READING GUIDANCE
" This is a direct sentence in the present time."
" This is a direct sentence in the past time."
' This is a character's inner thought in the present time.'
' This is a character's inner thought in the past time.'
[ This is a direct sentence in sign language in the present time.]
[ This is a direct sentence in sign language in the past time.]
HAPPY READING!
.
"Your Grace!" Ray said in surprise, running toward the charismatic man who had just entered the Royal Palace where most Imperial members lived. "Y-you are back!"
Sure enough, he always tensed up whenever he had to speak with one of the most important people in the empire. He felt even more on edge because not long ago, this man had caused madness in his own room and injured several people before leaving the palace. A very good reason why his heart was thumping like crazy right now.
"...Prepare a bath for me," he said calmly.
It made Ray frown in confusion. "...Yes, Your Grace." While observing him, he questioned why his body was wet. "...Then, I will also prepare for your blood transfusion, Your Grace," he added, though in his heart he was terrified to suggest something he knew would displease him. He was already bracing himself to be screamed at.
But—
the crown prince, with all his attractiveness, sighed out loud and brushed his semi-wet hair back. "Yeah, yeah. I don't even care anymore," he said while walking, with Ray following him.
"...There is also something that I should tell you, Your Grace," Ray said, trying to gamble a little with this new situation.
"What?"
Ray was shocked. "Eh?!"
"I said, what?!" the crown prince snapped, looking at him, annoyed.
"Ah! The International Minister asked me to schedule a meeting for you due to the Empress's request," he said in a hurry. It seemed the strange situation had not really changed that much.
The crown prince took a minute to think. "...The meeting did not work out, huh?" he guessed correctly. Well, it was nothing new when he was absent and the other imperial children attended the imperial meetings. "...Then schedule it."
"Y-yes! Yes!" Ray replied, staring at him in confusion. The man should not be acting like this! Seriously, Ray was not joking—after many years of serving the Imperial Members, he knew the pattern of those with the dragon's blood: the outrage, the madness, the terror that could happen because of it. It would not simply end in a few hours like this.
"...Well, he did take the other transfusion, though." So maybe that was the reason.
On the other hand, the man himself was now leaning in a very large hot bath pool, surrounded by the most expensive dragon statues. The decoration was extravagant, dominated by black and silver accents. Above him, a glass roof revealed a beautiful night view.
Splash. The sound of water was always calming. That was why he came to that lake—to compose himself with this power that was sometimes uncontrollable. Yet, another sensation, apart from the water, was still vivid in his memory.
While brushing his wet hair back with his hand, he tried to calm himself with the water that soaked his sturdy body and perfectly sculpted muscles.
She was so tiny—smaller than him. Her hands were so thin they could break if he applied just a little more force. Moreover, she was deaf and mute—a useless person who should not have dared to interfere with someone like him in the first place. Yet, he could not kill her. He had not felt even a trace of murderous intent when he looked at her.
It was because of her expression. She had looked so hopeless when she saw his blood. Pale, trembling, unable to understand the situation she was in, and yet somehow trying so hard to stop his bleeding.
"...What a stupid woman," he said, leaning against the edge of the enormous bath and closing his eyes.
Yet, the sensation was still vivid.
It lingered clearly in his memory—when those thin, trembling hands touched him, when his hand touched her cheek, when their eyes met.
It was still vivid, he thought, before submerging himself in the comforting bathwater.
***
.
.
It was a long-time dream that she had once forgotten.
It was a very disturbing moment.
The vain smile on that woman's face, the exasperating noises, and the horrifying moments were depicted so clearly in her mind.
"I BEGGED YOU! I BEGGED YOU! I BEGGED YOU SO MUCH!"
And the dreadful screaming always haunted her. The mixed expressions pierced her heart to the point that it hurt to breathe.
The misery, the disappointment, the rage, and the loss of will to live in that woman's expression were so torturing.
"... It's all because of you."
"All of it is because of you."
...and that woman cried painfully with the disturbing words that she repeated over and over. Holding her chest as if she wanted the pain to go away so badly. Yet, she could not.
Then, with her miserable eyes that were hiding an ounce of agony, she looked at her.
After that very second, while muttering the same words, a loud sound was heard, and that woman's blood splattered and scattered all over her body. It gave off a very strong, disturbing scent of blood, and it was so disgusting. The shattered flesh was felt vividly on her skin, and a sudden nausea attacked her throat in an instant.
She then threw up.
"... Ngh." She gasped, unable to breathe, and it was so painful to breathe.
