Under the Devil’s Breath - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“It is precious to me, so please keep it.”

“Who would dare neglect to keep it?”

The craftsman put the ring in the jewelry box in front of Hyyan and locked it with a key. She even gave Hyyan the key.

“I will leave the jewelry box here. After exchanging the gift, you can open this jewelry box and take the ring.”

Hearing that, she was relieved by the kind explanation.

Beyond the reassurance, she even felt grateful to the craftsman who took care of her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I was just doing the right thing.”

Saying so, the craftsman bent her eyes and smiled. Having handed the keys from the craftsman, Hyyan handed the keys to her maid, Gina, who had come with her from Haire. This was because the dress she currently wears has no pockets.

Then, the craftsman said while Gina put the key in her pocket.

“I’ll put the jewelry box in the safe and come back, Your Highness.”

“A safe? I’ve already put it in the jewelry box and locked it, so there’s no need to put it in the safe, right?”

“Isn’t it something precious to you? I’m afraid that someone will take the jewelry box without us paying attention.”

“That’s right, Your Highness. Just in case, put it in the safe.”

“Isn’t it okay if I tell my maid to hold it?”

“Your Highness’ maid will also help you with the gifts, so she won’t be able to fully pay attention to the jewelry box.”

The stubborn attitude of the craftsmen eventually forced Hyyan to allow the jewelry box to be stored in a safe.

Somehow, the blacksmith’s black hair headed to the safe stood out like a haze, although since another craftsman brought a necklace to her and she had to look away.

After receiving the gifts, Hyyan took out the rings she was wearing and remembered her holy relic. She immediately described the appearance of the jewelry box she had taken with her earlier, and she asked to bring it.

However, the reactions she got back were not what she expected. The craftsmen asked Hyyan with a face that they were hearing it for the first time.

“A jewel box, what are you talking about…”

“It was this size and was a red box. Did you not know this?”

“We’ve never seen anything like that, Your Grace.”

“I got the key… Gina, show me the key I left with you.”

“Yes? What do you mean by key? What key are you talking about?”

“The key I handed over to you from the craftsman earlier.”

“I don’t remember being given such a key.”

Hyyan was a bit perplexed.

She was so flustered that she stuttered. “Well, it can’t be. I’m sure I left the key. And the craftsman put the jewelry box in the safe…”

“Your Highness, we don’t have a safe here.”

As another craftsman replied, Hyan had a bewildered expression on her face.

‘No safe…?’

At first, she was already embarrassed that they pretended they didn’t know the jewelry box, though she was even more embarrassed when she said they didn’t have a safe.

Moreover, not just a single person who was saying that, but a group, so she had doubts about whether she was dreaming before. Nevertheless, the previous scene was too vivid to be dismissed as a dream.

Hyyan uttered as if she was feeling the light in the dark.

“But, obviously, the black-haired, green-eyed craftsman took it. I remember the appearance very well…”

“I am sorry to have to say this, but there is no one with dark hair in our store.”

Even the light she had hoped for was gone. Unable to contain her shock, she dropped the rings she was holding onto the floor.

When the three rings fell to the floor, all the craftsmen were terrified. At the reaction of the craftsmen, each terrified, it was only then that Hyyan realized what she had done.

Yet it was already irreversible…

She dropped the rings, and she tried to find the holy thing she had. Nonetheless, she couldn’t find it in the end…

Returning to the Imperial Castle without an achievement, Hyyan sat on the sofa and touched her left hand helplessly. Until this morning, the holy relic was no longer with her. Not only that, but she also dropped rings that each had a special meaning.

They wouldn’t have dared to say that in front of her, though she knew they would consider her marriage to Lenald unhappy. Even though Haire and Hyyan didn’t believe in superstition, now that she’s gone through crazy things and lost her relics, she now cares about every little thing.

That feeling continued until she met Lenald.

Lenald, who had come to see his lover without much thought, was bewildered by her worried look.

“Hyyan? What happened today? Your complexion is dark.”

Lenald asked in a friendly voice. Normally, she would have been happy with that kindness, but now she just can’t.

“No… Nothing happened.”

All she could do was shake her head in denial without strength.

“Is it true that nothing really happened?”

“Sure.”

“Is that true?”

As he repeated his question, Hyyan went on to say that there was nothing continuously like a parrot.

If she didn’t tell him this much even though he asked, it must have meant that she didn’t want to talk.

In the end, Lenald decided not to ask any further questions. Instead, he spread his arms out and hugged Hyyan.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but forget it. I don’t want to see worry on your face.”

How warm and comforting the embrace was when he whispered and hugged her tenderly. For a moment in her lover’s arms, Hyyan was able to forget what had happened to her.

* * * 

That night, Hyyan had a dream.

The shape was not clear, though she knew that it was red from head to toe. That red figure hugged her.

Hyyan was surprised, but she couldn’t deny it. The moment it hugged her, she felt comfort, which she didn’t know why.

It felt as though this feeling was rather familiar from before.

But…

“I won’t give it.”

Hyyan felt goosebumps at the soft voice whispering in her ear. When she was about to ask what that meant, the red thing came straight into her eyes.

“I won’t give you to humans.”

In an instant, Hyyan felt goosebumps appear all over her body. Possessiveness and obsession that comes from the low voice. It was the first time she had ever felt this way from someone.

