Chapter 2
“His Majesty will now give his address.”
“That is Lord Arthur Digory.”
Theon, standing by the emperor’s side, whispered to Marcella while indicating the man with his eyes.
Marcella stole a glance at the man.
So that was Arthur, the fatherless one. The man who used and betrayed his own family to place Nell Hyiri on the throne. When someone once questioned him about human ethics, he was said to have replied, *‘But I don’t have a father, you see?’*
Thus, he was called Arthur, the one without blood, tears, or a father. Though whether he truly said those words was impossible to know.
As everyone’s gaze turned to the emperor, the emperor looked down at his subjects from his seated position and slowly opened his mouth.
“I am pleased to see everyone gathered like this to celebrate the founding of the Western Empire.”
His voice made one doubt if he was truly pleased.
Marcella waited for the emperor’s next words. But no matter how long she waited, the emperor merely kept his lips tightly sealed and gazed out indifferently.
“Ahem. On this joyous day, His Majesty is also extremely happy to be with you all. As a servant attending His Majesty, there could be no greater joy for me.”
As Arthur Digory extended his hand, a nearby attendant swiftly handed him a glass. Then, the others also began raising their glasses in unison.
“Glory to His Majesty!”
“Glory to His Majesty!”
Following Lord Digory’s lead, everyone echoed the toast.
A flustered Marcella looked at Theon, who had also already raised his glass high, shouted ‘Glory!’, and downed his drink.
“That was sneaky! You should have told me in advance.”
“Hahaha.”
“This is no laughing matter!”
Though Marcella was angry, Theon just smiled and clinked his now-empty glass against Marcella’s, which she had belatedly raised.
“See, His Majesty is leaving early again today.”
Theon whispered to his sister-in-law, who was glaring at him with displeasure. Already? Without even dancing once?
No matter how much he disliked parties, this was on the level of hating them.
Unconsciously turning to look at the departing emperor, Marcella suddenly made direct eye contact with him.
Knowing it was impolite but too startled to bow her head or offer a light curtsy, Marcella could only blink slowly. Strangely, the emperor who met her gaze had a similar reaction.
He stopped walking and stared intently at Marcella.
“Your Majesty?”
Lord Digory looked at the suddenly halted emperor with curiosity and followed his line of sight.
Thinking that now Digory was also looking at her after the emperor, Marcella was startled. For a moment, Arthur Digory’s face looked demonic.
*Did I do something wrong? Is it because I kept making eye contact with the emperor?*
“Brother-in-law, are you perhaps acquainted with His Majesty?”
“His Majesty? I pay my respects every year, but I doubt he remembers my name.”
“Then why does it seem like he’s coming this way?”
Theon looked around and then grabbed Marcella’s arm, pulling her aside.
“Duke Digory is behind us. He must have business with him. It’s fine, sister-in-law. Just stay still.”
Reassured by Theon, Marcella nodded and let out a breath.
*I was startled when our eyes met, but perhaps the fact that our eyes met at all was a mistake. The emperor made eye contact with Duke Digory, and I, who happened to be in between, am of no consequence.*
Marcella did as Theon said and moved aside to not block the emperor’s path to Duke Digory.
But the emperor, instead of passing by the person he should have passed, stopped. *So he did have business with brother-in-law after all.*
Marcella took a step sideways, moving away from Theon. The emperor’s gaze followed Marcella.
When Marcella took two more steps to the side, the emperor outright changed direction and stood in front of Marcella. By now, sweat began to bead on Marcella’s forehead.
“Marcella.”
The emperor called Marcella’s name.
Never expecting her name to come from his lips, Marcella was so shocked she choked on air—despite not having eaten anything.
As her dry cough wouldn’t stop, Theon patted Marcella’s back. The emperor silently looked down at her until her coughing subsided.
“It seems I was mistaken about something.”
When the emperor spoke again to Marcella, who had finally stopped coughing, she began to cough weakly once more. *Mistaken? About what?*
His statement, lacking an object, plunged Marcella into deeper confusion.
“Why do you look so surprised?”
*Well, it’s because you’re talking to me and you know my name.*
Unable to voice her true thoughts, Marcella glanced at the emperor, who was tilting his head. He didn’t seem angry, but he didn’t look pleased either.
Meanwhile, Lord Digory behind the emperor was busy shifting his gaze between the emperor and Marcella with a serious expression.
“Was it not you who told me to wait for you at the imperial palace?”
“Huh?”
Marcella, who had been listening with her mouth closed, let out an involuntary sound. *I said that? Impossible. I’m meeting you for the first time today.*
“I have a promise to keep, so I suppose I must.”
“A promise…?”
Marcella still couldn’t understand his words. A promise? When on earth did I ever make a ‘promise’ with the emperor?
