IT’S said that in life, one never knows what will happen.
…No kidding.
Yura ducked her head as she dashed through the castle. She stayed low like a thief as she passed through the corridors. Occasionally, she’d hide behind the pillars realizing she’d make a terrible spy and check her surroundings repeatedly. She kept looking, ensuring she wouldn’t happen upon Ashes.
This isn’t funny! No matter how attractive he is, how kind he’s been, I still couldn’t marry someone I just met in an unfamiliar world like this! Yura bit her lip.
She couldn’t help feeling like she’d been deceived. Nothing made sense.
Of course it doesn’t! Why would it?
Yura looked down.
What is with this world’s logic?
“So, the maiden gives her name and takes the man’s hand. Then, if she agrees to ride in his carriage—that’s…the same as saying ‘yes’ to a marriage proposal? It means…I agreed to marry into the royal family?”
“It’s certainly rare, but it’s not as if there’s no precedent for this sort of thing,” Leila said plainly. “It’s a well-known euphemism.”
Yura leaped up and charged out of the room at Leila’s explanation.
I’d no idea about any of this!
Almost on the verge of tears, Yura saw Ashes in her mind, booming with laughter. She couldn’t see him having a, for lack of a better word, ulterior motive. But she had a feeling that if there was one, it’d be hurtful.
She waited for a group of ladies-in-waiting to pass her by, then grabbed the hem of her dress and leapt out from the shadows of the pillar. She hopped between pillars at top speed. Like a stalker or a wannabe criminal.
She gritted her teeth, she just wanted to go home.
How can I be expected to get married out of the blue, without my consent, in this world that isn’t my own? Yura fought back the tears.
How could someone just decide something like that for me?
Yura twisted her head and panicked when she saw how high the sun was in the sky.
I haven’t been home in almost two whole days! I’m sure everyone’s freaked out! Mom probably called the police. And I bet Tomoko’s looking everywhere for me!
Maybe I could get back through the mirror from last night.
Her head sticking out from behind the pillar, Yura gazed around. The hallway she’d been walking down was coming to an end. There was a T-shaped intersection up ahead, the path splitting left and right.
“I wonder where that mirror chamber is…”
She remembered what Leila had said at the banquet. That the mirror she saw the night before was only moved from the mirror chamber to the site of the feast once a year. That was definitely what she said.
So, if she went to the mirror chamber, she should be able to find it there.
“…I ‘should’ be able to,” Yura muttered, pulling her head back. A guard passing by turned his head toward the pillar she hid behind, having heard something. Holding her breath and watching, the guard finally shook his head and turned left at the T-shaped intersection.
Maybe I should have asked him…
It was too late to think about that now, but this castle really did seem to stretch on forever. There were far too many rooms and towers, and she’d no clue how many corridors connected them all. Trying to find the mirror chamber on her own was going to be harder than she anticipated.
However, there was no way around it. She had to go with the only option at her disposal.
She looked down.
I shouldn’t linger if I’m just leaving anyway. I guess I can’t expect someone to show me…
She slipped out from behind the pillar and stood where she had before.
Standing at the end of the hall, she looked down the left and right pathways.
Now, which way should I go?
She remembered that the soldier from earlier had gone down the left path, so she decided on the right.
It was a wide corridor with pillars evenly spaced throughout. The sun was more clouded over on this side than the way the soldier had gone. However, there also didn’t seem to be anyone else down here.
“…All right then.” Yura drew in her breath and adjusted her shawl. “Here we go,” she said, and started walking.