Hyyan tried to push it away, although it grabbed her body again and pulled her towards it. The figure then grabbed her arm as she was trying to get out, and pulled her deeper and deeper.

It was as if she had fallen into a swamp. No matter how hard she tried to get out, Hyyan couldn’t get out, rather, it just hugged her again.

What should Hyyan do if she is caught by the red thing forever…?

As she was thinking, it whispered again.

“Do not forget. You are mine, Ariel.”

It bit her ear as she felt the breath in her ear.

Astonished by the touch, Hyyan took a deep breath. Her eyes lit up, and her body stood up.

“Haa…haa…”

Jagged breath escaped her mouth.

For a moment, Hyyan did not realize that she had awakened. The familiar room scene caught her eye, and only then did she realize that everything had been a dream.

“Dream…”

As she recites her words, Hyyan let out a deep sigh.

It was indeed a terrifying dream. It’s the red thing that said she was its own. Besides, when she heard the word ‘Ariel,’ she somehow felt her heart sink. It was such a horrifying dream that she really would never want to have it again.

Clutching the blanket, someone from outside knocked on the door. It was Gina who entered the room moments after.

She observed Hyyan with her slightly startled eyes, as if she had never expected her to be awake.

“I came in without knowing you were up. I apologize.”

“It’s all right. It’s because I woke up early today only. And, didn’t you come to wake me up?”

“That’s right, however…”

“Then, don’t worry.”

In the end, Gina bowed her head in gratitude.

Afterwards, when asked if she could help Hyyan dress up, she just meekly nodded her head.

Looking at the mirror while leaving her hair to Gina, she thought that her outfit was glamorous, unlike what she usually wears.

“Gina, today, you are decorating it very splendidly. Is there anything special today? Or, is it because I was so depressed yesterday? If it’s the latter, then you don’t need to put on makeup too much.”

“I can’t do that. No matter how it is, today is the wedding day of the Crown Prince and Lady Cordelia, they are said to be the main characters, but you are a princess who came on behalf of the Kingdom of Haire. You can never neglect your makeup.”

For a moment, Hyyan’s face hardened slightly.

“Wait. Who is His Highness Lenald getting married to?”

“His Highness is going to marry Lady Cordelia.”

“Lady Cordelia…is marrying His Highness?”

“That’s right.”

Hyyan couldn’t understand what Gina was saying. That’s probably because the ‘Lady Cordelia’ Gina spoke of was a person who didn’t exist in Hyyan’s memory.

…No, she might not have known about it if a woman named Lady Cordelia was a foreigner.

“Gina, is Lady Cordelia from a foreign country like me?”

“What? No. Lady Cordelia is the Lady of Marquis Lyat of the Gideth Empire, Your Highness. Don’t you remember?”

Hyyan shook her head sharply. It’s the first time she’s ever heard of the name ‘Lyat,’ or Cordelia.

As Gideth was the Kingdom to which she would marry, she memorized the main families of the Gideth Empire, and she had memorized all of the noble families. However, among them, Marquis Lyat did not exist.

“It cannot be. You have also met the Lady before.”

“Did I even have a meeting with that Lady? But I can’t remember…”

Hyyan, who was whispering with a blank face, suddenly thought that she might still be dreaming.

Is there a family that did not exist in the Gideth Empire, and now, her lover is marrying an unknown woman…? Where does this mean realistically?

‘Yes, this is a dream. If it’s not a dream, this cannot happen…’

She thought it was a dream, and then she understood. So, she later was surprised to hear that she had come to Gideth to become Lenald’s second wife, though she was not shocked.

Because this was all in a dream.

She thought so, and Hyyan was full of leisure. However, that was the story until Lenald and Cordelia’s wedding…

At the wedding hall, there were only stories of Lenald and Cordelia. People who usually spoke with Hyyan, praised Lady Cordelia instead of her and said that they were a good pair.

These were awkward words for her to hear, though Hyyan persevered. All of this was possible since it was a dream.

So, when she wakes up from the dream, everything will disappear…

As she was sitting in her seat, the trumpet sounded, and the servant shouted loudly.

“Your Highness Lenald der Gideth, and Cordelia Vi Lyat enter.”

The tightly closed door opened.

Soon, a woman with a veil appeared with Lenald. Although she was wearing a veil and her features were not clearly visible, she knew one thing.

Hyyan knew that it was right that she had never seen the Lady Cordelia before.

This is a dream.

She was sure of it a second time. At the same time, she thought that it was a dream, but everything was so lively and vivid.

It was so lucid…

Needless to say, it was heartbreaking to see Lady Cordelia walking while holding Lenald’s hand.

“Then, there will be an oath between His Highness the Crown Prince and Lady Cordelia.”

Eventually, Lenald and Cordelia stood in front of the officiant. As the officiant looked at Lenald, he raised a hand and pressed it to his shoulder.

“I, Lenald der Gideth, as the husband of Cordelia Vi Lyat, swore affection to my wife and prosperity to the Empire.”

“I, Cordelia Vi Lyat , as the Crown Prince’s wife, swore a home to my husband and peace to the Empire.”

After the ceremonial ceremony, he took off Cordelia’s veil and kissed her.

Hyyan, who didn’t know she would even see the two of them kissing, was speechless.