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!
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Irisha took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves as she gazed up at the beautiful night sky. She was seated on the forest floor, Arisha asleep on her thigh, while a small fire crackled in front of her. The darkness around them was nearly impenetrable without the fire's light, but Irisha couldn't afford even a moment of rest. She was too anxious about what might come after them.
'How could anyone not notice such a fire in the middle of the night?' she wondered. The flames cracked and popped, sending sparks into the dark, and every flicker felt like it could draw eyes from miles away. ' What if someone sees us?' Her chest tightened. The fire was supposed to keep them safe, but now it felt like a signal to danger.
The forest around them was alive with noise—the rustle of leaves, snapping twigs, and the occasional distant howl.' Who in their right mind would be wandering through this forest at such an hour?'
She might have chalked it up to wild animals if not for the empire's princess leaning against a tree, absorbed by the flames. The situation might have made more sense if the princess hadn't been with them—her presence added another layer of risk that Irisha couldn't ignore.
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why?
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because,
Just hours before, they had barely escaped a powerful river's current, only to be met with a sudden attack as they set foot on the riverside. It had been utterly terrifying.
The terror wasn't just from Jahar's fully-armored knights encircling them on their grand steeds. Nor was it solely the sight of more than ten armed men surrounding just two women and a child. It wasn't even the sheer imbalance of power that made her breath catch.
It was the princess.
The empire princess, now sitting by the fire with an almost mesmerized look in her golden eyes, was the real source of fear. Those eyes, glowing eerily in the firelight, had seemed otherworldly. Even under the midday sun, the princess's eyes had taken on a strange, predatory sheen, and her demeanor had been unsettling—like an animal on the brink of attack.
Irisha remembered the princess's aura—it was so strong it felt like it was pulling the air out of her lungs. She and Arisha had stumbled, barely able to stand under its force. Every breath had been a struggle, her chest burning as she tried to inhale. Even the knights, massive and fully armored, had faltered under the same pressure, their confident stance wavering as if the princess alone could unbalance them.
In that moment of sheer panic, Irisha knew they had to escape.
The sheer dread compelled her to flee.
She understood the necessity of running with Arisha as fast as she could, even if it meant leaving the princess to fend for herself amidst the knights. Irisha knew she had to avoid getting involved in the chaos surrounding the notorious mad princess. Her priority had to be Arisha's safety, even if it meant abandoning a royal figure who, for all her power, seemed to be surrounded by threats.
Despite the guilt of leaving the princess behind, Irisha focused on the present. Arisha's well-being was paramount, and as she brushed the child's hair gently, she remained vigilant, hoping the fire's warmth would keep the encroaching darkness—and whatever dangers it might bring—at bay.
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.....or it was what she thought.
In the end, Irisha could not remember why she chose to run toward the princess with her remaining energy and hug her from behind to stop her.
Stop her from what?
Irisha personally does not even know. It was purely her feeling that this princess possessed something that caused her to act in that way.
'... and then she changed.' Fortunately, after the princess bit her on the arm.
It was very painful but did not last long before the princess brushed her off and looked at her in confusion, as if she had just returned to her original self. She looked at the bite injury, terrified, pale, and shocked. Then, realizing the situation they were in, she held Irisha—who was drained and breathing heavily—and forced her to run while carrying Arisha.
...and now, here they are in the middle of an unknown forest, surrounding a bonfire that Irisha made.
Yes, she created this bonfire with her limited survival knowledge and a lot of miracles. It may be dangerous, making them easy to find, but they were all wet, and they are now in the middle of a forest that Irisha is still trying to identify.
She sighs desperately, 'I don't know.' She really has a headache because of it.
Being suddenly in a situation she is not experienced in is not advantageous, and it does not seem that the princess will help her in this matter... because even after they ran away from danger, the princess only followed them without talking to them.
She is not leaving them alone but is also creating a wall between them.
...and Irisha is not quite sure whether their communication is limited because of Irisha's condition, Arisha's fear toward her, or if the princess simply does not want to talk with them.
