Antidote

“How do you know that?”“Well…”She blinked her eyes, which had turned milky white. Her gaze wandered vaguely in the air. I followed the direction of her gaze, but there was nothing there.“After living this long, you naturally come to know certain things.”“So you’re saying you can naturally see Karlac’s political scene? Impressive.”Before I realized it, a sarcastic tone slipped out. But I immediately regretted it and pressed my lips together. What good would it do to mock an old woman who had little time left? Especially when I had no right to act that way.When I fell silent, she chuckled softly.“It’s not that. It’s just that people don’t bother to watch their tongues around me, like you’re doing now… right?”“What have you… overheard?”I cautiously asked her.The old woman nodded slightly while still staring into the air.“What do I know about wars and politics? I just listen quietly to what people say. All I’ve heard are stories about this war and reinforcements.”“Has it been decided to send reinforcements?”“Yes.”My heart pounded.“When… when will they leave?”“As soon as they’re ready.”Ah… A faint groan escaped my lips. I reached for the Ipsen crest hidden in the small pocket inside my collar.So this is how it ends. Kirdara is far, and the war is fierce. Will he ever have the chance to return to Karlac?Just then, the old woman stopped spinning the thread. Since I hadn’t stopped pedaling, the thread tangled in the spinning wheel. I quickly stopped my foot.“Why all of a sudden…”My voice trailed off. The old woman was quietly looking at me. Her opaque irises gleamed like the surface of polished metal.“It’s not the King of Ipsen going to Kirdara.”“What?”“It’s not the bastard who’s going there.”She calmly untangled the thread from the wheel. I stood there, my mouth agape, forgetting to pedal.“What do you mean?”“I mean exactly what I said.”She answered indifferently, lightly tapping my knee with one hand as if chiding me for being lazy. I hastily started pedaling again. The spinning wheel clattered as it turned.“Jiyod—or rather, the King of Ipsen—isn’t the one going there?”She didn’t seize on my slip of the tongue. She merely made a faint sound that could have been either a laugh or a cough.“It’s the Great Commander who’s going.”“What?”I couldn’t make sense of it, and my face showed my confusion. It felt like a violent sandstorm had swept through my mind, each grain of sand sticking to every part of my brain.“But the Great Commander only recently returned from the York border. How could he…?”“That’s war for you.”She clicked her tongue in disapproval.“Have you forgotten that the bastard went to Tesfaya fifteen years ago?”“Tesfaya?”“That’s right. Karlac already sent reinforcements to Kirdara once back then. That Ipsen bastard went to Tesfaya and returned alive. Sending the same person to Kirdara twice wouldn’t be right. Even common folks like us can see that, can’t we?”“Ah!”I gasped and covered my mouth with one hand.Tesfaya! The survivor of Tesfaya!How had I not connected that nickname with Jiyod until now? Jiyod had gone to Tesfaya when he was barely in his teens. The Tesfaya war had been over a territorial dispute in Kirdara, and strictly speaking, there was no need for eastern Karlac to send reinforcements. There were plenty of valid reasons to refuse. But Karlac had decided to help Kirdara, and they had sent a young knight barely in his teens to lead the charge… It had been his father, Lord Stravin, who had pushed Jiyod into that situation.The old woman spoke slowly, her voice steady.“That man won’t return to Ipsen or leave Karlac. So don’t worry.”“Worry?”At my sharp retort, she turned her head toward me.Her cloudy eyes, as if seeing right through my thoughts.“Isn’t it because you were worried about your lover?”At that moment, I shot to my feet. Bang! My knee struck the post attached to the pedal, and the spinning wheel wobbled violently. I looked down at her in shock.“Just because I can’t see doesn’t mean I can’t think.”Her face, in stark contrast to mine, remained calm, completely devoid of excitement.“Who else would want to keep the Ipsen crest but a slave in this Glenberg manor?”“Since when…?”“It’ll be hard to let go of those feelings, but you’d better burn that Ipsen crest. It’ll head to Glenberg soon anyway, won’t it?”I could no longer respond. I felt only shame and helplessness at having my heart exposed. Stumbling backward, I felt the windowsill against my back, the lukewarm tapestry brushing the nape of my neck. I quickly turned and fled the room. A shadow seemed to chase after me.In the distance, the sun was rising.As I ran toward the main building, I could see the sunset creeping up over the tall walls of Glenberg manor.