episode_0002

At the stroke of midnight, right after my parents passed away, I could distinctly feel the sharp and piercing gazes of several figures. Their eyes were so sharp and intense that it almost felt like they had needles instead of retinas. It took me several seasons to finally grasp their true identities.

My parents had always firmly believed that they had imposed a punishment that would allow the disgraced life of the reigning empress to continue. However, that thought was only half the truth. In reality, those individuals had never abandoned us even once.

Despite being exiled, my father was the sole descendant of the imperial family’s enemy, and my mother was the one who bore me, inheriting his bloodline. If a vengeful faction ever came seeking us, it would herald the empire’s impending doom.

Therefore, they meticulously assigned their subordinates to keep a close watch on us. They meticulously filtered out any possibilities that could harbor disrespectful thoughts, leading us to the brink of despair with strict surveillance.

Yet, even now that my mind is free, two questions still linger.

Even if it was a punishment that added disgrace, why did they endure the manpower and risk to keep us alive?

And if they were going to keep us alive, what was the reason for allowing the assassination to happen?

The answers to these questions remained elusive until I could completely render their surveillance ineffective.

It was a mistake. I should have at least pretended to repay my parents’ enemies. Until they escaped, I sat quietly in the desolate house like an empty shell of a human.

From the place where I sat idly, a thunderous roar echoed in the distance, louder than the guards’ voices.

“Where is the child of the fallen empress!”

“To the one who finds her, gold shall be given!”

“If captured, a title shall be bestowed upon them!”

The impoverished area stirred at the thunderous proclamation. The man’s eyes, which had been piercing through the gilded window, gradually filled with a mysterious desire. He approached me, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding debris, and reached out his hand to me.

“Hey, little one, won’t you come with me? It’ll only take a moment…”

The seemingly affectionate gesture of the man’s outstretched hand was not aimed at my hand but at my shoulder. Even a child could detect the impure intent. I blocked the man’s airway with a black mist and fled without looking back.

“We found her! The child of the fallen empress!”

“Could she have been hiding inside the house all along…!”

“It’s our mistake for not verifying everything. Quickly, pursue her!”

Some angrily questioned if there was anyone lingering at the scene of a commoner’s murder.

I had no idea. I was completely clueless.

I was born under the scornful gaze of parents who were ridiculed by society. Despite being criticized, the man and woman were the family that raised me, the fence that creaked. So, I didn’t know what was right and what was wrong. No one taught me how a child who is constantly criticized by the world should navigate through life.

Even as I ran down the narrow and dirty path, I couldn’t understand why I had to flee. It seemed as if the entire family had to die on a day like today for people to be happy.

Thud, thud, thud!

A man in a dark suit approached swiftly. Instead of a sword, he drew out a scabbard and leaped forward. In the fierce momentum, I felt the first sense of imminent danger.

“Haak!”

“Ugh… What is this…!”

I scattered black mist to block the man’s vision. Completely obstructed, he stumbled around, losing his balance.

Clang!

The sound of the scabbard colliding with something resonated crisply. Overcoming the momentary crisis, I ran tirelessly. Strangely, I didn’t feel out of breath. It was only then that I realized my own stamina level, as I had never run for so long before.

“I won’t let you escape, child of the Empress!”

The man, with a strong body as if clad in armor, quickly regained his focus and sight, placing me in his sight.

“I understand now. The Empress Mama deemed you insignificant for capturing just one child, but my judgment was foolish.”

With each step he took, his speed accelerated. The faster he moved, the chilling wind brushed past my face like arrows. Soon after, the man’s scabbard gleamed brightly again.

“An extraordinary physical ability far beyond your peers. If I let you go here, it will undoubtedly become a great disaster. So…”

A merciless strike surged towards me.

“Today, I must receive the Empress’s judgment.”

Shiit, Kwang!

His blow was too fierce for me to dodge.

I felt a sensation of floating in the air. Until the moment my lungs burst with air, I couldn’t grasp what had happened to me.

It was only after the thick dust settled that I realized I had been slammed into a wall.

“Cough, cough!”

As I touched the area where I was hit, I heard footsteps beyond the cloud of dust.

Thud, thud, slow and rhythmic. The concentration and desperation we shared just moments ago were nowhere to be found.

His steps exuded a sense of complete confidence in victory in the pursuit.

“Now, quietly await the judgment of the new royal family…”

His tone was like that of an adult soothing a tantrum-throwing child, yet the content was ruthless. It was also the speech and arrogant voice that comes when one is convinced of their superiority.

Perfect complacency. It was a momentary opportunity to exploit his weaknesses.

Swoosh.

Manipulating the black mist, I carved out a dagger suitable for a child’s size. The mist, which had been as light as a cloud, now had physical force as it sliced through the air.

The view was still obscured by the dust. To seize the opportunity, I needed to focus.

