Chapter 63
Back again, eight years earlier.
Because of the trouble she caused by sneaking into Huihyo Palace last time, Argana had worried her mother. So this time, she slipped away from her quarters in secret, avoiding the eyes of the maids and eunuchs so that no one would know.
The palace was complicated, but for Argana—who had been roaming through its corners since birth—it was easier than sipping thin porridge.
She used cracks in the walls and even scaled fences to loop around the back of the palace without being seen. And once again, her destination was Huihyo Palace.
Today, Huihyo Palace was quiet. At least, until Argana stepped inside.
She looked around the courtyard, half-expecting Yetekerid to be hiding somewhere, but not even a mouse was in sight.
Just then, amidst the eerie silence, a sharp smack! reached Argana’s ears.
The sound of something falling, followed by a faint cry. Anyone else might have missed it, but not Argana—born with exceptional hearing.
“What’s going on?”
Argana carefully followed the source of the sound.
The outer rooms, all wide open, were completely deserted.
The noises were coming from deeper inside. The closer she went, the clearer they became.
Someone was being beaten—harshly, and without any resistance.
The moment Argana stepped into a narrow corridor, a door suddenly creaked open and someone rushed out in a panic.
Not looking where she was going, the woman almost ran straight into Argana. She froze in shock, then quickly dropped to her knees.
“P—p—princess! Wh—what are you…?”
Argana finally recognized the maid’s face.
It was the very same woman who had once roughly dragged Yetekerid away by the wrist.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Her clear, firm voice made the maid tremble like a leaf in the wind.
“Do you not hear me? I asked what that sound was!”
“P—please forgive me, Your Highness! I—I… I cannot…”
But before the maid could finish, another smack! rang out, followed by a loud crash.
Argana’s eyes widened, and she started toward the sound, but the maid on the ground grabbed her ankle in desperation.
Her golden eyes blazed with fierce, dangerous light. Looking down at the hand clutching her leg, she spoke coldly.
“Let go. Do you want to die?”
“P—princess… n—now is not the time… you mustn’t go in—”
“I told you to let go!”
Argana kicked her foot free, sending the maid sprawling, and without a backward glance, she threw open the door where the noise was coming from.
She froze in shock.
The room was in complete chaos. Broken switches and rods lay scattered across the floor. And there stood Lady Ryoslav Bi, hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot, gasping like a madwoman.
In the corner, curled up in misery, was Yetekerid.
The air reeked of sweat, blood, and hatred.
The stench was sharp and metallic, like licking rusty iron—it made Argana’s skin crawl.
“Who’s there? Get out!”
Ryoslav Bi screamed.
Though she could not possibly fail to recognize Argana, her mind was too frayed to register.
Argana rushed past her, kneeling at Yetekerid’s side.
His breath rasped, his face and arms swollen and red from the beating.
“Don’t hit my brother, Mobi!”
“…What?”
Still shielding Yetekerid, Argana glared back at Ryoslav Bi.
“I said don’t hit my brother!”
A flash of killing intent passed through Ryoslav Bi’s eyes. Fortunately, at the last moment, she realized who she was facing.
“Do you know what you’re saying? He’s the child I bore from my own womb. I can beat him as I please. What right do you, a princess, have to interfere? Get out! Out, now!”
“I’ll leave. But I’m taking my brother with me. I can’t leave him here.”
“Never!”
“I will! What wrong has he done that you beat him so cruelly? How can a mother treat her child like this?”
“Wrong? Do you want to know his wrong? Do you? The wrong is his very birth! Just being alive is his sin!”
Argana was too young to understand what those words meant.
Instead of answering, she gently helped Yetekerid to his feet, then declared firmly:
“If you hit him again, I’ll tell Father.”
At that, the light drained from Ryoslav Bi’s eyes, leaving them hollow and empty.
Argana and Yetekerid did not notice, but that very moment of emptiness would one day shape Ryoslav Bi’s future.
Argana somehow managed to help her brother out of Huihyo Palace. She sat him down against a wall where the ground was flat.
His face was grotesquely swollen, lips torn, bruises covering his entire body. Each breath came with a wheeze and cough.
“Brother…”
Yetekerid opened his swollen eyes just enough to see her, then nodded weakly, gasping.
“Do you recognize me? Wait here. I’ll call for help—we’ll go to Mother, get you treated—”
“No.”
His hand clutched her sleeve with surprising strength as he shook his head.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I won’t… go to the Queen. I—cough!—I’ll be fine.”
“Brother, you’re bleeding! Do you know that?”
“I know…”
“Then how can you say you’re fine? What part of this is fine?!”
Yetekerid slowly shook his head.
Using the wall for support, he staggered upright. His legs trembled as if they might collapse at any moment.
“Wi-hwi… I’m really… cough! really fine. Don’t… don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I have to… stay by Mother’s side.”
“Why are you so stubborn, brother?”
Not knowing what else to do, Argana stamped her feet in frustration. But she realized then that even if he died on the spot, Yetekerid would never agree to go to Cheonhwa Palace.
With a sigh, she gave up on insisting.
Instead, she tugged the leather cord from around her own neck and slipped it over his.
The cool touch on his battered skin made Yetekerid flinch. Looking down, he saw a square jade token dangling from the necklace.
It was small, no larger than a fingertip, but carved upon it was the fierce image of a roaring tiger. On the back, the single character “Wi” was engraved.
“This was given to me by Father. If you wear it, you can come find me anytime. Use it if you need to. Promise me.”
“….”
“And this too.”
From a small leather pouch, she pulled out a round case of medicine ointment. It was clearly expensive.
When Yetekerid hesitated, she stuffed it into his belt herself.
“Use the medicine, brother.”
“…Why do you even carry that around?”
“I get hurt all the time when I practice sparring.”
“If sparring makes you hurt, cough! then you shouldn’t be doing it… it’s dangerous.”
Argana pouted like a duckling and rolled her eyes.
“But if I don’t, then I’ll lose. And I hate losing more than anything.”
She didn’t know what her brother thought of that.
But at least, when he nodded faintly, his breathing seemed a little calmer, and that gave her some comfort.
“Since I gave you my jade token, you have to come have tea with me, brother. Promise?”
“…Yes.”
But not that day, and not ever again after.
Yetekerid never once came to find Argana.