***It was about time for the children to wake up.With the help of the nannies, I woke them, washed them, and changed their clothes, and time passed. The young sisters were easy to manage since they got along well with the nannies, but Kirsten was stubborn. She was a picky eater, and when she was in a bad mood, no amount of pleading from the nannies could coax her to open her mouth. During those times, I had to sit beside her and feed her spoonful by spoonful.Today was one of those days. I sat Kirsten on my lap and fed her directly.Lisbeth was not one for luxury, so the meal was simple. Just a mild meat stew, soft wheat bread, and a few pieces of dried fruit. I tore the bread into small pieces, dipped it into the stew, and fed it to Kirsten. She grumbled softly, but she obediently ate each bite I offered.Ever since Lisbeth had been bedridden and spent less time with the children, Kirsten’s whining had increased. The younger sisters, still too young to understand the situation, merely whined about seeing their mother less, but Kirsten seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere. Her tantrums and clinginess had gotten worse, leaving the nannies at a loss. I spent most of my day looking after her and keeping her in a good mood. I didn’t mind. Kirsten was just clingy, not a bad child.When the bowl was about halfway empty, the sound of footsteps, accompanied by some commotion, came from outside. The door to the inner room suddenly flew open, and Lister stepped in. His eyebrows furrowed deeply when he saw me with Kirsten sitting on my lap.“Well, isn’t this a sight,” he sneered.He clicked his tongue at Kirsten.“The heir of Glenberg is already eight years old, and yet he’s still shamelessly sitting on a servant’s lap, eating like a baby.”I almost corrected him, saying that Kirsten was still only seven, but decided to keep my mouth shut. Kirsten’s face turned red, and his lips trembled. The boy scrunched up his nose, then slid off my lap and onto the chair next to me on his own. I sighed and set the spoon I had been holding down on the table.“What’s going on?” I asked.“I just saw my sister.”“How is she?”Kirsten was listening carefully to the exchange between me and Lister. I gently reached out and patted the boy on the shoulder. Kirsten looked a little embarrassed, and Lister clicked his tongue again.“What do you think? She asked me to take care of something, so I’ll be busy today. Stop playing nursemaid and come with me.”“This is my job,” I said.“Your job? Feeding an eight-year-old as if he were a baby, sitting him on your lap?”I was at a loss for words.“Leave the kid to the nursemaids and come along. Don’t tell me you really think you’re a nanny now. Kirsten is the heir to Glenberg. He needs proper teachers and nursemaids, not someone like you who spoils him. What do you think’s going to happen if you keep babying him like this?”Before he could say anything worse in front of Kirsten, I hurriedly cut him off.“Alright, alright, I get it….”Shut up already.I swallowed the words I really wanted to say and hastily stood up.Kirsten reached out, almost grabbing my sleeve, but then quickly hid his small hand behind him. I bent down to meet his eyes, smiled softly, and patted his shoulder again before following Lister out of the room.“What did Lisbeth ask you to do?” I asked.“That’s none of your business.”“Then why call for me?”“What’s with the questions? You’re just a slave. Do as you’re told.”I bit my lip in frustration. Regardless of how angry I was, I had no choice but to stay silent when Lister acted this way. I followed him quietly.Lister led me to Lisbeth’s office.The curtains were drawn, making the room dim. Lister walked to the window and pulled the curtains open. Sunlight streamed in, flooding the office with brightness. Dust particles floating in the air sparkled in the light. Lister scowled and went to stand by the desk, resting his hands on the back of the chair.“Clean that up,” he said, gesturing with his free hand toward a side table.The table was cluttered with all sorts of documents, scrolls, several seals, ink bottles in different colors, broken pen nibs, and scraps of parchment, all covered in a thick layer of dust. It looked like no one had touched it in quite some time.As I approached the table, Lister pulled the chair out and sat down at the desk.Without saying anything, I started moving the ink bottles aside. The rustling of my clothes and the clinking of objects echoed through the quiet room. I heard Lister take a deep breath behind me, as if sighing. The silence didn’t last long.“Get a blank sheet of paper from over there,” he said.I obediently walked over to the shelf, opened the second drawer, and pulled out a sheet from the stack of neatly arranged paper.I handed it to Lister, who pressed the nib of the pen into the ink bottle, then onto the paper, drawing rough lines. It was a typical autumn greeting. Where was this letter going? Just as I began to wonder, Lister glanced up at me. I quickly looked away.“What are you staring at?” he asked.“I wasn’t looking.”