Ch#238
I looked at Jack. Jack was nodding slowly as if Bird's words were correct. His reddened eyes were filled with a firm resolve. It was a gaze even more solid than the one he had shown before disappearing with me in his arms.
"Lady."
The boy calls to me. His voice was low and raspy. Even if it were a voice locked by a cold, it couldn't sound more rusted than this.
Instead of responding, I lowered my gaze and faced the truth I had been avoiding.
Two fingers, severed by more than two joints, came into view. They were wrapped in bandages, but the blunt ends told me they could no longer serve their purpose. It felt incredibly sorrowful in contrast to the remaining fingers.
In the past, Jack had fingers that were remarkably long and fine for a boy. Had he grown as he was, they surely would have become even more handsomely elongated.
But I was the one who ruined them. He could have done anything with those beautiful hands, but because of me, he would have to live his whole life wearing gloves or hiding his hands from the gaze of others.
And yet, he came for me again this time? To protect me?
"You can't do this."
I spoke in a somber voice, as if muttering. I couldn't ruin the boy's life any further. Arina, my sorrowful childhood, and Jack, who had become my salvation—they were people radiant just by existing. My heart was more than full just knowing they had run all this way despite the danger.
"And there are people to protect me, so it doesn't have to be you."
"That idiot?"
Jack's gaze turned toward the Shadow slumped on the floor. The boy's eyes were filled with pathetic disdain for the man.
"He's not someone to be underestimated. Even you would be helpless if you attacked like that, wouldn't you? Don't be like this, Jack. Your heart has been fully conveyed. So go back. Please? If you're thinking of me, please do so."
"But,"
Bird suddenly cut into the conversation. He was wearing an awkward smile as if he were in a difficult position.
"We've already exhausted a lot of strength just to get in, so we can't just leave after seeing your face, can we? Therefore, we must carry out the purpose for which we arrived here."
"Bringing a child to a battlefield—are you in your right mind?"
When I rebuked him with eyes full of reproach, Bird shrugged his shoulders as if it were quite unfair. Meanwhile, his muttering that 'This is Jack's request, so it's no use talking to me' was a joke that wasn't even funny.
"Jack's request?"
"There is such a thing."
"Jack has a reward valuable enough to risk his life on a battlefield like this? I'll give you five times that amount. So take Jack and disappear."
"I don't want to."
Jack says. The boy was staring at me with a stubborn face.
"This is no time to throw a tantrum. Jack, if a dangerous situation arises, I certainly won't look back for you. Do you understand? I'm not the kind of person you should risk your life to save. I, I!"
"I still don't want to."
"Jack!"
When I cried out in a low voice, Jack snapped his head away. It was only regrettable that I couldn't shout loudly for fear someone might hear.
I should have pressed him by speaking more strongly, but because I had no choice but to lower my voice, it only sounded like a whisper. That was why the boy continued to be stubborn and wouldn't listen. So I also spoke stubbornly.
"I won't accept your help."
At that, Bird cut in again, spoiling the conversation.
"But many people have already gathered for you, Lady? Not just me, but Rat, Horse, Lizard, and even our cute pumpkin Jack. Anyway, Lady, since we brought Jack, the first deal is over. We brought him relatively safely, after all. So now, we will be faithful to Jack's request."
"How dare you...!"
As I growled, grinding my teeth, Bird took a step back. Then, pointing at Shadow with his finger, he spoke nonchalantly.
"I think he's about to wake up?"
I hurriedly turned my eyes in that direction. As if his words were true, Shadow's body was twitching slightly and trembling.
"In the end, we'll have to talk next time."
"Lady, don't stop me."
At Jack's words, I swallowed my surging sorrow. The boy's determination was so solid it couldn't be broken by my words alone.
Who am I to you? What value do I have?
The word "please" was flowing out like a plea.
"Think of Arina, Jack."
"It's because I'm thinking of her that I'm doing this."
"I'm not a good enough person for you to be like this. I'm a witch myself—cunning, ruthless, and thinking only of myself."
At my words, Jack tilted his head as if it were strange. The boy acted as if he didn't understand my words at all.
"You're saying such strange things. You, a witch? And is there a law saying a witch shouldn't be saved? Why? Even if that were the case, I'm going to protect you, Lady."
