Chapter 1 Part 2

The sky high tower,towering in its immense height, was desolate for its enormous size. It seemed to have been deserted for a long time, and there was no sign of human habitation. It felt like an abandoned tower. A chilling coldness seeped into her bones.

Irina, bit her trembling lips, as she ascended the endless spiral staircase. 

“Turn all the straw here into gold by dawn tomorrow morning.” 

“…Yes” 

Irina replied helplessly to Emperor Knezh’s command.

The top floor of the tower was full of straw. Even if she possessed the ability to make gold, it would be impossible for her to turn such a large amount of straw into gold. The space was packed with straw, leaving barely any room to move.

“I’ll return tomorrow”

“…….”

Irina merely bowed, too drained to offer a proper farewell. The door slammed shut, followed by the click of the lock. Panic set in as she realized she was trapped alone in the vast tower.

She struggled to open the tightly closed door, but it was futile. It was as if the door had been sealed from the outside, perhaps to prevent her escape.

“…… Huh.”

A sigh escaped her lips as Irina struggled to open the door for a long time, but she let go of her grip on the doorknob. No matter how hard she tried, the door remained impassable. It was a stark reflection of her current predicament: no matter how she struggled, nothing seemed to change.

Reality dawned upon her, and she sank to the floor. The sight of the immense pile of straw filled her with dread. If she did not turn this large amount of straw into gold tonight, she would face a terrible punishment.

At least, she thought, she had saved her parents’ lives. This thought offered a small measure of solace, but the overwhelming despair soon returned. Tears welled up in her large, blue eyes.

She let the tears flow freely, her sorrow consuming her. 

“Huh, woo, huh… … . Ugh… …woo .”

The crying grew louder and louder. Irina wept bitterly. She cried and cried until her fair cheeks were filled with tears.

“Huh, ugh, huh……. Whoever it is, please help me……. Anyone can do ……..”

She pleaded, her voice hoarse. Despite knowing her pleas were futile, she couldn’t bear the silence.

With trembling hands, she squeezed her chest, seeking relief from the suffocating despair that she had never suffered. 

Then, something caught on her fingertips. Irina carefully held it in her hand and looked at it.

 

“Irina, …. my child …., I am so sorry…… Because of my failures, you… I will beg His Majesty to protect your safety, no matter the cost. If anything happens to you, I will follow you. I will never leave you alone.”

“Father, please don’t say such things. I do not regret my choice. Even if I could turn back time, I would make the same decision to protect you and Mother”

 

Before she was taken to the imperial palace by the Imperial Knights, her father had held her hand and wept. He was resolute in the face of his own death, but he wept bitterly in the face of the despair that lay before his daughter.

 

“Take this, my child. It may not be of much use, but ….. it is a family heirloom that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Lehman family, an amulet said to be blessed by the Goddess Asilin….. May her divine protection be with you….. I am really, really sorry…..”

 

Her father held out an old necklace with a round circle with unknown letters on it. He also probably did not give the amulet away because he believed it had special powers. He had likely given it to her out of love and desperation, knowing it might offer little comfort.

Irina knew that, too, and held the pendant carefully. Tears fell. Tears dripped down her face, and soaked into the hand holding the pendant. 

“Goddess Asilin…. Please, please …….Please,ugh, I beg you, help me……” 

“Shall I help you?”

Startled by the stranger’s voice, Irina looked up to see a man standing before her.

Pale skin like moonlight contrasts with hair as black as the night sky. His Golden eyes resembling starlight were shining beneath the prominent eyebrow bones. The lips beneath the high, sharp bridge of the nose were bloodless, but thick and pleasing to the eye. To put it in one word, he was a very beautiful man. 

Moreover, the man exuded an inexplicable charm. Irina is also a noble, and she has seen many nobles, but none of them gave her a more luxurious feeling than this man.

“Who…. Who…. Oh, How you….  here?” 

The door, which was the only exit and entrance to the tower, was firmly locked with a padlock. As for the window, it was only a small window the size of the palm of one’s hand, and even that was tightly blocked with iron bars.

Even if you could get in through the window, this tower was extremely tall. It wasn’t high enough for a person to enter through the window.

But how did this man get here…? … .

The tower was isolated, with no apparent way in or out. Yet, this man seemed to have materialized from thin air. 

Not only did she not feel the slightest presence since he entered the tower, but even though the man was right in front of her, he gave her a vague feeling.

It wasn’t that his appearance was blurry. Judging by his facial features alone, he was so vivid, it was as if he was someone who would disappear at any moment.

That’s why it was confusing. It almost made her wonder if he was even human.

