𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟐: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲
When Mabel woke up, she found herself in a dimly lit room.
Despite the small size of the room, there was a rather splendid bed, with a luxurious canopy adorned with pale purple and crimson curtains. Mabel was lying on clean sheets beneath it.
She managed to sit up, but her head felt numb, and she was overwhelmed by a terrible sense of fatigue. There seemed to be a small window on the wall, but it was tightly sealed with wooden planks, preventing her from seeing the outside.
Furthermore, the room was filled with the scent of flowers, or medicine. It was spread across the room.
Mabel desperately tried to gather her thoughts, but each breath made her mind wander. However, as she struggled to organize her thoughts, she heard the sound of a door opening from behind the partition beside the bed.
After a while, Kairi appeared with the attendants.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
“Kairi-san…why…is this happening?”
“I received instructions from our homeland, Kytha. I have been appointed to accompany you in place of the incompetent Amane.”
“In place of?”
“I have informed Amane, and the members of the Eakes Council were quite enthusiastic about the engagement with Kytha, so it went smoothly. Although I myself have no interest in a princess from such a small country, I suppose you can become the fourth lady.”
With a gentle smile, Kairi played with her long braid using his fingertips.
“I absolutely refuse.”
Mabel didn’t back down and stared back at Kairi with a strong gaze. However, Kairi not only showed no fear but also raised the corners of his mouth and behaved elegantly.
“No matter what you say, this is already an accomplished fact, there is nothing you can do about it.”
Mabel felt an indescribable fear when she heard Kairi calmly say, “No one would want to marry a princess who has become damaged goods.” A shiver ran down her spine at the wretchedness of her situation. However, she couldn’t give up.
Observing Mabel’s stern expression, Kairi placed his hand on her chin.
“It seems the effect is still weak…”
Kairi gave some instructions to the man who stood behind her. The servant took out a small vial and began pouring some liquid into a dish on a candlestick. Instantly, the scent filling the room became stronger.
“Let’s have you sleep a little longer. Well then, see you later.”
Mabel desperately tried to keep her eyelids from closing. But a strong drowsiness spread throughout her body, and she let her throbbing head sink into the bed.
‘No, I…can’t fall asleep’
However, the effect seemed to have become much stronger than before, and her consciousness became increasingly fragmented. Furthermore, there were two of Kairi’s subordinates left by the bedside, making it impossible for her to escape.
Mabel searched for something in her clothes, hoping to find anything useful. But there was nothing that could serve as a weapon or aid in her escape.
‘What should I do…’
Gradually, it became difficult for her to think.
Knowing it was futile resistance, she forcefully dug her nails into the back of her hand. For a moment, she felt a sharp pain, but it quickly faded, replaced by a dizzying sensation.
‘Help me, Eugene…’
The thread of consciousness, stretched thin to its limit, snapped.
At that moment, one of Kairi’s subordinates, who had been emanating an intimidating presence, collapsed onto the floor with a thud. Startled, Mabel quickly opened her eyes.
Then, the other subordinate also disappeared from her field of vision, muttering something indistinct.
‘What is…going on?’
Mabel was confused by the sudden turn of events, but if she let her guard down even for a moment, she felt like she would lose consciousness. In that state, she heard a familiar voice enter her ears.
“Are you alright, Mabel?”
“Amane-san?”
Though his mouth was covered with a black cloth, his sunset-colored eyes visible through the gaps left no doubt that it was Amane. He approached Mabel, who was still in a daze, and pressed something dry and grass-like into her mouth.
“I’m sorry, bear with it.”
Mabel clenched her teeth, enduring the unbearable stench. Then, an unimaginable bitterness and foulness spread through her mouth. Unable to bear it any longer, she coughed and spat it out.
Tears of revulsion welled up in her eyes, and Mabel desperately held back, blinking rapidly. But as the haze that had clouded her mind until now cleared, she gradually regained her senses.
“Why…am I here?”
“I was keeping an eye on my brother.”
While efficiently tying up Kairi’s subordinates who had fallen, Amane calmly spoke.
“We need to escape. My brother is a ruthless person who would easily take our lives if we don’t comply with his wishes.”
“But, if we run away, Amane-san will–”
“It’s fine.”
As if time was running out, Amane took Mabel’s hand. At first, Mabel’s steps were unsteady, but realizing that there was no other choice but to escape from here, she desperately moved her feet to avoid stumbling.
Beyond the door they escaped through was a narrow and pitch-dark corridor. Mabel noticed that the entire building was slightly shaking. Amane continued to move straight ahead.
“Um, thank you….”
“Save your gratitude until we’re safely out.”
Amane’s steps were resolute, clearly seeking the way out. They managed to bypass several guards along the way and climbed up and down steep stairs. Eventually, through the scent and sounds coming from outside, Mabel finally understood where they were.
“This is a ship?”
The smell of the sea. The swaying corridor. It seemed that they were inside the ship’s structure.
“It’s my older brother’s merchant ship. It’s on a different scale than mine, but the interior structure is similar.”
“I-I see…”
Perhaps feeling a bit relieved, Amane responded to Mabel’s murmurs. Looking at the hand that was still firmly held, Mabel couldn’t help but ask Amane.
“Why did you save me?”
“…”
“Even though you were so afraid of your brother, you still helped me. If you were found out, Amane-san…”
“It wouldn’t end well for me. But if I didn’t help you now, I thought I would regret it for the rest of my life.”
Amane’s calm and straightforward voice continued.
“I thought I would spend my entire life following the arrangements made by my father and brothers, and end my life for the sake of Kytha.”
The engagement with Mabel was just one of those arrangements.
However, Mabel seemed to be living happily. Despite not possessing the beauty or talent of her sisters, she didn’t resent her own circumstances and disliked being given things.
“That’s why I was truly surprised when you rejected me. Until now, there hasn’t been a single thing that didn’t go my way, thanks to the country’s arrangements. So I had no idea how to persuade you, how to make you turn to me. I spent so much time thinking about it, and it was enjoyable, but also frustrating.”
“…”
“With you, I thought I might still be able to be free. It was a bit too late, though.”
If it was anyone else that he fell in love with, he was confident that could obtain her: If it was just unrequited love, he had the confidence to take it by force; If it was a political marriage, he was determined to break it with his own power. However, Mable and Eugene were simply in love.
Even when faced with the difference between a mage and a human, her feelings didn’t change. Eugene, too, was suffering and agonizing like any other human.
Amane was envious.
No one had ever thought of him that way, nor did he have anyone he wanted to think of him that way.
“Mabel, don’t worry. I properly conveyed your feelings.”
“Conveyed? to Eugene-san?!”
“Yes, be clear about it. That’s why it’s okay. He, Eugene, still genuinely likes you.”
Mabel was on the verge of tears upon hearing those words. When she looked up, she saw Amane, who had been walking in front, turn back and give her a gentle smile. After confirming Mabel’s firm nod, Amane continued to walk with determination.
Eventually, in front of the two who emerged from the stern tower, a massive mast appeared. Behind it were two more masts, and currently, the sails were folded due to being docked.
The sky above them still retained the appearance of night, and it seemed like it would take a little more time until sunrise.
“We can blend into the darkness now, quickly―.”
However, Amane suddenly stopped in his tracks. Mabel, following suit, stopped and looked ahead, wondering what was going on. There, Kairi stood with many subordinates, wearing a wry smile.
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