Chapter 1 Part 1

Beautiful Irina is a golden lady

She has golden hair

Beautiful Irina is a golden woman

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Her father said confidently

Irina can make gold

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Children’s songs echoed through the streets. The girl was having so much fun that her cheeks were bright red like ripe apples. She skipped rope, her voice joining the joyful chorus.

The song, which no one knew who started singing, spread like wildfire from mouth to mouth. Every time the children jumped rope, they sang along to the popular song.

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Not far from the place where the children were playing was a punishment cell. The air contrasted with the joyful singing of the children filled the punishment cell.

 A heavy, cold stillness hung in the air. Irina felt her chest tighten.

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The ground Irina was stepping on was a place of death, where people were stoned. It was a place where terrible punishments such as killing people by slinging stones took place. In just over a decade, countless had perished here for crimes great and small. 

She longed to escape, to flee this blood-soaked place, anywhere. However, her feet felt rooted to the ground.

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The reason was simple. This is because her father, Thomas Lehman, was in the midst of a punishment cell where thousands of people had been brutally killed

It was indescribably painful to see her father kneeling, tied to a rope. His eyes were closed tightly, as if he had resigned himself to everything, but his trembling shoulders conveyed his fear. 

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Olga, her maid who was no different from her younger sister, stood among the onlookers, wiping tears from her big eyes repeatedly. She held back her tears as she supported Irina’s mother, Helian Lehman, who was sobbing as if she would collapse at any moment.

At that time, the judge appeared. He didn’t seem very tired, even though he had been in a meeting for a long time. There was a clear look of annoyance, as if he had taken on an annoying task.

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In fact, this trial was meaningless. The very fact that the proceedings were held in a punishment cell rather than a trial court was absurd.

Nevertheless, it was safe to say that holding the trial in a punishment cell meant that the answer was already decided that the person would be punished. In such a situation, the judge also said he would have a meeting, but it was obvious that he was just wasting time.

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Despite knowing all this, Irina prayed for a miracle. Please, don’t let the worst happen

With the appearance of the judge, the already quiet punishment cell became even quieter. He looked around at the onlookers and others with indifferent eyes and opened his mouth.

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Irina looked at him with wet eyes and waited for the verdict to follow.

“Listen to Thomas Lehman, the sinner. The sinner not only deceived the people of the empire by repeatedly spreading lies, but also betrayed the trust of His Majesty Emperor Knezh, who had entrusted him with his title, by tarnishing the honor of the Baron with his continued lies.”

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“No! No! He never did such a thing! Someone must have framed him ….. ” 

Helian screamed. She hit her chest.

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Irina, who knew her resentment and grief better than anyone, clenched her fists in sympathy with her mother’s feelings. Her nails dug into her flesh, but she didn’t feel the slightest pain..

“What a commotion. Drag her away.”

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The judge said briefly as he glared at Helian with disgust, as if he had seen a bug. As soon as the order was given, the knights seized Helian. She struggled desperately, but her sickly body could not shake off the burly knights.

“Your honor! Judge! Please be merciful! It’s not this, let him go! Let go! My darling! Honey!”

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Her mother’s heartbreaking screams grew farther and farther away. Irina couldn’t take it anymore.

She was determined to remain sane no matter what. In particular, it was not good to be emotionally unstable.

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But all of her determination was short-lived. Irina collapsed to the ground. The tears she had been trying so hard to hold back slowly fell. 

“Father! Father! Your Honor, please… this is a conspiracy! My father would never lie!”

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Irina’s horrendous screams filled the punishment cell. But nothing changed.

“Then carry out  the sentence… … .”

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“Your Majesty the Emperor!”

The terrible and cruel words for the execution of the sentence were cut off.

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The hall became noisy at the announcement of the emperor’s untimely appearance.

But even that was only for a short time. Those who came to watch the stoning were shocked and showed their respect.

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Irina was confused. She didn’t understand why His Majesty the Emperor had come to such a place of punishment.

Even though she knew in her head that she had to be polite, her body barely moved. That’s how much Irina was out of her mind right now.

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Meanwhile, the Emperor Knezh Helixon arrived. Silver hair that resembles moonlight and mysterious purple eyes. 

It was only when his gaze turned to Irina that she hurriedly bowed down and showed respect. Even as she lowered her head, she could feel Knezh’s eyes following her closely.

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Irina couldn’t even breathe properly due to her instinctive fear and the overwhelming feeling radiating from the emperor. She didn’t know how long it took, but it wasn’t until his gaze finally fell that she let out the breath she’d been holding.