Irisha does not know.
Because whenever she talks about the princess, Irisha has no clue about her. The only thing she knows is that she is the first princess of Empire Malum and the little sister and older sister of both the crown prince and the second prince. She knows nothing about her despite her famous beauty and madness—the typical rumors about the imperial family in society.
'...but she is so young.' Irisha can say this, even though their appearances are not that different. Irisha's soul has lived more years than her body, so she can say that this princess is still young based on her experiences with many people, both on Earth and Althera. She can say that despite her fame as 'the madness princess,' she is still naive, shaken by the guilt she feels toward Irisha. To the point that it makes the well-known princess unable to act decisively in this situation.
...she might be wrong, but,
The expression of the princess is still vividly etched in her mind when she looked at Irisha's pale and shocked expression after doing something she should not have done in her life.
[It is not that hurt, so please don't mind it.] She wrote in the ground near the bonfire before looking at the princess, who noticed the writing.
She looked at it for a while before turning her eyes away.
Irisha expected it, yet tried to compose herself. [Do you know how to get back?]
The princess looked at it again but still did not give her any reaction.
[How about the forest's name?]
But again, there was no reaction.
...and Irisha thought that she might better not try to provoke the dragon's blessing as much if she was still unsure about their personality. She thought that maybe she really had to think for herself, but the princess then wrote something.
[My brother will come for you.]
Irisha looked at it for a while, [How do you know?]
[He will. Eventually.] The princess did not give a full context of what she was trying to point out. She then looked at the fire again while curling up her knees, ignoring Irisha, who was questioning things she tried to tell her.
She then wrote again, [Do you hate me?] which made the princess look at her while frowning.
[Why?]
[I don't know. I ask you.] She tried to look at the princess with a calming expression to make sure she could bait her emotion. Irisha still believed that this princess was more naive compared to the crown prince.
The princess did change her expression. [Who the hell are you, for me to do that?]
[Seeing you being ignorant in this kind of situation despite the fact that you actually could bring us back.... is the reason why I think you hate me.]
...and she glared at her.
It made Irisha's heart stop as she faced someone she should not underestimate. Yet, she had a strong feeling that this princess would not dare to hurt her or, more like, could not hurt her. The fact that Irisha and Arisha are still alive is also due to her protection from the fall and her forceful runaway.
...and again Irisha was right. [Why should I waste my time on someone like you?] The princess changed her expression so much as she wrote the sentence full of power and emotion. [You are nothing to me.] Her expression told a completely different story.
But why?
Irisha could not understand why her actions seemed to affect the princess's emotions to this extent. Even when she worked in the palace, they rarely encountered each other. When they did, it was merely a passing glance.
She pondered this for a long time because of the drastic change in the princess's expression, but she could not find an answer. The night passed, and she eventually fell asleep, only to awaken to find the princess still awake, standing and staring into the emptiness of the forest.
Irisha, holding the sleeping Arisha, found it quite strange. The princess glanced at her with her golden eyes and put a finger to her lips, signaling her to be silent.
Irisha nodded, feeling the pressure of the tense atmosphere whenever she looked at the princess's expression. The air seemed to become heavier, similar to what happened at the riverside.
'She will change.' The thought terrified her as she held Arisha tightly.
[Run!] The sudden command written on the ground near her jolted Irisha. A powerful wind, directed at the princess, threw her against a large tree behind her.
Irisha could barely process what was happening, but the sheer force of it made her feel nauseous. The sight of the princess being hurled through the air at such speed was horrifying. Her knees grew weak, and she trembled.
'What should I do?' she wondered as she clutched Arisha, trying to shield her from the chaos.
Crack!
Without warning, the princess grabbed Irisha's shoulder, yanked her backward, and leaped forward to confront an unseen threat. Irisha was stunned to realize that many people had approached them without her noticing.
