Chapter 94. If I'm still alive by then
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The tower was cold and dark.
It was so high that her legs gave out on the climb and she fell several times.
It was futile to think of escape.
It was similar to the basement Evan was trapped in, except that it was higher up.
With no windows and no sunlight, it was hard to tell how long she'd been trapped.
Every breath she took stung her lungs like she was breathing in ice.
At first, Ihedia wrapped her arms around the child, trying to keep her warm.
But as time went on, the child's body temperature surpassed hers.
In fact, there were several times when Ihedia almost lost consciousness as she clung to the child’s warmth.
It was strange and wonderful to see her body heat up to counteract the breathtakingly cold temperatures.
‘It’s like Kayan.’
The thought filled her with an unspeakable bitterness.
The surroundings had always been quiet.
It seemed that Ihedia and the baby were the only ones trapped here.
There was no sign of human life, save for the occasional guard who brought them enough food to keep them from dying.
The guard had become lazy, coming and going as he pleased rather than making sure they were fed on time.
She had almost given up on ever getting an answer from them.
Whenever she opened her mouth, the gruff guards would wave their hands, dismissing her.
She was the former emperor's only consort, and she and her child were the only ones in the tower, so they had no qualms about treating her nicely.
The words, "She's a wench who's going to die soon," would occasionally slip out of their mouths.
Now that Kayan had taken over the throne, it was only natural that she should be punished for her crimes.
But after what seemed like an eternity, nothing was heard.
There was no telling what Kayan would do with her and Adeline when the time came.
Given that nothing had happened so far, she wondered if he intended to keep them here forever.
There was still hope if they could somehow survive.
Even though Hashad had left and she was no longer being manipulated by the hypnotic incense, the effects were still there.
She didn't know when the spell would be broken, but all magical power had an expiration date.
She had to hold out until the spell was broken, if only to tell Kayan the truth one day.
‘If I'm still alive by then.’
Luckily, Adeline was holding up well in this harsh place.
It was fortunate that Adeline had more vitality than the average child.
Despite her fears of what the contraceptive herb might do to her, Adeline was growing up healthy and strong.
As Ihedia was cuddling her child and sharing her warmth as usual, the guards burst in.
She thought they were bringing her food, but there was nothing in their hands.
A sense of foreboding crossed Ihedia's green eyes.
'It can't be................’
She was about to be taken to an execution.
The guards opened the cage and pulled her out.
One of them snatched the child from Ihedia's arms.
"Adeline!"
Ihedia struggled like a madwoman as the child was taken from her.
When she couldn't get free, she bit the guard's arm.
"Ow!"
The guard yelled and slapped her across the cheek.
Then he kicked her hard as she fell to the ground.
In dizzying pain, Ihedia crouched down.
Her lip burst and bled, her eyelids half-closed.
Before she knew it, she was being dragged away by her hair in their vicious hands.
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Ihedia's destination was a labor camp not far from the imperial palace.
It was a place of forced labor for criminals who had not yet been executed.
A guard shackled Ihedia's feet.
Now they wouldn’t remove them, not even when she worked or slept.
It was a punishment that deprived her of her physical freedom.
There were several other prisoners there, also in shackles, doing their assigned work in silence.
Their expressions were all dead.
Their eyes were glassy, and drool dripped from their mouths.
None of them seemed to be in their right mind.
It was not uncommon for convicts who spent long periods of time in the workhouse to go insane or die of illness.
Nearby, an old man struggled to push a cart, and when he collapsed, she heard the sound of a whip.
The old man had no energy to scream, so he took the whipping as it came.
Just then, someone walked toward them.
The first guards to recognize the footsteps exclaimed in surprise and said stop.
All the other guards stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads.
It was Doa, who had grown a little more mature in their absence.
The guards moved away as Doa stood before Ihedia.
"I'm sorry to see you like this."
Doa's low voice seemed much colder than before.
It was no wonder Doa was so hostile to her, given that she was known as the woman who had betrayed Kayan and clung to the Emperor. And rightly so.
Still, the fact that he even showed respect to a criminal was something to be thankful for.
Ihedia bowed her head slightly in greeting to Doa.
"You have been spared a public execution, thanks to the grace of Lord Kayan."
"...."
"There is a popular opinion that Hashad's blood should not be allowed to live, but for the time being, she will be safe. I took her to the palace to see if her health might have suffered from the time in the tower, and I've arranged for a nanny for her, but that's as far as I can do. What happens to her now... is entirely up to His Majesty’s will."
Doa calmly recited the words she needed to hear.
Aside from his antipathy toward Ihedia, he seemed to care deeply about the fragile child.
Perhaps it was for old times' sake that he had come to visit.
Ihedia was grateful beyond words to Doa.
"Thank you, Doa."
"The child is innocent."
Doa lowered his eyes and averted his gaze.
"I had heard that you were something of a saint in Elmir, helping the poor, so I admired you in my heart, and I understand how miserable it must have been for you to be forced to come to this country of barbarians. The royals of these lands have a terrible view of marauders like us."
As he spoke, Doa's eyes were somewhat wistful.
After a moment of silence, Doa glanced at Ihedia's face and clenched his fists.
"But Kayan was sincere with you, and even when all the evidence pointed to you, he still insisted that it couldn't be true, and he stood by you, which is why he risked his life and forced his way into Apeso's Spring."
Doa's gravelly voice was thick with resentment for Ihedia's betrayal of Kayan.
Ihedia's heart sank as if something was weighing her down.
She was about to tell Doa her true feelings when the pain came again, like hundreds of sharp glass shards in her head.
"Sometimes I've felt that this whole thing is strange, too, and I wonder if something was wrong…”
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Doa gave her one last chance, unable to let go of his futile hope.
He wanted to make things right, if only now.
It was also a question for the broken Kayan.
But the spell, heavier than the shackles on her feet, still clutched at Ihedia's brain.
As she tried to resist, more pain washed over her like a tidal wave.
There was only one word that could come out of Ihedia's mouth.
"I'm sorry."
The corners of Ihedia's eyes slowly heated up at the realization that she was helpless to do anything.
Doa's breath caught in his throat as he listened to her answer.
He turned away, sensing that further conversation was pointless.
As he turned to leave, the stiff guards nearby bowed.
Doa trotted away, seemingly unconcerned about who showed respect behind his back.
But the guards were too busy bowing themselves in awe of the new Emperor's closest confidant and a key figure in the Black Wolf.
‘It's better this way for Adeline.’
It was impossible to be with a child in the harsh labor fields.
Doa was a gentle and kind man, and Adeline would suffer no harm if she were under his protection.
At this point, the guards, who had been distracted by Doa, grabbed Ihedia, who was standing there absentmindedly.
Then her slender body was dragged away like a thin curtain.
Ihedia tore her gaze away from the retreating Doa and turned her attention back to the road ahead.
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