Chapter 2 – English Translation
Olive was about to step out from beneath the tree’s shade.
Rustle.
She heard footsteps approaching from afar.
A chill ran down her spine. Since they hadn’t called her name, it didn’t seem like they were looking for her.
‘There aren’t wild beasts in the imperial palace… right?’
Olive crouched down as much as she could behind the tree trunk. Her small shoulders trembled.
Step. Step.
The footsteps drew nearer. Olive held her breath.
She covered her mouth and nose with both hands, trying to hide her presence. Her toes curled tightly inside her leather shoes.
Then, someone placed a hand on her shoulder.
“KYAAAAAA!”
Olive screamed with her eyes tightly shut.
Is this a kidnapper? Are they trying to kill me?
Dozens of horrible thoughts filled her head.
She flailed her arms and legs in the air, resisting the attacker. But after a while, something felt off.
The person wasn’t dragging her away or harming her.
Instead, it felt like they were simply standing a step back, watching her.
Olive cracked open her eyes to see.
“Ah.”
A soft exclamation escaped her lips.
A beautiful boy with short red hair, brighter than the afternoon sun, was tilting his head and staring at her.
His eyes were also red—like burning flames.
“All done?”
“…What?”
Olive asked back, staring at the boy’s hand. He looked about her age, but was holding a large hunting knife almost as tall as himself.
“That weird punching in the air—are you done?”
“Oh, yeah…”
Olive answered, shrinking back. The sight of the knife made her shiver instinctively.
‘He’s not going to swing that at me, is he?’
She glanced back and forth between the knife and the boy.
Sensing her gaze, the boy glanced at her, then expertly sheathed the knife.
“Knew I’d find the green rabbit here.”
“Green rabbit?”
His words were strange. Sure, her hair color leaned toward green, but calling a lady a green rabbit out of nowhere?
It wasn’t a pleasant nickname. Olive pouted her red lips.
The boy’s eyes flickered in slight confusion.
“Who are you to call me a green rabbit?”
She asked coldly, without bothering to be polite.
The doll-like boy turned his head slightly, seemed to ponder something for a moment, and then burst into a soft laugh.
His laugh was as beautiful as his face—like the sunlight on an early autumn morning.
Olive couldn’t help but stare, entranced.
“My name is Ludvig.”
Ludvig held out his hand to Olive.
But she was too caught up staring at his pretty face to respond right away.
“You gonna keep sitting there?”
Ludvig shook his extended hand.
“Oh.”
Snapping out of it, Olive shut her mouth and grabbed his hand to stand. Despite his cool appearance, his hand was very warm—probably because of a high body temperature.
“How old are you?”
He looked about her age, but his eyes were strangely mature.
‘From the way he’s dressed, he must be a noble.’
His slightly arrogant tone rubbed her the wrong way, so she asked bluntly.
But his reply was unexpected.
“Same age as you.”
“Same age? Do you even know how old I am?”
“Twelve.”
Ludvig arched an eyebrow and replied calmly.
“How do you know my age? Have you known about me?”
“…I know a bit.”
Ludvig gently brushed the back of Olive’s hand, which he was still holding.
“I thought I knew you well, but the truth is, I don’t know anything at all.”
As he muttered this cryptically, his red eyes darkened.
His doll-like face, usually void of expression, now wore a deep sadness. A sorrow far too heavy for a twelve-year-old.
‘Did I ask something weird?’
Feeling awkward, Olive quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, do you know the way out of here?”
“Out of here? Well, when I came to, I found myself here. I don’t really know.”
“You mean… you’re also lost in this maze garden?”
“Oh, right. Maze garden. Yeah, this garden.”
Ludvig chuckled and looked Olive in the eyes.
His intense gaze made her feel embarrassed.
Flustered, Olive pulled her hand away and rubbed her tingling cheek, glancing around to avoid his eyes.
Ludvig, staring at the hand she had just released, held it out to her again.
“I know the way out of this garden. Come with me.”
Olive slowly looked down at his hand.
