42. Isolation (3)
…Immediately after Hong Biyeon left Stella.
Baek Yuseol at once began preparing to follow after her.
He packed various magic tools and items in case of emergency, and Alterisha’s technology had been advancing more and more quickly by the day, to the point that many things could now actually be used in the field.
At this level, with Eltman Eltwin’s help, wouldn’t it be possible for her to create a “subspace” before long?
“You’re going after her?”
Flame stopped the hurriedly departing Baek Yuseol.
With a worried expression, she asked:
“What exactly is going on here?”
“Who knows.”
“Then I’m coming too.”
Though Flame said it with a determined face, Baek Yuseol shook his head.
“No. It’s fine. I’ll handle it.”
“How? No matter how capable you are, this isn’t the kind of problem one person can solve alone.”
“Right. And it’s not the kind of problem that gets solved just because one more person tags along, either.”
“That’s…”
That was true.
Whether it was Baek Yuseol or Flame, apart from their status as students of Stella Academy, they were nothing more than ordinary commoners.
Sure, anywhere in the world, if you showed a Stella student ID or diploma, you would be treated on par with nobility—but even that had limits.
One should not be foolish enough to think a Stella student ID could be waved in the face of the Adolevit royal family.
Of course, even setting that aside, Baek Yuseol had a fairly unusual background for a mere commoner.
He had ties to the Elf King, and he was also a co-developer of items.
But…
So what?
With only that much, he could not even present a calling card before Adolevit.
Even if, by some chance, Baek Yuseol possessed power and authority equal to Adolevit’s, this was still someone else’s family matter.
If the queen declared that she would exile her own princess, by what right could he stop it?
Even if there existed some greater superpower in this world, stronger than Adolevit itself, it still could not interfere.
“Then… what exactly are you planning to do?”
“Who knows. I’ll have to do it another way.”
“…So you’re saying I’m not needed there.”
“Probably not.”
After answering so indifferently and moving to sling his backpack over his shoulder, Baek Yuseol happened to glance back.
Normally, Flame would have said something lively in response—but today, she had lowered her head and stayed silent, all her spirit gone.
‘…What?’
Flame was strange today.
Had something gone wrong in the conversation?
It had been the same kind of blunt exchange as always.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure it out.
‘Is she sulking?’
That felt a little odd, too.
As far as Baek Yuseol knew, Flame was not the type to get upset over a conversation like this.
She had always been easygoing.
He was just about to ask her what was wrong, but immediately closed his mouth again.
[Blessing of Crimson Spring March]
Through the other person’s expression, infer their psychological state and receive the color of their heart.
It was a deep blue.
Flame was feeling a blue emotion right now.
He had never sensed that color from her before, but he knew what it meant.
It was not a clear, refreshing blue.
It was the blue of someone who had been struck hard in the heart by something, a wounded blue.
‘…Did I really say something that harsh?’
Now he could see what he had never seen before.
Her emotions were showing that clearly and delicately.
Even if Baek Yuseol lacked tact, he still knew how he was supposed to act in a situation like this.
“Well… then I guess there’s no helping it. I’ve got things to do at school too, so—”
“It’s because it’s dangerous.”
“…Huh?”
“This is my first time dealing with something like this, so I don’t know what might happen either. That’s why I’m not taking you. Because it’s dangerous.”
“O-oh… right. I see.”
The moment Baek Yuseol said that, Flame felt momentarily dazed.
Because that had very obviously been his way of trying to comfort her.
“I’m going.”
As Baek Yuseol turned and left, Flame waved him off as if nothing was wrong at all.
Only after he had walked and walked until he was no longer in sight—
Bang!
…did she suddenly whip around and launch a roundhouse kick into a nearby tree for no reason.
Kwaaang!!
It was a perfect roundhouse kick, her center of gravity locked firmly through the full 720-degree rotational axis, the angle sharp and beautiful.
“Argh! You idiot! This is so embarrassing, seriously!”
She hadn’t acted maturely at all.
Over something this trivial, she had only gone and made someone who was about to leave to do something important worry about her.
“Hoo… hff… huuuh…”
After beating the tree for a good while, both her body and heart were so exhausted that she could no longer move.
But the anger she felt toward herself still refused to go away.
