Chapter 153

Chapter 153

153: An Unfading Rose The twilight streets were a gathering place for those who lived in the city’s shadows, and for them, living lives stained with filth, the sun held a meaning beyond merely rising in the sky. For the ‘Night Fairies,’ sunrise was a signal to fold their wings for a while and prepare for the next night. They, who considered the dawn instead of dusk as the end of their day, always waited for the moment when the day broke. “….” Emily Artion sat on the windowsill, gazing at the approaching dawn. As the shadows receded, the street, now revealed, seemed to stretch and yawn, holding a faint vitality. Above the gray bricks that made up the street, people were preparing for the day. A merchant loading goods and setting off. A shop owner opening the closed door of their store and preparing for business. Soldiers and knights, lined up in formation, preparing to patrol outside the city. Emily sat by the window, blankly watching the city gradually awaken. ‘Night Fairies’ was a shop located on the outskirts of the twilight streets, and from the third floor where Emily resided, one could catch a glimpse of life outside the streets. To the ‘Night Fairies’ who lived trapped in a prison without bars, life outside the streets seemed busy, fierce, and beautiful. However, Emily Artion’s mind was not complex enough at this moment to indulge in sentimental and regretful thoughts. ‘I’m hungry. What should I eat for breakfast? I want to eat something delicious….’ Neither in her previous life nor in this one was she the type to engage in deep contemplation. Even selling her body in the depths of the shadows, this very moment was not a particularly miserable life for her. Of course, the reason Emily could be so at peace was largely due to the fact that she had mastered the Demonic Yin Art, a martial art from another world that was truly perfect for a courtesan. Unlike the other Night Fairies, who gradually withered away from interacting with countless men, Emily’s beauty was only increasing. The worries of common sexually transmitted diseases and the fear of pregnancy did not exist for her. There might be some minor side effects from gathering essence, but no physical decline appeared, so there was no reason to be depressed. As Emily gazed at the rising dawn, thinking about the dinner she would eat soon—breakfast by others’ standards—the door to the room opened with a neat sound. Click. Emily was about to get up when she heard the door open, but she stopped, suddenly realizing something. Night Fairies fold their wings and fall asleep to prepare for the next night the moment the sun rises. Laila didn’t particularly like that phrase, considering it a dreamy storytelling solely intended to instill fantasies in men and heavily imbued with the brothel owner’s commercial intentions, but Emily thought that the phrase and the metaphor itself were accurate, regardless of the background, and she quite liked the words. Anyway, to put it more directly, it was an expression that the shop was closed. Naturally, the person who came to her room could not be a customer. Emily turned her head to check the visitor and gave an awkward smile. “…Sica. What brings you here?” “Just wondering what you were up to.” The person who appeared through the open door was a woman. With heavily made-up face and wavy brown hair, she wore a dress with a plunging neckline and a short hemline, just like Emily. The design was slightly different from Emily’s, being black, but the dress suited the golden accessories on her arms and neck, creating a bewitching atmosphere. Sica’s face held a charm quite different from Emily’s. Unlike Emily, who still had a fresh aura—even fresher than a year ago—Sica possessed a completely mature atmosphere. Her face, as if completely immersed in the decadent atmosphere of the pleasure district, was that of a typical prostitute. Beautiful, but with an indelible darkness within. “Want a smoke?” And her dark atmosphere was partly due to the cigarette she held in her mouth. Emily chuckled at her and shook her head. “No thanks. It’s bad for my health.” Sica smiled back at her short answer. It was a tired, languid smile, but it was infused with a captivating charm. That too must be a habit from a long life, just as Laila once had. Suddenly, Laila’s words flashed through Emily’s mind.

-It’s better to quit before you get too tainted.