[GO!] The princess's urgent gesture snapped Irisha out of her confusion. Instinctively, she began to flee, running to nowhere in particular, while feeling the immense pressure and tension behind her. The air grew heavier once again, signaling that something significant was unfolding.
Irisha frowned, frustrated.
'I am so sorry.'
For not being able to do anything.
For having to run away.
'She's still a child,' Irisha thought. Yet, she was left alone.
'But I have to protect Arisha,' because she is her priority, the reason for her survival.
But,
...those golden eyes, vividly etched in her mind—
.
[Stay here!] she told Arisha when she found a small cave after running for a while. [Don't go anywhere, and wait for me here!]
"Where are you going?!" Arisha asked frantically.
[I have to help the princess.]
Arisha looked at her in terror, "...she will hurt you..."
And maybe Arisha was right. Irisha had experienced the princess's wrath firsthand, and Arisha had witnessed it. That was why Arisha feared her, but—
[Please, stay here. I will come back. I promise.] Irisha tried to smile and reassure Arisha that everything would be alright, even if she feared she might be making the wrong choice. She could not stop thinking that the princess was fighting alone to protect them. The princess had suffered more damage during their fall, had held their hands through the strong current of the river, and had urged them to run.
.
That was why Irisha was now wandering the unknown forest in silence. Despite its beauty, it felt menacing, and every breath seemed to pierce her with daggers of fear.
'I can't hear anything.' The oppressive silence weighed heavily on her.
It was so frustrating.
'Where are you, princess?' she kept wondering as she moved forward.
'...No...' She stopped to compose herself, looking at a beautiful woman who held a man twice her size and threw him effortlessly. Irisha felt the heavy atmosphere and paled in shock and pain at the sight before her.
She was no longer human.
Even though her body was unchanged, with her ruined dress and beautiful appearance, she was not the same person she once was.
As soon as the princess noticed Irisha, she felt her body freeze.
She couldn't move.
The terrifying aura she sensed paralyzed her. When the golden eyes she was familiar with looked at her with an emotionless expression, Irisha gasped as if the air had been sucked out of the space. She clutched her chest in pain, the pressure constricting her expression. She felt that everything would end when the beautiful princess, with her emotionless demeanor, held her neck—ready to break it.
"...Run..." Irisha could read the words from the princess's slow lip movements, bringing her back to her senses.
Realizing that even the princess's hand was trembling.
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...she is also suffering.
In Irisha's remaining consciousness, relying solely on her instincts, she unwraps the bite injury and grips it tightly, trying to stem the flow of blood.
Irisha couldn't bear to look, didn't want to see it.
Yet she could feel the blood flowing, clearly in her hand.
The princess gasped, frantically loosening her grip on Irisha's neck and mimicking the actions she had taken at the riverside.
"Go! Go away from me!"
"Go! Don't come near me!"
"Just go!"
The princess repeated these words with increasing desperation, but Irisha couldn't understand her full meaning beyond the repeated command to leave.
Somehow, as Irisha clutched her bleeding hand, she felt the sensation of blood diminish. The beautiful princess, once so composed, now appeared utterly miserable. Her emotionless expression had transformed into one of desperation and frustration as she struggled to step back, her feet trembling uncontrollably.
Irisha could see the princess battling something internal.
But what was it?
Irisha had no idea. She was overwhelmed by the chaos and acted purely on instinct. Seeing the knights of Jahar approaching from behind the princess, she ran towards her and grabbed her hand, holding on tightly.
She fled, not realizing that her blood was dripping into the princess's hand as she ran. She moved as fast as she could, despite the difficulty of each breath, driven by a desperate need to escape.
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The princess frowned, her face contorted in an indescribable mix of emotions. The overwhelming power pressing on her mind, combined with the blood in her hand—held tightly by this deaf and mute woman—weighed heavily on her heart, leaving her feeling fractured.
"Sister!" The voice of the child she had been with earlier pierced through her turmoil. Their eyes met briefly; the child's gaze was filled with terror before quickly averting.