Thud.

Finally, when he stood still in front of me, it was time for a counterattack. I struck his face diagonally with the dagger I had created.

Slash, shiik!

“Ugh, ah… Aaaahhh!!!”

His belated scream indicated his realization of the situation. I swiftly darted between his bent knee.

I heard the sound of pursuit from behind, but it didn’t last long. At the time, I was puzzled, but perhaps his subordinates held back to tend to his injuries.

“Haa… Haa…”

And so, I ran recklessly, breaking free from the system.

The vast sky and wide land mocked me as a loner.

Without knowing where to turn or what to do, I became a free soul.

◇

A new connection came on the anniversary of my parents’ death, three years later.

“Insane… Insane… To be humiliated by a little brat like this…!”

The man who had tried to kidnap me muttered to himself.

He didn’t recognize me as the child of the Empress. He had simply approached me with the intention of looking out for a noticeable child wandering alone.

“Are you going to kill me…? Me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why are there kids like this…?”

“Of course I have to kill him,” he would have concluded even the man who had captured him. However, the feeling of hatred towards the threat against me was surprisingly dull.

“…”

Seems like I’ve become numb from living a life filled with nothing but hatred. If there was anyone who showed me affection, it would only be my mother. Even though her twisted pride took up half of her share.

At that moment, the man who was desperately watching my every move opened his mouth.

“Hey, kid.”

“Uh.”

“Let’s make a deal.”

A deal. I remained silent at the profound expression. Whether the man inferred my silence as agreement, he continued to speak first.

“You seem clueless, but you’re not the type to beg here. Even if you scrape together all the money right now, it won’t be enough.”

Money!

I still keep the coin purse my mother left behind. The coins inside haven’t decreased at all. It was because they were precious belongings to her.

She must have liked them because they were necessary for living. If I had a lot of money, could I understand my mother’s heart too?

“Haha, curious about the backstory, aren’t you?”

It seemed like my interest was evident. He continued to speak as if he were pleased.

“I can teach you. I’ll make you live without feeling inferior. So please… spare me. I’m Roderick. I’m quite a famous figure in our circles…”

His pitiful gaze was uncomfortably fixed on me. Intrigued, I nodded my head. The man shed tears of joy as if he had grabbed a lifeline.

“Phew… I really thought I was going to die…”

“What do I do now?”

Ignoring the man’s sentiments, I asked.

As if to say there was nothing more to say, he forcefully pulled his hood over me.

“Let’s start by changing your appearance. Your face is too distinctive to show openly.”

He echoed the same evaluation as my mother. I accepted the lesson and lived with my face covered from that day on.

…

……

From that day on, Roderick introduced me to various underground groups. It was then that I learned that a world filled with filth existed separately. In that sense, Roderick fulfilled the role of a teacher.

He dismantled crime cartels, gathered those who were being chased, and hired people with special talents.

As incidents piled up on top of each other, significant changes occurred in daily life.

With the change of seasons, shelters were built to block the cold wind, and the warmth of people lingered around. A life where one didn’t have to worry about what to eat emerged like cherry blossoms blooming early.

During this time, I found myself reigning over a peculiar group disguised as a mercenary band.

It was a difficult task to bring people who had been plunged into darkness back to the light, but it had to be done.

Certainly, that was the case, but…

“… Roderick.”

“Wait, don’t say anything. I’m not just confused right now, I’m beyond dumbfounded.”

“No, Roderick.”

“Please, I beg you. If you confirm the kill, it might be irreversible.”

“…”

“These crazy bastards, do they still think they’re in the business of human trafficking? Even if they’re overly loyal, this is too much. Unless they plan to slit all our throats.”

“Roderick. This is also…”

“Just wait and don’t do anything for a moment. I’ll go cut those brats’ throats first.”

“… Come back.”

I sent off the determined Roderick quietly. No, I didn’t even consider stopping him in the first place. Because the experience of the world turning upside down was truly a long time coming.

“Ugh, who are you…? Where am I…?”

The woman’s sobbing faintly echoed in my ears. Only then did I raise my head to look at her.

‘It’s just like old times.’

Frozen in place with her vision sealed by darkness, the woman. How nice would it have been if it had just ended there.

“Um… excuse me…?”

Even her attire made of fine material couldn’t hide the elegance that defined her as a human being. And the blackness that seemed to scatter like powdered obsidian colored her hair. Despite her eyes being covered by a blindfold, the color of her irises could still be easily inferred.

‘Why…’

In the face of this perplexing situation after a long time, a sigh escaped involuntarily.

‘Why has the forbidden leaf of the Imperial Palace come to a place like this…’

On the day of her parents’ memorial, a young girl who was participating in the ceremony.

The girl who had waved her hand with the happiest face in the world, ended up visiting this place on a strange wind.