“Not looking, huh….”He snickered.I stiffened my expression and started to move away from the desk, but Lister spoke again in a casual tone.“Where do you think this letter is going?”“How would I know? I’m just a slave,” I replied.“Not curious?” he asked.“It’s probably a greeting letter on behalf of Lisbeth,” I answered carelessly. Lister shrugged.“This letter is going to Stravin.”Stravin?I felt confusion rise on my face, and Lister’s expression hardened. In an instant, his eyes filled with anger and frustration.“Why do you think that is?”He asked, as if testing me. My heart started to race. I shook my head.“How would I know?”“Think about it. You’re smart,” he said.“What good is being smart for a slave….”Lister chuckled softly.“You’re not wrong. What good would it do now?”My hands clenched into fists, filled with a sense of humiliation. But I kept my head down, trying to keep my breathing steady. I’d heard this kind of talk countless times over the past three years.“Anyway, this letter is going to Lord Stravin. I’m writing about that bastard.”I almost looked up at him in surprise but managed to hold myself back. However, I couldn’t stop my fingertips from twitching. I could feel his gaze burning into me.After a while, Lister spoke again, slowly.“This whole situation was unexpected. It was the perfect chance to get rid of that lowborn Ipsen bastard from Karlac, but….”My breathing became unsteady, and I struggled to calm myself down. Taking slow breaths, I felt my chest tighten painfully.“The Great Commander is going back to war.”It would have been awkward to remain completely silent, so I forced myself to respond.“He just returned to Karlac not long ago.”“That’s right,” Lister growled, his voice now filled with barely concealed rage.“That bastard pulled some tricks. What does the Tesfaya war from fifteen years ago have to do with anything now? Using that to dodge war—it’s disgraceful, unworthy of a Karlac knight.”He continued to rant nonsense.A Karlac knight? After all this time, did they ever truly consider Jiyod a Karlac knight, even for a moment?I kept my head down, tuning out Lister’s absurd words as they droned on. If I didn’t, I feared I might accidentally let a rebuttal slip from my lips. Instead, I thought about other things—about the Ipsen emblem in my pocket, the old woman spinning thread, the storm in the garden, and Jiyod’s cold face staring at me under the raging sandstorm.“Did you drop something on the floor? Look up!” Lister’s sudden shout snapped me out of my thoughts.Startled, I quickly lifted my head. My heart was pounding, and I didn’t even have the composure to adjust my expression. My eyes widened, and my lips parted. Lister was glaring at me.“Why, why do you ask?”I didn’t want to appear frightened, but my voice shook involuntarily. Lister, with a mocking expression, leaned sideways, resting his elbow on the armrest, and looked up at me.“That man would have been better off dying in Tesfaya, don’t you think?”“What does that have to do with me?”I muttered in a small voice, avoiding Lister’s gaze.“Nothing to do with you?”Lister questioned.That loaded question sparked a sudden anxiety. Did he know about the relationship between Jiyod and me? From what I’d heard from the servants and other workers, it was practically an open secret in Castle Karlac. However, that relationship had ended three years ago, when I was stripped of my title and demoted to the status of a slave for my crimes. Everyone believed it was over. Regardless of how I felt, it was, at least officially, over.Above all, a slave was the property of their master and was not allowed to be involved in any relationship without permission. Hadn’t Lister made that very clear to me last winter? I recalled that horrible night when he had forcibly stripped me and checked between my legs, making my lower lip tremble involuntarily.If Lister were to find out that I had seen Jiyod recently…A cold sensation ran down my spine like a sharp gust of wind.I slowly opened my mouth.“Of course, it has nothing to do with me. How could a slave like me have anything to do with the King of Ipsen? We’ve never even met.”“Never met?”Lister’s eyes scrutinized my face.“I…”I swallowed dryly, trying to appear as natural as possible.“Why would someone like me, a slave, ever meet him?”“You might’ve run into him from a distance, accidentally. You’ve been wandering around again, haven’t you? And that Ipsen slave has been strutting around Castle Karlac as if it were his own territory.”“I don’t know.”The inside of my eyelids felt dry.I shook my head.“Even if I had run into him, how would I know? It’s not like he’s walking around with ‘bastard’ and ‘Ipsen slave’ written across his chest.”“True, but he might as well be, given his behavior.”A sly smile crept across Lister’s lips.