It seemed that Akan had left to avoid being seen by others. That much made sense, but what was strange was that none of the maids had come to wake her. As usual, she pulled the cord to summon them, but no one came. The silence around her was disconcerting, as if the entire palace had suddenly been abandoned. 

With no choice, Robellia opened the door to her bedroom and stepped out into the hallway. It, too, was completely empty. What on earth was going on?

“Emily? Cecilia?” 

She called out to the maids who usually brought her washing water, but there was no answer. Not wanting to go looking for them in her pyjamas, Robellia returned to her bedroom.

What was going on? As she stood there, her head cocked in confusion, the distant sound of m*n shouting reached her ears. Her head instinctively turned to the window and she saw black smoke billowing from the main palace.

“W-what…” 

Robellia ran to the window. As she threw it open, the wind carried the acrid smell of burning straight into the room. She coughed hard and quickly closed the window.

Suddenly, the words Raves had spoken earlier flashed through her mind. Her brother, Akan – they had both mentioned it several times, but she had never really paid attention.

“Is he really trying to stage a rebellion?”

Rebellion. It was a terrifying story she had only heard about in history class. Where was Akan? What about her father, her brother – were they safe? Robellia’s mind went blank. She had no idea where to start or what to do.

Bang! A deafening noise from below made Robellia’s shoulders instinctively shrink.

It sounded as if a cannon had gone off nearby, but as suddenly as it had come, the air was silent again. Pulling her shawl tightly around her, Robellia moved towards the door, her legs shaking.

She reached for the doorknob, but couldn’t bring herself to look outside. She was afraid. More than anything, she was afraid of being alone. She felt pathetic for not even being able to leave the room on her own.

Thud, thud. Footsteps, distant at first, echoed through the halls, growing louder and closer. Robellia jumped back from the door, startled. Instead of relief, fear was the first thing to hit her.

“Robellia!” 

The door burst open and the person Robellia had wished for appeared. The moment she saw Akan, dishevelled and covered in soot, the tension in her body broke and tears welled in her eyes. 

“Akan…” 

Akan, who had obviously walked all this way, struggled to catch his breath.

His expression was a far cry from the warmth of the man who had shared a night of passion with her only hours before. It was cold, tense and unyielding – something serious had undoubtedly happened. Robellia’s eyes fell on the soot stains on Akan’s clothes and the bloodstains scattered across them, and she gasped in shock.

“What’s happening outside? Is it true… is it really a rebellion?” 

Akan, still panting heavily, looked at her but said nothing. But even his silence was enough of an answer. The rebellion had reached the palace.

Robellia’s vision darkened for a moment as the weight of the revelation sank in. Then, almost instinctively, her thoughts turned to her father and brother.

“I-I must go to the main palace. No, to my father…!” 

“Robel.”

As Robellia tried to rush out through the open door, Akan grabbed her wrist urgently. His face, furrowed as if suppressing emotion, only confirmed that the situation was far worse than she had imagined.

“Let go!” 

“Robel, we don’t have time for this.” 

“Exactly, that’s why I have to go!” 

Akan let out a long, heavy sigh. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something. Please don’t say it. Robellia wanted to cover her ears, to block out what was coming. But in the end, the words she feared most slipped out of Akan’s mouth. 

“Even if you leave… it won’t make any difference.” 

“What… what do you mean?” 

Although she already had a sinking feeling, Robellia asked anyway, her voice trembling. Akan winced, as if the question itself hurt him. Gripping his hand tightly, Robellia pleaded in a desperate tone.

“My father and my brother… they escaped to a safe place, right? Right?” 

Unlike usual, Akan avoided her gaze. His voice, colder and more distant than she had ever heard, deflected the question.

“There’s a carriage waiting in the back garden. For now, we need to get out of here-“

“Tell me what’s happening!” 

“Robel…” 

Akan pressed his lips together, his expression unreadable. He didn’t explain what had happened to the Emperor or the Crown Prince, nor did he say what had become of the people at their court. He offered no answers – only silence. 

It wasn’t Akan’s fault. Robellia knew she should have heeded the warnings around her long ago. But at that moment, a wave of betrayal washed over her towards Akan, who refused to tell her anything.

Robellia pulled her hand roughly from his grasp and stormed out the door. She didn’t care that her shawl slipped off as she sprinted down the hallway.

“Robel!” 

Akan’s voice echoed through the empty room as he ran after her. In the distance, angry m*n shouted again, but the princess’s quarters were eerily quiet, as if everyone had been cursed into a deep sleep. Overwhelmed, Robellia screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Laren! Emily! Is no one here?” 

Like someone gone mad, she ran for the stairs. Her thin silk slippers slipped off her feet and tumbled across the floor in different directions.

But before Robellia could set foot on the stairs, thud – a sharp blow to the back of her neck. Her vision flickered white and she collapsed limply like a fallen leaf. Akan caught her falling body in his arms.

“Survive no matter what, Robellia. This is my last…” 

His voice drifted away, as if sinking deep into a river. Robellia fought to focus her vision, desperate to stay awake.

The sight of Akan’s face, hardened and emotionless, was so unfamiliar and strange. It was the last image she saw before a dark curtain fell over her consciousness.

* * *

When Robellia opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar carriage. Heavy curtains of a deep colour were drawn over the windows, obscuring her view of the outside. All she could tell was that it was day. 

Still, Robellia could tell they were outside the capital. The carriage rattled violently over the rough dirt road, shaking every time the wheels hit a stone.

“Akan…” 

Her voice, cracked and hoarse from her parched throat, escaped weakly. How long had she been out? Across from her, an older woman, who had been sitting motionless with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide.

“You’re awake. I’ll give you some water, but don’t try to talk yet.” 

“Where… I can’t… No…” 

Robellia tried to sit up, but her limbs refused to cooperate. Instead of helping her to sit, the woman brought the spout of a waterskin to her lips.

The lukewarm water moistened her lips, running mostly down the sides of her mouth, but she managed to swallow one gulp, then another. With each swallow, the burning dryness in her throat eased a little. Gathering a little strength, Robellia forced herself to speak. 

“Where are you taking me…? How long has it been…?” 

“The carriage is on its way to the northern border. It has been two days since you left the Imperial Palace. Since you have taken your medicine, please do not try to get up forcibly.

I heard it would take four days to reach the north, but it’s already been two. Robellia, unfamiliar with the world outside the Imperial Palace, couldn’t even think of going back.

Blinking her dazed eyes, Robellia recalled her last memories. What happened to everyone? The handmaidens who were like friends, Lady Suther and Lady Karen, and her father and older brother who had faced the rebels.

“What about father and brother…?”

The old woman grimaced instead of answering. Could it be that they are all dead? Robellia couldn’t understand what had happened. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Robellia clutched at her aching neck. The woman looked at the princess with a cold, unfeeling gaze. The bruises that had been deep blue were now purple and even black in places.

Robellia looked at the old woman with blurred eyes and continued to speak.

“You are…?”

“Janet Reinin. I will serve you from now on. Please call me by whatever name suits you.”

Robellia, too exhausted to answer, only nodded slightly. The tears that had gathered in her eyes trickled down her temples. Whether it was the effect of the medicine or not, her eyelids kept drooping despite her will.

If she hides in the north, will Akan come for her? Robellia tried to remember Akan’s last moments, but her memories were hazy. Only Akan’s voice remained clear in her mind.

“It was… only you for me, too.”

She couldn’t remember exactly when she’d heard those words. Her head began to pound with pain. Robellia fell back into a deep sleep.