“Ahh… I just want to die…”
By now, she was actually banging her forehead against the tree when, all of a sudden, men’s voices echoed through the air as if from far away.
It was not a hallucination brought on by smashing her head into a tree too much.
-Flame.
-Are you okay? You look really worn out.
-Want us to help you?
“…Ah.”
Those were the angels who had been watching over her from the heavenly realm above.
Flame was about to say she didn’t need anything, but then she looked up at the sky.
Come to think of it, the heavenly realm had a stabilizing effect on the mind, and besides, if she went there and beat up those irritating angels for a while, maybe the mental state that had just been torn to shreds would recover a little.
“Yeah. Let’s go hang out there for the first time in a while.”
-Okay!
-Of course!
-We’ll open High Frost for you right away.
Apparently it was true that if she wanted something, they would give her anything, because they immediately opened High Frost, also called the Heavenly Bridge.
How much angelic mana was ground away in the process was none of Flame’s concern.
Clink…
With the sound of jade beads rolling, a warm golden radiance poured down from the sky.
Normally she didn’t like drawing attention and didn’t use it much, but right now, she didn’t care anymore.
Flap—!
A pair of translucent golden wings spread from Flame’s back, golden feathers scattering in every direction.
A swarm of sparkling lights like fireflies filled the area, and just as her body slowly began to rise into the air—
Tap!
“Huh? Ah?”
She sensed someone’s presence.
Flame turned her head with an indifferent expression.
Normally, getting caught in a scene like this would have been extremely embarrassing to her, but since she had just gone through something even more embarrassing moments ago, she felt nothing now.
“F-Flame…?”
A boy stood there, blankly repeating her name.
He had an impressively broad build and short-cropped hair, and Flame knew him well too.
Pung Harang, from Class S, first year.
There was a rumor that he had enrolled at Stella in order to win the power struggle against his older brothers as a direct blood descendant of the Pung clan, which ruled over the entire southern plains.
Pung Harang’s usual identity was a charismatic, imposing expression, but even he seemed unable to hide his shock at the sight of Flame with wings.
“What are you looking at? Never seen someone with wings before?”
“Uh, well…”
Keeping the same indifferent face, she raised her fist and pointed it upward.
“If you tell anyone, you die. Got it?”
Flash!
And the moment Flame disappeared into light, Pung Harang dropped right where he stood.
‘What… did I just see…?’
He had never had all that much contact with her, so he had never thought much about her before, but perhaps because the impression of today had been so powerful—
Pung Harang remained there in a daze, staring endlessly at the place where Flame had vanished, unable to forget her face.
The Frost Cliff Palace.
That name alone already did not suit Adolevit, who wielded flame, but the “Cheongryeong Palace” where Hong Biyeon stayed was even more absurd.
It was said to have been named after a hero of Adolevit from long ago, who had fought against Dark Mages with blue hair streaming behind her.
Compared to that, the palace where her elder sister Hong Si-hwa stayed was called the “Hongyeon Palace,” and even without bringing up any great hero of the past, the name alone immediately called red to mind.
Since the palaces for the princesses were assigned from birth, even if Princess Hong Erin had not died, Hong Biyeon would probably have been destined to be disliked from the very beginning.
It could not have been otherwise.
Hong Biyeon’s mother, Hong Yiel… had been a loser who had challenged the current king, Hong Seryu, and been utterly crushed.
As for Hong Si-hwa’s mother, it was said that she had attached herself to Hong Seryu, given up any claim to the throne, and tried to enjoy a slightly more comfortable, longer life that way.
Even so, after giving birth to Hong Si-hwa, she died only three years later, still in her thirties, unable to withstand the curse.
If one could not inherit the throne, then a life up to that point meant nothing at all.
“Princess. Your Red Millen Tea has been prepared.”
“…Good.”
Dressed in a gown of red background embroidered with white patterns, Hong Biyeon stepped out into the garden of Cheongryeong Palace and took tea.
The irony was that the expression “took tea” did not mean she was truly enjoying herself, but it could not be helped.
Once an Adolevit princess returned to the palace, she was required to spend at least one hour a day on tea time.
“Oh my~ Little sister, relax your face! Doesn’t it feel good to be back in the palace?”
