Mortu’s Castle
Venua’s horse strode out through the leafy shrubs. The bridle decorated with silk and gold sparkled on the horse’s face. Venua looked down at them coldly. The sunlight was so strong that his eyes looked particularly shaded under the brim of his hat.
“What are you doing here?”
“…”
Maxwell quickly redirected his raised crossbow. It was rather fortunate they were vigilant and dismounted, if Lil had been caught with the slingshot in hand, Maxwell’s head would’ve been blown off.
Liloa came out From Maxwell’s back and grabbed her dress while bending her knees.
“Didn’t you go for a walk?”
The lake behind Liloa was the beginning of a trail through the forest. She quickly told a white lie.
“I was resting because my ankle hurt.”
“What about Marguerite?”
“Marguerite went ahead first…”
Venua, who glanced somewhere in the forest, looked back at Liloa again. His navy blue eyes seemed to freeze over.
“Her and Ricard… the two alone?”
Venua laughed sharply, thereby distorting his stoic face. It was the kind of laughter that lasted so long that it made Liloa nervous. Not a single soul in their surroundings dared to move during that time. Not Liloa, not Maxwell, nor the two guards who followed Venua.
Venua soon looked back at his guards with a face that plastered a smile.
“Shall we hunt here today?”
“Huh? We can’t release the prey in this part of the estate…”
“The escaped wild dog may still be wandering around.”
“…”
Venua muttered with his gaze focused on Maxwell.
“…I assigned you here to catch that wild dog*…”
And with that remark, a cold wind lashed between them. Venua turned his horse’s head to change direction before the three horses disappeared along the trail. Only then did Liloa and Maxwell understand Venua’s meaning. On the outside, Maxwell was sent to “serve” as Liloa’s escort because he caused friction among the Royal Guards, but that reason was merely used for deceiving Marguerite.
Liloa quickly looked back at Maxwell and noticed his face becoming lifeless and weary. He was pacing around, not knowing what to do. He didn’t dare look at Liloa again.
“Maxwell…”
The guard grabbed his head. He blamed himself for being so caught up in the whimsical fun of playing with a young child that he hadn’t been able to look at the situation keenly. Forget Karabinae, he doubted whether he could even keep his position in the Royal Guard.
Liloa instinctively knew that she would never be able to get along with him again.
Soon, gunshots were heard from where Venua had disappeared.
– Bang! Bang! –
A series of gunshots echoed throughout the forest… Birds on the trees flew up, and the sound of insects chirping reverberated in Liloa’s ears for a while… As well as Marguerite’s screams…
***
Ricard died a cruel death. Because his position was that of a diplomat, friction with the Kingdom of Sassel was inevitable, but Venua maintained the disposition that he had only stepped on an ant.
Rumours circulated that Joseph had struck Venua in the face. As Joseph began to treat Venua coldly, his son’s neurosis became more severe, and in turn, suffocated Liloa. Joseph appeared to have no more expectations from Venua. Tired of his son, his attention unfortunately turned to his daughter. Amid the drastic shift in their situation, Joseph wondered how he could make the best use of his only daughter. As a result, Liloa was dragged from place to place and went through several engagements, which were all broken off in the end.
Obernyu was a traditional and conservative principality, but the world was changing. The number of wealthy people originally born as commoners and the emerging nobles, who bought titles from the imperial family, increased exponentially. Similarly, the social trend of going for gold rather than prestige gained prevalence. Public opinion was becoming less favourable to monarchical families such as Obernyu or any other traditional clans, and even the imperial family couldn’t avoid such a hubbub of public opinion. And with each broken engagement, Venua’s became more harsh.
Venua, standing on the stairs of the ground floor hall, looked coldly down at Liloa.
“Another engagement was broken off.”
Venua was holding a letter stamped with gold. Liloa lost track of how many times her engagement had been broken off. Everyone at court, except Venua, knew that the breakup of the engagements was not her fault. Like Joseph, the other archdukes of the principalities belonging to the Great Lakes Union kept an eye on each other. The unstable atmosphere between the principalities piled up like fog, and at that time, breakups of engagements between monarchical families occurred as if it were the norm.