Maybe from sword practice, his hand was rough and slightly longer than hers.
‘We’re the same height, but his hands are huge.’
Well, whatever. I’ll hold it.
She grabbed his hand without hesitation. He held her hand gently, like it was a shard of glass, and walked half a step ahead of her.
His stride was steady. It felt like he wasn’t a twelve-year-old boy, but a grown adult walking in his place.
Ludvig carried a presence far beyond his age.
After following him for a while, the familiar entrance to the garden came into view.
Olive, excited, pulled his hand to hurry him along.
“I didn’t realize when I came in, but… I really wandered deep into this place.”
“You always do that. Scared, yet barging right into people’s lives without hesitation.”
“…Huh?”
Ludvig kept saying strange things.
‘What is he even talking about?’
Olive gave him a confused look, silently asking for an explanation.
But Ludvig didn’t answer. He just smiled, lips forming a pretty arc.
At the garden’s entrance, he finally stopped.
His red eyes swept over the maze garden behind Olive, then returned to her.
Their clasped hands felt tingly. Olive tried to pull her hand back, but he held on tighter.
“I knew this garden well, so I could guide you out.”
“…Uh, thanks. Thanks to you, I made it out.”
Her fingers and toes curled inward from a ticklish feeling she couldn’t explain.
Remembering her etiquette lessons, Olive lifted her chin with dignity. She didn’t want this stranger to see her flustered.
“But… I don’t know the way out of here.”
Ludvig stared seriously into her eyes.
‘Out of here? We already got out, didn’t we?’
Is this guy a little off in the head? Olive tilted her head.
“So, I’d like you to teach me.”
“What?”
“I want to learn from you.”
Yes, I want to learn everything from the beginning. Ludvig repeated himself.
“No, I mean… learn what?”
“How to treat people… like people.”
His eyes weren’t focused on the present, but somewhere far away.
Olive glanced in the direction he was staring, then looked him up and down.
Yeah, he’s definitely a bit off.
Why would fate hand such a beautiful boy such a heavy burden?
“Isn’t it normal to treat people like people?”
“Perhaps. But I don’t know how. Other things come easily, but not that. Not yet.”
“What happens when you learn how to?”
“Then… I’ll be able to leave this place.”
Maybe.
He whispered that last word like a sigh and bent one knee.
Though they were the same age, he exuded a noble elegance.
Ludvig slowly lowered his head and kissed the back of Olive’s hand.
In that moment, Olive felt like a fairytale princess. Her cheeks flushed with warmth.
His lips lingered there for quite some time.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Olive.”
Ludvig finally lifted his head and stood.
“Soon, some knights will pass by here. You’ll be able to return to where you were. If we meet again… I’ll show you a different version of myself.”
With that cryptic farewell, he turned and walked away.
Olive stood frozen like a statue. Her eyelids fluttered like bird wings.
Ludvig smiled faintly, amused by her reaction, then disappeared.
She watched him until he became nothing but a tiny dot in the distance.
Ludvig Magenta — the third prince of Berzantium, the only empire on the Western Continent.
He resided in the Garnet Palace, located in the western part of the imperial palace.
It was the smallest palace, reserved mostly for exiled royals.
Ludvig had lived there quietly since he was very young.
Most royals would be horrified at such a life, but Ludvig was always composed.
Even when the food was poor or clothes scarce, he never complained.
He desired nothing.
The emperor who fathered him called him a cursed child and turned his back.
Born from his mother’s womb, Ludvig had never once been held in her arms before being cast into the Garnet Palace, where he was raised by a stranger’s hands.
He rarely showed his face, except during official palace events.
Only a few nobles in the capital even knew of his existence.
Still, the palace’s funding was generous.
Though the emperor never held his son, he fairly provided equal funds to all his children.
So technically, Ludvig received a large budget compared to his small palace.
But the palace looked like a crumbling ruin because the servants had been embezzling his funds.
Even though Ludvig knew this, he didn’t bother fixing it.
He didn’t need money.
Even the finest food or the brightest jewels brought him no joy….
