Chapter 248
Normally, the coffin was stored elsewhere, but this time, it had been moved outside to show it the blooming white wild roses first.
Mathilde gently soothed Nova to calm her.
“Don’t worry, Lady Nova. Your mother is by the underground lake.”
“Then, then what about Nova? Nova will go there too?”
“Yes. But you mustn’t make a sound now.”
“Hmpf.”
Hugging Nova tightly, Mathilde dashed toward the underground chamber under the protection of the knights stationed here
Nothing like this had ever happened since the child was brought here, but of course, they had prepared for the worst.
Intruders…!
It was still too dark to make out their identity, but judging by the confrontation happening outside, they were clearly armed
And if they knew these were imperial knights and still didn’t back down, then they must be insane.
In such a situation, protocol dictated that the guards escort Nova to the underground lake—this ‘sanctuary’.
The palace in the canyon was built directly atop that sanctuary
It was a place where magical energy flowed so powerfully it could be called the ‘vein of the gods’. Even Mathilde, who had served the imperial family for many years, had never known such a place existed until the Imperial Prince personally stationed her here.
Among those stationed here, likely no one but her truly understood the lake’s value.
“Mama…!”
When they reached the underground lake, its silvery glow rising like fireflies from within, Nova, who had been holding her breath, finally cried out
Just as Mathilde had said, the coffin where her mother slept rested atop the altar near the lake.
While the knights defended the gate leading to the lake, Mathilde carried Nova into a cave attached to its side.
It was a designated shelter. Once the moss-covered door was shut, it blended into the cave so completely it was invisible from the outside.
After placing Nova safely inside, Mathilde turned back and shouted to the knights who had followed them.
“Bring Her Highness the Imperial Princess here too! Right now!”
“Head Maid, there’s a problem with the coffin—”
“What? What do you mean, in this situation—!”
Something had happened to Mama’s coffin? Nova struggled in the maid’s arms, but Mathilde quickly thrust a doll into her hands and locked eyes with her.
“You must not come out, Lady Nova! And you mustn’t make a sound!”
“Mathi—mmph…!”
Then the door shut right in front of her face.
Everything had happened so fast
In the sudden darkness, Nova could only blink, bewildered.
What? What’s going on?
Mathilde told her not even to breathe loudly, so Nova bit into her doll to stay quiet, but her curiosity about what was happening outside became unbearable.
She could hear people shouting, the clash of swords… But it all blurred together, too muffled to make out any words.
Finally, unable to resist, Nova squinted through a crack where light was leaking in.
“…Huh!”
In front of Mama’s coffin stood a man, a very tall man with jet-black hair.
Aside from his pale face, he looked pitch black from head to toe.
He’s even taller than Uncle.
Maybe even taller than the guards who protected this place
He was too far to see clearly, but still…
The man was strange.
He stood silently in front of Mama’s coffin, looking down at it without a word.
His hand rested on the glass lid, his head bowed, unmoving.
It looked like his shoulders might have been trembling, but it was too far to be sure.
And then, before Nova could look any closer, she nearly fainted from shock at what the man did.
He tried to open the glass lid of the coffin.
No! You can’t do that!
Back when the first spring flowers had bloomed this year, Nova had once tried to open the lid in secret, too.
〈If Nova pushes it… maybe it’ll open?〉
She had hoped that opening it from the outside might wake Mama up faster.
But unfortunately, that was exactly when Uncle had caught her.
〈Nova!〉
It was the first time her kind, gentle uncle had ever scolded her so fiercely
She’d thrown a fit to avoid being punished, but he had held her tightly and truly shouted
It was the first time she’d ever been so frightened.
〈Nova, listen carefully.〉
〈Mm…〉
〈If you try to open this carelessly, your Mama might never wake up.〉
〈Never? What’s that mean, Uncle…?〉
〈It means Nova would have to sleep over a hundred times, and grow up big—like me—while Mama stays asleep forever.〉
Just the thought had terrified her, and she’d nodded again and again.
It was already hard waiting every day
How could she possibly wait over a hundred sleeps until she was as tall as Uncle?
But if that man opened the coffin now, that’s exactly what would happen.
〈I’ll definitely wake up when the flowers bloom again. I promise.〉
Mama wouldn’t wake up.
Gripped by a fear she had never felt before, Nova screamed and thrashed in a panic.
“Aaaaah!”
“Lady Nova!”
“Don’t do it—!”
The maids desperately held her back to stop her from bursting out, but Nova’s wailing already echoed loud enough to be heard outside.
“Don’t open that! I said don’t open it…!”
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