Chapter 6
I woke up with an unpleasant feeling. But I couldn’t see anything. Everything my eyes landed on was shrouded in darkness.
Something slowly wrapped around my ankle. A dull ache followed. It felt like it was burning—as if scorched by fire.
Ah, this sensation… I knew what it was.
I didn’t look back, but I instinctively knew what was behind me.
In this space filled with nothing but darkness, a shadow in the shape of a serpent slithered. The nape of my neck stiffened in an instant, and the hairs on my body stood on end.
My chest tightened, and my hands tingled. Thump, thump, thump. A sound I couldn’t hear with my ears pounded inside my head.
Run!
The moment I thought that, I was already running. My lungs were about to burst from the strain, but I couldn’t stop.
Chasing me—was the serpent’s shadow. Blinding me—was the serpent’s shadow. Binding me—was the serpent’s shadow.
I couldn’t escape. No matter how far I ran, I couldn’t get away.
I couldn’t escape it. No—was I even really running?
In the distance, I saw a white light at the edge of the darkness. An exit! I sprinted toward it like my life depended on it.
As the darkness began to lift, the surroundings gradually brightened. The serpent’s shadow was no longer in sight. The radiant light filled me with a sense of relief.
I’m alive!
The breath I had held in burst out all at once. My legs slowed.
I reached toward the light. This light was hope. Fortune. My future. That’s what it felt like.
But then, in an instant, that bright white light was overtaken by another color.
Red. The entire world turned red. The light resembled the blood that flows across battlefields.
The shriek of metal split the sky. Disjointed voices rang out, making my head spin. This world—this river of blood—felt oddly familiar. And of course, it was.
Because it wasn’t blood. It was a blood-red sunset.
Thump, thump. My heart pounded. I slowly turned around. And there, I saw a man standing still.
“Nox.”
His name slipped from my mouth on its own. But he didn’t respond.
My gaze, which had been fixed on him, drifted to the tip of the sword he held. It was stained red—just like the sky.
The world spun. The ground tilted like a slope, pulling me down. My heart crashed to the floor.
“…!”
A voice echoed faintly, as if mimicking someone else’s, but there was only one thought in my mind.
I have to run!
“Miss!”
The voice rang out again, clearer this time. It hurt my head. I forced my unmoving legs to run with all my might.
I ran and ran—until there was no more red in sight.
But the red followed me everywhere I went. I couldn’t escape. Was I going to die again? Why? Why was I here? Why—why!
“Miss!”
In that moment, the muffled voice turned sharp and clear, piercing my ears. Suddenly, a flash of light filled my vision, and the red vanished in an instant.
Reality returned.
Stairs?!
I saw them—stairs I climbed up and down every day in the mansion. As I stopped running, my body, unable to keep up with the sudden halt, pitched forward.
“Miss!!!”
With a scream mixed in despair, I heard the loud thud of something falling. And then—I lost consciousness.
* * *
“Should we cancel the visit to the temple today?”
“No. It’s not that serious.”
The maid with navy-blue hair standing beside me asked anxiously. She had witnessed me fall down the stairs.
“…Are you really okay?”
“Of course. Um… your name is…”
“It’s Allie.”
“Right. Thank you for your concern, Allie.”
The doctor who had been called in a hurry said it was sleepwalking caused by extreme stress. Fortunately, it was a miracle I wasn’t injured.
That damn Calix…
It felt so unfair—being attacked not just in the imperial palace, but even in my dreams.
Was my stress really that bad?
Sure, the palace had been stressful, but I didn’t expect it to manifest like this.
I need to take things a bit easier.
I’d been thinking too much about what happened. The stress must have piled up.
Just endure it a little longer. Just a little more…
Things will get better. I kept repeating those words to myself like a mantra.
In any case, today’s sun had risen again. And that meant I had to face today’s responsibilities.
The mansion was already busy from early morning. I had summoned a dressmaker to the house to order a modest gown. Even after the designer left, the household remained noisy with preparations for my outing.
I chose a light pink dress with a pearly sheen. No jewels, no extravagant skirt, and nothing too eye-catching.
