Chapter 49
Karzhen was acting strangely. An exception had appeared in his life. And Hakan knew from experience what such exceptions could lead to. After all, he and Hemor—the sister who had taken her own life—had been closer than any other siblings.
“Sister……!”
Hakan had been the first to discover Hemor’s body, her stomach slit open.
Thick blood soaked the ground, splattering the garden leaves. Hemor had died on her knees, her hand still clutching the knife hilt. She had sliced her own belly vertically without hesitation.
Her disheveled hair swayed eerily in the night breeze. But what terrified Hakan most wasn’t her hair. Staggering forward, he fell to his knees before her and pounded the ground in anguish.
His sister—always dignified, strong, and composed, the very embodiment of Gharyam’s royalty. Hakan, who shared her blood more closely than others, had admired and respected her, making her a guiding light in his life. They even shared the same father.
Their father, the king, had named his firstborn Hemor—”the one who does not weep”—and Hakan—”the follower.” The brilliant Hemor, the unyielding Hemor. Their father had placed immense expectations on her, always satisfied when looking at the child who resembled him so closely.
Hakan had grown up watching this. That’s why he couldn’t understand Hemor’s behavior toward that man. At first, he paid no mind. Then he grew irritated at how the man acted so insolently toward his sister. Finally, he became bewildered that Hemor couldn’t bring herself to punish him.
The Hemor he knew would have beheaded such a man long ago. Yet she raged and stormed but never tried to kill him. Instead, as time passed, she began tormenting herself with deep regret over having hurt him.
Hemor had changed in the most bizarre way. All because of that insignificant man. Because of him, she raged, she regretted…….
“So, he made me…….”
Happy.
“Go away.”
And then she died.
Hakan gritted his teeth. But he wasn’t certain yet.
From then on, he cautiously observed Karzhen. Just enough that his perceptive brother wouldn’t notice—or if he did, would dismiss as trivial. He could do that. Hakan wasn’t challenging his authority. If anything, he wanted to protect it.
He was the follower. So rather than surpassing his guiding light, he simply didn’t want to lose it. Just as he had felt with Hemor.
* * *
“What did my father say?”
The day after delivering the letter, Esther rushed to Karzhen as he entered her room without a word, clutching his arm like a starving dog lunging at a bone.
Her small hand gripped his forearm tightly, her eyes glistening with tears. Karzhen looked down at her with an odd expression—this woman who had forgotten her fear and clung to him. Then he clicked his tongue and spoke.
“What do you mean, ‘what did he say’? I had someone deliver it—how would I know what happened after?”
“But…… still, surely something…….”
Some reply……. Her voice trailed off, but Esther couldn’t let go. Human greed truly knew no bounds. Now that she had sent a letter, she desperately wanted a response.
She needed confirmation her father was safe. She longed to hear how he had been, whether his health had improved. Consumed by this desire, Esther kept pestering Karzhen.
“Then…… is my father much better now? Has he been taking his medicine?”
“I said I don’t know. I ordered them to treat him, so they will. More importantly, are you going to keep this up?”
Karzhen’s expression darkened at Esther’s single-minded fixation on her father the moment he arrived. Realizing her mistake, Esther clamped her mouth shut and edged away—but this only made Karzhen simmer with anger, as if she had lost interest now that her business was done.
What, am I just a messenger now? Yet before he could voice his irritation, Esther had already cowered in fear.
“S-sorry……. I was just…… worried about him… That’s all…….”
Esther hunched halfway into herself. Though he thought her pathetic for cringing so fearfully on her own, Karzhen also felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest—as if something heavy had been placed over his heart.
His face twisted with displeasure. But this emotion wasn’t directed at Esther. Unbeknownst to himself, it was clearly aimed inward.
Of course, Esther couldn’t know this. Seeing his expression, she only grew more frightened.
When Karzhen suddenly reached out and pulled her into an embrace, she stiffened with a squeak, her body rigid as a log. But as she realized he meant no harm, she gradually relaxed. Karzhen snorted.
“Anyone would think I killed your father. If you want a reply, just say so.”
“…….”
“Do you want one?”
Esther glanced up at him hesitantly before answering in a small voice.
“Yes…….”
“Fine. From now on, speak up instead of mumbling. Understood?”
Esther nodded meekly but squirmed awkwardly in his arms. Though she would never say it aloud, she knew full well how unreasonable this situation was.
If not for Karzhen, Esther and her father would have safely reached the city and returned home together long ago.
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