more when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Startled, she turned around to see Ian smiling gently.
“Bella.”
“Ian...”
“I told you to stay where you wouldn’t be seen.”
Bella glanced at the Duke’s procession in the distance. The emblem of the ducal house fluttered proudly, and the grand carriage, followed by numerous people, carried the one noble person inside. She couldn’t take her eyes off the black carriage, as if she were gazing at a star in the sky.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Want to watch for a little longer?”
“No... Let’s go back to the forest.”
Without hesitation, Bella turned toward the forest. The longer she watched, the more unnecessary desires began to sprout within her.
As they entered the quiet, deep forest, Bella felt a sense of comfort and relaxation. She felt mentally at ease in places where people’s eyes couldn’t reach. Sitting on a tree stump, she casually spoke to Ian.
“Ian, have you ever been to Bern?”
“Bern? Isn’t that the northernmost city in the empire? I’ve never been that far. But why are you suddenly asking about Bern?”
“Oh... just because.”
After a brief hesitation, she continued.
“I overheard some people talking earlier. They say a witch is hiding in Bern. They say she even uses magic.”
Magic, huh.
Ian, who had been arranging firewood, chuckled as if it were absurd.
“When did you hear such nonsense?”
Bella faintly smiled and said, “Right? It’s a ridiculous rumour.”
If she smiled brightly, she would be even more beautiful.
Ian couldn’t take his eyes off Bella’s violet eyes, which sparkled with loneliness and sadness. Her eyes were truly like mysterious magic.
It was because of those very eyes that people ostracised her. A small rumour, likely whispered by someone, had transformed into a prophecy that took deep root throughout the land.
It was said that a witch with violet eyes had founded the empire with her immense power but would one day destroy it with that same power.
In the hearts of the people, fear and anxiety about the witch had far outweighed any reverence, which was why she lived alone, hidden deep in the forest, avoiding people’s eyes.
“Bella.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to go to Bern with me someday?”
“All the way to such a distant place?”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure to take you there.”
Bella imagined walking among people with Ian. But no matter how hard she tried, it seemed like a distance she could never reach. Bella nodded slightly.
“...Sure.”
“Bella, um...”
Seeing Ian hesitate to speak, Bella smiled softly.
“What’s taking you so long to say?”
“Can we meet tomorrow night?”
“We’re meeting tonight, too.”
“Yes, but tomorrow night is special. I have something I want to show you, something I want to give you, and things I want to say... a lot of things, really.”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
With her agreement, Ian tightly gripped the pendant in his pocket. It was a confession he had been too shy to make, but he was determined to express his feelings tomorrow.
The next day, just as the sun was setting, Ian was about to leave the house when he ran into his mother coming in.
“Ian, are you going out now?”
“I’m meeting a friend for a bit.”
Normally, Lady Lisa would have readily said to go ahead, but today, her expression was less than pleased.
“You’re a grown man, so I’m not worried, but... could you stay home tonight? You can meet your friend tomorrow.”
“There’s something I need to give them today.”
“The atmosphere in the village isn’t great. Earlier, a group of armed knights went by.”
Ian’s face stiffened.
“...Knights?”
“Yes. They seemed to be heading toward the forest. But still, tonight just doesn’t seem right...”
Before Lisa could finish speaking, Ian had already opened the door and dashed out.
“I’ll be back soon, don’t worry!”
“Ian! Wait!”
He hurriedly ran toward the forest. Despite his best efforts, a bad feeling clung to him. Ignoring the traces left by the many who had passed through the forest was a challenge.
When he finally arrived, all that remained were the sorrowful signs of resistance, but Bella was gone.
“...Bella.”
Ian couldn’t bring himself to leave that spot for a long time. Eventually, he heard that the witch hadn’t been captured, and the search had spread to neighbouring towns.
Although Heberton had been abuzz with talk of the witch for a while, it quickly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
A fairy-like child who lived deep in the uninhabited forest.
Ian, holding that child dearly in his heart, visited the chapel daily, praying to the goddess for Bella’s safety. At the same time, he resented the goddess.
It wasn’t even a grand confession. He had just wanted to give her a pretty pendant and tell her he liked her.
That simple happiness, however, had not been allowed for Bella.
How could he not resent the gods?
***
It had been about ten days since she fled Heberton.
In the frenzy of escape, her memories of Heberton began to fade. But certain things were still vivid when she recalled them.
The shimmering lake under the moonlight, the fireflies glowing above it, and... the heavy footsteps of the knights. It was the night she had to leave Heberton without properly saying goodbye to Ian.
