Staring at her sister's face, she couldn't help but ask to make sure she was alright. She then took a wide step to reach her.
But Silia raised her hand. When they were just a few steps apart, it was Silia who slowly stepped forward instead.
"Even though I had already suspected it, why? Why can't I accept it? It feels as if my soul—no, as if something is being slowly torn from within me!"
"My name... Am I truly Silia? Yet, my soul rejects it, unwilling to accept this reality so easily!"
No matter what, her life as Christie was deeply ingrained; her soul and the soul of this body's original owner were surely at odds.
It was only natural, wasn't it, for Christie to feel constantly stunned. Her mind—no, her soul—was rejecting the reality she was now experiencing.
Her steps led her to a mirror at the edge of the room. From the dim reflection in the object, she could see a ragged, filthy dress, dirty like a laborer's.
The large enough mirror reflected what was before it: a pale face half-covered with bluish bruises. Hard blows marked various parts of her face, thin cuts scored her forehead, and a hole the size of an index finger pierced through from the left side of her jaw to the right.
Her gaze was direct, noticing two green eyes like beautiful emeralds. A faint light shimmered around them, but her jet-black hair looked terribly dull and emitted a pungent, unpleasant odor.
"This... is me? How did it come to this?"
She muttered under her breath, her gaze trembling at her horrifying state. Her hand moved to gently touch each wound on her face, wondering how this could have happened.
From behind the mirror, the girl with pitch-black eyes watched her sister's back. Her lips twitched; her heart commanded her to approach immediately.
"I... may not understand it completely, but I witnessed it. I will support you, Sis!" she said, trying to strengthen Silia's resolve.
But it seemed she misunderstood the reason for the tears. They weren't from being touched by her new family's concern or the previous owner's cruel memories.
"They dared to hurt me, even brought me to the brink of death, forcing me to struggle just to stay conscious on that hard bed. There must be retribution—they must feel it too!"
Her mind was instantly flooded with various plans. She imagined the helplessness, the despair, the pleas for death.
Thud
Ehhh
Suddenly, she could feel a gentle touch encircling her body; her back was covered by the girl behind her.
The warmth Silia felt wasn't for her body, but for her spirit. It had been so long since she had felt such sincere care.
"Is she really thinking I'm lamenting my pitiful fate?" A wry smile curved on her lips. She looked down on the people in this palace. "But unfortunately, I'm not as foolish as she is! They will all see me."
Silia patted the warm hands holding her tightly twice, then gently closed her own eyes. "Forgive me for making you worry with my behavior! You can be at ease now."
The girl shook her head, her face hidden against Silia's back as if she, too, needed protection.
"I... don't know why, but I can't feel at ease, Sis. It feels like you're about to do something, and it all—makes me not want to let you go," her voice muffled against Silia's back.
Silia could feel the tremors from her body, which seemed to confirm the girl's words; her heart began to weigh revenge against—
"Hey..."
She released the encircling hands and held them tightly instead, turning her body so their eyes met.
"You won't understand the feeling. A filthy swamp can't be cleaned easily, but isn't it often filled with glittering gold?"
"How does one find it?" the girl asked.
But it was only answered with a crooked smile, the kind someone wears when they've gained the upper hand in a game.
"It just requires something to attract the gold, until the names of every type of gold piece become visible on the surface!"
"..."
"You will understand when the shining gold is pulled up... leaving only the rusty iron behind in the layers!"
The girl's eyes widened; she could see a sharp, razor-like glint in Silia's green eyes. For some reason, a doubt began to form in her mind: was the person before her really her sister?
Her way of speaking, her voice, her gaze that seemed full of intricate plans—but for what?
"I just remembered, where can I get my monthly allowance? For some reason, after losing consciousness—I think I've forgotten some of my memories!"
"Ahh..."
Silia frowned. Judging by her expression, she seemed to have made a mistake regarding the previous Silia's habits; which was exactly what she wanted, to show a change gradually.
"It seems you are going to make a very significant difference!" the girl said with a faint, thin smile.
She then stepped past Silia, reached for the doorknob, and glanced back. "It seems there are a few places you might have forgotten! How about we take a stroll? The weather seems lovely."