Even though she held herself so tightly, curled herself on her bed, scratched her skin with her nails — she could not stop the regretful feeling of her sin.
She was trembling after waking up from the long-forgotten nightmare.
'I am sorry.'
While screaming inside her heart for the sin that she could not fix. For the sin she could not face...
'It's so painful.'
She wanted to cry. But she could not. She wanted to scream it out, but no words would come out.
'Please help me.'
But who could? As it was a sin she clearly realized was something she had to carry until the end of her life. Hidden within herself, while no one knew — and no one should know about her past.
***
.
.
"Sister!"
As usual, Irisha greeted her with her big and charming smile, running toward her from her seat where she was having breakfast with Rosan.
"How are you feeling? Is your fever still high?" she asked while tiptoeing to touch her forehead.
She smiled widely while petting Irisha's hair.
[ I am okay. I am really fine right now. ]
"You were unconscious, and your fever was so high. Please don't do that again..." she said worriedly.
"To be specific, please don't jump into the lake," Rosan added as she approached her and examined her forehead as well. With her fierce expression, she said, "You are banned from going to the lake alone from today."
She just smiled resignedly while being forced to have breakfast with them.
Well, in the end, she could not tell them the truth about what really happened at the lake. What could she possibly say? That she went there to save someone from committing suicide? Even now, she could not believe that the man who jumped from such a high hill was actually trying to kill himself — especially considering how perfectly fine he seemed afterward. It felt like this world had many people strong enough to survive jumping from that height.
At that time, she was not in the right state of mind to realize what was truly happening. Her thoughts were focused only on the man's injury, more than she could even comprehend. She could not control herself and completely lost her sense of judgment.
Yet, his hand that slowly touched her was still vivid in her memory. And his bright golden eyes — they felt as if they were pulling her in.
As if she had been hypnotized.
'It was truly dangerous, wasn't it?'
And of course, because of that, she would not say anything more about the incident. She simply told them that she slipped into the lake while exploring.
Moreover, the man had left behind a subtle threat — that she should not try to dig any further.
At least... that was what her rational mind thought now.
After that, because of her high fever, she was forced by Rosan to take sick leave for several days. She ended up using more days off than she should have, and when she returned to work, piles of tasks were waiting for her.
She became very busy, and gradually, she almost forgot about what had happened.
But that man's eyes were surely engraved in her mind.
She was easily reminded of him when she looked at documents about gold mines.
[ ...Seems there are people with such eccentric and rare eye colors in this world. ] she signed.
Haya and Rosan, who were in her office, immediately looked at her when they saw her signing.
When she noticed them watching, she explained further.
[ Blue, green, red, and golden... It seems there are many people with these particular eccentric and rare colors. ]
"I think they are not that eccentric or rare," said Haya. "We can easily find them, can't we?"
"Most people in Althera have brighter colors," he added.
She frowned.
[ Really? But yo— ]
She stopped when she realized both of them had bright brown eyes.
[ Ah... okay— ]
"Well, if we are talking about rare eye colors, your eye color is kind of rare, isn't it?" Haya asked.
[ Me? ] she signed awkwardly as they both looked at her.
Rosan approached her and looked at her directly. "Yes, yes. Your eyes are more black than brown, huh?" she said. "Black is rare."
[ Why? ] she asked, surprised. In her previous world, black eyes were common.
"There are not many people with that color. And if there are, they usually hide it because most people believe black is cursed," said Rosan. "If you go further north, past the Solisa Empire, you will find people avoiding others with black attributes," she continued. "To the point that they discriminate against them and reject their existence."
Seeing Irisha's expression, Haya quickly added, "You don't have to worry. Here, there are a few who believe it, but not to the point of discrimination. We are already reminded of terror every day, so don't worry."
Rosan nodded and handed her a silver envelope sealed with the Imperial crest.
"...Well, speaking of terror, that reminds me of this," she said. "I received an Imperial invitation, and I think you should read it."
Haya frowned. "How could you casually relate my words to the Imperial Members?"
"Am I wrong, though? They are all terror," Rosan replied casually.
Haya decided to stay silent for the sake of his safety.
[ ...What is it about? ] she asked.
Rosan looked at her and sighed. "...Well, to put it simply, our country seems to be heading toward war with the Jahar Empire, which rules the eastern border. They have blocked and cut off our trading routes, and all companies doing business in the northern areas are being asked — no, forced — to assist them."
Irisha nodded in understanding.
[ Ah, so... it is quite troublesome. ]
"Right? That's why I want you to accompany me."