The princess managed a weak smile, understanding the fear in the child's eyes. It was a feeling she had known her entire life. The darker side of herself, the part she could barely bear, was now manifesting. Each time she lost control of her power, memories of screams and blood flooded her mind.
.
'It is not my fault! I cannot control it!'
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"She is a monster. They are all monsters."
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'I'm so sorry. Please help me!'
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"Don't come near me! Don't come near me!"
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'Please! Help me!'
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The princess recalled every scream, every outburst when the dragon's blood had overwhelmed her. No one had been there to reach out, to offer comfort or aid. Her fate was to bear the cursed blood that made everyone around her see her as a monster, rather than as a person.
'So that is why I told you there is no such thing as sincere love,' she thought, staring at her hand now stained with Irisha's blood. '... Brother, I have to tell you... You are just blind.'
...because, in the end, no monster can coexist with normal humans.
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"Are you okay, princess?" The little girl's voice was soft, tinged with genuine concern. "Does it hurt? Are you okay? Have you been hurt anywhere?" Her words made the princess pause, confusion tightening her chest.
She frowned. "Why?"
"Why do you keep asking that?" The girl's gaze shifted to Irisha, who also watched anxiously. "But... you are crying."
"Crying?"
It took only a moment for the princess to realize the truth. Tears had been slipping down her cheeks without her noticing. She lifted a trembling hand, watching the moisture gather in her palm. "...Why am I crying?"
Her heart ached, and the tears fell freely, as if she had no control over them.
"Please don't cry." The girl's voice came again, gentle and soothing. A handkerchief brushed softly against her cheeks. The princess blinked, staring at this strange kindness, feeling a tenderness she had never known. Her confusion only grew—why show her such care?
It was a strange sensation, yet undeniably comforting.
Before she could ask, a sudden tug—the girl's hand was gone.
"SISTER!" The desperate cry rang out. The knights of Jahar had arrived at the cave mouth, one of them lifting Irisha into the air.
Her chest tightened. The knights froze as their eyes fell on her. Fear radiated from them in sharp waves. None of them showed the slightest mercy toward the woman—only disgust for her.
"There you are, the mad princess," one sneered, voice shaky, attempting bravado but failing.
"...Don't hurt her," the princess said firmly, her tone slicing through the tense air.
"Let her go..."
Her mind raced. She tried to understand the weight behind her own words, the meaning she had just spoken.
"...I beg you."
The knight only smirked. "Don't be so foolish. You have no sympathy." With a rough motion, he threw Irisha to the ground before the princess. "YOU ARE A MONSTER, AREN'T YOU?"
The girl's scream echoed through the cave. "SISTER!" Her body lay still.
The princess's heart clenched painfully.
' I am not a monster,' she thought, anger rising and threatening to spill over.
'I don't want this,' she protested silently.
And yet, it was slowly consuming her.
'...That woman is not moving.'
The vision of Irisha lying there burned in her mind.
The pain was unbearable.
"Please—" she gasped, just as Irisha's eyes flickered open. She leapt forward, clutching the princess tightly, patting her back frantically, as if trying to contain all the fear, the chaos, the rage. Her hands were almost wild, frantic, and unrestrained.
"AA... AAA... AA," Irisha tried to speak, broken sounds spilling out, yet her warmth pressed against the princess, calming her from the inside out.
And still, the danger was not gone. The Jahar knights remained, ready to strike at any moment.
Ivy cried out again, almost like a prayer. "Please... help us—"
GRROOOOAAARR!!!
Then a scream split the air, shaking the cave to its very bones. The knights scrambled in panic, their shouts mingling with the echoing chaos.
Through it all, a familiar presence entered—the unmistakable aura of someone powerful. The scent, the calm yet commanding step, the golden eyes piercing the darkness. The man's expressionless face fixed on them, unwavering.
The princess exhaled, a small, rare smile breaking across her face. "...This is the first time I am happy to see you, brother."
Her voice trembled with relief and disbelief, directed at her one and only older brother.
***