“My apologies, but might you be mistaking me for someone else…?”
“Marcella Morris. It is you.”
The emperor was certain.
Marcella racked her brains so hard her head spun, trying to recall any past promise she might have made.
“Ah!”
As a memory from three years ago suddenly surfaced and Marcella cried out, the emperor tilted his head.
—
**3 Years Ago**
“The weather doesn’t look good today.”
The maid said that, but it was a clear day without a single drop of rain.
Marcella walked along, swinging her basket back and forth.
She had already been walking for 20 minutes since leaving Morris Castle. She was moving quite fast and should have been tired, but Marcella was in a good mood. She hummed a tune and even spun around in place by herself.
During this season, many of the mushrooms that appeared were edible. For Marcella, who loved mushrooms, it was truly a golden time.
As soon as she entered the mouth of the mountain, she saw many mushrooms, just as she expected.
They were paralytic mushrooms—eating them would numb your tongue, and in severe cases, paralyze your limbs for three full days. It was truly vicious that such dangerous mushrooms grew in such conspicuous places.
Remembering the time she accidentally ate one of those mushrooms, Marcella shuddered. *How I suffered then.* It was a memory she didn’t want to recall.
Leaving the paralytic mushrooms behind, Marcella went deeper inside to look for edible mushrooms.
*I’m sure they were around here.* Tracing her memory, Marcella gradually strayed from the beaten path.
“Found it!”
After wandering around for a while, Marcella discovered a colony of lemon mushrooms, popular for their refreshing lemon scent when grilled. Seeing so many, she could eat lemon mushrooms to her heart’s content for a while.
Delighted, she began picking mushrooms while humming.
*“Mushrooms are tasty. Mushrooms with lemon scent are tasty. Which mushroom shall I eat first…”*
Picking the largest mushroom, Marcella held it up to the sunlight and savored the thought. She was already salivating even before grilling it.
Just as she carefully placed the mushroom in the deepest part of her basket and reached for another lemon mushroom, a strange sound reached her ears.
Marcella looked up and scanned her surroundings.
“Maybe it’s my imagination?”
Wondering, she turned her gaze back to the mushrooms, and this time she clearly heard the sound.
– *Aaaah!*
It was a man’s scream.
Marcella flinched and curled in on herself. *Thud.* The sound of something hitting the ground followed.
Marcella hesitated, and sweat began to form on her forehead. In an instant, she felt the blood draining from her limbs.
The man’s desperate scream continued.
Marcella’s legs moved as she turned her head toward the source of the sound.
*What should I do? Did someone fall? Can I go help? What if it’s a monster?*
The moment that thought crossed her mind, Marcella’s running legs faltered.
Ten years ago, how many people had Morris lost to defeat the monster that appeared in the mountains? More than one could count with their hands.
After sacrificing so much to barely kill that monster, would it make a difference if I went to help now?
I might be of no help at all and just lose my life.
Marcella’s legs trembled.
*‘Marcella, Morris is our land, so we Morrises must protect it.’*
Even the words of her always strong and cool older sister were not much comfort now.
Since she was born in Morris, as a Morris, it was her duty to protect this land and its people. But with what strength?
Marcella bit her lip hard and struggled to move her legs, which refused to budge.
– *Uwaaah!*
The man’s scream sounded again.
Marcella groaned and barely managed to move her legs. Once they started moving, her legs didn’t stop running.
Since that monster ten years ago, not even a shadow of a monster had been seen in Morris territory.
“So, it’s not a monster. It can’t be.”
Marcella muttered. But what if it really was a monster?
She was barely fourteen and had no strength to escape from a monster while carrying a man. She did have magical power, but it was only at an ‘inferior’ level, embarrassing to even call herself a mage.
The only magic she was good at was lighting a candle!
Still, Marcella didn’t stop her legs. She couldn’t stop.
Even though her hands and feet grew cold with fear, she was Marcella Morris, the sister of the proud Count Morris who ruled this land.
So…!
Trying to shake off her fear, Marcella stretched her legs out with all her might, only to trip over a tree root and fall.
“Ugh…!”
As Marcella rolled on the ground in pain, something landed in front of her with a *thud*.
Even without looking up, she knew. This wasn’t a sound a human could make. This wasn’t an aura a human could emit.
Marcella’s chin trembled with fear. A beast’s growl was directed at her.
The only courage Marcella could muster was to lift her head.
A lion. At a glance, it closely resembled the lions she’d seen in books. But Marcella knew this was absolutely no ordinary lion. An ordinary lion wouldn’t be wrapped in magical energy.
Blood was smeared on its huge, sharp teeth, and its claws, gripping the ground, looked ready to tear her to shreds at any moment.