“After all, he’s the only one in Karlac proudly wearing the beast’s crest, utterly shameless…”At that moment, I remembered the Ipsen crest I had tucked inside my inner lapel, making my chest feel warm. I fought hard to stop my hand from instinctively reaching for it.Feigning indifference, I tilted my head to the side.“So, why are you telling me all this? Are you asking for help drafting a letter? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to write already, Sir Knight.”At my sarcastic remark, Lister’s eyebrows shot up. He glared at me.“Who!”He snarled, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged as if he might snap the quill he was holding.“Just get out and finish cleaning up!”Shrugging, I turned away from him. In that moment, my eyes grew hot, and my lower lashes became moist. Quickly, I pressed my sleeve to my eyes, wiping away the tears before he could notice. Holding back tears was harder than I expected.As I slowly organized the scattered items on the table, I tried to imagine something pleasant. Kirsten’s toy soldiers, the scent of dried chrysanthemums, almonds soaked in honey, oranges, olives, cheese, a cloudless blue sky, the sound of string instruments, a subtle musk—like the scent from his embrace… Ah. I wanted to slap myself.And yet, despite everything, I secretly rejoiced at the news that he wouldn’t be leaving Karlac, that he wouldn’t be going to war. I hated myself for it.Contrary to everyone’s expectations, preparations for the campaign moved quickly. As the sandstorm subsided, autumn deepened.The Great Commander led the army out of Karlac toward Kirdara on a cold morning when the gray sky was densely packed with storm clouds. He would first take a small force east from Karlac to his estate at Inkery to replenish his private troops before making a full march toward Kirdara.It was only a few hours after the army had left Karlac when lightning flashed across the sky, thunder shook the walls, and thin raindrops began to fall. The rain gradually became heavier, and by late evening, a torrential downpour had begun.It was the last rain of autumn.***A few days after the Great Commander had departed, one afternoon, I was wandering the deserted north garden, basking in the last rays of sunlight before winter arrived, while Kirsten took a nap.Through the camellia bushes, where buds were starting to bloom, I heard quick, light footsteps approaching. I turned in the direction of the sound to see Yurel, his face flushed, waving and running toward me. He stopped in front of me, panting several times before grabbing the cuff of my sleeve.“Slan! Have you heard?”“Heard what?”I looked down at him with a puzzled expression, and he tugged harder on my sleeve.“There’s going to be an execution!”“An execution?”I blinked in surprise at the unexpected news.Yurel, his face red, nodded energetically.“Inside the inner walls! It might have already started! We need to hurry!”“I’m not really interested in—”“Someone stole some very important letters from a high-ranking person in Castle Karlac! It’s the first execution inside the inner walls in three years! Hurry, let’s go, quickly!”Three years?But before I could think deeply about it, Yurel tugged at me again, pulling so hard it felt like he’d rip my clothes. In the end, I couldn’t resist his urging and reluctantly followed him.All the way to the courtyard between the main building and the walls, Yurel rushed me along. The sound of the crowd’s murmurs grew closer. In the distance, I saw a huge gathering of people, layered in a circle. There must’ve been hundreds of them. The noise was almost unbearable. Fearing someone might recognize me, I quickly pulled up the hood of my robe, but my worries were unfounded. Everyone seemed too excited by the prospect of a legal execution to pay any attention.Yurel, still clutching my sleeve, led me through the crowd.“Hurry! We’re going to miss it! Teren said he saved us a good spot with a great view…”It had been three years since I’d been in such a large crowd. My temples were already throbbing with a headache. Though it was late autumn, and the weather was cool and crisp, this place was filled with an odd heat. That heat was rising from the center of the crowd.The smell of it wafted into my nose, strange and unpleasant.The smell of hot metal melting in the flames. The scent of burning cloth and flesh.“This way!”Yurel pulled me sharply. Powerless against the small but strong boy, I was dragged up a few temporary wooden steps. Once I gained a higher vantage point, the scene became clear.In the center of the crowd stood a makeshift platform made of long sandstone tiles. Armored knights stood in a line beside it, swords in hand. On the platform, a large pile of wood was burning brightly.In the middle of the blazing fire, something pale was swaying, but it wasn’t because of the wind.A suit of steel armor was flailing its arms within the flames.It wasn’t being moved by the wind.With every flicker of the fire, the armor jerked. The helmet, fully enclosed with a visor, concealed the face. The body, clad in a breastplate, was chained tightly to a massive steel pole. The flames licked at it, causing the limbs to thrash about.A fire execution. And a particularly cruel one.