Chapter 41
After the opening ceremony and the sacrificial rite came a series of religious proceedings, and only then was Jia allowed to sit—in the seat right next to the Emperor, of course.
I want to go home.
Why… why do I have to be here?
Where is my home? What am I?
She tried to keep her wits about her, but her mind kept drifting. When she lifted her gaze from the floor, her eyes met those of a woman she had never seen before. The instant their eyes met, the corner of the woman’s mouth twisted in what was clearly a barely suppressed sneer.
Jia tried to look away, but the woman’s stare felt like a tightening grip on the back of her neck, and she couldn’t move. A wave of nausea washed over her.
The Emperor must have noticed her pale complexion, for he leaned in and whispered, “Find it distasteful?”
“…N-Not exactly… I-I was just wondering if it’s truly all right for me to… to be part of such an official ceremony… It’s just, I’m nervous.”
A faint smile touched the Emperor’s lips. Jia heard sighs of admiration from those nearby and, glancing around, saw that everyone was captivated by the Emperor’s smile.
“They can be quite a nuisance.”
“…”
“The ones who are always trying to latch onto me, using the excuse of being my partner.”
You make for a rather fine excuse, he added before leaning away. Jia felt a hot flush creep up her face.
“Yes,” she answered softly, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms. Right, that’s all I am… Jia was once again reminded of her place.
Having heard the reason for her presence, a sense of resignation washed over her, and strangely, she felt more at ease. Jia stared into space with empty eyes until the ceremony ended.
Once the proceedings were over, she followed the Emperor to his tent. It was far larger and more opulent than the others, and the pallet laid out inside was thick and of high quality.
Jia stepped onto the plush pallet, her eyes falling on the wide bedding. Only now, in the enclosed space, could she finally breathe. She moved closer to help the Emperor with his clothes, but he caught her hand, stopping her.
“Not yet.”
“…Pardon?”
“You and I have a hunt to attend to tonight.”
A night hunt? Jia blinked. Tristan hadn’t mentioned anything about this.
“The beasts of the night are always more entertaining to hunt, you see.”
Jia remembered that the full moon was ever-present here. A hunt beneath the moonlight. Unable to refuse, she simply nodded.
The Emperor dismissed all his knights and attendants. Though she could not guess his intentions, Jia stepped into the dark forest with him, with no torch to guide them—only the moonlight.
With every step, the crunch of leaves underfoot was accompanied by a strange, slithering sound, like a bird rustling in the brush. An eerie wind grazed her arms, raising goosebumps all over her skin.
They seemed to be going deeper than she’d expected, and her fear doubled. Finally, Jia could bear it no longer and spoke.
“Y-Your Majesty… h-how much farther are we going?”
“Just a little more.”
They moved further and further from the path they had taken. Sensing the chilling shift in the atmosphere, Jia swallowed hard.
Shhh, shhh. An unidentifiable sound whispered nearby. The forest was so dense with towering trees that visibility was poor even during the day; at night, it was worse. The moonlight was not enough to distinguish one shape from another. All she could make out were the trees and the occasional bug or stone under her feet.
The hoo, hoo of an owl echoed in her ears. Jia lifted her gaze and met two glittering eyes.
“Eek!”
She couldn’t see any feathers—only those sharp, yellow eyes. She stumbled back, whipping her head around to scan her surroundings.
“Your Majesty…”
The Emperor was the only one she could rely on. But he, who had been right there a moment ago, was gone. Jia froze, her entire body going rigid.
Where did he go?
With pale, trembling lips, Jia called for the Emperor. “Your Majesty… Y-Your Majesty…”
Can he not hear me? Is my voice too soft?
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
She cried out louder, but only the echo of her own voice returned to her like a boomerang. He was nowhere to be seen.
Her vision swam as an icy chill seeped into her chest. Jia let out a small, pained sound and took an unconscious step backward.
It happened in that instant. A sudden blaze of fire rushed toward her.
“Ah!”
Startled, Jia dodged the flames, but that wasn’t the end of it. A volley of stones, burning as if they had swallowed lava, came flying at her.
“Aargh!”
Jia shrieked and broke into a run. Everywhere her feet landed, a fiery stone slammed into the earth right behind her, leaving a smoldering footprint in its wake.
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