Chapter 1. Kill the Empress
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Tamon stared at him, his face scrunched up.
While he was gone, he heard that Cassion had broken into Asha’s room.
Dark hair, pale skin, at first glance he looked just like him….
Although Cassion was smaller, anyone could tell that Tamon and Cassion were brothers.
But how could a brother who claimed to share blood with each other deceive him with such an innocent face?
Was it an ulterior motive to claim that the woman Tamon had risked his life to bring here was also in the mansion, and that she might have been his?
Tamon felt a surge of anger, but he held back once.
He was a weak and clumsy Cassion.
He was the legitimate son of Krasis who was loved by everyone.
Fortunately, Roselyn handled him properly, so Tamon let it go.
It was not enough to tremble with anger because he knew that Cassion did not break in with a wild mind to do something about Roselyn.
Nevertheless, he didn’t want to see more of Cassion.
Tamon looked at his half-brother, who stood in front of him with deliberately calm eyes.
“Don’t you understand why you’re not leaving, Cassion?”
Cassion’s face flushed red from the obvious order for him to leave.
“….. This is my mansion as well!”
“But you are not the master. And you have been rude to your host.”
“Brother!”
Cassion exclaimed with an expression of being unfair.
“Krasis was mine to begin with, and shouldn’t what brother enjoys have been mine to begin with as well? But how can you say that to me?”
Cassion shouted in frustration.
Like a child, his eyes shook with tears.
‘I’m sick of this.’
“This is originally mine!”
With that word, Cassion pressed Tamon every time.
But that didn’t mean that Cassion wanted Krasis back.
It was just that this family was originally his, so he pushed through his infantile idea of giving him a better treatment for his concessions.
Tamon pointed to the luxury shoes that Cassion was wearing.
“I’ll ask, Cassion. Who is the original owner of the shoes you are wearing?”
“They are originally mine……..”
“No, according to your logic, the original owner of that shoe belongs to the shoemaker who made it. The same goes for the clothes you’re wearing right now.”
“…!”
“I ask again. “Do you think this Krasis originally belonged to your parents?”
“….”
“Father said that his uncle died and he had no choice but to inherit the family line. Did this family originally belong to the uncle?”
“Oh, that’s too much!”
“That’s right. You’re right, it is impossible. You’re forcing me to do it now.”
Tamon stared at Cassion with cold eyes. His face, without a smile, was like a cold stone statue.
“Cassion. I am not generous to those who originally wanted what was mine. But since you are my only blood brother, I have shown you mercy once.”
His voice was as gentle and calm as it had always been.
“If you were not my father’s son, perhaps I would have pulled out your eyes, cut your tongue, cut off your ankles and left you somewhere by the sea.”
But the words he spat out became a sharp sword, gouging at Cassion’s chest.
“…It won’t happen again, Cassion. Your mother and father have asked me to take care of you, and I will do so until today.”
Tamon walked past Cassion and got into the carriage.
Asrell, who had been watching them in the distance, tugged on Cassion’s wrist, who was shivering with a pale, weary face.
“I’ll give you some warm cocoa. Come this way, young master.”
“Asrell…”
Cassion’s lips were tightly pressed together and his bright red eyes shook as he didn’t know what to do.
Asrell tugged on Cassion’s hand again without saying a word.
As a lowly servant, how could she be involved in the quarrel of the owners?
However, it was Cassion’s desire for anything that belonged to his brother.
Tamon’s heart couldn’t abandon him even though he ignored him.
Asrell, who has been watching over them since they were born, was sad because she knew what they were thinking.
“We’re brothers, but why don’t I have anything? I want to be just like my brother.” (Cassion)
“There’s nothing really mine in this mansion, Asrell. So someday….I’d like to have at least one that’s completely mine.”
Each of the brothers’ voices grazed Asrell’s ears.
Their hearts were similar to each other in a way, hating but not hating, craving but not craving.
“Let’s go, Master Cassion. Come on.”
Cassion stared in the direction of Tamon’s disappearance in the carriage for a long time and trudged his feet as Asrell led him with his big shoulders drooping.