Hong Si-hwa, seated across from Hong Biyeon as she stared blankly at the tea being poured by a maid, tossed out the teasing remark.
Unlike her usual preference for suits, Hong Si-hwa too had begun wearing dazzlingly splendid dresses after returning to the palace.
Fanning herself, she said:
“Well? Give me your impressions~ I’ve liked your Cheongryeong Palace ever since I was little.”
“It’s nice.”
“Oh my, that’s all?”
“Yes.”
Hong Biyeon had no intention of playing along with her sister’s teasing.
Despite her dry responses, Hong Si-hwa only kept smiling as though everything amused her greatly.
To Hong Biyeon, who knew well that emotions were faint in Hong Si-hwa to begin with, that mask was utterly detestable.
The conversation went only one way.
Hong Si-hwa talked, and Hong Biyeon answered.
To somehow make it through the tedious hour, Hong Biyeon never let go of her teacup.
Red Millen Tea was, at least, one of the very few scents she genuinely liked.
And then—
Clatter, splash!
“Ah!”
One of the maids “accidentally” spilled tea across Hong Biyeon’s dress.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”
The maid immediately lowered her head and apologized, but Hong Biyeon merely stared at her without saying a word, her hand still holding the teacup frozen in place.
She had done it on purpose.
Having lived under subtle contempt within the palace, Hong Biyeon knew it well.
By now, she was used to this kind of treatment.
‘Hmm…’
She was not especially angry.
She was simply considering how to respond.
Should she get angry?
If she did, rumors would spread through the palace that she had nothing to her name and only had a rotten personality because she was “supposedly a princess.” Her enemies would only multiply, and without ever being given a chance to restore her image, she would spend her life being disregarded in palace life.
Should she forgive the maid?
That, too, was difficult for now.
However much Hong Biyeon might be looked down on, the maid had still committed an offense against a direct blood member of the royal family.
If she simply said it was fine and let it go, then the same thing would happen again in the future.
Subtle contempt and harassment disguised as mistakes.
The more that happened, the more Hong Biyeon’s voice and influence would shrink.
The wisest response here had been decided from the start.
First, ask the maid’s family name, then quietly press her over her wrongdoing.
After that, calmly explain how grave an offense it is to wrong a royal, frighten her as though she would be punished, and then show magnanimity by forgiving her.
She would avoid becoming angry while still displaying her dignity as royalty before the palace servants.
That would not erase the subtle contempt and patronizing looks, but it would at least be highly effective in preventing pointless rumors.
It might even leave behind a positive image of her wise judgment.
That Princess Hong Biyeon was, in fact, kind and clever.
…And yet, even after thinking that far—
‘I still don’t like it.’
Instead of doing that, she rose from her seat and slapped the maid across the face.
Smack—!!
“Aah!”
She struck her so hard that the maid’s cheek immediately flushed bright red as fire.
Looking coldly down at the maid who had fallen to the floor, Hong Biyeon said:
“Be grateful I didn’t burn you.”
“Yes, yes…!”
“Your family.”
“Pardon…?”
“I said tell me your family.”
“I-I’m Herael of the Baron Haraen family…”
“The Baron Haraen family? Never heard of it. I’ll remember it. Your family.”
“Ah…”
After saying that, Hong Biyeon immediately turned away.
“I’ll be leaving first.”
“Oh my, my…”
Leaving behind Hong Si-hwa, whose eyes had widened into circles, Hong Biyeon walked straight back toward Cheongryeong Palace.
Was she truly angry?
No.
If anything, she was almost grateful that the tea had been spilled, because now she could leave tea time early.
She felt so grateful she could almost summon Baron Haraen himself and reward him separately.
But that was separate from the real issue.
‘If I put up with every little thing like this one by one, I’ll die of pent-up rage before anything else.’
She was fated to be trapped here, unable to leave for anywhere, for the rest of her life.
Escape was impossible.
Unless she was willing to give up all her magic and all her power, she would never get out.
It was bitter, but Hong Biyeon decided that she would accept that fate.
However—
That did not mean—
She intended to endure everything quietly.
‘It seems they mean to scorn me and push me down…’
Not a chance.
Just because she had no force, no authority, and no influence did not mean she could do nothing at all.
At the very least, while she remained trapped here…
She would make every single palace servant fear her name.
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