Fear gnawed at her as she realized her vulnerability. She scanned the room, searching for an escape, but there was none. 

Overwhelmed by despair, she was on the brink of tears once more.

“I’m not a goddess, but….. Can I help you though?” 

The man asked again. There was an undeniable power in his words.

Besides, Irina had no choice right now. Even though she didn’t know the man’s identity and was frightened because of it, she had to hold his hand if anyone could help her.

“… … Can you do that?”

She felt like grasping at straws¹. It didn’t matter how he got into this heavily guarded tower or who he was. The only thing that mattered was whether or not he could help her right now.

“Absolutely.”

The man grabbed a handful of straw as if to prove his point. Irina swallowed dryly, quietly watching his actions.

Meanwhile, he breathed lightly into the straw in his hand.

“Oh my… … !”

Irina let out a shrill exclamation. This was because the straw in the man’s hand turned into a golden thread that gave off a shining light.

It was as if he knew that Irina would have to turn all this straw into gold. She didn’t care how he found out.

The man smiled slightly and held out the gold thread to Irina. Irina took the gold thread with trembling hands.

“… … ah!”

For an instant, the hand that grazed her was extremely cold. Irina was involuntarily startled by the body temperature, which was so cold that it was unbelievable that it belonged to a human being.

However, the man didn’t seem to care and just rolled up the corners of his mouth and smiled slowly.

“Really… … It’s gold.”

Irina shifted her gaze to the gold thread the man had given her. It was definitely the gold thread used to embroider the fabric. Irina gazed in fascination at the sparkling gold thread.

“If I help you, what can you give me?”

Irina suddenly raised her head in response to the man’s question. It felt like she had suddenly come to her senses.

This man could really turn straw into gold. That meant he could help her. She had to get help from this man at all costs.

Irina spoke urgently.

“I can give you anything.”

As if satisfied with the earnest answer, the man stretched his lips into a grin. The somewhat harsh-looking eyes were folded into a fine arc.

“Whatever… … . Can you really give me anything?”

“Yes! I can give you anything, anything. Please. Please help me.”

He bent down and approached Irina. The two people were so close that their breaths were mixed. The sight of Irina, slightly trembling, filled the golden eyes of the man.

“Hmm… … .”

The man breathed lightly into the nape of Irina’s neck. His breath tickled the back of Irina’s neck.

Embarrassment, shame, and an unknown heat enveloped Irina. Her heart was pounding, pounding and pounding.

After what seemed like forever, the man’s plump lips opened. 

“Even if it’s your child?”

Time seemed to have stopped. Irina couldn’t believe her ears.

Did she hear correctly? What the man asked for was ‘her child’? How on earth can she give that to him? Mistake… You heard it, right?

“W-what did you just say… … .”

Irina hesitated and asked cautiously. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t come up with an answer.

Therefore, even though Irina thought she had heard wrong, she spoke to the man just in case.

“Your child, Irina.”

However, after hearing the answer, Irina realized that her thoughts were wrong. Her red lips opened and closed repeatedly in embarrassment. She didn’t even know what to say.

What on earth does this mean, asking for a child? Above all, she had no children. No, there wasn’t even a man who promised to marry her, let alone children. Are you asking her to have a child by herself?

“It’s a simple matter, Irina. You must now turn these straws into gold. I can do that for you. In return, Irina, you can give me your child.”

“B-but… … I don’t have a child.”

Irina, whose lips were quivering, responded in protest.

It was not as simple as he said. She didn’t have a child in the first place, and even if she did, how could she give her child to a stranger whom she doesn’t even know who he is?

“Of course… … Not now. But what about in the future?”

The man asked back leisurely, as if he knew everything about Irina’s situation. Irina was confused by his confident yet relaxed attitude.

Even though he made an unreasonable request for a child, the man was relaxed. As if he expected her to comply with his demands.

“But… … .”

“You can make a child, Irina.”

Irina tried to retort, but the man lightly cut her off. He lightly stroked Irina’s cheek.

The cold body temperature sent goosebumps down Irina’s spine. However, it was strange that her face was flushed as if she had a fever.

“Of course, it may happen in the future, but… … . It makes no sense to give a child… … .”

Although hesitant, Irina said what she wanted to say.

As he said, there may be children in the future. Even so, giving away a child did not make sense.

“Hmm… … .”

The man who had come so close to her that she could hear his breath moved away. He quietly gazed at Irina with his golden eyes.

Looking at his golden eyes, Irina felt strange.. It felt like she was trapped.

“Then you can’t.”

“What … …?”

“It’s a shame. Negotiations are broken.”