TAKS CH 02

Chapter 2

Noxia blinked slowly. Her usually bright eyes were strangely hazy, as if covered by mist. For an instant, her deep green irises seemed tinged with pale blue.

When she blinked again, the cloudy light disappeared, and her eyes were back to their usual vivid green. Noxia looked puzzled.

“Huh?”

When did I come down to the ground? I remember climbing the tree and picking fruit, but I don’t remember what happened after that.

She stared at the peach in her hand, frowning. Then she shrugged, shaking off the uneasy feeling. The strange sense of wrongness faded away and slipped quietly into her unconscious.

From far away, a pair of eyes watched the girl. But she never noticed.

Noxia Deccan’s special secret friend was so secret that even she herself couldn’t remember him.

Time passed, and Noxia and Karnen turned eleven.

Originally, Karnen was supposed to stay at the baron’s mansion only for a few months, but she begged her parents to extend her stay. In the end, she spent over a year in the countryside.

The reason was simple—because of Noxia. The two girls had grown even closer, and by now they spoke to each other comfortably without formality.

But eventually, the farewell day came. No matter how much Karnen begged to remain, her parents wanted her raised in the bustling capital, not a remote village.

The marquis and marchioness ordered her to return, and the eleven-year-old girl had no choice but to obey. That was how she had to part from Noxia.

“Don’t forget to write me, okay, Nox? I’ll write you often, so you’d better reply every time.”
“I promise, Kali. Don’t you forget either.”
“Of course not. And when we grow up, you have to come to the capital. I’ll find you a job and take you into society. So you must come and see me.”
“If you invite me, I’ll always come.”

The two children exchanged tearful goodbyes. Because adults—maids, knights, and attendants—were nearby, they had to whisper their promises softly.

At last, it was time for Karnen to leave. The two hugged tightly, then reluctantly let go. Karnen climbed into the carriage, and Noxia watched with teary eyes.

“Goodbye, my lady! Please come back someday!”

She shouted loudly, and from the window Karnen smiled through her own watery eyes.

The carriage rolled away. Noxia stood frozen, staring until it shrank to a tiny dot in the distance.

Then, suddenly, she turned and ran. Her heart was torn apart by sorrow, and she needed somewhere private to grieve.

She went to the field where she and Karnen had once made flower rings, crouched down like a lost animal, and began to sob.

Then a cool breeze blew. Sniffling, she lifted her head—

“Ahhh!”

She yelped in shock. Until a moment ago she had been completely alone, but now a man was standing nearby. A tall, handsome man she had never seen before.

“Child, are you crying?”

The man had black hair and deep blue eyes. His voice was low and calm, carrying both sadness and concern.

“Sniff… Who are you?”

As before, Noxia bristled with caution at the stranger. She didn’t remember that she had already met someone like this a year ago. Those memories had been perfectly erased.

Her anxious eyes darted around. The empty field held only her and the man. She bit her lip.

What if he’s dangerous? What if he’s a kidnapper?

At eleven, she wasn’t completely naive anymore. She knew the world held bad people as well as good.

As if sensing her fears, the man gave a gentle, bitter smile and spoke softly:

“I’m just a passerby. But you looked like you needed comfort.”

He bent down and reached out his hand. Noxia froze in fear—but when his hand touched her cheek, she gasped, not from terror but from something else.

“I shouldn’t have come. I wasn’t going to. But I heard you crying… I couldn’t ignore it.”

He whispered strange words and gently stroked her face, wiping her tears with great care, as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

And though this was a stranger who touched her without permission, Noxia didn’t flinch or resist. Somehow, instinctively, she let him.

Her vision blurred slightly as she stared at him. This moment felt unreal. He was unfamiliar, yet strangely comforting, like someone she had known all her life. And most of all, an aching sorrow filled her chest.

The man gazed at her with desperate eyes, then leaned closer until their foreheads touched.

Noxia trembled at the contact, but once again, she didn’t pull away.

“If I could, I would erase all your memories of that child—the one who made you cry. I’d make sure you never had to suffer because of them again.”

He spoke softly, as though suppressing deep emotion. Noxia looked up at him with confusion. He gave her a bitter smile.

“But if I did that, it would mean interfering in your life again. And I can’t do that.”

He pulled away, and with the loss of his warmth, Noxia felt a sharp pang of regret.

“I won’t do this again.”

He stood straight and made a promise she couldn’t understand.

“And I’ll keep this meeting only in my own memory. You don’t need to remember it.”

He placed his hand on her forehead. His touch was strangely warm—like he carried a fragment of fire inside him.

“I only hope… you won’t stay sad for too long.”

He whispered tenderly.

Noxia closed her eyes, almost by instinct. When she opened them again, she was alone. There was no sign the man had ever been there.

She blinked. The faint bluish light in her eyes vanished like mist, her vision became clear again—and along with it, her memory of him disappeared completely.

She didn’t even sense the watchful gaze following her from afar.

It was still a time of peace, sheltered by ignorance.

Years passed, and the little girl grew into a young woman. By seventeen, Noxia Deccan was legally an adult.

She had always been pretty as a child, but now she was truly beautiful—fresh and radiant, catching the eyes of every boy in the village.

The year before, she had graduated at the top of her local school. Now that she was of age, she was expected to find her own path in life.

But she stayed at the orphanage a while longer, helping the teachers and taking care of the younger children. She was fairly satisfied with her role.

Still, she knew her limits. Being the “smartest” girl in a countryside school meant little in a vast kingdom. And the world was rarely kind to a common-born orphan.

Most adults praised her for being clever and diligent—but always added that she’d make a “fine wife.”

Pretty face, smart enough, good personality—Noxia Deccan was considered ideal daughter-in-law material. Many young men hoped she would become their bride.

It was suffocating. Was this really her future? To marry some village boy and wither away, like a flower trapped in a garden?

But Noxia had another choice. She still received letters from her precious friend, Karnen Holby, who had never forgotten her.

Letter from Karnen Holby:

Dear Nox,

Hello! I hope you don’t mind that this reply is a little late. Ever since I debuted into society this year, life has been hectic.

But no matter how busy I get, I’ll always have time to write to my dearest friend, Noxia Deccan. I could never forget you.

Noxia, when will you come to the capital to see me? It’s already been over three years since we last met!

I still remember when I visited your village last time—how much taller you had grown. I can’t wait to see how you’ve changed now.

Last time, I went down to visit you. This time, you should come to me. Why not even settle in the capital for a while?

Remember my promise? If you come, I’ll find you a job and take you into society. That promise still stands. I would never break a vow to a friend.

I know you’ve been busy looking after the younger orphans, as always. You’ve been like a big sister to them ever since we were little, and they all adore you.

But don’t you think it’s time you saw a bigger world? If you come, I’ll show you. We don’t need to stay in our hometowns forever. Sometimes, life needs a new journey.

I’ll be waiting for your reply, Nox. If it’s truly impossible for you to come, then I’ll visit again. But I really hope this time you’ll come to me.

I’ve already seen your world. Now I want you to see mine.

With love,
Your forever friend,
Karnen

P.S. — There are many more handsome men in the capital!