Chapter 7
Aura shook her head in confusion.
“You need to take care of the Xenians.”
“No. The one I need to take care of is you.”
“Luan.”
“Please. Don’t make me regret it a second time.”
She knew she should say no. Not just for the Xenians’ sake. What if something went wrong and they were caught by the royal army? Karl would never leave Luan alone.
But maybe it was because of all the loneliness and pain. Aura didn’t want to be separated from Luan either.
“…What about the patrol squad? What will happen to them?”
“There are enough people to take my place.”
His green eyes glowed with determination. His gaze was warm and dependable. After some hesitation, Aura took his hand.
“Alright. Let’s go together, Luan.”
Luan persuaded the leaders of the patrol squad. They, too, wanted Aura to escape with Luan. To them, she was the one hope that must survive.
Aura said goodbye to the patrol members in front of the branch building. She also promised to return once everything was settled.
From a distance, Luan came leading two horses.
He reached out his hand. Just as Aura took it to mount the horse—
“Princess Aura!”
Someone came running toward them. It was the man who had stolen bread at the market.
‘That man… did he recognize me earlier?’
Beside him was an old man with gray hair. The old man suddenly cried out to Aura, weeping.
“Princess! Please save the magicians!”
“Hey! What are you doing all of a sudden?!”
A patrol member blocked the old man. Even as he was held back, the old man kept shouting. Begging, pleading—please save the magicians.
“Luan, what is he talking about? Save the magicians?”
When Aura asked, Luan tried to help her onto the horse with a troubled face.
“Don’t worry about it. Just get on.”
“Luan.”
“We can’t deal with this now. I’ll explain on the way.”
Something felt wrong. Aura let go of Luan’s hand and spoke to the patrol member.
“Let him go.”
The patrol member had no choice but to release the old man. He fell to the ground, begging.
“Princess Aura, I’m begging you…”
“Please speak slowly. I’m listening.”
The old man looked up at her with eyes full of tears and desperation.
“I used to be a magician of Xenia, but three years ago, I lost my magic to an unknown magician. Not just me—every magician in Xenia did!”
“You lost your magic? How?!”
It was unbelievable. Magic was the foundation of Xenia’s power. And every magician had lost it?
“Princess, luckily, there was a witness.”
“A witness?”
“Yes. A few days before Xenia was conquered, the crown prince of Casa appeared in the capital with a strange magician. They took all our magic into a crystal orb and left.”
“All into a crystal orb? It couldn’t have been that easy!”
“We… we couldn’t believe it either. It wasn’t Xenia’s magic. We think it must be foreign magic.”
Only then did Aura understand. Why Xenia had fallen so easily. Why they had become powerless slaves.
The old man’s rough hand grabbed Aura’s.
“Princess, they called that orb the ‘Pin.’”
“The ‘Pin’… So? Where is it now?”
“It must be in the palace. The crown prince took it. Please, please find the Pin and break the seal!”
The palace.
That word made Aura’s mind go blank. Luan pulled her wrist as she stood frozen in shock.
“Aura, don’t think about it now. Right now…”
“Luan. Did you lose your magic too?”
Luan didn’t answer. His silence said it all. Aura’s voice trembled.
“If that happened, you should’ve told me! What were you thinking?!”
“Because you had just escaped the palace.”
Luan spoke with a devastated look.
“You had just barely gotten out… How could I tell you something like that?”
Aura felt like she understood Luan’s heart. She had already been through so much. He didn’t want to burden her even more.
“Aura, we’re investigating the Pin. You need to go somewhere safe first.”
“Captain! Captain!”
Patrol members came running from afar. Their faces were pale.
“Captain! The royal army is here. They’ll be on us any minute!”
“Damn it. Aura! Let’s go!”
Luan grabbed her hand. A patrol member added urgently,
“You have to leave now. The Emperor himself is here.”
“What? Karl?”
Aura asked in shock.
For the Emperor to leave the palace at such a tense time—this meant something. It meant he was determined to capture her no matter what.
