Chapter 47.1
Chapter 47.1
The mention of an unfamiliar place name silenced the other fairies, who had been chattering amongst themselves. The most startled of them all was Rune, who abruptly stood.
“There’s District 13?”
“Yes. It’s quite far from here. You have to pass through the Eleventh, where the humans live, and the Twelfth, where the Serpiente dwell.”
“What kind of creatures live there?”
“The same as the Eleventh. Humans.”
“I’ve never heard of a District 13.”
“This is my first time visiting another district, too. It makes sense, considering the long isolation. Rune, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Rune nodded, prompting her to continue. Adeline finally voiced the question about the year that had been bothering her even more than the district’s name.
“You said the first human came here 359 years ago. When did you all first start living underground?”
“If you’re asking when District 10 was established, it was about 500 years ago.”
Five hundred years? The discrepancy was larger than she’d anticipated. Adeline pressed a finger to her lips, lost in thought, before confessing, “Are you sure? I mentioned 152 years because that’s the history I know. In District 13, we were taught that the underground districts are 152 years old.”
“I’m certain. The year of our founding is common knowledge among all fairies. Her Majesty, the first Queen, ascended the throne over 500 years ago.”
359, 500, 152. The multiple numbers made her head spin, but the core issue was the difference in their histories. The fairies seemed just as puzzled by this disparity, tilting their heads in confusion. Damian, swirling the wooden cup in his hand, stared into the furnace and murmured, “It’s simple.”
“Simple?”
“If the numbers were assigned in the order of their creation, then both could be right.”
He turned to Adeline, a thoughtful expression on his face. It was unclear whether it was due to the incident in the back room or the discussion about the years.
“Ah, so District 10 was established 500 years ago, and District 13, 152 years ago?”
That explanation could reconcile both accounts, if the districts were numbered in order of their creation. However, there wasn’t enough comparative data to prove the theory.
“At this point, I’ll have to visit the other districts and verify their histories.”
A sudden surge of enthusiasm coursed through her. The Labyrinth was indeed full of mysteries, from the still-unidentified Escape to the contradictory histories not mentioned in the book. Would she find all the answers if she followed this path to the end?
“Come with me.”
A familiar, pleasant baritone voice wrapped around her ears. Turning, she saw Damian’s gaze fixed on her, dark impulses flickering within.
The beer she’d been holding in her mouth slowly slid down her throat. The sweet sensation lingered on her tongue before disappearing, leaving a warmth that evoked a certain memory. She knew without asking that this was his answer to her question from the back room.
His gaze, slick and predatory in the dim, reddish light, traveled from her flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips downwards, lingering on her work clothes before he tilted his head.
“Do you still need that?”
“My clothes? Ah… these. I won’t need them if the others are gone. Do they not suit me?”
Instead of answering, he set down his cup and unzipped her jumpsuit. From the side, Rune’s giggles erupted again.
As if just remembering, Adeline turned and asked, “Rune, where do you plan to go now?”
The glimpse she’d had of District 10 hadn’t painted a rosy picture for fairies. She was glad he was free from those awful people, but she wondered what he would do next.
Caught off guard by her concern, Rune blinked, hesitating. Then, the red-haired fairy spoke up, “Rune has nowhere to go. Take him with you.”
“Honglu!” Rune exclaimed, startled, but Honglu continued, her voice firm, “I’ve been wanting to say this. After talking with you, I’m certain. I’m asking you to take Rune with you. He may be a bit clumsy, but he’s incredibly intelligent. He’s read almost every book in the library. He’ll be a help, not a hindrance.”
Rune fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. Adeline waited for Honglu to finish.
“It would be wonderful if Rune could work here again, but that’s impossible… and with his injured wing, it’s difficult for him to hide from humans.”
Even without looking, Adeline knew every eye in the room was on her. Honglu had spoken for all of them. Their gazes shone with expectation, bright and sparkling—perhaps even more so in the dim light.
When Adeline didn’t immediately respond, Rune mumbled anxiously, “Honglu, we’re not close enough for you to ask such a thing. Like I said, we just met. I can’t ask for your help twice.”
“But I still dream of when you were here. Didn’t we talk about the sky every night before bed? Leaving this place was your dream.”
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