Chapter 8
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After that day, Talia wandered the manor whenever she could, but she didn't see him again even when a large elm tree was planted where she had found the dying bird and colorful flowers filled the shabby garden.
Talia felt a sense of loss, as if she had lost a treasure she had stumbled upon by accident. She wished she had ignored the nanny's call then...............
Her father, who was supposed to come to see her, never showed up that evening, and her mother never looked for her.
Talia regretted it all the while as she ate her tasteless dinner, surrounded by cold maids.
She wished she had gone after the boy; if she had pretended to be asleep in his arms, somehow she felt he would have no choice but to take her with him. As she lay in the cold blankets, she craved his big, warm hands wrapped around her even more desperately.
Perhaps he wasn't an illusion, a product of her loneliness. Just as Talia was beginning to entertain that doubt, the boy reappeared before her eyes.
No, he didn’t. It would be more accurate to say that she found him.
The seasons had changed, she was eight or nine years old, and instead of raindrops, the sky poured down searing heat.
Walking through the long corridor to the Emperor's private chambers, Talia was drawn by the sound of thunderous shouts and turned toward the large arched window. Apprentice knights in black surcoats stood in a large clearing, bathed in the white summer light, brandishing wooden swords.
Despite the presence of nearly thirty trainees, Talia's gaze flew to him as naturally as a moth to a flame.
His light blond hair glistened faintly with silver in the intense summer sun. It was the first time she'd seen him without his hood, but she recognized him instantly: the boy who'd appeared in the early spring rain.
She leaned over the windowsill to get a better look at him.
The blue-eyed boy was moving with a swiftness that set him apart from the other trainees.
His long, strong limbs moved with grace and power, and they seemed to cut through the wind.
"Do you know who that man is….?"
The old servant who had followed her to take her to the emperor cast an indifferent glance toward the window.
"They're knights in training to enter the imperial guard. They are all scions of prestigious noble families."
He didn't seem to have the slightest interest in who she was wondering about.
The servant gave her a disapproving glance.
"His Majesty is waiting for you. Let's go."
Reluctantly pulling herself away from the window, Talia walked out into the tomb-like silence of the hallway. It had been months since she had entered the imperial palace, but seeing her father did not stir much excitement.
In the past, when she had seen the Emperor at a distance during his visits to House Taren, she hadn't recognized him as her father.
The blunt-faced man had shown little interest in her, and Talia had simply disliked the man who had stolen her mother's affection.
That remained true even after her formal entry into the imperial genealogy.
Stepping into the spacious, ornate chamber, Talia shot a wary glance at the towering figure standing against the light.
There was a long silence before the man behind the massive, wall-like desk, his eyes fixed on a parchment document, spoke.
"From now on, you must learn imperial etiquette."
He stamped his seal on the papers.
Talia waited for him to raise his head and look at her. But for what seemed like an eternity, his gaze never met hers.
She couldn't understand it. Why would a man who loved Senevere so fiercely refuse to even look at his own daughter, who looked exactly like his lover?
The man scribbled on the table with a quill in his hand and spoke nonchalantly.
"I have found several excellent teachers for you. In the future, you will be expected to come to the main palace before noon for lessons. You will need to do your best to catch up on your studies."
Her reply seemed unnecessary. The man motioned for her to leave, and that was the end of their reunion after a year apart.
Talia retraced her steps and looked out the window for a glimpse of the boy. But the training had ended, and the empty lot was now bathed in white summer sunlight.
After that day, every time she went to class, she would spy him out in the clearing, training.
She liked to watch the light beads of sweat on the boy's face and the faint flush on his pale cheeks from the strenuous exercise.
Sometimes she would try to talk to him in her mind.
"Uh..... what happened to that bird? Did it eventually die, and did you bury it somewhere, or did you let it fly off into the distance healthily?”
She wanted to get up close and talk to him, to look into his eyes as she had done the day they were out in the rain, to see if they still held the silver crowns.
That was when the urge became unbearably strong.
As she was idly gazing out at the training ground, putting her history class on the back burner, a dark shadow loomed behind her.
Talia whirled around with a start. Her mother, who hadn't been seen for days, stood at the edge of light and shadow.
It was a face she had once seen every day, and yet, for a moment, Talia felt her heart sink.
Senevere, who was adorned with elaborate finery befitting the dignity of an empress, seemed to be the embodiment of every beauty imaginable to man. Even the elven wizards who frequently visited House Taren were unable to match her beauty.
"What were you looking at?"
Senevere asked, looking down at her daughter.
Talia stared up at her blankly, then quickly moved away from the window. For some reason, she was reluctant to talk about the boy.
But Senevere seemed to recognize what was at the end of her gaze.
Turning her head toward the window, the Empress looked at the tall, blond boy and smiled meaningfully.
"He must be the son of Grand Duke Shiokan."
Talia looked up at her in surprise. She had guessed that he might be a noble scion of a high ranking family, but she hadn't expected him to be from such a prominent family.
The Empress's dark blue eyes glowed with meaning, as if she could see right through her daughter's thoughts.
"Do you want him?"
Talia blanched, unable to reply.
The look on her daughter's face seemed to give Senevere the answer. She let out an amused chuckle and leaned down to kiss her daughter on the cheek.
"I could give him to you, if you want."
Her whisper sounded eerie, like the sound of wind in a dark forest on a late night, and Senevere straightened up, a smile drawn on her ruddy lips.
"But not for a price. If you want the prize, you must first please your parents."
Hearing a faint note of reprimand in her voice, Talia hastily grabbed the history book she'd left lying haphazardly on the windowsill. Then she turned and started running. She could feel Senevere’s gaze tangle like a cobweb on the back of her head.
This was the mother she missed every night, so why was she running away from her?
When she saw her mother, she planned to make a big fuss about not wanting to study and all the resentment and anger she had built up over the years, asking why she didn't stay with her.
But now that she was Empress of the Empire, Senevere didn't seem to be her mother anymore. She seemed to have morphed into something strange and frightening, something she dared not touch.
That night, Talia tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep until late.
She hadn't been happy in House Taren, but at least she had Senevere to keep her company. She was more like a best friend and comrade-in-arms than a mother. Even if everyone in the world pointed fingers at her, the two of them could endure it together.
But now Senevere stood tall as Empress of the Empire, and Talia found herself alone in a strange place, among strangers.
She felt the loneliness sink into her bones. She longed for someone to be by her side, to hold her in warm arms and look at her with gentle eyes, and she would have given anything for that.
And so she decided to meet the boy she had only watched from afar.
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