Chapter 1
Footsteps echoed clearly down the corridor.
The thought that the envoy of the Allied Nations would soon enter through that door made Edith’s lips go dry.
I am the Crown Princess of the Empire. If I fail to persuade him, there’s nothing I can do.
If she couldn’t conduct herself properly, he would doubt her competence. Edith went over the words she had rehearsed all night, repeating them in her mind so she wouldn’t forget.
Several sets of footsteps stopped at the door, and then it slowly opened. Edith took a deep breath and steadied herself. She could not afford to fail.
“Terdiant of Carion pays his respects to His Highness, the Crown Prince of Ruhain.”
A deep, measured voice resonated. As Terdiant entered the room, Edith immediately understood the source of his reputation.
His face, sharp and refined like polished obsidian, emanated both elegance and a noble aura. Shadows cast by the dim light accentuated the contours of his features.
With each step he took, his black hair swayed lightly over his brows, capturing Edith’s gaze.
In his deep, cool eyes, Edith saw herself reflected.
“It is an honor. This is our first meeting, Your Highness, Terdiant of Carion. Thank you for coming so willingly.”
“I am merely fulfilling my duty as an ally.”
Having lost everything, that simple acknowledgment was enough to inspire gratitude. Yet there was no time to linger on sentiment.
Duty alone would not sustain an alliance. Edith asked directly, without hesitation:
“What is it that the Allied Nations seek from me?”
“…Before that, I would ask that all others leave.”
“Your Highness Terdiant, everyone present here is trustworthy.”
Terdiant’s cold gaze pierced Edith. She tried to remain composed, but the oppressive aura emanating from him made her feel as if she could barely breathe.
“Then may I borrow the Crown Princess’s ear for a moment? I believe Your Highness would prefer a private conversation with me.”
That much was acceptable.
With Edith’s consent, Terdiant slowly inclined his head and stepped closer. It was the first time she had ever whispered so closely to a stranger.
Instinctively, Edith drew in a sharp breath. His exhalation tickled her ear. Every nerve in her body seemed to flare with heightened sensitivity.
“Is that not so?”
But the voice that followed nearly made her lose her composure entirely. It was a whisper meant only for her.
“Crown Princess Edith.”
The fortress walls were ablaze. It was the rebellion of the Second Prince, Richard. The Crown Prince’s twenty-first birthday was still less than a month away.
The imperial palace of the Ruhain Empire, which had enjoyed a century and a half of peace and prosperity, was now filled with screams.
The prince’s mercenaries surrounded the palace relentlessly, and unprepared palace staff scrambled in panic.
Even the royal guard, sworn to protect the royal family, fell to the mercenaries, their reputation meaningless against the onslaught. Years of complacency during peacetime had left them unready.
“Crown Princess Edith!”
The doors burst open, and two armed knights stormed into the princess’s chambers. Behind the fluttering thin curtains, the girl, dazed, looked out over the terrace and then turned toward them.
Her hair shone like moonlight across the night sky, and the deep shadow over her amethyst-like eyes gave her an almost otherworldly presence. The knights paused, captivated by her.
“Who are you?”
Startled back to focus, one knight hurriedly replied, “Third Order Knights, Your Highness. We will escort you to safety.”
No one remained to chastise the knights for their audacity. The young maid guarding Edith’s room had disappeared at the first sign of commotion to seek help, leaving only the warning not to leave the room alone.
Edith quickly scanned the knights, but the person she had been waiting for was absent.
“Where are the Emperor and my brother?”
“They are unharmed, Your Highness. You must only ensure your own safety.”
Could she consider this a minor relief? If the Emperor and the Crown Prince were safe, the rebellion would soon be quelled. Edith clasped her trembling hands to steady herself and let out a breath of relief.
As she prepared to follow the knights, a faint metallic tang of blood reached her nose.
“…But.”
Edith froze in place.
“I do not recognize your face.”
The knights’ expressions shifted instantly. A chill ran down her spine.
“…We were sent by His Majesty,” the knight said.
Lies.
Her mind went blank.
“We will take responsibility and escort Your Highness to safety.”
The knights advanced toward her. Though they had not drawn their swords, it was clear they would seize her if she did not comply.
Shouting would be futile; she would likely be captured before anyone could intervene. Instinctively, Edith stepped back, her mind filled with thoughts of escape.
But how?
Before the only door stood the knights, vigilant and armed. Success seemed impossible. The terrace behind her came to mind, yet Edith’s chamber was on the third floor.
If luck favors me… maybe if I fall into the bushes below, I might survive without permanent injury.
That reckless thought vanished as her back collided with the table. Edith swallowed dryly. The candle flames flickered.
Within reach, her hands grasped the candlestick. As the knights drew near, instinct overtook reason. She swung the candleholder, splattering hot wax across their faces.
“Ah! Hot!”
The startled knights recoiled. It was her only chance. Edith seized the moment and ran.
Just a little further… if I can reach the door, surely someone will come to help me.
“Seize the princess!”
The knights regained their composure and gave chase. Her long hair whipped behind her as they closed in.
“Got her—uh?”
Edith slipped from their grasp by the narrowest margin. A man in a navy uniform leapt through the open door, pulling her into his arms.
