Chapter 7 Part 4
The goddess seemed to gaze into Elia as she offered her advice.
「Gain some time.」
〈Time?〉
It wasn’t something one could simply obtain by wishing for it.
「There is an object that has returned with you through time. You must claim the time contained within it.」
Soon, her gentle words enveloped Elia.
「It is something you have already acquired.」
‘Something I have already acquired… containing time.’
While Elia resolved this internally, the goddess’s wind urged her forward.
「It’s time to get up now.」
〈Wait…〉
Her vision blurred. The purple sky gradually transformed into the familiar ceiling of her room.
‘Was it a dream?’
Elia looked around.
“This is my room.”
She distinctly remembered falling asleep in the carriage.
As she checked her tingling palm, she found golden sand nestled between her fingers.
She wasn’t alone in the bed.
“Aksion?”
He lay beside her, his breath steady and deep in slumber.
‘He must have carried me here.’
Elia thought she had never seen him sleep so peacefully before and reached out to straighten his black hair.
In that instant, a sharp sensation pricked her fingertip.
“…Aksion?”
His body was enveloped in a black current.
The black mist spread out like smoke, swiftly surrounding him before gradually dissipating.
Was she seeing things?
‘But.’
Elia looked down at her tingling fingertip.
The tip of her middle finger was red. This was a reaction to a magical force.
‘It felt like Aksion’s magic.’
Both the sensation and the black smoke had been real.
Only Aksion remained undisturbed within the canopy bed.
She couldn’t bring herself to wake him, fearing the reappearance of the smoke.
A moment later, his even breathing broke as Aksion opened his eyes.
“…Elia?”
His crimson eyes, focused on her, seemed bloodier today.
“Aksion, are you okay?”
She needed to check his condition first.
Contrary to her cautious tone, Aksion remained calm.
“I just fell asleep for a moment.”
“You’re not hurt… never mind.”
Elia swallowed her words. She felt as if she were the only one under some sort of spell.
‘What happened?’
The goddess in her dream and the smoke around Aksion were too significant to overlook. Elia took his hand, connecting her consciousness to his.
The black magic, as if just awakening, settled languidly.
‘His magic seems fine.’
Moreover, his magic obediently followed Elia, more so than ever before.
She scrutinized his body, finding no abnormalities.
This meant the smoke wasn’t his magic.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
Elia shook her head. It was best to keep this to herself for now.
“You woke up first.”
“Oh, I fell asleep early. You carried me from the carriage, right?”
Aksion smiled in response, a gesture that reassured her slightly.
“It’s still night. You should rest more.”
His large hand covered her eyes.
Though she found herself back in bed, sleep had long escaped her.
‘Will it be okay?’
If such an incident happened again.
Her fingertip still tingled from the earlier rejection.
One thing was certain.
‘There’s someone else with darkness similar to Aksion’s.’
A very filthy, inferior shadow-like darkness.
Her vision, concealed beneath his hand, turned cold.
It was a long night without sleep. Elia forced her eyes closed.
* * *
A week before leaving the capital.
Most of the salon’s affairs were handled by Popetcherian, but she would still need to travel between the capital and the north for some time.
Since Violet had been confined, the royal palace had maintained a heavy silence.
“Young Lady, a letter has arrived.”
Elia, seated, accepted the letter from Risha.
The luxurious stationery bore the royal seal.
“A hunting competition?”
It was an invitation from the royal family for a seasonal hunting competition.
‘Oh, it’s that time of year.’
After the spring banquet, a hunting competition is held to welcome summer.
This event, involving most of the capital’s nobility, was a longstanding tradition, continuing annually unless interrupted by war.
‘What should I do? It’s awkward to refuse.’
The letter was from the Emperor. He likely wanted to ensure Elia wouldn’t leave the Empire.
‘To prevent me from leaving the Empire.’
Now was the time to soothe the Emperor’s anxiety and avoid his suspicion.
‘Aksion will go instead of me anyway.’
For a woman to participate in the hunting competition, certain abilities were required.
She needed to be a knight, a mage, or a spirit summoner.
‘I could disguise myself as a mental spirit summoner… but it’s best to hide it for now.’
It was wise to refrain from displaying noticeable abilities.
As Elia pondered over the letter, she sensed someone behind her.
“A hunting competition.”
Aksion took the letter, narrowing his eyes to read the text.
“Yes. Shall we participate before we leave?”
“If that’s what Elia wants.”
His eyelashes fluttered softly, sparkling.
Elia scrutinized Aksion’s face. Since that day, the mysterious black mist hadn’t reappeared.
‘It’s like a dream.’
Elia, still seated, looked up at Aksion.
With him standing, the light from the window cast a long shadow over her.
‘Sun and shadow.’
The goddess Anusia’s voice echoed in her mind.
‘Where could it be?’
The item that had traveled back in time with her. First, she needed to find it.
‘What have I already obtained?’
Both the goddess’s words and Sasha’s hints were entirely abstract.
“Elia?”
“Ah, sorry.”
She had drifted off again. Aksion helped her up from the chair.
“It’s a hunting competition, so I have something for you.”
“Where are we going?”
Aksion led Elia to the stable.
The well-maintained stable smelled of wood and hay.
Aksion bypassed several stalls, stopping in front of a pure white horse.
“Oh? You’re…”
It was the horse she had ridden from the north to the capital.
The horse, seemingly happy to see her, lowered its head and nuzzled Elia.
“Since carrying you, it refuses to let anyone else ride it.”
“Really?”
Surprised, Elia hugged the horse’s head and asked again.
The stable keeper, excited, confirmed Aksion’s words.
“Absolutely, this picky creature has been causing such a ruckus. Its lineage is excellent, but I’ve never seen it show affection like this.”
As if to prove the stable keeper’s words, the horse began chewing on his coat hem.
“Look at this!”
The stable keeper finally gave up and removed his vest. The horse chewed the vest, then spat it out with a loud ‘plop.’
“Oh no, my vest!”
The stable keeper, holding his chewed vest, began to cry.
The horse snorted.
Elia, caught off guard, saw the horse’s face turn gentle again, as if nothing had happened.
‘It looked so gentle.’
Despite witnessing its mischievous behavior, she couldn’t dislike the horse’s pretended innocence.
“I hope Elia will accept it as her own.”
Elia couldn’t help but laugh. She stroked the horse’s mane and smiled brightly.
“Thank you.”
The horse’s body felt warm. Holding its neck, she wanted to give it a name.
“Let’s call you Elsha.”
Since the spirit’s name was Sasha, she thought it was a fitting choice.
The horse, seemingly pleased with its new name, pranced lightly.
That afternoon, having received the horse as a gift, Elia sent her response confirming her participation in the hunting competition.
* * *
The day of the hunting competition arrived.
Each year, the competition’s events changed, held in the royal hunting grounds.
The Emperor decided the events. To mark the beginning of the competition, he stood on a platform.
“The one who brings back the most splendid game will be the winner of this competition.”
The Emperor, having personally confined Violet, didn’t look pleased.
“Then, let it begin.”
With a loud bang, participants’ horses bolted into the forest.
