Chapter 52 - A Broken Promise

That prince might be able to make a scratch on his skin. That much was already a great quality in him. However, that would be the limit. Without strength or skill, he would have to keep moving the dagger until his finger was cut off, suppressing an enormous pain. Such a thing could not be possible. He would not succeed. He would eventually cave in.

‘After that, his guilt and self-hatred will wear him out every time he sees that girl’s hand without fingers.’

He would be ruined even severely as much as his high qualities. Then it would be much easier to handle the prince. It was a satisfying prediction. The Marquis waited with patience.

Charles bit his lips to the point of bleeding and put more strength in his hand. The blade burrowed into his pinky a little. Bright red blood smeared, causing sharp pain. It was awfully painful already. Was he supposed to cut it all the way? On his own? Was he to continue to cut himself until it fell off? He felt dizzy. His sight spun. His head also started to get messed up.

“Gasp, gasp, gasp…”

‘Even if I succeed, how will I live without a finger? It hurts. It hurts too much. I don’t want to do this. Why do I have to go this far? Why? This is too much… I can’t do this. No way.’

He felt like he was going to lose his mind. With a blurred sight from the tears, Charles looked at Azriel. Captured by the knight, the girl was looking at him with her widened golden eyes.

Azriel Esthera could not remember what she was thinking at this moment. Only a few things were clear. The blond boy put a blade against his finger on his own to replace her place and his pale face that was wet from his sweat and tears.

The shadow that was cast by the knight who was grabbing her, a cold feeling from the blade on her pinky, the face of the Marquis who had a mocking smile on after giving a mad order, the frustration from the gag that was put on her mouth so that she could not cast a spell.

A distant fear and a promise. A promise with Rhema not to touch the stars. The white knot that was marked on the back of her hands and permeated into her skin. The beautiful stars that covered all these, which were only visible to her, as clear as if she could touch them, and the stars that seemed movable only by thinking.

Azriel acted unconsciously. Her fingers bound by the cuffs moved. Then the stars scattered in the air, nature’s mana, not her own, responded to her wish, even though she did not cast a spell.

***

On the day that Rhema Reshith received a gift from Azriel, he slipped out of the house after checking that Azriel had fallen asleep. He went up to the nest of a colorful bird on the roof.

“Ofeq.”

Rhema called the bird’s name. It was a name that he did not introduce to Azriel. The bird lifted its head. Its dark eyes blinked.

“Show the egg.”

The bird lifted its wings and showed him the egg it had been brooding. The big and uneven grey egg looked like a stone or fossil. Rhema slowly looked into the egg. There was a crack on the surface of the egg. Checking that, he was stiffened with a flinch.

“…How is its condition?”

[Caw.]

The bird opened its beak and cried loudly. As if Rhema was asking a question that he already had an answer to, it sounded frustrated. Rhema said like he was making an excuse.

“A crack like this has formed before, so it should be all right.”

“All right? Not even close!”

The bird opened its beak. Instead of cawing, a beautiful boy’s voice came out.

“I know this is your sealed emotion that you cut off, but I know it better than you do. I’ve been keeping its seal throughout.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“It’s not dangerous right now, but don’t you know it already? How a cracked dam collapses. If the seal is broken, you know how you’ll end up, right?”

“…”

“You will get back your normal heart. You will become a common person who cries, laughs, loves, hates, and makes unreasonable choices. You know the rest.”

“…This is not a dam but a seal that has been holding out for a thousand years. We’ll just have to maintain its condition.”

The bird cawed laughing and soared. It circled around Rhema, fluttering.

“Maintain? Maaaintaain?! Rhema Reshith. Rhema Reshith. You don’t believe what you’re saying with your heart, do you? You’re not that stupid. I can see it straight.”

“You can’t even foresee the future, but you’re being impudent.”

“Oh, of course I can’t foresee the future. But is this something you’ll have to see to guess? It’s not been too long since you brought her home and look what happened!”

“I won’t be shaken anymore. Azriel Esthera is just…”

“I know what kind of excuse you will make. She’s just a child with the dragon eye? Nonsense!”

“…”

“That child is the most special to you. And you’re bound to lean toward a special person.”

“Ofeq. You’ve only been keeping the seal ever since you were made. Don’t babble like you know everything.”

“So, did I say something wrong? Even if Azriel Esthera behaves the worst to you, you will still cherish her, good gracious! That girl is even smart and lovely. That’s why you ended up like this!”

Acting dramatically, the bird tapped the egg with its claws. Rhema frowned faintly.

“I admit that I am fond of her, but that’s about it. There’s no way I will lean more toward her.”

“Oh yeah? Then why don’t you destroy that now? I’ll believe you if you do that.”

“What?”

“You know what I’m talking about. That thing that you preciously kept inside your chest. Don’t act like you don’t know it.”

“…”

“That pocket watch, why don’t you destroy it here? Only if you can, keck!”

Rhema lashed the bird that was trying to take out the pocket watch with its claws. Ofeq, who restored its posture only after circling around in the air a few times, cawed.

“Look, look! You act like this and say that you’re not going to lean more? You lunatic!”

Ignoring the bird, Rhema looked down at his hand as if he was looking at something strange.