MTFBMP Chapter 11

 

‘Adelaine.’

 

It was Adelaine, the Emperor of the Empire I knew, not the one I’d seen in the dungeon. His clothes, buttoned up to his neck in gold and dressed in imperial regalia, took away from the realism of his appearance.

 

Added to that appearance were his unearthly eyes, which were devoid of emotion.

 

The damp, windswept dark bangs were so blue that they looked as if they had been soaked in salt water from the sea. Similarly drenched in moisture, his sea-green eyes sparkled like glass.

 

Those eyes. There was something strange about his eyes: the slit pupils glowed sharply, as if they belonged to an animal rather than a man.

 

My head ached like it was going to crack.

 

Rhodon’s massive frame, which had threatened me, crumpled like a sheet of paper before him. The red name above his head turned yellow and disappeared.

 

Rhodon was dead.

 

Adelaine moved slowly toward me.

 

“I’m sorry, but you must die here,” said Adelaine.

 

This Adelaine knew exactly who I was.

 

And he was going to kill me for the Empire and himself.

 

His expressionless face shone alone in a world of crimson, and he was right before me.

 

Behind Adelaine, I could see a huge red flag. It looked as if it had risen from the beach.

 

The flag was embroidered with the imperial griffin, a symbol of imperial power, a sign of conquest that he carried wherever he went.

 

The huge golden banner, woven with delicate threads, fluttered behind his back like wings, creating the illusion of soaring.

 

Adelaine continued to stare into my eyes, which looked as if they had something to say, but his tightly closed lips did not open. Instead, he knelt before me with his long, slender sword drawn.

 

“I’ve been looking for you for so…, so long.”

 

Adelaine slowly walked over and took me in his arms.

 

I wondered what this meant.

 

One thing was certain, I froze in his presence, as if I were truly possessed. My body, which had moved of its own accord just a moment ago, was immobilized as if someone had ordered it to.

 

“You’d do better not to get caught.”

 

He whispered in my ear. He was close enough that our cheeks touched, and I could feel a strange dampness on my cheeks as if he was crying.

 

“I’m so sorry, Theia.”

 

“…!”

 

Was he serious? Before I could even get the question out of my mouth, a sword pierced my chest.

 

“Argh, hmph, ugh!”

 

The sensation pierced through my body. My limbs shuddered.

 

Our bodies separated slightly, and I could see Adelaine’s face again. Until that moment, he hadn’t avoided my gaze. The embrace that supported my back to keep me from falling to the floor was deceptively delicate.

 

“I’m so sorry, and maybe someday I’ll…”

 

His voice was distant as my mind faded, but I could see everything, even the shadow of the flame in Adelaine’s eyes, and I was right in the center of it.

 

“I’m so, so sorry.”

 

Adelaine’s eyes turned human, and a tear fell from them and soaked my cheek.

 

‘Why are you crying?’

 

You’re the one who killed me. The one who ordered the burning of the village I loved.

 

The unspoken resentment escaped me with my last breath.

 

As if he could feel the breath, Adelaine cupped my cheek and lowered his lips to mine.

 

For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. But he stopped just short of touching me, checked my breath, which was now so faint I couldn’t even brush it away, and kissed my forehead.

 

Was there a scene like this in the footage I knew?

 

I could feel the dampness of his lips against mine.

 

‘What the hell are you doing?’

 

I forced my eyelids, which kept trying to close, and looked up. 

 

I tried to see his name somehow.

 

Furthermore, I wanted to see if his name was as red as Rhodon’s earlier.

 

Tears began to well up in my gradually drying eyes. My vision was blurry. The name I wanted to see was smudged in the water.

 

At the same time, all the strength drained from my body.

 

.

.

.

 

“…”

 

The next thing I knew, I was back in my cabin. I could feel the ship rocking as it cut through the waves, but it was clear.

 

In front of me was a small, round window, and outside was the night sea.

 

I was not on White Gold Beach but on Dion’s ship.

 

“Why are you showing me this now…”

 

I don’t know if the vision was too intense, or if so much had happened in the past day.

 

I blacked out.

 

💫

 

Knock, knock—

 

I heard a knock on my door in my sleep, my body swaying lightly as if I’d just soaked in a bathtub, and behind my back…

 

“Anthele, it’s Dion. I’m coming in.”

 

“Ack!”

 

Someone opened the cabin door. I fainted in front of the door and got smacked right into it. Thankfully, I managed to snap out of it.

 

“Anthele? Why are you down here…, are you okay?”

 

“Yes, yes. I’m fine.”

 

Unable to overcome my embarrassment, I scrambled to my feet and dusted myself off. My shoulders and back were a little sore, but not too bad for having fallen asleep on the floor.

 

“I thought you were still asleep when I called out to you, but you’re awake.”

 

“I work at an inn, it’s not hard to get up early,” I replied with an awkwardly cheerful tone.

 

I didn’t tell him I’d passed out. If it weren’t for Dion, I probably would have stayed on the floor for a while longer.

 

Outside the window, I caught a glimpse of the first light of dawn on the palest of shimmering waters. The night had passed and morning was coming.

 

“…I see you have a bruise because of me.”

 

“What?”

 

I scratched my head, wondering what he meant. Dion’s brow wrinkled.

 

“Oh, these…”

 

He was looking at the raw marks on my forearm. The scabs must have settled overnight, and now they were bleeding again, fresh from being pushed against the door.

 

“Ouch.”

 

I couldn’t say that I didn’t hurt myself because of it. Besides, it was only after I realized it was a wound, so it was hurting like hell.

 

“Come with me, I’ll take care of it.”

 

“Oh, no. That’s not necessary.”

 

I gestured, but Dion was stubborn.

 

“My room is right next door, and I have medical supplies. I also have some words to share, so let’s go there.”

 

As he spoke, Dion turned away. He didn’t want to hear any objections. Once again, I realized how little experience I had in persuading someone.

 

“What are you waiting for instead of following me?”

 

“Yes, yes. I’m coming.”

 

As soon as we got to Dion’s room, I crossed the threshold for a moment, seeing that it was nothing like the cabin I had been given.

 

‘Surely the master of the ship is something else.’

 

If it weren’t for the gently creaking wooden floors and walls, I could have sworn it was the private cabin of a small mansion or cottage.

 

I thought my cabin wasn’t bad, with a window and a bed, but seeing the captain’s private cabin was humbling. I could feel that this ship was not a ship of no means.

 

At the same time, I realized something.

 

‘It’s too flashy.’

 

The room was more decorative than practical. New, unused decorations that felt out of place.

 

An ornate picture frame on the desk seemed to have a story.

 

“What are you doing? Come over here and sit down.”

 

Still in polite command, he led me to the bed. It even had a canopy.

 

‘A bed with a working table and chair…’

 

I was puzzled, but I didn’t argue.

 

“Huh!”

 

Even the bed was exceptionally fluffy. I couldn’t help but be impressed.

 

It was so comfortable that I felt like I could experience the previous life I had lived. It was so high that my feet didn’t even touch the floor.

 

“Ah…”

 

When he turned around with the medical box and saw me sitting on the bed, he made a puzzled sound as if he realized something.

 

“I’m sorry, it’s just a habit.”

 

Sitting on the bed was a habit? It sounded indecent at first glance.

 

“No, no, I didn’t mean it like that…”

 

Dion seemed to realize that what he said was strange. His stuttering almost made him seem friendlier. This was the closest he’d ever come to looking like someone my age.

 

“Habit is just the positioning of this furniture…”

 

Dion began to babble something I couldn’t understand.