One day, while the whole country was in turmoil over the sudden death of the queen, a carriage stopped in front of a small house located in a secluded area of Brishel, on the outskirts of the capital.

Soon, those who emerged from the carriage were Herman and his younger sister Haley. She looked curiously at the unfamiliar house and asked Herman.

“Brother, where is this?”

She had thought they were going to a doctor’s office since he said they were going to treat her scars. The question came because nowhere did this place look like a medical facility. However, Herman avoided answering with an awkward smile.

“It’s cold, let’s hurry inside.”

Haley tilted her head at Herman’s strange attitude, but soon followed his lead into the house.

Who could possibly be in such a remote place? Her wondering didn’t last long. The moment they entered, her eyes widened at the person they encountered.

With the surprised Haley beside him, Herman bowed respectfully.

“Your Majesty…”

It was Ines, the queen who was said to have died in the fire in her chambers just recently.

Ines glanced at Herman once before greeting Haley.

“…It’s been a while, Haley.”

Only then did Haley stutter, finally recognizing the person she knew after hearing Ines’s voice.

“Ah, my lady…?”

The flustered Haley addressed her by the title she used to call Ines in the past.

Haley also knew Ines well since she had lived in Duke Claudia’s mansion when she was young. But Haley was simply confused by the current situation.

She had clearly heard the news that there was a fire in the queen’s palace yesterday and that the queen had perished in the flames. The country was in turmoil because of it. It was significant enough that even Haley, who stayed at home all day, had heard about it. Moreover…

Haley slowly looked Ines up and down. Her emaciated body and lifeless face were so different from the woman she had known in her childhood.

“…Brother.”

Haley turned away from Ines.

“What exactly is going on here?”

She gestured to Herman as if asking for an explanation of the situation. But instead of a clear answer, he offered different words.

“Her Majesty will treat your scars.”

As he spoke those words, Herman recalled the events of that day. The day he had negotiated with Ines at the queen’s palace.

‘I heard you have the ability to heal people. That you became a cripple because you were healing His Majesty…’

‘…Why, do you need my ability too?’

She asked as if it was natural. Herman clenched his fist at her familiar response. Her unsurprised attitude proved this wasn’t the first time she had been treated this way.

Moreover, guilt overwhelmed him at the sight of the queen, who looked even more gaunt than before.

For a moment he hesitated, wondering if this was right, but he steeled himself remembering Haley’s crying.

‘…Yes. I need Your Majesty’s ability. Please heal my sister’s scars. If you do that… I will give you the freedom you desire.’

It was an act of betraying Carlos, who was practically his benefactor. He wasn’t unaware of what choice the queen would make if given freedom. But still, he didn’t mind becoming a villain for his sister’s sake.

And the result of that deal was today’s situation.

Yesterday afternoon, there was a fire in the queen’s palace, and the queen died. More precisely, they had placed a corpse with similar conditions to Ines, so she had officially become a dead person. That was the only way for her to escape from Carlos.

Ines’s question pulled him out of his brief reminiscence.

“What about the maid?”

She was asking about the maid who had become “dead” along with Ines. To get Ines out of a room that was under constant surveillance by maids, an accomplice was needed.

So he had searched for someone desperate for money and bribed one maid. She too was smuggled out by pretending to be dead like Ines. After all, she was already as good as dead for failing to save the queen and surviving alone.

In that case, it was more rational to take a large sum of money and create a new identity. The maid would probably be making plans to escape to the countryside or another country with her family by now.

“The maid has already left the capital. Don’t worry, she’s safe.”

“I see…”

“Your Majesty will also be able to leave… as soon as everything is finished. I’ve made arrangements.”

“…Right. Then let’s begin without delay. Haley.”

Ines called Haley’s name and reached out her hand. Haley looked at Herman with an expression of not understanding.

“It’s alright, go ahead, Haley.”

Herman pushed her back gently. Haley, who had entered the room with Ines somewhat bewildered, fidgeted. As the door closed, Ines spoke to Haley.

“May I see your scars?”

But soon Haley’s body flinched at the mention of scars. The scars were wounds that reminded her of the most terrible event in her life. Haley asked in a wary voice.

