Chapter 1 Part 4

Through a window no bigger than the palm of her hand, she could see the dawn breaking. The dusky sky and the scarlet sun intertwined, creating a strange palette of colors. Morning was inevitably arriving.

She hadn’t slept a wink all night. Feeling as though a delayed fatigue was creeping in, Irina closed and opened her stiff eyes.

Then, a commotion began to be heard. With each passing moment, the noise grew closer, and Irina took a deep breath.

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“Your Majesty the Emperor!”

The announcement of the Emperor’s arrival echoed. It wasn’t long before the sound of clanking filled the air, and the door opened. The moment the door opened seemed to stretch on longer than expected.

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Finally, the door fully opened, and Emperor Knezh and his aides appeared.

“Oh my, my …”

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“Wow…”

“Is… is it really gold?”

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The tower was filled with gold threads. Everywhere one looked, sparkling gold light reflected back. The overwhelming presence of gold, dazzling to the eyes, evoked a sense of awe.

The people stood motionless, blinking in disbelief, unable to comprehend the surreal sight. Amid this unbelievable situation, Irina stood calmly.

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Knezh, trying to hide his inner astonishment, squinted and surveyed the inside of the tower. The tower, which had previously been filled with straw, was now entirely filled with gold threads.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

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Irina calmly made her greeting. Just yesterday, her face had been one of despair, as though her world was going to fall apart. She had seemed dazed and unable to even make a proper greeting, but today, she stood in the midst of gold as if it were nothing, as though she were accustomed to this incredible situation.

“…The rumors are true.”

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“…”

Irina neither affirmed nor denied Knezh’s words. In response, Knezh scanned Irina with a strange look in his eyes.

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“Truly… impressive.”

Despite his words of praise, Irina showed no reaction. Instead, she gazed directly into Knezh’s eyes. It was then that she realized his greedy, glinting gaze, instead of being directed at the gold surrounding them, was fixated on her.

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However, there was no turning back. Even though she knew that greed  would never be curbed and would only increase in size, Irina knew that even if time could be reversed, she had no choice but to make the same choice again. Because it was the only way to protect her family and herself.

To suppress the overwhelming sense of despair and to stop the tears welling up, Irina tightly pressed her lips together.

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“With this, Baron Lehman’s claims have been proven true. He never lied.”

“…”

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Irina bit her lower lip to hold back the rising anger at the Emperor’s shameless words.

From the very beginning, Knezh had spread ridiculous rumors to frame her father, and now he casually spoke as if it were nothing, claiming that her father had never lied since he felt she really made the gold herself. His words and actions seemed so repugnant to Irina.

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She struggled to suppress her roiling emotions.

“…But we have to check thoroughly.”

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“What do you mean…?”

“You never know. Maybe someone helped you.”

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Irina took a deep breath at Knezh’s words, as if he had hit the mark.

Emperor Knezh did not miss the subtle change in her expression. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned Irina up and down, seemingly trying to gauge her true intentions.

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“Irina, you did it all by yourself, didn’t you?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

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Irina had never been one to lie. She wasn’t good at lying by nature, and there had never been a situation where she needed to lie in order to gain something or prevent something from being taken from her.

That’s why lying to none other than the Emperor was not easy.

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Even as she uttered a simple ‘Yes, that’s correct,’ Irina struggled to keep her voice steady, making sure it didn’t tremble.

“Then it would be possible to make gold if someone is watching, wouldn’t it?”

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“No, making gold is only possible when I’m alone.”

Irina immediately responded sharply, having guessed what the Emperor was about to say.

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He was clearly planning to order her to create gold while someone watched inside the tower. Since she had created the gold with Rumpel’s help, it would be impossible for her to do so under surveillance.

Therefore, Irina had no choice but to answer that she could only make gold when alone.

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“That’s unfortunate. But… even so, you could still be alone, while someone watches from outside the door.”

“Making gold requires concentration… It’s hard when you think someone is watching.”

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Irina realized for the first time how well she could lie. Perhaps it was because her life was at stake; she didn’t even have to think deeply, and the answers came out naturally. 

The Emperor, who was silently observing her, had a dissatisfied look in his eyes. Irina noticed it but pretended not to care.

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“…Then there’s no helping it. You’re saying that you can only make gold under the same conditions as yesterday?”  

“Yes, that’s correct.”  