“What is that…? I can’t see anything through the fire.”Below me, Yurel’s voice sounded disappointed.I blankly stared at the platform.The wriggling armor—no, the person inside—gradually stopped moving. Every time the crowd, gathered to witness the execution, shouted, the armor, glowing red-hot from the flames, twitched. Did they scream? I don’t know… perhaps I couldn’t hear it.“It’s already over. Teren was sure they’d be hanged this time…”Yurel muttered.Unable to hide my disgust, I turned my head, covering my mouth and nose with one hand. No matter how grave the crime, killing someone in such a cruel way was…But then, as I turned my head unconsciously, I noticed a familiar profile.It was a small, thin woman dressed in a black robe. Her long black hair reached past her shoulders, and her gaunt face made her features stand out sharply.It was Ida. She stood about twenty steps away, staring intently at the gruesome scene, unaware of my presence.She didn’t seem like the type to come watch something like this… Just as I thought that, a soft ripple passed across her expressionless face. The tightly drawn line of her lips loosened, and the corners of her small mouth lifted slightly.My hands stiffened. The sound of the crowd’s shouts faded, as if they were coming from beyond a distant cliff, while the sound of my own heartbeat grew louder and louder.The stench of melting metal and burning flesh made me feel intensely nauseous.I gasped for breath, still covering my mouth and nose.“I don’t want to watch this.”At my muttering, Yurel looked up at me, confusion clearly written on his face.“Uh… uh… are you okay? You don’t look so good.”“I need to leave.”I coldly shook off his hand, which had still been clutching my sleeve, and turned away. I vaguely heard him calling after me, but his voice barely registered.I pushed through the crowd, quickening my pace. My left ankle began to hurt, but I ignored it and limped through the throng of people. If I slowed down even a little, I felt like I might collapse and vomit on the spot. The nauseous feeling twisted deep inside me. I ran all the way back to the Glenberg estate without stopping.It wasn’t until I reached the quiet, empty northern courtyard that I slowed my steps. The sharp pain in my left ankle intensified.The annex was also silent, perhaps because everyone had gone to watch the execution. I limped back to my room. As soon as I closed the door, my body collapsed to the floor.Sitting there, I pulled my knees up and buried my face against them. My shoulders began to shake. A chill ran through my bones, though my skin prickled as if I’d touched fire.A terrible headache drowned out the pain in my ankle. I clenched my eyes shut and bit my lip hard.Ida’s profile, and the faintly raised corners of her lips, flashed through my mind. And then, as if I’d received some sort of revelation, I naturally thought of her husband. What had happened to her husband, who had once served me? Ida had never spoken directly about him, but I instinctively knew he was no longer of this world.It felt like someone was shouting right next to my ear, my eardrums buzzing.What happened to her husband, who had served me?How did he know Jiyod?And why was Ida, who claimed to have no ties to Jiyod, now working with him to help me?Just like she had promised Inkery to Lea, had she also promised something to Ida?What was it?Why was she smiling?Who was the one that died inside that armor?The headache grew worse, as if my skull was about to split.I pressed my forehead against my knees, trying to stop thinking. Unable to bear the pain, tears streamed down my cheeks.I must have briefly passed out.The sound of a light knock on the door brought me back to consciousness. My eyelids felt heavy, likely swollen from crying. I rubbed my eyes with my fingertips and got up. The headache had mostly subsided, but the pain in my ankle was worse than before. Limping, I walked to the door and opened it.Yurel stood outside, guilt written all over his young face.“Um…”He looked at my face, frowning with concern.“Are you okay?”“I’m fine. It’s just a bit of a headache.”I pressed my fingers to my temple and forced a smile.“Sorry for leaving so suddenly. I just… don’t like things like that.”It took considerable effort to keep my voice steady.“I’m really not into it.”“Right.”Yurel answered in a subdued voice, his gaze falling to the floor.“Sorry. I dragged you there. I just thought… you seemed down lately, and maybe it would help take your mind off things.”“Thanks.”