"My God, Jack. Why are you...?"
For a moment, it felt as though my breath were catching. Jack grabbed my hand with his hand with the severed fingers. Then, pulling me toward him, he kissed my cheek immediately. When his rough lips touched my soft skin, tears suddenly welled up.
"This is enough."
Startled by the words that brought back previous memories, I tried to say something, but Jack was faster.
The boy quickly backed away first and winked with a mischievous smile. Then, having moved before I knew it, he ran toward Bird, who was standing at the entrance of the tent. It was a silent protest that he would hear no more words of dissuasion.
I called Jack's name and tried to catch the boy, but I stopped at the movement of Shadow, who was getting up with a groan.
Shadow scanned the surroundings with a hazy gaze and then cracked his neck lightly from side to side. Then he looked at me, appearing as though he had no idea he had lost consciousness and collapsed.
Of course, he furrowed his brows as if it were strange, but he soon disappeared without a word. The smoke that had been spread around had vanished before I knew it, leaving not even a scent behind.
Because of that, having missed Jack, I could neither call the boy's name nor run outside. If I suddenly rushed out, the Shadow hiding somewhere would look upon it suspiciously.
So I only let out heavy sighs and brushed back my hair. I wanted to meet Jack, but not like this. But the boy had returned as a great stubborn soul, and I had become an incompetent person who couldn't even stop such a child. Is that why? Sighs kept flowing out. My chest was growing tight.
***
The barbarians were preparing for the final battle. Yes, the last war. It was a single bout staking the tribe's fate.
The scouts who had gone out on reconnaissance brought news that the barbarians had separated the children, the elderly, and the women, sending them south with a few men.
The fight to obtain fertile land had already failed, but they were straightening their ranks as if they would not give up until the end. They knew that if they retreated like this, the Imperial Army would follow and catch them, if only to make an example of them.
Following the treaty with other nations, the war flowed rapidly as if it had hit a surge. Time was on the Empire's side. Even if they seemed to have prepared for a long time, they couldn't defeat the weapons and forces of the Empire, which possessed advanced civilization.
Most of all, as if it were true that they were receiving support from someone, once the surrounding nations were prevented from moving, the barbarians' strength quickly hit bottom.
Even if the Grand Duke was providing support secretly—according to Lady Roshan—it was a difficult task to make it possible to conquer the Empire. Unless one possessed enough wealth to buy a country, that is.
Therefore, when the Grand Duke first made up his mind to move the barbarians, he must have hoped they would only play the role of diverting attention by touching the border in this way. That would have been the case until the barbarians, having received new weapons, expressed their unspent heat more strongly toward the Empire.
However, Eriñus dreamed an empty dream and eventually made even the Grand Duke be dragged to the border. From their perspective, it must have been an infuriating thing. Would it not be so if the dog they were feeding tried to bite them?
At any rate, after a long time passed and the small and large battles reached double digits, the magnitude of power became more and more distinct. Dealing with the Border Count's soldiers and dealing with the combined forces were two different things.
The only fortunate thing for the barbarians was that about 1/3 of the Imperial Army was force drafted from various territories, so there was a lack of time to coordinate.
Furthermore, they had a brilliant leader who frequently bewildered the Imperial Army with exquisite mercenary tactics.
Especially in riding horses or utilizing the surrounding terrain, their ability was second to none. It was lucky that the Border Count's army had a fair number of veteran soldiers who knew the terrain well; otherwise, there were several battles they would have lost significantly.
However, that was only for a very brief moment; the Crown Prince, having soon grown accustomed to the battles with Eriñus, handled them very skillfully.
It was for this reason that observations were made that had he not sustained an unexpected injury in a battle where he led from the front for the soldiers' morale and had to lie low, he could have suppressed them even more quickly.
Thanks to that, the ominous morale subsided quickly, and people moved through the sharply settled air, each checking their own weapons. I was faithfully fulfilling my role as a page and human talisman, continuing to stay by the Crown Prince's side.
"I will not lead in this battle either."
Late at night, the Crown Prince, who had been agonizing over the map, suddenly spoke to me. Since he was the one who had been commanding the army while supporting from the rear ever since he was wounded, the words he just dropped were very sudden.