Irisha looked at her with a frown.
[ ...Me? ]
"Yes. I know you are the one who will understand the situation better than I do," Rosan said, fully aware that she was putting pressure on her. "...I will be there for you, and I will protect you. So you don't have to worry."
Irisha could see Rosan's trust and confidence were genuine. It was reassuring, yet at the same time, it pressured her.
She could not deny that it felt heavy.
But,
[ ...If you are okay with me, I will go. But I need to learn about the problem first. ]
There was nothing else she could do except move forward, right?
Rosan smiled. "Yes. I will give you all the details later."
She already knew Irisha would accept.
It was not arrogance. Nor ambition.
After knowing her for quite a while, Rosan understood that Irisha was fully aware of her own disability. She understood her disadvantages. She understood the things that could not be changed.
So instead of dwelling on them, she would simply find another solution. She would overcome one obstacle with another approach, never limiting herself to a single perspective.
Just like when she first joined the company.
Knowing that Irisha held the second-highest position, many people were displeased. They avoided her, rejected her, and opposed her — without knowing that the entire system of the company had been formed from Irisha's ideas.
They discriminated against her. Some even mocked her physically.
She was never given a fair first impression.
Everything she faced was twice, thrice, or even many times harder than what normal people experienced.
Rosan once thought about interfering.
But Irisha stopped her.
[ If you do that, they will hate me more. The situation will only worsen. ] she signed calmly, as if she had expected it from the beginning.
It made Rosan sad.
But then Irisha smiled cunningly.
[ I will handle it. You will see — at the right time, they will need me. But I will abuse your power a little bit. ]
Her confidence replaced Rosan's anger with laughter — a big, wholehearted laugh.
And what Irisha said came true.
There was a time when Rosan was gone for a month for business matters. Naturally, Irisha became her temporary replacement.
Haya later told Rosan about what happened during that period.
Irisha hired a mercenary to guard her office. People lined up outside her door to meet her because they needed her signature to proceed with their projects.
But just like they had once avoided her, she avoided them too.
Chaos followed.
Some cursed her. Some grew frustrated and angry. Some even attempted physical attacks.
Yet she remained unshaken.
"What did you two talk about?" people asked a man who had just exited her office.
The man looked lost in thought. "...Wh-what?"
He had once believed that in such a situation, with a boss like her, he had to be manipulative and cunning. He thought she was a selfish and foolish young woman.
But their conversation was far beyond what he expected.
"Ms. Irisha said she will approve the proposal if you can show her the land's legal certificate," Haya interpreted. "In one day, you can proceed."
He blinked in shock.
'This woman actually understands my situation?!'
"O-okay..."
Later, he discovered the land certificate was fake. He had nearly fallen into a fraudulent project.
He was embarrassed.
Yet instead of scolding him, Irisha helped him find a solution without insulting his effort.
"Ms. Irisha said you should meet this man at noon in his office," Haya said.
The contact turned out to be the real landowner — someone she had already spoken with.
After that, his project ran smoothly.
"Ms. Irishaaaa!" he shouted excitedly one day. "The project is done! We just need to wait for the profit!"
Haya struggled to keep up with his speed while interpreting.
Irisha smiled brightly at him.
"We did it, Ms. Irisha."
"You did a good job," Haya interpreted. "But you should inspect it once a week and submit reports. Mr. Norman is a capable businessman, so she hopes you maintain a good relationship with him."
"I WILL!" he said enthusiastically.
That day, people began to think differently.
Some reflected on their behavior. Some tried to be manipulative. Some stubbornly held onto their prejudice.
But all of them eventually acknowledged her worth through her skills.
When Rosan returned, she laughed loudly in amazement once again.
Knock, knock.
"...Is Ms. Irisha available?" a man and woman asked.
Rosan, who was speaking with her, poked Irisha.
"Ah, are you available, Ms. Irisha?" the woman asked in sign language with a polite smile. "We would like to consult about some matters."
"...She is busy, you know. My assistant," Rosan said fiercely.
Irisha waved her hands and laughed.
[ Come, come. I have some time. ]
They both smiled widely.
"...Thank you, Ms. Irisha."
"Here are pastries we bought for you," the man said.
[ Oh, thank you. Let's eat together. Wait a minute, I will— ]
"Let me do that," Haya interrupted gently. "I have practically become your assistant, so please sit comfortably."
He took the pastry box.
She tidied her desk and looked at them.
She smiled gently and signed:
[ So, how can I help you? ]
***