“Even if I do not get married, I will do well. It does not matter to me whether it comes to fruition or not.”
“To be born a woman and think about growing old and dying alone? To know no shame, you are no different from an animal.”
“What do I have to be ashamed of? I have not done anything bad, I have not done anything that would haunt my conscience. So, I can simply live and die the way I was born.”
“How can you speak like that to your brother? Because of the way you speak so thoughtlessly, your marriage resolutions have never been fruitful. It is disgraceful to allow a girl to use her tongue. Next time, I will have to correct that habit.”
From there on, the tedious process kept repeating. Venua tried to break Liloa, but she never broke. The maids who were unable to watch any longer asked her to obediently respond to the master, but she had no intention of giving in even if it meant her death.
Because even Liloa had her way of coping.
“Koud Bhan.”
Liloa petted her closest friend. She brushed its mane and rubbed her cheek against the animal’s soft fur. Koud Bhan looked at Liloa, rolling its beautiful eyes.
Fortunately for her, the principality of Obernyu has been breeding quality horses born from excellent bloodlines since the time of its ancestors. The black horses of Obernyu were a renowned kind throughout the continent.
Top-tier horses certified by the royal decree of the emperor weren’t something that anyone could just obtain. The more new nobles emerged in the empire, the more the old nobles wanted to obtain authority and dignity that would set them apart from the former. However, the emerging nobility naturally aspired to have the same privilege and prestige as the old noble families and an excellent horse was a powerful symbol of such class. Unfortunately for them, horses only gave birth to one foal at a time with a pregnancy period being close to a year, which meant that the demand for such special species was high and the price of those horses soared even higher than the sky.
Koud Bhan came from the bloodline of prestigious horses and had been with Liloa from the moment of its birth. Even the stern Venua tolerated the unusual affection and attention that Liloa paid to her horse. After all, in the Obernyu’s way of thinking, communion with a quality horse was one of the privileges granted to only a very few.
Liloa climbed the open hill with Koud Bhan until she could observe the Obernyu Castle from a distance. She couldn’t only see the castle, but also the buildings gathered tightly around it, the large winding river, as well as the fields and groves.
Her rapid breathing let out a whiff of white air. Liloa closed her eyes, feeling the cloudy sky, the bright sun, and the wind blowing across the hills. Her sweat that hadn’t cooled down yet was chilled by the cold breeze.
Liloa stood for a long time until her ears and nose felt cold. As she took a deep breath into her stomach, the wind flowed inside her body. It was refreshing.
Koud Bhan strolled around the surrounding grass, while Liloa loaded and lifted the crossbow from the saddle. As they entered the forest, fallen leaves and twigs crunched under her horse’s feet.
In the beginning, Liloa practised running her horse without holding onto the reins. Next, she adjusted the reins with her left hand as she tried to hit her target with her right hand. Afterwards, she used both hands to operate the slingshot or crossbow. She needed to develop her overall strength, so she began training on her own. Although Liloa wanted to use a rifle, she would obviously get caught as gunshots would be too loud to use. So, all she could do for now was try out a long crossbow similar to a rifle.
There was no specific reason for Liloa to learn the technique used by the Karabinae. At first, she was only curious because it was said to be a skill that very few could do. As time went on, the more she practised, the better she got. That sense of accomplishment of achieving something extraordinary thrilled her and before she realised it, she developed a skill that she could now call a hobby as well. But above all, whenever she was concentrating on her target, her distracting thoughts disappeared. It seemed like everything that bothered her became meaningless and only her target and herself were left in her world. It became her refuge to erase her pain, and practising was the reason behind Liloa’s ability to temporarily escape Mortu’s hellish bondage.
The time when her daily routine of living each day like that changed when Joseph I, unable to withstand public opinion, turned his attention to the empire.
“I’ll send you to Sesbron’s court.”
Said Joseph, who stood up as if evaluating her, as usual.
“…”
“I’m sure you can find a good partner there.”
After much deliberation, Joseph chose the safest method. He hoped that Liloa would catch the eye of the prince at the court of Sesbron, mindful of her marriage to the imperial family.
– – – – –
Footnote:
“…I assigned you here to catch that wild dog…” = Venua is referring to Ricard.