It wasn’t just in Heberton; no matter where she went, knights were on her trail. Fleeing north to escape them, she finally found herself in Bern. If she had to flee from here as well, her only option would be to cross the border.
They said Bern was the only city without a temple, and that seemed to be true. As soon as she set foot in Bern, all traces of the temple knights disappeared completely.
Even though it was late autumn, the scent of winter filled this frigid land. Despite the fact that true winter hadn’t yet arrived, the piercing cold made her shiver. Only then did she realize she had reached Bern. She had never imagined coming here under such circumstances.
“Ian...”
She remembered his words about going to Bern together someday. But even such longing was a luxury for her now.
It was becoming increasingly difficult just to keep going, with no room left for sharing her heart with anyone. In a way, it might have been a good thing that she parted from Ian the way she did.
Bella tightened her loose hood and pulled it down over her head. Even in the deserted forest, she instinctively kept her gaze lowered as she walked.
The relentless wind slowed her steps. The sun had sunk considerably, and it seemed like a lot of time had passed, yet the thing she desperately sought showed no sign of appearing.
“There’s usually at least one in such a forest...”
As Bella scanned her surroundings, she finally spotted something in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief. It was an old, abandoned cabin deep in the forest.
All she needed was a place to rest. A cave would suffice for temporary shelter, and so would an old, dilapidated house.
She was relieved to find a place before nightfall. If she hadn’t, she would have had no choice but to head into town.
Then, as she had done before, she would blindfold herself with a piece of fabric and pretend to be a blind beggar to stay at an inn.
All the while, she would be on edge, fearing that someone might discover her. Even with her eyes covered, the scornful stares of others would still be all too evident.
Bella dragged her weary body to the cabin. After walking for so long, her feet were in terrible shape. She carefully looked around, but there was no sign that anyone had lived there recently.
“It’s cleaner than I expected.”
Sunlight streamed into the room during the day, and even after a close inspection, there was no sign of mould. What she liked most about this place was...
“Come here.”
Peeking out from behind a tree, a small, fluffy creature cautiously watched her.
Gently calling and gesturing, a white rabbit, slowly approaching despite its wariness, was warm and lovely enough to melt the harsh cold.
Perhaps it hadn’t seen many people before, which was why it didn’t seem overly cautious. The rabbit curiously came closer and rubbed its body against her hand.
As the warmth spread through her hands, which had been frozen by the cold, a small smile appeared on her face. The tiny animal was like a ray of warm sunshine.
“Have you eaten anything? If I had known, I would have brought some food...”
In her rush to flee into the forest, she hadn’t been able to prepare any food. The rabbit had offered her precious warmth, and now she wanted to give something in return.
While she was deep in thought, wondering if there was anything she could do, she heard a rustling sound from somewhere. It could be another animal, but hearing such a sound in the forest was rarely a good sign.
A cold chill ran down her spine, and when she turned around, she saw someone standing in the distance.
It appeared to be a man. Upon closer inspection, he was holding a weapon. Was he a hunter? A terrible sense of foreboding overwhelmed her.
“Um, I...”
She tried to say something, but her mouth was frozen in fear, and the words wouldn’t come out.
When the man moved, something glinted in the sunlight. She wasn’t familiar with such objects, but one thing was certain at that moment.
The terror she had felt once before when she had been pursued by the temple knights. The glint she had seen when the cold barrel of a gun was pointed at her.
“No...!”
The gun’s muzzle from that cruel memory was now once again aimed at her. Without realising it, Bella squeezed her eyes shut and curled up in fear. She was certain she would die here.
Bang――!
The sound of a single gunshot pierced her ears.
However, she didn’t feel any pain. When she cautiously opened her eyes and looked down, she saw that the rabbit, which had just offered her warmth, was now soaked in blood.
Her hand began to tremble uncontrollably as she stared at the rabbit, which had fallen without even closing its eyes.
Was it anger, or was it fear?
As she exhaled, her breath turned into a thick white cloud.
At that moment, the man had taken a few steps closer. Everything had happened so quickly, in what felt like slow motion. The black-haired man faced her with an emotionless expression.
“You...!”
The moment their eyes met, she fell silent.
Was this how people had felt when they looked at her?
As soon as her gaze locked with his deep, blood-red eyes, an indescribable fear froze her entire body.
He’s not human.
Just as she was filled with anxiety and terror, the man’s crimson eyes darkened heavily as they met hers.
He raised his gun again.
This time, it wasn’t aimed at the rabbit but at her.
***
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