Chapter 167
“Arsel!”
“I can’t run fast. We’ll be caught anyway. If that happens, I’ll at least try to slow them down a little…!”
“No — I won’t!”
Ive shook her head as if she couldn’t believe what he was saying.
Arsel grabbed Ibi’s shoulder.
“Ibi, you can’t die here. You’re His Majesty’s—!”
At that instant an arrow thudded into the ground beside the children.
“Get down!”
Arsel shoved them under the bushes and whispered to Ibi.
“You know you’re smart, right? You know Ruska and I worked so hard for this — don’t let it be for nothing. Got it? If you think of us, run now!”
Ibi wanted to cry harder than ever.
She knew. If she hesitated here, Ruska and Arsel’s sacrifice would be wasted.
Still, she wanted to make the stupid choice.
She just wanted to stay and block those people with Arsel…
Arsel smiled more brightly than ever and kissed the back of Ibi’s hand.
“Ibi, I promised. I’d be a good friend and protect you.”
It had been a promise from long ago — someone had asked him to be kind to a child who didn’t even have a proper name yet.
He’d grumbled about such a bothersome task, but secretly he’d been hopeful. So when that child died within two days of being born, Arsel had felt an indescribable grief.
He thought he had failed to keep his promise.
Wind brushed Arsel’s hair.
For the first time in his life he felt certain.
Ibi was that child.
The one he’d promised to protect even before she was born.
Using his last strength, Arsel shoved Ibi away.
“Go! Follow the water downhill! That’s the right way!”
Then he turned and walked toward where Siren’s party was approaching.
“Move!”
He shouted loudly as he left, deliberately making noise as he retraced his steps so they would hear him.
He had lured Siren toward him.
Ibi couldn’t hold onto Arsel as he pushed her away.
She knew that was the last thing Arsel wanted.
“Arsel, you idiot!”
At Ive’s shout, Arsel raised his hand and waved as if to say he knew.
It sounded like a farewell, and Ive felt even sadder.
Ibi wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and turned away.
There, stood Ive, her face streaked with tears.
“Ive.”
Ibi took Ive’s hand.
Even like that, Arsel was making sure they could run away.
If they hesitated, Arsel’s efforts would be wasted.
‘That must never happen.’
She couldn’t let Arsel’s sacrifice become meaningless. So…
“Go.”
They had to run with everything they had.
At first they could only tell the path by the faint glint of Siren’s party in the distance.
At a time like this, it was a relief that both of them were small.
They could hear curses from above and knew something was happening, but they didn’t have the courage to stop and listen.
They were terrified that if they heard Arsel’s voice they would freeze in place.
“Huff, huff…”
In the past she would have cried out, but Ive only shed quiet tears and ran after Ibi without complaining even though her shoes were gone.
Slowly, the sky began to brighten.
The path became clearer — but that wasn’t good news.
Siren’s group chasing them had gained speed.
Without resting, running like mad along the trail, the two of them headed down into the valley.
Arsel had told them to follow the water.
Ibi had read it in a book once: if you get lost in the mountains, follow the flow of water and you’ll find a village.
From afar came the rough voices of men — sounds like curses.
They were the ones pursuing them.
Ibi slipped off the trail and hid behind a small rock nearby.
Instinct told her the truth.
They would be caught soon.
If things stayed this way, both of them would die — but there was a way for at least one to survive.
“Ive, wait.”
Like Ruska and Arsel before them, one could leave while the other stayed.
If one left and one remained, then not both would die — at least one would live.
Ibi looked at Ive, who was trembling with fear.
Both of them were a wreck after racing down the rough forest path — clothes torn by thorns, covered in mud and plant stains.
But there was one difference.
Ive bore cuts of various sizes wherever the thorns had scraped her, while Ibi’s clothes were torn but she had no wounds.
‘It’s always been like that.’
When she fell or was hit she could get hurt, but in the forest she never took injuries.
As if the trees didn’t sharpen their thorns toward her.
So when she was hurt, she would deliberately lean against the trees and sleep.
The pain would ease and the wounds would heal faster.
So then…
‘I can run faster.’
At that thought Ibi whispered in a small voice to Ive.
“Ive, take off your clothes.”
“Wh-what? Wh-why?”
“Hurry!”
Pressed by Ibi, Ive — not knowing why — took off her outer garment.
Ibi quickly took off her own outer garment and gave it to Ive, then put Ive’s clothes on herself.
Ive was baffled, not understanding why this was happening, when Ibi spoke.
“From here we go separately.”
“Why? Go together! I don’t want to—”
Ive burst into tears, thinking Ibi was abandoning her.
She tried to stifle her cries, as if aware of those chasing them.
“I—I won’t do bad things. I won’t be mean anymore. I really won’t… I like you, Ibi. Really…”
Gasping to catch her breath, Ive kept crying.