Mortu’s Castle
Venua’s horse strode out through the leafy shrubs. The bridle decorated with silk and gold sparkled on the horse’s face. Venua looked down at them coldly. The sunlight was so strong that his eyes looked particularly shaded under the brim of his hat.
“What are you doing here?”
“…”
Maxwell quickly redirected his raised crossbow. It was rather fortunate they were vigilant and dismounted, if Lil had been caught with the slingshot in hand, Maxwell’s head would’ve been blown off.
Liloa came out From Maxwell’s back and grabbed her dress while bending her knees.
“Didn’t you go for a walk?”
The lake behind Liloa was the beginning of a trail through the forest. She quickly told a white lie.
“I was resting because my ankle hurt.”
“What about Marguerite?”
“Marguerite went ahead first…”
Venua, who glanced somewhere in the forest, looked back at Liloa again. His navy blue eyes seemed to freeze over.
“Her and Ricard… the two alone?”
Venua laughed sharply, thereby distorting his stoic face. It was the kind of laughter that lasted so long that it made Liloa nervous. Not a single soul in their surroundings dared to move during that time. Not Liloa, not Maxwell, nor the two guards who followed Venua.
Venua soon looked back at his guards with a face that plastered a smile.
“Shall we hunt here today?”
“Huh? We can’t release the prey in this part of the estate…”
“The escaped wild dog may still be wandering around.”
“…”
Venua muttered with his gaze focused on Maxwell.
“…I assigned you here to catch that wild dog*…”
And with that remark, a cold wind lashed between them. Venua turned his horse’s head to change direction before the three horses disappeared along the trail. Only then did Liloa and Maxwell understand Venua’s meaning. On the outside, Maxwell was sent to “serve” as Liloa’s escort because he caused friction among the Royal Guards, but that reason was merely used for deceiving Marguerite.
Liloa quickly looked back at Maxwell and noticed his face becoming lifeless and weary. He was pacing around, not knowing what to do. He didn’t dare look at Liloa again.
“Maxwell…”
The guard grabbed his head. He blamed himself for being so caught up in the whimsical fun of playing with a young child that he hadn’t been able to look at the situation keenly. Forget Karabinae, he doubted whether he could even keep his position in the Royal Guard.
Liloa instinctively knew that she would never be able to get along with him again.
Soon, gunshots were heard from where Venua had disappeared.
– Bang! Bang! –
A series of gunshots echoed throughout the forest… Birds on the trees flew up, and the sound of insects chirping reverberated in Liloa’s ears for a while… As well as Marguerite’s screams…
***
Ricard died a cruel death. Because his position was that of a diplomat, friction with the Kingdom of Sassel was inevitable, but Venua maintained the disposition that he had only stepped on an ant.
Rumours circulated that Joseph had struck Venua in the face. As Joseph began to treat Venua coldly, his son’s neurosis became more severe, and in turn, suffocated Liloa. Joseph appeared to have no more expectations from Venua. Tired of his son, his attention unfortunately turned to his daughter. Amid the drastic shift in their situation, Joseph wondered how he could make the best use of his only daughter. As a result, Liloa was dragged from place to place and went through several engagements, which were all broken off in the end.
Obernyu was a traditional and conservative principality, but the world was changing. The number of wealthy people originally born as commoners and the emerging nobles, who bought titles from the imperial family, increased exponentially. Similarly, the social trend of going for gold rather than prestige gained prevalence. Public opinion was becoming less favourable to monarchical families such as Obernyu or any other traditional clans, and even the imperial family couldn’t avoid such a hubbub of public opinion. And with each broken engagement, Venua’s became more harsh.
Venua, standing on the stairs of the ground floor hall, looked coldly down at Liloa.
“Another engagement was broken off.”
Venua was holding a letter stamped with gold. Liloa lost track of how many times her engagement had been broken off. Everyone at court, except Venua, knew that the breakup of the engagements was not her fault. Like Joseph, the other archdukes of the principalities belonging to the Great Lakes Union kept an eye on each other. The unstable atmosphere between the principalities piled up like fog, and at that time, breakups of engagements between monarchical families occurred as if it were the norm.