I stared at the Crown Prince with a gaze that said, 'What kind of scheme is this bastard trying to pull again?' In his eyes was reflected a boy with an expressionless face.
"However, I may be vulnerable to unexpected ambushes or stray arrows. So, give me an item that can receive your grace."
I was speechless at the arrogant demand. I don't know how he was hit by the arrow, but that was because he was unlucky, just as the prophecy said. That must be why he nearly died even after fighting the battle well. This was also why the Crown Prince's escort had been strengthened.
Of course, I was not ignorant of the fact that the word 'Grand Duke' was hidden behind the 'unexpected ambush' the Crown Prince mentioned.
The saying that an internal enemy is more terrifying than an external one doesn't come from nowhere. Still, to openly ask for an item to receive grace when we aren't even lovers...
I knew it was beneficial for me for him to return to the Capital in one piece, but having already heard the news through Bird that the Bischwaldz mansion had been devastated, I was in a state of mind where I wished at least one part of him would be broken. Although it was said a large scar remained where he was hit by the arrow, that wasn't enough.
But since he was demanding it so openly, even if I wanted to refuse, there was no proper way to decline, which was quite troublesome. Since I came here for this very purpose. Therefore, I'd have to give him something, whatever it might be. But I hated the idea of it being an item kept for a long time...
The thought of the Crown Prince keeping something of mine on his person made my skin crawl. It felt like a snake sliding over my skin. Just imagining it made nausea surge. Therefore, I hoped it would be an item that would be ruined quickly.
When I didn't answer immediately, the Crown Prince's eyes flicked up slightly. He spoke to me as if he didn't understand why I was even agonizing.
"What are you hesitating for? Can you not just give me one of the things you are wearing?"
"Even so, it's a grace; can I give you just any item?"
I answered his words while forcing a smile. Since I was coming to a battlefield, almost all my valuables had been left at the mansion.
The only belongings I had were a few changes of clothes, a string to tie my hair, a handkerchief, and the talisman I received through Bird. The only things I could give were the hair tie, the handkerchief, or the talisman, but I didn't want to give any of them.
Then, the Crown Prince gestured for me to come closer for a moment. I felt a surge of irritation for a second, but since the current me was merely the Crown Prince's page, I approached him without a word.
Then, suddenly, he leaned his body close to me and untied the string that bound my hair. Since his face came close to my ear, the man's breath was felt vividly.
As I stood frozen and motionless, my breath catching, a low laugh was heard. At the same time, I felt a slight tugging at the ends of my hair, followed by a 'snip' sound.
Startled, I looked at the Crown Prince's hand. My hair, cut to the length of a finger joint, was held in the Crown Prince's hand.
It was such a shocking event that as I was letting out a silent scream, the Crown Prince looked at me as if asking what the problem was.
"I shall take this."
He spread out a handkerchief with a brazen expression, placed my hair inside, and tucked it into his chest. Then, he babbled some nonsense as an excuse.
"I can't exactly take you with me, can I? I know what you want to say. But for now, remember that you are a page."
I'd have no further wishes if I could just once deeply scratch that smoothly handsome face. But unfortunately, the only thing I could do was swallow my anger and smile awkwardly.
Because of that, I didn't want to be together any longer. Being in the same space was no different from torture. So I tried to snatch the ribbon string held in the Crown Prince's hand.
But the Crown Prince's hand was faster. He lightly grabbed my hair and lifted it close to the back of my head. And as he let the hair flow down little by little, the sensation of it brushing my nape and sliding down my back was so strangely ticklish that my shoulders flinched.
It was a light action close to mockery, but a strange tension was settling, enough that I couldn't move my body easily.
The Crown Prince's gaze, looking at me seriously, made it so. His eyes, from which laughter had vanished, held only me. His body, clinging close enough to be an embrace, was the same.
I blinked my eyes blankly while lightly biting my parched lower lip with my teeth. I wanted to turn my face away, not wanting him to see my expression full of indignation, but since he was staring so piercingly, a situation was created where I could do neither.
After some time had passed like that, the Crown Prince spoke to me. His voice was dreadfully low.
"Do you still have the Glass Slipper, Cerula?"
Shards of the Broken Glass Shoe