“Teren says there are some high-ranking folks who don’t like watching executions. Since you’re not a knight like the lord here, maybe it’s not your thing either… You’re not a noble, but you’re kind of like one, and maybe could be someday.”His jumbled words caught my attention, and I frowned.“Could be a noble?”“Yes.”Yurel tilted his head, glancing up at me, then quickly looked away, as if realizing I was displeased.“That’s not what I meant. It’s just something Teren said. He picks up on all sorts of rumors, you know. Anyway, don’t worry about it. It’s probably just nonsense.”“What rumor?”“I’ve mentioned it before. Really, it’s nothing.”“Yurel. What’s the rumor?”When I called his name, he sighed deeply.“You know, people say…”“About Lister?”“Yeah. They say you and Lord Lister are going to get married. If that happens, you’d become a real noble, right? Well, half-noble…”A cold sweat broke out down my spine. It felt like someone was stabbing my back and tailbone with icy needles, and a block of ice slid between my shoulder blades.“That’s not going to happen.”My voice was much colder and sharper than I’d intended. Yurel flinched.“I know. That’s why I said it’s nonsense. I remember you saying before that it would never happen. Teren just likes to gossip, you know…”Yurel, watching my expression, took a step back.“Sorry about today.”Then he pulled something from behind his back and held it out to me—a small glass jar, half-filled with dried apple slices soaked in sugar.“I swiped it from the kitchen. I thought you could eat this and feel better.”I softened my expression and smiled at him.“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”When I took the jar, relief spread across his face, and his nose turned red as he looked down again.“It’s nothing. I just didn’t want you to be mad. I’m glad you’re not. See you later.”With that, he turned and ran down the hall with light footsteps. I watched his retreating figure until it disappeared, then closed the door. The glass jar warmed slightly in my hand. I felt a bit guilty for having shown him such a bad side of myself. Carefully, I placed the jar inside the dresser.***Winter was fast approaching.Lisbeth couldn’t leave for Movik Sinen. It was because they didn’t think her body could endure the long journey.Like a bird in hibernation, she spent most of her days asleep in bed. The only time anyone could see her face was the brief moment she opened her eyes to eat. Her gaze was drowsy, clouded by medication, and she spoke slowly, as if wandering through a dream. The wizards said it was due to painkillers and fever reducers. No one could do anything. They could only wait for Lisbeth to recover on her own, just as she had in the past.Lister was going out less often than before. Every few days, he would either attend an audience with the Duke of Karlac or inspect the areas outside the castle, but for the most part, he spent longer hours at the residence. He continued Lisbeth’s work—receiving visitors who came for various reasons, engaging in long discussions with other knights or wizards, receiving and sending letters.Of course, he didn’t forget to bother me whenever he found the chance.Today, he suddenly called for me again in the middle of the day, telling me to come inside. When I hesitated, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me in. I screamed in surprise, but he paid no attention.“Who said I’d eat you?”Lister grumbled as he finally dragged me into the inner room and let go of my wrist.As soon as I was free, I took a step back, rubbing the wrist that he had grabbed, all while glaring at him warily. My wrist had a red, rough handprint, and I couldn’t help but frown.“Why did you call me again? I’m busy.”“For a slave, you’ve got a mouth on you… What could you possibly be busy with? Playing nursemaid?”Lister smirked and gestured toward a comfortable chair in the room.“Sit.”“No. Just say what you need to say and make it quick.”“Do I need to make you sit?”His voice turned harsh, and eventually, I bit my lip and went over to the chair to sit, as he ordered.Once I was seated, Lister unlocked a large cabinet attached to the wall. When the heavy wooden door opened, a grand safe lined with metal appeared. I frowned slightly. I had seen that safe before. When Lister received his reward for successfully repairing the outer walls, he had specifically called me over to show off, opening the safe and pulling out each jewel one by one.Did he get new jewels from somewhere?I watched him quietly, my lips pursed.Lister pulled the large, heavy safe out from the cabinet with both hands. He placed the safe in front of me, took a large silver key from his pocket, and inserted it into the lock. After a few soft clicks, the lid opened smoothly. Lister shoved the lid back with one hand.As the lid flipped open, mechanical gears whirred into motion, and two or three shelves rose along with it. On the shelves lined with black velvet, all sorts of jewels sparkled brilliantly.I stared blankly at the expensive stones. There was a time in the past when I had so many of these that I could have tripped over them. The memory was short-lived. I looked back up at Lister, meeting his gaze. Go ahead, show off all you want. I’m not the least bit jealous. My eyes seemed to say it, and Lister shrugged.