Edith looked up to see his brown hair matted with blood.
“Karl!”
“Sorry for being late, Your Highness.”
Karl hurriedly shielded Edith behind him. The familiar face she had always known now bore a fierce expression. His olive eyes, usually gentle, blazed sharply.
“Are these the Second Prince’s mercenaries?”
“The esteemed captain of the knights has arrived, it seems.”
One knight spoke in a derisive tone. They had assumed capturing the princess would be easy, yet an unexpected obstacle had intervened.
“I thought you’d stay close to the Emperor, yet here you are.”
“Do you believe you can commit such deeds and remain unscathed?”
“Following orders is mutual. Do not take it too personally.”
Exchanging glances, the knights lunged at Karl simultaneously. Alone, no one dared to challenge the empire’s finest knight, but two together were a threat worth facing. Any conscience had long been abandoned by participating in this rebellion.
“Your Highness, do not watch.”
Karl easily pushed aside the first knight’s sword, striking him down. The heavy body crashed to the floor with a thud.
Though he had already taken several lives on the way here, the brutality of combat remained something unfamiliar that could not be easily mastered overnight.
Time, however, would not wait. Karl wiped the blood from his sword and advanced. The remaining knight fell moments later.
Karl roughly brushed blood from his face. Not a single scream came from behind. Perhaps Edith had been too stunned to cry out.
As Karl rose, concerned for the frightened Edith, a chill grazed his nape. Reflexively, his weapon froze mid-swing.
“Tell me. How did you come here? What of His Majesty and the Crown Prince? Prove to me that you are not a spy.”
Edith spoke rapidly, sword in hand. Despite her calm expression, the tip of the blade trembled visibly. Karl quickly lowered his weapon and knelt.
“Your Highness, I swear truthfully. Upon learning of the Second Prince’s rebellion, His Majesty immediately commanded that I escort you to safety.”
“Father…”
Edith’s eyes flickered. If only the Emperor remained while everyone else departed, the outcome was already set. Karl read her expression and continued.
“The Crown Prince has likely already evacuated through the eastern exit closest to the palace. I planned to escape the castle with Your Highness and reunite afterward.”
“…How can I trust that?”
“If you wish, I can lay down my life here and now to prove my loyalty.”
“….”
“As captain of the knights, I will accept any punishment for leaving His Majesty’s side. But if Your Highness is harmed, I would betray the Emperor’s will by failing my duty.”
Karl’s unwavering eyes met hers.
“There is no time, Your Highness.”
She knew it—she had never doubted him since childhood. Even if she pointed a sword at him, she could overpower him easily.
Only when she heard his imploring voice did she realize her own fear had been forcing her suspicion. The sword slipped from her hand, clanging sharply against the floor.
“…I’m sorry. I doubted you.”
Karl shook his head.
“Your Highness must keep your resolve.”
Karl tore his cloak and wrapped it around Edith, her moonlit hair disappearing beneath the fabric.
“Forgive my impertinence.”
He lifted her lightly and ran. Turning down the long corridor, the carnage that had been visible only from above now sprawled before them.
The maid who had left the room never returned. Following the trail of fallen shoes, Edith saw pale feet resting atop a pool of blood like snow.
Would she have survived if left alone in the room? The shock hit her even harder than witnessing a severed head directly.
Everything around her seemed to slow to an unbearable pace, the distant clamor ringing faintly in her ears before fading repeatedly.
Edith surrendered to Karl’s protection, absorbed in grief, unsure of their destination.
When her feet finally touched solid ground again, all was quiet. The smell of aged parchment brought her focus to a room filled wall to wall with bookshelves: the imperial library of the palace, housing the empire’s history and knowledge.
Edith’s face registered confusion in the unlikely setting. Only the distant noises reminded her that none of this was a dream.
“Karl, why here?”
“There is no shorter path from the beginning. Beneath this library lies a secret passage in the palace.”
Karl approached a dais at the center of the library.
“His Majesty informed me. There are three secret passages that have been passed down through generations in the palace, but I know only this one. The exact locations of the others are known only to the Emperor and the Crown Prince.”
Atop a triangular pedestal sat three statues: Osmart, holding a lantern; Muana, with a serpent and owl upon his shoulders; and Seneryl, holding an olive branch and wearing a laurel crown.
The three sages who had shaped the empire’s foundation under the will of the goddess gazed coldly at Edith.
Karl used a torch to light the empty lantern on the statues. The once-cold marble seemed to come alive in a warm glow.
Turning the owl’s head counterclockwise revealed that part of the statue, previously misaligned, now fit perfectly.
Edith watched silently, mesmerized. Karl moved the olive branch, producing a click, and a cold draft blew from beneath the statues. Sliding the knee-high dais aside revealed a narrow passage that a person could pass through.
The commotion outside was growing closer.
“Your Highness, this way!”
Karl urged Edith urgently. She bit her lip and quickly wriggled into the secret passage. She painfully understood that escape was the only option.
Once Edith had vanished entirely into the passage, Karl followed swiftly, closing the entrance behind him. With a soft thunk, the torchlight extinguished naturally.
When the soldiers finally opened the library doors, all the mechanisms had returned to their original positions.