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After a long pause, the Emperor asked again, as if confirming. His question felt ominous, but there was nothing Irina could do. She could only anxiously wait for his next words.

“Then, tonight as well, you will make gold.”

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* * *

The second night arrived. This time, the tower was filled with stones instead of straw. 

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Irina glared at the stones, piled high enough to trip over. The Emperor insisted that he needed to confirm once more and ordered Irina to turn the stones into gold. Since nothing had been done with Irina’s own power from the beginning, the second test seemed hopeless as well. Irina sighed deeply.

“This time, it’s stones?”  

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A man’s voice made Irina turn around. There, Rumpel stood with a lazy smile on his face. He playfully kicked the stones with his foot. 

Irina watched him for a moment before cautiously asking,  

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“Can you help me…?”

“You don’t have anything left to offer.”  

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“…”  

Rumpel’s words were accurate. For that reason, Irina fell silent, unable to find a response. But soon, an idea flashed through her mind, and her eyes lit up.

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“A contract!”  

“But…”  

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“You didn’t say you would only help me ‘once’ when we made the contract, didn’t you? Right?”  

With a triumphant smile, Irina looked at Rumpel, having pointed out the loophole in their contract. 

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Rumpel seemed to be recalling his memories for a moment, then sighed deeply, as if acknowledging that she was right.

“Indeed… you’re right, Irina.”  

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At his acknowledgment, Irina smiled brightly. It felt like it had been a long time since she had smiled. As the rumors about Irina spread, and it became impossible to ignore them, her smile gradually faded. And after her father was arrested not long after, she hadn’t had a reason to smile at all. So it was the first time in a long time that she smiled.  

“….”  

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Rumpel silently watched Irina as she smiled. 

When Irina felt his golden gaze on her, she quickly hid her smile, feeling embarrassed. She thought it must be uncomfortable for him to see her so cheerful, given that he had realized the disadvantage of the contract.

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“Smile… suits you well.”  

However, the words that came from Rumpel’s mouth were unexpected. 

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Irina stared at Rumpel with wide eyes in surprise. However, Rumpel tilted his head as if he didn’t understand why Irina was looking at him with such an expression. It was also a bit awkward to ask why he said such a thing, so Irina remained silent. She just cautiously observed Rumpel, making sure to say what she needed to.

“You will help me, right…?”  

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“I can’t refuse. But only this time.”  

Instead of answering with words, Irina nodded. She did agree with his words, but she couldn’t help feeling worried. Who knew when the Emperor might issue another absurd command? That’s why she avoided giving a clear answer, leaving herself some room to escape if needed.  

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Fortunately, Rumpel seemed unaware of her concerns and didn’t say anything further. He quietly reached out his hand toward the stones. Soon, the dirty stones, covered in patches of dirt, were transformed into shiny gold.  

“Rumpel, what exactly are you? Who are you, really, to be able to do something like this?”  

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Irina couldn’t resist asking, her curiosity getting the better of her. Rumpel gave a wry smile. The expression didn’t quite match his beautiful face, and for some reason, it made Irina’s heart ache.  

“Well, I’m not sure either. One thing I do know is that I’m not human.”  

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Rumpel’s answer wasn’t a lie. Though Irina didn’t have the ability to tell if someone was speaking the truth just by their words, she could tell that what Rumpel said was true, that even a seven year old child could tell.  

“Well, I’m not a demon though. I don’t know if it’s something similar.” 

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Irina couldn’t bring herself to laugh at his playful shrugging and additional words. It was because he still looked so lonely.

Irina felt somewhat guilty about asking him any questions, but there was an unresolved curiosity inside her, so she carefully opened her mouth.

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“Why can’t other people see you?”

The moment that had shocked Irina the most wasn’t when she first saw Rumpel, nor when he made the gold thread. It was when the Emperor and his people arrived this morning, Rumpel was clearly beside her at that time, but no one seemed to notice him at all. They acted as if he wasn’t there. 

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No one questioned Rumpel’s existence, until he stretched out in displeasure and disappeared into the darkness. It felt like she was the only one who could see him.

Irina was genuinely curious. Why was she the only one who could see Rumpel?

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“They ….. Because they can’t give birth to my child.”

“Huh?”

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However, the response was so playful that Irina’s curiosity deflated. She glared at Rumpel with a slightly resentful look, but he just kept his mouth shut with a slight smile, as if he had no intention of answering Irina’s question properly.