Unlike usual, I had my hair tied up and wore a modest hat with a small brim. I kept my makeup minimal and wore no accessories.
Dressed like this, I looked less like a noblewoman and more like the daughter of a well-to-do merchant.
Only Allie accompanied me as I boarded the carriage. Instead of the usual flashy carriage, I had one of the grooms prepare a simple one normally used for quick errands.
Sigh…
Maybe because of the nightmare, I felt drained since morning. Even when I tried not to think about the dream, it kept creeping back. I lightly slapped my cheeks with both hands.
Get it together. Today is important!
I was on my way to the Pallium Grand Temple.
More specifically, I was going to volunteer at the temple’s orphanage. That’s why I needed a modest dress and a plain carriage.
There was no guarantee the story would follow the original plot—but no guarantee it wouldn’t either. So, I decided to prepare some insurance.
It was the emperor who ultimately gave the order to execute Lilis.
The emperor wasn’t dead. He was just ill.
So, everything still reached the emperor’s ears. No matter how powerful the crown prince was, he could never surpass the emperor.
That means I can’t fully trust the imperial family either.
What I needed now was a safe zone—somewhere the emperor’s power didn’t reach.
That only leaves the holy grounds.
Among the sacred places, the safest and most secure was the Pallium Grand Temple. If I ran there, even the Imperial Knights couldn’t barge in without cause.
If I could befriend a priest or cleric—or at least a temple knight…
Regardless, it couldn’t hurt to make connections in the temple. I might need their help one day.
And I need to clean up my image, too.
I didn’t even need to ask what people thought of Lilis now. The expressions of the mansion staff and the palace servants said it all.
At this rate, the ending waiting for me was obvious.
So I need some good deeds to soften my ruined image.
Stories of wicked people finding redemption through faith were common, after all.
“Miss, are you really alright?”
Allie asked again, worried. Well, she had seen me fall with her own eyes. Of course she was more anxious than I was.
“I’m perfectly fine.”
I exaggeratedly rolled my shoulders to show I was in top form. She finally smiled, relieved.
Now that I thought about it, Allie had only joined the household two weeks ago. That meant she’d only heard rumors about Lilis’s behavior—never seen it firsthand.
That must be why she was comfortable enough to speak to me.
If I show that I get along with Allie, maybe the others will follow…
I thought of all the failed attempts I’d made to win over the maids before.
I’ve got a good feeling about this one.
Though my instincts had never really worked out before, I hoped this time would be different.
After some time, the carriage came to a stop. The coachman opened the door, and I stepped out slowly.
When Allie tried to follow me down, I handed her a leather pouch and made her sit back on the seat.
“While I’m finishing up here, go enjoy yourself in town.”
“Huh?”
Allie looked stunned.
“There’s always so much to do at the mansion, and you haven’t had any time off since you arrived. Take a good rest today.”
“But then you’ll be all alone, Miss!”
“Do I look like someone who can’t handle herself?”
“W-Well, no, but…”
I smiled as I closed the carriage door. Her eyes were filled with more worry than ever.
But of course, she couldn’t go against my wishes. I asked the coachman to return in the evening and sent the carriage away.
…And then, despite my confident claims, I got completely lost in the middle of the temple.
Everything looked the same—the decorations, the layout—I felt like I was walking in circles.
Maybe I should ask a priest for directions…
Worried I’d become completely lost if I wandered any farther, I stopped walking and looked around.
Naturally, everyone passing by seemed busy. I waited for a while until I finally spotted someone who didn’t seem to be in a hurry—a knight.
“Excuse me, are you a Temple Knight?”
“What brings you here?”
The knight responded kindly with a gentle smile.
His calm brown hair and green eyes—like summer caught in a bottle—gleamed under the temple’s soft light.
His silver armor, draped in a pure white cloak, met the stained glass glow in a way that made him look almost divine.
Wow.
If I hadn’t clenched my mouth shut, I definitely would’ve let out a gasp.
Isn’t it cheating for a background character to look like this?
Even if I wasn’t being chased by the emperor, I could imagine living a pretty nice life in the temple. Just for a moment, I really thought so.
