Chapter 2

Moving From The Shadows

A hum sounded. It was a loud bugle sound. It climbed over the wall and shook the ground. A large door opened giving access to the other side. I swear it was a wall. The gate’s height seemed endless, if one peered up to see its end, it would never be in sight, it was so high, as if to mock the heavens. The gray door opened its mouth, swallowing the carriage. The carriage galloped through it before it closed.

“Are you curious?”

Raindrops clung to the window as if trying to break in. My mouth slowly began to tingle. This wasn’t normal. I don’t usually touch people. If things go wrong, it won’t just end with an arm. Even if I become a maid, I must bow down.

Whether or not the lady knew my head was spinning she smiled and took off her gloves.

“Welcome back home, Yere.”

Even if I haven’t learned much, I know what Yereka and Vallerka mean.

“What?”

Vallereka had only two positions in each department, and Yereka had only four positions in the country, directly under the king, leading to such Vallereka.

Is she telling me that most of the nobles of Yereka are troubles? I heard that if you block the road, your arms will be cut off. These people were so great that you’d have to bow so deep your head would break. Even Lupen who’s fearless wouldn’t mess with them. Those who value their lives view the gold-rimmed carriages like a plague.

However, I was caught by the lady who wore the coat of arms* of Vallerka, who had been around for a long time. Even though I was skeptical the entire time, I was certain that there must be something wrong with my head.

(* She’s one the people working for Vallerka)

“Shall we get off?”

She asked as if I had a choice. The coachman opened the carriage door, then handed over a robe to protect me from the rain. It wasn’t one, it was two robes. Gold thread was embroidered at the end of the black robe.

“Cover yourself. Yere.”

Could she be role-playing? She could be the type of person who would treat me like I was supposed to be served, doll me up, and then play mind games with me. I pulled the robe over my head as the lady instructed. Would role playing be better than dying?

“Get down first.”

The coachman reached out his hand. Do I need to borrow this old grandfather’s hand for something I can do by jumping? I grabbed his wrinkled hand sullenly.

“Yere.”

Suddenly, the lady left the carriage and stood next to me.

“Can we walk together?”

Come to think of it, this lady has been using my name since we first met. Did I forget because I was so nervous? Or do nobles really just talk politely and formally?

The lady’s pointed shoes stepped into a puddle of water. My swollen and bare feet followed, stepping into the puddle. There wasn’t a single person around. Just a lone carriage in this meadow.

If the weather had been nice, I might have been amazed. The turquoise field didn’t have even a single flower. Judging by the consistent height of the grasses, it seemed to be managed daily. There was not even a pebble on the road that ran through the middle of the field. I had never seen a well-maintained field on the outer wall. Also, grass is good enough for humans to eat, so why is there a place that grows grass with no signs of being plucked to the root?

Torches were placed on either side of the road. The fire in the torches was the kind that wasn’t snuffed, even if it rained.  My mouth was agape. The lady slowed her steps so that I could look freely. It was too much consideration on her part.

“Do you know where this is? Yere.”

Eventually, we reached another wall. There was nothing to call a door on the wall as it looked like an upside-down book. In front of this high wall that catches the rain, I was merely an ant in comparison.

“This is the province of Uterbal, also home of Yereka of the West.”

I couldn’t even say ‘I see’. Without realizing it, my ears pricked out of habit. The lady’s smile said that she didn’t mind. She seemed quite happy.

“Would you take a step back? Yere.”

As soon as I got used to this absurd game, what appeared to be a wall, gave out a noise.  I heard the sounds of stones rolling, and a crack began to appear in the bottom center part of the wall. Gold light leaked out. I took two steps back.

The light that flowed through the crack beckoned. More and more light shone through. The wall swallowed the door (the door opening more, therefore escaping view) as more light spilled through (the more the door opened). The door opened allowing access from each side of the wall.  There was a human shadow beyond the opening. I thought it was just the two of them, but suddenly my heart sank. I trembled since I was nervous. I must have looked so pitiful, the lady covered her mouth and laughed.

“Forgive me for the lack of explanation. Yere.”

“Yes.”

Not knowing what to say, I bit my fingernails. My mouth filled with the taste of the earth. I wasn’t sure if it was from rainwater or the taste of soil on my hands.