“Raise your head.”

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Everyone carefully raised their heads and looked at Emperor Knezh.

There were nobles in the punishment cell, but most of the people were commoners of the empire. These were people who had never actually seen His Majesty’s face in their lives.

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They cautiously glanced at the emperor out of curiosity.

Emperor Knezh looked at Thomas Lehman with a dry gaze, as if he didn’t care about it.

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“Baron Lehman, I have come to see the truth of the rumors with my own eyes.” 

“Your Majesty… the rumors…” Thomas Lehman stammered. He looked back and forth between his daughter Irina and Emperor Knezh with anxious eyes.

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“Don’t pretend ignorance. It’s a rumor that even children across the empire are singing about.” 

Thomas sighed deeply at Emperor Knezh’s words. However, he continued speaking in a low voice, as if he did not care about Thomas Lehman’s reaction.

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“The trial found it to be a hoax, but it is impossible to punish a precious life without making a clear decision.”

“… … no way.”

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Irina muttered to herself unconsciously and raised her head.

At that, Knezh’s lips twisted and went up. His smiling face somehow overlapped with the snake’s face, which gave her chills. But whatever his smile was, his words gave her a glimmer of hope.

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Irina swallowed anxiously and waited for Emperor Knezh’s next words.

“Isn’t it possible that the rumor that your daughter, Irina Lehman, can make gold is true? In that case, Baron Lehman has never lied, so of course there should be no punishment.”

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“Your Majesty… … !”

Hope led to greater despair. Irina understood what Emperor Knezh was trying to say.

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In the end, nothing would change. It seemed like his intention was not only to punish his father, but also to make him a public laughing stock.

“So, Irina Lehman, try making gold like your father used to talk about. If so, not only will your father be saved, but I will also reward you greatly.”

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“…….”

Irina couldn’t say anything. She couldn’t understand why the emperor was so persistent because of just a rumor.

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There was no way she could make gold herself. It was just a rumor from an unknown source, with no idea who had spread it.

When the rumor that Irina’s father said that Irina could make gold was first heard, no one could have predicted that this would lead to such a big impact.

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Even Thomas Lehman, the subject of the rumor, just laughed it off and said, “You’re talking nonsense.”

But one day, even the children on the streets began to sing the rumors, and there was no one in the empire who did not know the rumor. And in the end, because of that, she was in danger of losing her father.

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“But if you can’t make gold… … I will punish not only your father for spreading lies, but also your mother for defending that he never told a lie. How about you, Irina Lehman? Can you prove the rumors to be true?”

“Woo woo, Your Majesty… … . Uh, how… … .”

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Irina felt like she was going to burst into tears at any moment when she heard that he would punish her mother as well as her father. She was filled with fear at the thought of losing not only her father but also her mother.

“If you can’t prove it, let’s proceed with Thomas Lehman’s stoning right here.”

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What was given to Irina was a poisonous glass. She had no choice but to drink it, but if she drank it, she would surely be poisoned and die in pain.

“… … All right.”

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The corners of Emperor Knezh’s mouth curled up in satisfaction at Irina’s answer.

Irina bit her lip in resentment as she watched that scene. But even that didn’t last long. No matter how resentful or unfair she felt, there was something she had to do.

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Irina gathered her shaking heart and opened her mouth.

“However, I have one favor to ask of you.”

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“What is that?”

Emperor Knezh’s eyes flashed with interest. Irina said, looking straight into his eyes.

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“If I don’t make gold… … Please punish me instead of my parents.”

“You will pay for your parents’ sins…”

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Emperor Knezh stretched his sentence as if he was lost in thought. Still, he smiled with satisfaction. Like someone who got the answer they wanted. Not only that. His eyes gleamed with greed. Irina straightened her shivering body.

“Very well. What punishment shall it be?”

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Irina knew how scary Emperor Knezh’s question was. There were many cruel punishments in the Asilien Empire where she lived. 

In addition to the stoning, which was the original punishment for her father, there were also burning, hanging, imprisonment in a metal sculpture filled with sharp thorns, and a death penalty by tying limbs to a huge cart wheel and beating to death with a stick until the bones of body were crushed for days and days.

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The cruelty was indescribable.

Nevertheless, she had no choice but to answer his question.

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“… … Yes, I will accept any punishment.”

In the end, Irina gulped down the poison that had been given to her.

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