“Pick one.”“What?”“I said pick one.”“Pick what?”I asked, still confused, and a smirk spread across Lister’s face.“Pick whatever you want. You’re going to wear it, so choose the one you like best.”“Why should I do this?”Lister, seeming tired of the back-and-forth, turned away from me and reached for a platinum crown on the middle shelf. It was adorned with tiny diamonds and bright sapphires. It sparkled brilliantly, even in his rough hands, as the light streaming through the window caught it.“Since your hair is light, this would suit you better.”“Why should I wear something like this?”“Are you saying you won’t?”“No, I won’t.”At my firm response, Lister’s expression darkened with irritation. He roughly set the platinum crown back down and furrowed his brow, as if the whole situation was giving him a headache.“Stop pretending you don’t know. It’s for the wedding. Or do you plan to look like that there too? With your hair all wild and wearing those rags like some common worker? If you’re trying to embarrass me, you’ve picked the perfect way.”“Are you insane?”I couldn’t stay calm any longer. My voice sharpened, but Lister just laughed at me as if my reaction was ridiculous.“Who do you think is the crazy one here? The slave who keeps speaking disrespectfully to their master? Or me, who’s kindly picking out jewels for his fiancée?”“Who said…”There was no point in continuing the conversation. I stood up abruptly, intending to leave. But as soon as I moved, Lister’s sharp voice cut through the air.“Sit down.”I exhaled harshly, the tension evident in my breathing. My fingertips started to twitch ever so slightly.Lister was staring at me. In the depths of his green eyes, there was a flicker of anger, or perhaps something else, something that was definitely not a good emotion.Panting, I slowly sat back down in the chair. Lister grinned, satisfied, before turning his attention back to the jewelry box.“Blue is probably better than red. Your eyes are blue, and so are mine.”As he rambled on, he picked up another piece.“If platinum seems too common, jade wouldn’t be a bad choice. My sister liked jade. She mostly wore white jade, but since you have blonde hair, green jade would suit you better. It matches my eyes too.”I kept my mouth shut, listening to his nonsense in silence.“It would be better to get something newly made, but given the situation in Karlac and with my sister unwell, it’s probably best to keep things quiet. There’s no need to stir up any rumors, right? Of course, we can always revisit the matter of the wedding jewelry later… Are you listening?”Instead of responding, I simply lowered my gaze. Lister slammed the jewelry box shut with a heavy thud. The lid fell with a loud bang, followed by the click of the lock mechanism engaging.“What are you so upset about?”Upset? Does he really not know?Rather than voicing my disbelief, I just remained silent. Lister clicked his tongue. He muttered some curses under his breath, then fell silent for a few moments. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke again, this time in a forced, gentle tone.“Get your mind straight. It’s better than living as a slave for the rest of your life, isn’t it?”There was no point in telling this madman that I would rather stay a slave than marry him. When I didn’t respond, Lister’s breathing grew rougher. For a while, only the sound of his heavy breaths filled the room.“Fine, whatever.”He tapped the lid of the safe with his fingers.“Anyway, once winter passes, you’ll be heading to Glenberg.”At those words, I instinctively jerked my head up. Our eyes met. Lister was looking down at me, a smirk lifting one corner of his mouth.“I’m n-not going.”“You will.”“Lisbeth—”“Your sister has already given her permission.”“But Lisbeth said she wouldn’t…”“Right. She said she’d think about it once more. And after thinking it over, this is the conclusion she came to.”He spread his arms slightly and shrugged.“Wh-why are you…?”“Does the ‘why’ matter?”Lister took a step toward me. With just that single step, he was standing right in front of me. His finger tapped lightly against my cheek. It was a touch that might seem familiar between close friends, but the reality was far from it. From where his finger made contact, a chill and shivers crept up, spreading through my body until my hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.“Your life won’t be much different from now.”A cold sweat broke out at the back of my neck as a cruel smile spread across his face.