“Even if I do not get married, I will do well. It does not matter to me whether it comes to fruition or not.”
“To be born a woman and think about growing old and dying alone? To know no shame, you are no different from an animal.”
“What do I have to be ashamed of? I have not done anything bad, I have not done anything that would haunt my conscience. So, I can simply live and die the way I was born.”
“How can you speak like that to your brother? Because of the way you speak so thoughtlessly, your marriage resolutions have never been fruitful. It is disgraceful to allow a girl to use her tongue. Next time, I will have to correct that habit.”
From there on, the tedious process kept repeating. Venua tried to break Liloa, but she never broke. The maids who were unable to watch any longer asked her to obediently respond to the master, but she had no intention of giving in even if it meant her death.
Because even Liloa had her way of coping.
“Koud Bhan.”
Liloa petted her closest friend. She brushed its mane and rubbed her cheek against the animal’s soft fur. Koud Bhan looked at Liloa, rolling its beautiful eyes.
Fortunately for her, the principality of Obernyu has been breeding quality horses born from excellent bloodlines since the time of its ancestors. The black horses of Obernyu were a renowned kind throughout the continent.
Top-tier horses certified by the royal decree of the emperor weren’t something that anyone could just obtain. The more new nobles emerged in the empire, the more the old nobles wanted to obtain authority and dignity that would set them apart from the former. However, the emerging nobility naturally aspired to have the same privilege and prestige as the old noble families and an excellent horse was a powerful symbol of such class. Unfortunately for them, horses only gave birth to one foal at a time with a pregnancy period being close to a year, which meant that the demand for such special species was high and the price of those horses soared even higher than the sky.
Koud Bhan came from the bloodline of prestigious horses and had been with Liloa from the moment of its birth. Even the stern Venua tolerated the unusual affection and attention that Liloa paid to her horse. After all, in the Obernyu’s way of thinking, communion with a quality horse was one of the privileges granted to only a very few.
Liloa climbed the open hill with Koud Bhan until she could observe the Obernyu Castle from a distance. She couldn’t only see the castle, but also the buildings gathered tightly around it, the large winding river, as well as the fields and groves.
Her rapid breathing let out a whiff of white air. Liloa closed her eyes, feeling the cloudy sky, the bright sun, and the wind blowing across the hills. Her sweat that hadn’t cooled down yet was chilled by the cold breeze.
Liloa stood for a long time until her ears and nose felt cold. As she took a deep breath into her stomach, the wind flowed inside her body. It was refreshing.
Koud Bhan strolled around the surrounding grass, while Liloa loaded and lifted the crossbow from the saddle. As they entered the forest, fallen leaves and twigs crunched under her horse’s feet.
In the beginning, Liloa practised running her horse without holding onto the reins. Next, she adjusted the reins with her left hand as she tried to hit her target with her right hand. Afterwards, she used both hands to operate the slingshot or crossbow. She needed to develop her overall strength, so she began training on her own. Although Liloa wanted to use a rifle, she would obviously get caught as gunshots would be too loud to use. So, all she could do for now was try out a long crossbow similar to a rifle.
There was no specific reason for Liloa to learn the technique used by the Karabinae. At first, she was only curious because it was said to be a skill that very few could do. As time went on, the more she practised, the better she got. That sense of accomplishment of achieving something extraordinary thrilled her and before she realised it, she developed a skill that she could now call a hobby as well. But above all, whenever she was concentrating on her target, her distracting thoughts disappeared. It seemed like everything that bothered her became meaningless and only her target and herself were left in her world. It became her refuge to erase her pain, and practising was the reason behind Liloa’s ability to temporarily escape Mortu’s hellish bondage.
The time when her daily routine of living each day like that changed when Joseph I, unable to withstand public opinion, turned his attention to the empire.
“I’ll send you to Sesbron’s court.”
Said Joseph, who stood up as if evaluating her, as usual.
“…”
“I’m sure you can find a good partner there.”
After much deliberation, Joseph chose the safest method. He hoped that Liloa would catch the eye of the prince at the court of Sesbron, mindful of her marriage to the imperial family.
– – – – –
Footnote:
“…I assigned you here to catch that wild dog…” = Venua is referring to Ricard.
