The plot of <The Golden Wings and the Silver Sword> was unclear in Elphi’s mind, just like her memories of her past life.
Even though she was aware of the major events that occured in the novel and the general flow of the plot since she had written it in her notebook, it wasn’t complete, missing some details.
But even then, there were some intense scenes she could never forget. One of them was a description of one of the many cruel acts committed by Tron, the villain of the novel.
He was crowned as a king by stepping in the blood of his family.
As soon as Tron, at that time less than 20 years old, rose to the throne, the whole country was aflame with rumours about him.
The most talked about topic was that he was the child of a concubine and born with a disability. The cause was unknown, but Tron had lost his right arm and suffered from a limp in his left foot.
The nobles, in particular, were busy slandering and criticizing him. It was sort of like a ritual to get rid of anxiety.
His face with his dark, raven hair and eyes as pale as the dawn, was so beautiful and ethereal, it was almost eerie, it felt like he didn’t belong in this world.
The atmosphere surrounding Tron had always scared her, it carried the cold feeling of death as if there was a grim reaper present. Unfortunately, this fear had become her new reality.
“I’ve been getting a lot of anonymous letters these days, and I’ve been told that they were upset because a particular concubine’s child with a freaking disability didn’t know what he was talking about. Isn’t it a pity that your king was born from a concubine’s womb and his limbs are not intact, yet you can’t bring your heart to sympathize with it? Of course, your noble blood is different from mine, so I can’t help it. But instead I’ve given you a opportunity to empathize with something else.”
He then proceeded to summon major powers and the heads of families that formed a hostile faction against him and their successors. And in front of the head of each family, he tortured the heir’s arms and legs and tore them apart in stages.
In order to stop them from bleeding out and immediately dying, he had put a spell on them. Most of them couldn’t bear the pain, and their throats had been slit because they begged for death as a mercy.
The heads of the nobles had to watch their children die a miserable death.
“How about now? Is it good enough to empathize?”
Tron asked nonchalantly with an angelic smile plastered on his face.
****
As she recalled the intense incident that had taken place in the novel, Elphi looked around.
The place was so bare and austere in appearance that if she had not known that this was indeed where the prince was staying, she would have suspected that the room was occupied by the maid.
In the room sat a black-haired boy who exuded a tremendous presence.
…..he was portrayed as a handsome and slim man in the novel, but this was far from that description’
Elphi almost said aloud without realizing it.
“….ahem.”
Perhaps it was because she had lost track of time and had kept silent for longer than necessary, the servant behind her coughed intentionally.
Those who came from low status should prostrate themselves before royalty. Elphi was startled and bowed her head deeply.
“Please forgive me for my delayed greeting and lack of courtesy. I’m Elphi, the eldest daughter of the Inardi family. From now on, I will be in your service, Your Highness.”
“I will pay no attention to that. I’m Tron Threadenium.”
Tron greeted her with a brief glance.
As the footsteps of the other servant grew fainter and slowly faded away until the sound completely disappeared, the silence lingered in the palace like a thick, suffocating blanket.
“I’m sorry for bringing you to such a lonely and abandoned palace.”
“Ah, it’s okay.”
An innocent smile bloomed on his young face.
“I don’t have any sisters, so I’m glad. This feels like I am meeting with my older sister. I don’t know if you have any siblings, but I want you to treat me like a younger brother.”
“….”
Elphi thought inwardly that it was a childish thing to suggest since it was a request she would never be able to fulfill. No matter the circumstances surrounding Tron’s birth, she couldn’t treat a prince like a younger brother. It would be impudent to treat royalty so familiarly. On top of that, she had been ordered to kill him.
His previously sunny expression darkened as he thought she misunderstood his words due to her lack of response.
“I must’ve sounded so careless. You’ve come all the way here away from your family, leaving them behind.”
As soon as he mentioned her family, it felt like someone had taken ahold of her heart and squeezed mercilessly.
How exactly were the death of her precious family members described in the novel? Was it excruciatingly painful until their last breath? No matter how hard she tries to ignore it, the thought kept coming back–haunting her.
Although this world and the memories she had formed were real and precious, the memories of her previous life in Korea had continued to be the wall that made her feel like an outcast, a stranger who didn’t belong.
All of the Inardis clan were warm and friendly people, who had showered Elphi with all the love and affection in the world. But because of the barrier of her past life, her heart was never fully open.
If she had known something like this was going to happen, she would’ve hugged and kissed them one more time.
What wrongdoings had they done that they had to be swept away by fate so cruelly? The only thing that the tragic event left behind was a short sentence in the novel, saying that good people had passed away.
The sad and undeniable truth pierced her heart.
“….are you crying?”
“Uh….”
Upon hearing Tron’s voice, she came back to her senses, realizing once again where and whom she was with. Tears streamed down the slope of her cheeks unconsciously.
“Ple-please forgive me … Fo-… Uh…. Forgive me for being rude….”
Tron, who had been staring for a while, stood up from his seat and slowly reached out his hand. The warmth of a child’s small had enveloped her cold wrist, driving away the everpresent chill in the prince’s palace.
He guided Elphi to the sofa where he was already seated. Sitting her next to him, he wiped her tears away gently with his warm hands.
“It was no fault of yourself. I lacked consideration. You don’t have to apologize.”
“……huhu……”
She wanted to find something to blame. For instance, the boy after her who will become the villain and commit cruel acts in the future. Her heart was aching to find something to blame, seizing even the thought of the boy before her who would become the villain and commit acts of unspeakable cruelty in the future.
Not only was he the character destined to become the villain of the novel, he was also indirectly the cause of her family’s death. Might as well see him as the enemy, right? Elphi toyed with the thought of using the poison which had been thrusted into her possession.
But right now, the boy in front of her was innocent, friendly and full of compassion. Wiping the tears of a stranger with infinite gentleness and empathy. She doubted he was the same person actually depicted in the novel as of this moment.
‘….Then is there another path I can choose? Instead of poisoning him, if I choose to raise him until he is an adult, I instill good values into him and help him become a nice person, he won’t become the feared tyrant from the novel.’
As her warm hands covered her damp face, Elphi couldn’t stop thinking despite the river of tears that escaped unbidden.
She now had less than two days left to make her decision.