“Why do you need to see the scars…?”

“I need to know how severe they are so I can prepare myself.”

She couldn’t understand what Ines was talking about. When Haley still hesitated, Ines called her name once more. Only then did Haley reluctantly show her wounds to Ines.

Looking at the burn marks that spread from her entire back to her nape, Ines murmured quietly.

“The scars are… deeper than I thought.”

“Yes, a little…”

Haley’s voice grew smaller, feeling as if she was exposing her shame. Haley’s skin was distorted in a messy pattern.

If there was any consolation, it was that the scars were old enough that they didn’t fester or ooze. It seemed that after enduring the process of transferring the wounds, there would be no more pain afterward. Soon Ines took a short deep breath.

“I’ll start now.”

With those final words, just as golden light began to spread from Ines’s fingertips as she placed her hand on Haley’s back, it happened.

Haley moved away from her and asked.

“But how exactly are you going to treat me, my lady…?”

Distrust filled her eyes as she looked at Ines. Ines answered in a somewhat annoyed voice to her question.

“I have the ability to transfer others’ wounds to my body. You won’t feel any pain during the process, so don’t worry.”

“What? That’s nonsense…”

“Hah.”

Seeing Haley still unable to let go of her wariness, Ines let out a short sigh. Explaining further would only be a waste of breath. Ines looked around.

What caught her eye was a basket containing needles and thread. It seemed to have been brought there to keep her from getting bored while staying here alone.

Ines opened the basket and picked up a small needle. Then she immediately grabbed Haley’s hand and pricked her finger.

“Ouch! Ah, my lady! What are you doing?”

Haley clutched her finger in surprise. Blood had welled up where the needle had pricked. But soon Ines placed her hand on Haley’s injured finger.

Before long, golden light began to spread from her fingertips. After the light warmly enveloped the two for a while, Ines’s voice was heard while Haley was looking at it in wonder.

“It’s done.”

“What?”

Coming to her senses at those words, Haley looked at her finger. The finger that had just had a red drop of blood welling up was clean.

“How is this…”

As Haley was touching her finger in disbelief, Ines held out her finger.

“See, your wound has been transferred to my body. Are you reassured now?”

At those words, Haley looked at Ines’s finger. The wound that had been on her own finger had been transferred to Ines like magic. After looking back and forth between Ines’s finger and her own, Haley asked.

“Then when you say you’ll treat me, could it be…”

“…I’ll transfer what’s on your body to mine.”

“Doesn’t it hurt…?”

Ines let out a hollow laugh as if Haley’s question was ridiculous.

“How could it not hurt? I’ll probably feel the same pain you felt when you got these scars.”

As Ines finished speaking, Haley’s face hardened.

“…You mean you’ll feel the same pain as when the scars were made? Then that means when I was burned as a child, that…”

Suddenly understanding the whole situation, Haley covered her mouth in shock.

“H-how can you have such an ability… No, more than that, why are you saying you’ll take my scars?”

To the questioning that felt like an interrogation, Ines answered in a composed voice.

“I made a deal with your brother. In exchange for taking your scars, he would help me escape from the palace. So come here quickly. It will take a long time to remove the scars from your body. Let’s finish this quickly.”

Though she tried to appear calm, Ines looked tired from just that brief moment of pain.

“What nonsense…”

Haley’s face stiffened as her words trailed off in denial. She had finally grasped the entire situation.

“Ha, how could you do such a thing?”

Speaking quietly as if to herself, Haley suddenly burst out of the room. Herman, who had been sitting on the sofa, jumped to his feet.

“Haley. Are you already finished…”

Slap.

With a sharp sound, Herman’s face turned to the side. Soon, a red mark appeared clearly on his cheek.

“How can you call yourself a knight after doing something like this?”

Herman raised his head while covering his reddened cheek with one hand.

“Haley…?”

Toward Herman, who still hadn’t grasped the situation, Haley shouted.

“A knight who should uphold honor! No, how can a person… How, how could you do something so cruel?”

—

T/N: HALEY FTW!