In a little town a short distance from the capital, a young girl walked down the road carrying a paper bag. The bag was a little heavy, packed with jars of spices, sugar, and other seasonings. The girl didn’t find the weight bothersome, though—if anything, it provided her a tangible sensation that she was carrying out the errand her mother had asked of her, and that filled her with pride.
In the days when King Eberhart had reigned, she had hardly been able to go outside at all. This part of the kingdom had been somewhat more peaceful than the duchy of Rodvelia, which had lain under the villainous auspices of the infamous Venom of the Nation, but that was hardly any basis for comparison. Her town had still been constantly filled with a dismal, dreary air, and the adults had all forbidden their children to leave their houses for their own safety. So no matter how bright and sunny the weather, the girl hadn’t been allowed to go out and play. She’d spent day after day shut in her room, trembling in fear at the occasional screams from outside.
However, now that the tyrant’s brother Sighart had carried out his rebellion and seized the throne, those days were finally at an end. The newly appointed local lord and his soldiers were all kind and caring; it was plain to see that they were taking pains to be especially gentle so as not to frighten the townspeople scarred by terror. Even after the new king had taken over, the townspeople had still been fearful and on their guard for a time, but thanks to those efforts, they had gradually come to accept the newfound peace.
The girl’s parents ran a restaurant, and that, too, was more lively and bustling than it had been in years. The girl no longer needed to fear that her family would die the moment she took her eyes off them; now, she even got to go shopping all by herself.
“There’s no need to rush. Just be careful and take your time.”
Taking her parents at their word, the girl walked slowly along the road home. By the light of the bright, clear afternoon, she drank in the peaceful scenery of the town, thoroughly savoring that precious joy and feeling a soft warmth spread through her heart.
She was simply casting her gaze aimlessly at the buildings around her—and so, it was only by pure coincidence that she glanced up at the window of the inn.
Oh...
An unfamiliar man was resting his elbows on the sill of the open second-story window, gazing out into the distance. Who was he, again...? She tried to recall. That was right—the men staying in the inn were an aid worker from the capital and a knight accompanying him. She’d heard they were traveling all across the kingdom, conducting proper funerals for those who’d been killed and distributing food to people who were having trouble getting back on their feet. The girl had seen them at work off in the distance once before. But at the time, they’d both had hoods pulled tightly over their heads, and she hadn’t been able to see their faces at all.
Now, though, the man had his hood off. Of course he did—he was in his room, after all. He was lightly dressed in a simple shirt, resting his chin in his hands. There was nothing at all concealing him, and she could even clearly make out his expression.
He’s so pretty...
That was where her gut impression began and ended. He had pale skin like fine porcelain, and his long, delicate eyelashes were visible even at this distance. His inky-black hair had a slightly imposing air, but that simply served to accentuate the man’s presence. Before she knew it, the girl was thoroughly absorbed in the stranger’s otherworldly beauty. She was a little bit curious where his listless, idle gaze was pointed, but she didn’t want to take her eyes away from him. So she simply kept on staring up at him.
Perhaps she’d been staring a little too hard. The man’s gaze suddenly lowered, intertwining with hers. It was then, for the first time, that she learned the color of his eyes—they were a deep, deep scarlet.
A chill ran down the girl’s spine. Was she flustered that their eyes had met? No. Was she startled by the unfamiliar hue? No as well. The tension that paralyzed her body was born of sheer terror. She somehow felt as though the man looking down at her weren’t human at all—as though she were face-to-face with some horrifying monster—as though she’d caught the attention of a demon. She’d never experienced those things before, but they would definitely have felt something like this. Her vision swam, faced with that unknowable horror. She needed to get away right this instant, or else those eyes would swallow her whole—but despite that feeling, she still couldn’t turn her gaze away. She silently trembled in fear.
The man, meanwhile, didn’t take his eyes off her either. He blinked a few times, as though he’d spotted something strange.
They stayed like that for a few trifling moments—or terrifying moments, in the girl’s case—but eventually, the man seemed to realize that the girl was definitely looking back at him, and a warm smile spread across his face.
In that instant, the girl was certain she heard the thump of her heart leaping in her chest. She felt her blood, stagnant with tension, begin circulating again all at once. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Not half a minute ago, she had been utterly terrified of this man; but now, to her confusion, she felt her body and spirit trembling with joy. Her thoughts melted away with the exultation, leaving her still more immobilized.
Entirely ignorant of her inner turmoil, the man gave a small wave of his hand.
What to do? Should she respond somehow? Maybe she could get away with that trifling bit of connection.
She faltered for just a brief moment. Unable to resist the sweet warmth, she took one of her hands away from her bag and was about to wave back to him—when all of a sudden, the man’s figure pulled back inside with an unnatural jolt. The next instant, before she could even begin to be startled, the window snapped closed and the curtains were tightly drawn. In the blink of an eye, every trace of the man’s presence had been erased.
Unable to follow the sudden turn of events, the girl stood there in a daze for a short while—but her bag started to slip out of the one arm still holding it, pulling her back to reality.
Oh no! I was still in the middle of my errand!
She hurriedly put both arms back around the bag. Her parents had told her not to rush, but they’d get nervous if she took too long to return. She didn’t want to worry them if she could help it. The man who’d disappeared behind the window still nagged at her mind a little, but she shook her head to clear the thoughts away.
Next time I see him... I’ll be braver and try talking to him, the innocent girl quietly resolved as she raced down the road on quick feet.
As it happened, she would never see the man again—but she didn’t know that at the time.