As everyone panicked, Aura stood still. She could run, like Luan said. But she couldn’t move her feet.
“The Pin…”
She murmured.
Ever since she stabbed Karl at the northern tower, she had been ready to die. Everything dear to her had been destroyed. But now, it was different.
She felt like she had found a reason to live again. Something like the meaning of life she had lost in the tower.
“Luan. I have to go back to the palace.”
“No, Aura.”
Luan shook his head. Aura looked at him with unwavering eyes.
“Someone told me once that I’m still a princess at the top of the sky. Even like this, in this state.”
She gave a bitter smile.
“It’s frustrating, but I guess they weren’t completely wrong. I guess I haven’t hit rock bottom yet.”
“Aura…”
“I can’t run away like this.”
Luan grabbed both her shoulders. With a look of disbelief, he asked,
“So, you want to go back to the palace you just escaped from? To the man who left you locked in a tower for three years?”
Aura frowned. She knew. Going back to the palace meant going back to Karl.
“Yes. But you know too, Luan. Someone has to go back. And I’m the best choice.”
“…Then I’m going too. I can’t let you go alone.”
“Alright. You come and help me.”
Aura cupped Luan’s face, looking him straight in the eyes, as if to make sure he’d remember what she was about to say.
“But not now. Hide your identity and wait for the right moment. Then come into the palace.”
From far away, the sound of hooves could be heard. Aura quickly added,
“Listen carefully, Luan. From now on, you must not let Karl see you. No matter what I do, do not show yourself in front of him.”
“…What are you planning to do?”
Aura didn’t answer. Instead, she hugged Luan tightly and whispered to him.
“I promise. I won’t die.”
“Aura…”
“Let’s meet again at the palace.”
With those words, Aura let go of Luan. Then she ran into the branch building.
The sound of hooves came closer and closer. Luan felt a sudden, dreadful feeling.
“…No… Aura!”
Luan ran into the building after her.
Aura ran up the wooden stairs again and again. Her burned ankle throbbed.
Karl had come all the way to Ansena to catch her. Just that thought made her heart race like crazy.
She could’ve just let herself be caught. But Karl wasn’t just any man. Now that she had come to Ansena, he would try to find out everything—especially if she had talked to the Xenians.
‘It’s only a matter of time before he finds out I know about the Pin.’
She had to hide it from Karl, no matter what.
Bang!
Aura burst through the door of the top floor storage room. The balcony window ahead was wide open.
Click.
She locked the door behind her, took a deep breath, and walked to the balcony. Below, she could see the empty lot in front of the branch. Karl and his knights were not far off.
‘I have to make it look like I came to Ansena to die. With no plan, no scheme. Just to die.’
It was a convincing picture. A princess who came to die beside her people. That was the only way to fool Karl.
Bang! Bang!
“Aura! Aura! Open the door!”
Luan’s voice came from outside. Aura murmured with a sigh.
“That idiot… I told him to hide.”
She calmly swung one leg over the railing. A wave of fear surged through her, and her hands on the rail grew sweaty.
Down below, Karl arrived at the empty lot. He saw Aura and turned pale, jumping off his horse.
“Aura!”
He shouted as he ran toward the building. At that moment—
Crash!
The locked door broke open, and Luan rushed in.
“Aura!”
At Luan’s voice, Aura looked down quickly. Karl was still far from the building.
There was no more time. Aura let go of the railing.
It was a foolish belief, but she had it. That Karl would never let her die.
Aura plummeted. The pain hit like her organs tearing apart. Just as she thought she might really die, someone caught her just in time.
“Ugh…”
She groaned. The part of her body that hit him throbbed painfully from the fall.
She opened her eyes and, unsurprisingly, saw Karl. His eyes were burning with an anger she couldn’t describe.
She wondered what Karl would do to her. And what she would do to him. She was afraid—yet curious.
Then the sky spun. As her mind drifted away, she closed her eyes.