Ibi looked at her, unable to say a word.
‘If only one of us survives…’
Then who should survive?
Ibi thought of who would be sad if she died.
‘Irene.’
Since coming to the gifted academy, she’d always been with Irene. Even if she were Irene’s real younger sister, she doubted Irene would take care of her this well.
Even though she’d probably caused only trouble, Irene had always been there.
‘Professor Malres, Headmistress Seraphina…’
Though there were bullies, there were also adults who cared for them, making life at the academy bearable.
Professor Malres — who used to say he’d follow her wherever she went — and the always-tired headmistress who nevertheless acted fastest when something serious happened.
‘…The Director.’
She had been so absorbed in academy life she couldn’t write long letters, yet the director always wrote regularly.
Each letter ended the same way:
Our Ibi. Always loving you.
That line always made her feel good; she’d even scribbled kisses on the letter like when they were at the orphanage.
When she once sneaked potatoes to other kids, the director had noticed and called her in, giving some of the director’s own potatoes with some excuse.
Many people passed through Ibi’s mind — and at the end the person who came to mind was:
‘His Majesty.’
A strange adult she’d met at the academy.
She never went to unknown adult men on her own, yet she didn’t with the Emperor.
When she realized he was her guardian, she was so happy.
When he helped her with difficult foreign language practice, she’d feign ignorance just to talk longer and stay with him.
When he finally asked if she would be his daughter, she was so thrilled she couldn’t sleep.
Ibi looked at Ive.
When Ibi first saw the Emperor, he had been crying, mourning a daughter he had lost.
‘The daughter His Majesty longing for his whole life.’
That was why she both resented and envied Ive.
She wanted to call someone “Father” too.
She wanted to run to cling to him and beg for things like Ive did.
But…
Ibi rubbed her stinging eyes.
A child from the orphanage and the empire’s long-awaited princess.
She didn’t want to belittle herself, but she knew who people would be happier to see alive.
If Ibi survived and Ive died,
Those close to her would comfort and embrace her, but she could never escape the blame of others.
If Ibi died and Ive survived,
‘They’d be sad.’
The director, the professors, the headmistress.
Irene, Ruska, and if he survived, Arsel too would surely…
But other people would be overjoyed that Ive returned alive.
And more than anyone else… His Majesty would be.
Ibi stood up. She told Ive,
“Ive, go straight down this path. I’ll go up across the valley.”
“Why…?”
As Ive wondered if they were really going to split up, Ibi looked at her and said,
“I hate you.”
“I— Ibi?”
Ive stared in shock.
Ibi had never shown dislike before.
Even when others avoided someone, it had been Ibi who didn’t say anything. She’d never complained or said she disliked anything.
So why would she say this now?
Ive choked back her sobs and looked at Ibi.
Ibi’s face was more sincere than ever.
“I really, really hate you…”
Ibi’s eyes reddened as she held back tears.
She said nothing else and stared blankly at Ive, who didn’t know what to answer.
“But you… you must go and be with His Majesty alive.”
Because that would make His Majesty happy.
Ibi immediately turned and crossed the stream.
Who knows if someone spotted her.
From above, men’s voices and an arrow flew.
Ive, who was going to call out and follow, recoiled in fear at the arrow and hid again.
“Ibi…”
Ibi struggled to cross the stream and entered the bushes on the far side.
Then, instead of keeping quiet as she had until now, she deliberately rustled the undergrowth and small trees and disappeared beyond them.
“There — over there!”
“It’s the princess’s clothes! She ran that way!”
Closer now were the voices of the men.
Ive held her breath.
The men who had gone down passed the rock where Ive had been hiding and crossed the stream to chase Ibi.
“She went off the path!”
“Guess she thought she’d escape. Hurry! If we catch the princess, we can get away somehow! The Emperor will accept a deal for sure!”
After their noise passed completely, Ive rose from hiding and ran.
Ive wasn’t stupid.
‘She changed clothes on purpose.’
Ibi had disguised herself as Ive to draw the men away.
Ive, running wildly, tripped on a rock and tumbled forward.
Her knees scraped and her whole body hurt.
She wanted to lie down and just sob.
But Ive wiped her tears and got back up.
Ibi had told her before leaving that she hated her.
That must have been true. That made Ive feel even sadder.
She no longer hated Ibi.
How could she, when Ibi had changed clothes and fled to save her, even though she didn’t even like her?
Ive gritted her teeth and decided to do what she could.
‘He said he was near.’
So she had to go quickly and beg to be saved.
For Ibi, for Arsel — run with the knights and beat the bad men and rescue them.
After running for some time, Ive finally reached the mountain entrance path.
“There! Someone’s there!”
Ive encountered the Emperor’s knights rushing up.