“Hoo….” But the words soon disappeared like a phantom into the smoke Sica exhaled. “Funny. You’re probably the only one here who can say something like that.” Sica’s elegant voice echoed through the smoky air. It was a rather pessimistic remark. Even the optimistic Emily could not fail to realize the weight in those words. “Well, wouldn’t there be more if you looked?” Emily gave an awkward smile and swept her red hair back once. It was a very Emily-like answer. Sica smiled softly at Emily’s honest words. “…Yeah, I guess so.” There were some, but not many. Once a ‘Night Fairy,’ they could not return to being human until they lost their wings and fell. The only way for them to become human from a fairy was to lose their wings and beauty. Or, to find a prince to lift them from the abyss. Emily also knew the saying that floated among the Night Fairies. It was the kind of thing women who couldn’t escape the shadows of the pleasure district would say, and it didn’t apply to Emily, but Emily, who lived in the world of the pleasure district, skin to skin with them, couldn’t completely ignore their self-deprecation. For a while, the two continued to do what they wanted in silence. Sitting by the window and watching the dawn, and smoking a cigarette. Neither required much interaction or conversation, so the room was filled with a stillness befitting the dawn, and the sounds of people whispering in the city at dawn seeped in. After some time, Sica suddenly opened her mouth. “I… I’m really jealous of you.” “Oh, yes.” Sica chuckled quietly at Emily’s awkward reply. “You don’t have to answer. Just listen. I’m just saying this like a lament. Like I always do.” Emily knew that Sica envied her. And it was an emotion that Emily often encountered among the Night Fairies. There probably weren’t many women among the Night Fairies who didn’t envy her. Of course, the emotion Emily encountered most often was admiration for her. “Yes, I know.” As Emily nodded with a smile, Sica took the pipe out of her mouth for a moment and stared at her. “…Well, that’s part of your charm. Including sometimes not understanding the atmosphere.” “That’s not a compliment, is it?” “No, it’s a compliment.” Innocence can sometimes be a powerful weapon. Sica thought as she looked at Emily, who was muttering, ‘I don’t think so….’ Men might like Emily’s boldness. Perhaps they would yearn for the moment when that bold attitude turned into shyness and pleasure, and they would nominate her. It was not contrived, so it was more natural, and therefore a more valuable charm. And Emily’s charm was not limited to that. Sica took another puff of her cigarette and looked at Emily. ‘….Rose, why did you come here?’ It was a question she had been holding in her heart all along. And as always, it was a question that she couldn’t bring herself to ask. Asking about other people’s stories was an unspoken taboo in the pleasure district. // After Sica left, Emily returned to her room and looked at the calendar. “Hmm…” According to what was written in the letter, Laila would arrive in about three days. Of course, it could take longer or shorter. Time is not accurately divided in this world. ‘Anyway, I can roughly make the time.’ It would be nice if she could meet Rutricia in Tritia as well, but that was not possible due to practical problems. No matter how much of a baron she was, she was a noble, and not a poor one. There was no way such a family would let a young girl travel alone. Emily put the calendar back in its place and sat down in a chair. Then, Kali, who had been curled up on the bed, naturally climbed onto her lap. “Kireung-” Although her appearance was the same, Kali was making a sound that seemed to be moving further and further away from that of a cat. Considering the characteristics of a doppelganger, she might have imitated the sound from somewhere again. Emily reached out and stroked Kali’s back. Then she spoke to Kali, who was purring. “Your mom is coming soon. You want to see your mom, don’t you?” “Kihyaang-” “Ahaha, yeah, I guess so. You must miss her a lot too. Me too.” “Kreung-?” “Hmm, should we bet on when she’ll come? You can’t talk yet, so I’ll decide for you. If you lift your right foot, three days, if you lift your left foot, four days.” At her words, Kali shook her white tail and looked at Emily with sparkling eyes. Of course, both of Kali’s feet were firmly planted on her lap, as if she had no intention of lifting them at all. Emily looked at her with a pitiful look. “….Hmm, you’re still pretty stupid.” “Kihyaek-!” “Okay, then there’s nothing I can do. I can’t bet until you become human. I’ll have to wait until then.” Although she was a cat now, Kali would change again someday. Like the time she changed her appearance to be loved by Emily. And even Emily, who didn’t think complicated thoughts, could vaguely guess that the end point was a human. ———= Author’s Afterword ———= Aaaaack, I’m sorry for making empty promises that I couldn’t keep. I thought I would have time, but I didn’t…. The writing is also insanely messy. I’m sorry about that too….