The door opened so widely that it seems like it was being ripped open enough to be torn sideways. The first thing I spotted was men clad in armour. They were standing in a straight line on the left and one line on the right, looking at each other. I was supposed to walk between them. A flag was held in each of the men’s hands, but in my  eyes it looked like a spear or a sword.

“Yere.”

I was left wavering while the lady set her foot forward first. She walked boldly down the lane with the armoured men that lined each side. This was no place to stand still or run away. It’s been a while since I rode the carriage, but if I ran barefoot, wouldn’t it be a flea?* I followed the lady, muttering and cursing.

(*It means it’s no point in running away)

The light was blinding so I couldn’t see too far in the distance. The men that bordered the walkway peered straight forward.  No one looked down at me. On the contrary, even when I openly gawked at them, no one pointed it out or ripped open my belly to kill me.

I looked at the men who were standing with an upright posture once or twice more before it got boring, and I became less anxious. The inside of the wall was deeper than expected. There was no end to these men. It was as if they had captured all the men in the dome and lined them up here.

“Ah.”

My steps were so heavy my feet became cold. I frowned as the light poured over me. It was the end of the wall. The lady walked into the light while I lingered in the shade of the wall.

It was an orange light. A lamp that seemed to have dropped the flame into a glass. It hung at the end of the long lance point. Flames rose on both sides of the road, and warm lotus lights rose on the floor. The stone seemed to hold heat. My rain soaked feet were getting hot.

I couldn’t tell if it was morning or afternoon. The sky was dark with rain clouds. A castle was visible in the distance. The roof came to a point like it was cut from a mountain, and the body was in the shape of sitting with arms outstretched. If I go to the end, will I reach that castle?

I stood motionless. I couldn’t escape the wall’s shade. Realizing that I was frozen, the lady paused.

No. It wasn’t because of me.

In front of the lady stood three shadows. They were different sizes. Two adults and a child. The lady bent her knees in front of these shadows that seemed to have arrived. The three unidentified people were steadfast. There was a person who could make this lady that wore the Vallerka’s symbol kneel.

“Yere.”

Until then I’d blamed this as some crazy game of the lady’s, but now I only had myself to blame thinking I overcame misfortune.

Shall I go out? Because it seems like I might end up like a frog in boiling water.

(T/N: If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will instantly leap out. But if you put it in a pot filled with pleasantly tepid water and gradually heat it, the frog will remain in the water until it boils to death.)

But there was no retreat. Behind me stood rows of armoured men, and there were walls on all sides. Will I climb up the wall? Or will I plead that I didn’t do wrong? Both offered little chance of surviving.

At that moment, the shadow of a tall man approached. He was an old man with white hair. His eyes were red with tears, he brushed my hair back. I closed my eyes tightly, believing he was about to hit me.

“…….”

But no matter how long I waited, no matter how much I flinched, the pain I had waited for did not come. I slowly opened my eyes. No one slapped me. Before my eyes there was just an old man on his knees. My eyes opened wide.

“What is your name?”

It was a soft voice but at the same time low and heavy.

“I don’t mean to scold you.”

His thick hands wrapped around my shoulders. I felt embarrassed and glanced forward. The lady and two shadows stared at me.

Slowly, I spoke my name.

“Iara.”

“Iara.”

The old man’s eyes curved as he laughed. There were no wrinkles on his face, as if he lived a trouble-free life. This old man was smiling a lot. There were only wrinkles in the fine lines of his face each time he smiled.

“Shall we go over there? Iara.”

I’m probably sixteen years old. Lupen guaranteed it with his molar. It seemed this old man’s eyes were dim, he treated me like I was six or seven. He carefully wrapped his arms around my shoulders and walked forward. I felt the weight of his hand. His gait was also slow and heavy.

Such a person was dragging me along, and I couldn’t stand like a foal. I was taken away without any other option.

As we got closer, the darkness that covered the people lifted. I saw a girl with the same blonde hair as me and light green eyes. The long turquoise cloak of the child hung over her black lace skirt and a white shirt as fine as a bird’s feathers. The child’s eyes were similar to mine. However, hers were a different hue of yellow-green. She was as noble as a star. But despair resided in the child’s eyes. As if she was accustomed to sadness rather than joy and despair rather than hope. As I have known.