“You just won’t be allowed to roam around as freely as you do now. You know I’m not the type to let that slide.”He smiled brightly, and I couldn’t even muster a response. I simply lowered my head, unable to breathe. My gaze fell weakly to the tiles on the floor.“Just behave. That’s all you need to do. Isn’t that easy? Got it? Now, shall we pick out the jewel again? Which one did you say was better earlier?”From then on, I was utterly disconnected. Stopping this ridiculous business about marriage and engagement gifts was already beyond my control. Whenever Lister held something up and muttered to himself, I merely nodded.After what felt like an eternity, I heard a click as the lid of the jewelry box closed. Lister picked it up and returned it to the drawer, locking it with a key. The clunk of the drawer shutting brought me back to my senses.I hesitantly lifted my gaze toward Lister. A satisfied expression was plastered on his face. He seemed rather pleased with how obedient I had been while selecting the jewels.“Don’t bother with useless thoughts. In spring, we’ll head to Glenberg. Once the Great Commander returns, we’ll leave Karlac right away.”His words echoed in my mind like someone pounding a gong.I slowed my breathing, trying to sound as casual as possible when I asked, “He’s only just left, and he’s returning already?”“Well, the succession war in Kirdara doesn’t seem like it’ll drag on for long.”He slumped into the chair opposite me as he continued.“Since the southern bastards have intervened, it’ll be over soon.”“The South? Whose side are they on?”At my question, Lister stared at me for a moment. That gaze made my shoulders flinch. After a pause, he slowly responded.“Who do you think those sorcery-practicing southerners are siding with? All of them are savages who should be thrown into prison for illegal trials. Ha!”He clicked his tongue.From that, I could tell which side was winning the war.The war wouldn’t last long. The wealth and military power of the prosperous South were not to be underestimated. Our Eastern Karlac had chosen the wrong side. And now that defeat was inevitable, there was no reason for the Great Commander to lead his army all the way to Kirdara.The Great Commander, likely now marching toward the Grand Canyon from Inkery, was probably stalling for time, trying to avoid involvement in the war altogether. There was no point in entering a battle where the outcome had already been decided, especially if it meant making an enemy out of the future Duke of Kirdara.Karlac would not get entangled in this war, just as we hadn’t in the last thousand years, and wouldn’t in the next thousand either.On my way out of Lister’s quarters, Kirsten, who seemed to have just finished a writing lesson and had ink-stained clothes, came bounding down the stairs and rushed to me. The young boy giggled as he clung to my leg.“I told you not to run on the stairs.”At my scolding, Kirsten twisted his body bashfully and smiled.“I just saw Mother.”“Oh? How did she seem?”“She had cookies with me! And we drank tea… and then she lifted me onto the bed!”“Really?”At those words, a wave of relief filled my chest.In this situation where only Lisbeth could stop Lister, her health was more important than anything. Though I despised my own duplicity for pretending to care about her just to protect myself, with the absurd notions of marriage and engagement jewelry becoming a looming reality, I simply didn’t have the mental capacity to care.“I should go see her myself for a bit.”Now that Lisbeth was coherent, I had to meet her right away.I needed to ask her about this ridiculous scheme Lister was concocting and beg her—if not this year, then next year, or whenever she felt better—to take me with her to Movik Sinen. I would even be willing to live as a slave forever and give up reclaiming my status if only I didn’t have to get married.“Slan. Are we going to be family now?”“…What?”Kirsten’s innocent question rendered my mind blank for a moment. I lowered my gaze to meet his eyes. His bright, clear eyes looked up at me, filled with expectation.“Who told you that?”My voice was dry, as if caught in a sandstorm, and as brittle as the cracked, dried riverbed of the Kövisto River.“Mother.”He answered in his innocent voice.“She said after winter, you’ll be part of the family. But I won’t be able to act spoiled anymore… Are we going to Glenberg, Slan?”Each word of his sentence fragmented and broke down into individual letters. Those letters swirled around my ears and turned into a large, sharp blade that plunged deep into my frontal lobe.With a rigid touch, I pried Kirsten off my leg. He looked at me in confusion, trying to grab my hand again, but I shook him off irritably.“That won’t happen, Kirsten.”I coldly declared, staring at the boy who was looking up at me, clueless.“We will never be family. Because I am a slave and…”I couldn’t finish my sentence and took a step back. Kirsten looked up at me with his mouth slightly open.