Silia smiled slightly at the girl's presence. Perhaps one day, achieving difficult things would be easier with her around.
She stepped out of the damp, dark room; when her gaze fell upon the outside, her head jerked back in surprise.
A wide red carpet ran the length of a corridor that branched like a labyrinth. Walls made of polished marble gleamed under the sunlight washing them with its light. Paintings of ancestors were displayed in homage, and above, polished chandeliers emitted a soft glow.
"I'm... in a—" Her words halted, unable to find the right phrase.
Her mind was still stunned. Unintentionally, the black-eyed girl gazed at her sister's body, frozen like a statue devoid of its spirit.
She waved a hand in front of Silia's face, her brow furrowed with concern. "Sis, Sis... What are you thinking about?" she called out.
Silia blinked several times, her thoughts gradually returning to focus on the girl before her. "Sorry... Umm—my head aches a little!"
Though slightly worried about her condition, seeing Silia stride ahead, she quickly buried her intention to suggest her sister rest.
The two walked through every winding corridor, often passing maids or soldiers on duty.
Each time they were a few steps away, without hesitation, the servants would bow deeply until straight, offering respectful greetings.
After several minutes of walking, the girl finally stopped and pointed to a door ahead.
"This is where we will collect your monthly allowance, Sis. The Minister of Finance records which princes and princesses have received their stipends!"
The black-eyed girl, without hesitation, turned the door handle and pushed it open wide, seemingly unafraid of angering its occupant.
Inside, an older man appeared deeply engrossed in his work at his desk, which was covered in papers bearing official stamps and his signature.
The room contained only a bookshelf lining one corner, and a small table with two chairs placed before the shelves.
"Greetings to Her Highnesses Velia and Silia. A pleasure to see you both; it's been a month!" he announced by way of greeting.
The girl with black eyes, named Velia or Princess Velia, gave a slight shrug. "It's not that we were unseen, Minister Johan, but rather that you seemed to have vanished from the palace yourself," Princess Velia retorted.
He placed the feathered tip of his pen in an inkwell. The old man offered a faint smile as he looked at them both. "Five people have already come to me today. They show me no respect, as if I were not an authority. And now you are here! Is your purpose the same as theirs?"
"You desire an honor?" A single question, probing to understand his meaning.
His gaze shifted directly to the girl with wounds on both sides of her jaw. Minister Johan scrutinized Silia thoroughly, from head to toe, as if searching for some hidden potential within her.
"Hehehe... Forgive me, Your Highness, even a chicken knows it comes from a village; merely becau—" His words caught in his throat as his opponent spoke first.
"But the chicken doesn't know its meat is valuable, a dish no less prized than beef or fish. Is that what you mean?" Silia stated, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Minister Johan shook his head slightly, his fingers tapping on the black desk. He clicked his tongue softly and then smiled a resigned smile, as if his words had been swallowed. "Hehh... It seems the king has been hiding something about you all this time! I'm listening."
But. Silia offered a slight, wry smile, rubbing her fingers together. "Minister Johan... Unfortunately, I came here to collect my monthly allowance, not to debate with someone who has already underestimated me!"
Minister Johan pulled his head back. "Is she looking down on me? The impudent little brat."
With a sour expression, Minister Johan pulled open a drawer in his desk. Inside were ten pouches adorned with gold embroidery, each with a yellow and white tie.
"You know... Usually, people crave my attention. They must think carefully about every single word they say to me. They try to pique my interest while carefully avoiding any appearance of disrespect!"
Minister Johan handed over two pouches with different ties, yellow and white. He stared deeply at Silia, then pointed at her.
"But you... Only you dare to disrespect me. Just how much courage do you possess? For now."
Silia glanced toward Velia; she could see her sister's body trembling slightly without reason, though her flat expression hid her unease.
"Intriguing."
Without hesitation or any visible disturbance, Silia took both pouches in one grasp, feeling the soft fabric against her arm.
The gleam in her green eyes showed not a hint of wavering as she lifted the corner of her lip. "I am utterly terrified by your words, Minister Johan. Please forgive my impertinence then!"
.....