****
Roselyn rode out in the carriage with the twins.
Then, on the way, they changed once more to another carriage before entering the inner castle square where the festival was being held.
“Wow!”
It was a spectacular sight to behold.
People of all nationalities and races had gathered there. The large square was full of energy and vitality.
The streets were cleared for the festival, and all the merchants who had been waiting for this one day of the year jumped out to show off their wares.
It was hard to find someone who wasn’t smiling, and the scene was very busy.
“On the first day, there was a torch ceremony hosted by the temple, followed by two days of square parties. Then on the fourth day, they show a play or opera, but I don’t know what they will do this year yet. The wind lanterns will be on last night.”
The twins gave her a detailed schedule of the festival.
It was a great schedule, but Roselyn was not sure she could enjoy the festival for all five days.
She glanced at the sky.
It was not yet dark, but in a few moments the sunset would turn red.
What would the scene be like then?
It shouldn’t, but it was somewhat relaxing to see the peaceful festive scene.
She had to move as soon as possible to go help the Prophet….
But it was okay to enjoy this unfamiliar festival for at least one day.
Roselyn smiled softly as she felt the refreshing Amor breeze coming in through the carriage window, and then the carriage stopped.
Knock knock. The door opened with the sound of knocking.
As if he had been waiting for her, Tamon smiled as soon as he saw Roselyn.
Tamon’s red eyes, known as the “devil’s eyes,” blazed gently at her, just like the setting sun at dusk.
“Just in time.”
Roselyn stared at Tamon as he held the carriage door open and offered his hand to her.
He stood there, too, dressed in a strange outfit as she did.
His hand stuck out like a petal dancing in the wind.
She didn’t know why, but the air at this moment was strangely itchy as she tried to hold his hand.
“Lady Asha?”
Tasha called her softly, as if wondering why she wasn’t getting off the carriage.
Roselyn stopped hesitating and placed her hand on Tamon’s, which was still waiting for her in the air.
The warmth of his overlapping hands didn’t feel as strange as it did before.
****
Boom!
When the drums sounded, a dance troupe of a dozen or so people came flying out.
It didn’t matter if they were male or female, they wore similar clothes, but strangely enough, the clothes couldn’t compartmentalize gender. Amor’s costume, which was very revealing due to the heat. The thin fabric was transparent, but they even showed their arms and legs.
Boom!
The drums sounded again, and this time the sound of flutes spread.
Then, one tempo slower, the melody of the harp gently enveloped the air.
Thump-thump-thump…
Before she knew it, the number of dancers had grown to more than twenty, and they danced in groups to the music. The exotic costumes spread like flower petals as the dancers moved, and then repeated again and again.
Each time the dancers did this, the people who were watching them shouted in admiration.
The dance is called ‘flower radish’, and every year there is a different flower of the year in Amor, and they often make the costumes to match the different flowers each year.
Tamon explained in a low voice.
The low-pitched voice ringing in her ears was itchy, so she shrank her shoulders without realizing it.
As if he had noticed the small movement, Tamon laughed.
She glanced at him and saw that Tamon was looking right at her with an expressionless face, as if to say, “When did I ever do that?”
‘I hate him.’
Roselyn shook her head and couldn’t help but look at him again.
He was unfamiliar to her in his exotic formal attire.
And it was strange to see herself dressed as unfamiliar as Tamon.
Standing side by side like this, it was as if neither of them were Amor’s Tamon, nor Roselyn of Tanatos.
They looked like a couple of tourists who had come from afar looking for an unfamiliar and exciting place to travel, unaware of what was going on and just enjoying the moment.
Clothing had such a strange power.
Wearing it like that made her feel like she really was one of those people.
The unfamiliar air, the mood and the scenery brought her a step closer to the ground.
It was strange to feel completely different without doing anything.
Roselyn inhaled deeply until her chest full. She wanted to keep the air of this moment deep in her soul.
At that moment, a large, strong force intertwined her fingers that hung without effort.
“…Because I can’t lose my precious engraver.”
Tamon murmured in an indifferent voice, keeping his gaze fixed on the front.