Chapter 3
Kartia crouched in front of the greenhouse flower bed, blankly staring at the flowers. Then, she tugged at the corner of her lips.
<My goodness, Kartia. Are you helping Mommy?>
The voice and memory that suddenly surfaced felt unfamiliar.
It was something she hadn’t experienced herself, yet the scene remained vividly in her memory.
A warm hand gently stroked her head.
The person to whom the voice belonged must have been her mother.
Kartia knew. That woman wasn’t the Empress. The Empress had never once touched her with such warmth.
Why do I remember something like this?
Her hand clenched over her chest.
Her breathing grew shallow, and her heart pounded violently.
That scent. That warmth.
Kartia couldn’t remember the woman’s face, but the sensation of her touch and voice was clearly etched into her being.
Was it a dream?
Was it a fantasy?
Or… a forgotten memory?
“I don’t know.”
Kartia spoke to herself in a trembling voice and wiped away the tears she hadn’t noticed.
Just then—
“Lady Kartia?”
Startled, Kartia turned around.
Favia was approaching, holding the hem of her skirt slightly lifted.
“What are you doing here, my lady? You’ll catch a cold.”
Favia quickly draped a shawl over Kartia’s shoulders.
Only then did Kartia realize how chilly the dawn air was. Her body, soaked with dew, was trembling slightly.
“I was just getting some air.”
“At this hour?”
Favia tilted her head in concern, but Kartia didn’t answer. She simply stood and turned her gaze to the east, where the sun was beginning to rise.
“Let’s go. I want to go back before the sun fully rises.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Kartia gently stepped away from the flower bed, her mind still occupied by the phantom warmth of that forgotten hand.
Let me know if you’d like me to polish the tone more (e.g. for a novel, webtoon, etc.), or if you want the next chapter translated!
is this chapter for a different novel?