It was fairly easy to guess where my father was at any given time.
He was an early riser—a morning worker! He typically took his breakfast in his study while he worked.
In the afternoon, he would usually be in the throne room for audiences, or he would go out, leaving his study vacant.
Meaning, since it was still morning, this was the perfect time to find him in his study!
If I submitted a request for an audience in person, he might squeeze me in!
For I am Octavia! I dare to barge in without an appointment under the pretense of asking a favor!
I mean, the whole request-an-audience thingy—you can’t submit the request yourself! I don’t make the rules! (…Though I do bend them, I guess.)
If Father says it’s cool, then cool, and if he tells me no, I’ll wait a while and it’ll work out somehow…or so I’d like to think.
Okay, I’m in the dungeon under the training grounds, so to get to Father’s study I need a shortcut…
In a moment of insanity, I considered using the secret passageway, but as I would probably just get lost in there, I quickly checked myself. I just had this vague sense that my father’s study was kinda in the direction of the secret passageway…but nothing more. Plus, I was clueless about the path beyond that point.
Also, the shoes I was wearing that day were the biggest issue.
My dress was one of my favorites. It was an everyday gown with a practical design for walking around the castle. It was light pink. I’d figured if I chose the cheeriest color possible, that would give me the best chance of convincing Hugh to go along with my plan. And, well…that ship has sailed now. So anyway, choosing shoes to match my dress was fine and all at the time…except that these babies happen to be brand-new, very high heels.
Actually, in Esfian noblewomen’s terms, my heels were of average height, if you could believe it. They weren’t even sharp enough to kick off and use as a projectile weapon. But to somebody like me who’s used to low-heeled shoes, they felt exceptionally high…so I took them for a test run…and had no problems after a few steps! (Or so I thought.)
But now, after walking in them for more than a few steps (and running top speed in them), if I attempted to stroll through a secret passageway, I’d probably eat dirt.
And the icing on the cake: Ever since I left the dungeon and headed for my new destination, my brand-new shoes started to give me that familiar issue. A blister… A blister in one foot was imminent!
Hmm…but it’s not so bad that I have to change shoes.
So I decided to just take the Great Corridor like a normal person! Both the proper route and a shortcut!
I walked through the door opened by the guards to the breathtaking painting of the creation myth—the Sky God’s dominion on the ceiling and the earth, the human dominion on the floor.
Its unique artistry got some sort of reaction from everybody who passed through it. Most would look up at the ceiling in awe first, then down to the floor. From what I had seen, nobody remained emotionless… Wait, I take that back. There had been one person.
I stared at Klifford’s back as he walked in front of me. When Klifford became my bodyguard three months ago and walked through the Great Corridor for what was probably his first time—he didn’t react. Or at least I think he didn’t. I mean, he barely glanced at the ceiling, so I remembered that clearly, even though I didn’t know his name back then.
It just struck me as so odd.
It struck me as odd again now, the way he stoically walked through it.
Between his reaction when I told him “It’s an oracle from the Sky” and our conversation at the junior ball when he touched the three-sided die…I wondered if Klifford has some baggage about the Sky God.
Unlike Alec, he didn’t seem to like the Great Corridor…or maybe he even hated it?
I continued walking, turning my gaze to the ceiling. We had almost reached the Sky God’s Judgment.
In the center of the Great Corridor was a painting of Heaven and Earth, Sky God and humans looking at each other. If you stopped in the center of the Great Corridor and looked up, you would get a taste of what it feels like to have the Sky God looking directly down at you.
And the act of that itself had come to be called the “Sky God’s Judgment.” Whether it’s true or not, apparently some king in history received a vision from the Sky God. I thought it was BS at first, but if the Sky God was something that mysterious young man included when he created this world…then it might actually be true?
Alec and I had looked up at the painting together many times, but we never felt a thing.
Aww, speaking of Alec…I really miss him.
Seven days had passed since he left on a secret mission for Father. He couldn’t tell me where he was going, either…though I assumed it was somewhere within Esfia’s borders. Now that we were not at war, the mission shouldn’t be anything life-threatening…so I was sure he would return home safe, but I couldn’t help but worry just a little.
I stood still in the middle of the Great Corridor.
Hey, since I’m here anyway—
In Alec’s place, I would receive the Sky God’s Judgment for the first time in ages.
“…”
After a few seconds, I looked up…and there was no change.
I breathed out and looked down.
Nothing—that means Alec will come home safe!
I decided to give it a convenient interpretation.
Oh… Klifford’s turned around to look at me. Makes sense. I did kinda stop walking.
I was about to take a step forward when—
Y’know, come to think of it…
I remembered the letter in my dress pocket.
My brother (with memories) said he met Klifford once in the Great Corridor!
Naturally, Klifford had no obligation to report that to me, and that was totally fine. But if I asked him, he would have to tell me!
Besides, the Great Corridor was a special place that only highborn people could traverse—nobody else was here.
Isn’t this, like, a golden opportunity?
“Klifford, may I ask you a question?” I asked, instead of continuing down the Great Corridor.
As Klifford stood at a distance neither far nor near—the optimal location for a bodyguard—his deep indigo eyes met mine.
“…!”
And in that moment, my heart leaped into my throat.
Urk…!
I was going to ask about my brother (with memories), but my thoughts were buried by something entirely different. Something I had shoved to the furthest recesses of my memory had suddenly burst into the front of my mind…!
“What is it you wish to ask me, Your Highness?” Klifford asked with his usual subdued tone.
What do you do when you’re dealing with Mr. Cool and you’re anything but? I wanted to avoid Klifford. Running away sounded amazing, actually. However!
“Yes… My question…”
I can’t talk.
I snapped Blackfeather open.
I never thought I’d see the day that I’d use Blackfeather as a shield against Klifford!
“……”