Chapter 2 - 10 years ago

 

 

The northernmost palace was so barren that it was hard to say that it was part of the imperial palace.

 

Among the palace workers, the northern palace was the most reluctant place to be. There were rumors that there were ghosts there, and rumors circulated that if you stayed there for a long time, you would be cursed.

 

However, the people who lived there did not hate the Northern Palace.

 

“Mother!”

 

“Rence, I told you not to run.”

 

“Karen brought warm milk. What is it?”

 

Clarence sat on the edge of the bed and chattered. Marian tapped Clarence’s side and laughed at Karen. Karen sat next to Clarence as if she couldn’t help it.

 

“Thank you very much.”

 

“No, Marian-nim.”

 

When Marian smiled warmly, she waved her hand, saying there was no need to Karen.

 

There were only three people living in the Northern Palace.

 

Marian, who became an overnight concubine because of the emperor. Clarence Reisfel, her son and seventh prince of the kingdom of Garc, and Karen, a maid who took care of the two.

 

It’s only been a year since they had been with Karen, a maid.

 

Originally, there were only two people. There was not even a maid in the Northern Palace.

 

A year ago, as the money paid to the northern palace began to decrease, Clarence decided to steal items from the palace and sell them outside the palace to get medicine. He was only nine years old.

 

The finances of the Northern Palace were so severe that even Clarence, who was nine, noticed that it was difficult for him to make a living if he didn’t sell things.

 

Although the wise king was known for his generosity, his virtuous rule did not reach the Northern Palace.

 

Externally, the reason was to cut the cost of spending at the Imperial Palace in preparation for the upcoming war.

 

‘I might die at this rate.’

 

Clarence had no choice but to make a big decision. He met Karen when he went out to sell the treasure of the Imperial Palace through a dog hole right behind the Northern Palace.

 

“Why is someone lying on the street? Excuse me… Hey, are you okay?”

 

On the way back to the Imperial Palace after selling things, Clarence met Karen in an alleyway.

 

Or is the expression ‘picked up’ more accurate?

 

He couldn’t just walk past Karen, who was sprawling in the alley. He patted the droopy Karen on the shoulder, but her body only trembled due to the reflex, and she couldn’t come to consciousness.

 

“Hey, hey, you can’t lie here like this…”

 

“…”

 

“It’s dangerous. If you stay here.”

 

He poked her with his fingertips, but there was no response, so he grabbed her by the shoulder and even shook her. But Karen didn’t respond. Once something has come into view, you can’t just ignore it. His conscience was too guilty to just leave someone who looked sick.

 

“I’m not a bad person. It’s dangerous to lie there.”

 

“Ugh.”

 

Karen simply let out a low moan. Clarence stopped by the drugstore. He couldn’t believe that some of the money he had was spent on a person who he didn’t even know.

 

Clarence, who returned to the Imperial Palace and laid Karen in an empty room, ran to Marian’s room and wept like a numb child.

 

“I didn’t buy a lot of medicine today. Someone fell down on the way… . It looked dangerous, so I couldn’t just leave them behind.”

 

As Clarence made a confession with a runny nose, Marian smiled mournfully and soothed him by wiping his face with a clean cloth.

 

“Of course. Because we’re royalty. If you ignore a sick citizen, you won’t be a good person.”

 

“Hu-hu.”

 

“Don’t cry. Stop. Good job.”

 

“But if you don’t have enough medicine… hiks”

 

“I’ll try not to get sick. So where is the kid?”

 

“I left her in an empty room because I thought it’d be better to let her sleep for now.”

 

Although the eyes were closed, he thought it was a woman, considering the long eyelashes and the thin jawline.

 

“Good job. Since you brought her, let’s take good care of her so that she can wake up safely.”

 

Clarence, who barely stopped crying due to Marian’s warmth, nodded enthusiastically.

 

**

 

Karen, who woke up after taking the medicine, was so vigilant that she wouldn’t even allow them to touch even a single hair on her body.

 

However, Karen, who soon noticed that the shabby interior, the haggard woman, and the child took care of her with extreme sincerity compared to the fancy building, slowly began to open her heart.

 

After a while, she became friendly enough that she was okay with a light hug.

 

It was only a favor to help, but Karen volunteered to stay at the northern palace, saying that she had nowhere to go and wanted to repay even a little of their kindness.

 

The palace, in which only two people lived because of its reputation, was inhabited by a third person without anyone knowing.

 

There was only one more person, but the atmosphere in the palace changed a lot. He and Karen shared the things that a young child could not handle alone. When one was young, it was hard to feel a difference of just one or two years. Although only a few years older, Clarence relied heavily on the trustworthy Karen.

 

Karen also accepted such Clarence without resisting it.

 

Karen had become indispensable in the northern palace.

 

Clarence’s mother, Marian, however, fell ill.

 

Marian was the only one to receive a meal from the main palace, but all the other money had to be spent from her own pocket.

 

Marian was a maid, so she couldn’t get help from her mother-in-law.

 

“Your Highness is stealing.”

 

Karen stuck her tongue out and shook her head. A year had passed, but Karen still couldn’t get used to having to sell Clarence’s stolen goods outside the palace.

 

“Did you finally get rid of the stereotype that I’m a goody-two-shoes just because I’m a prince, right?”

 

“You’re very positive.”

 

“There’s nothing good about being negative.”

 

“But I don’t think you’re happy about stealing a lot.”

 

Perhaps because she was three years older than himself, Karen tried to teach Clarence when they became a little closer.

 

“What else am I supposed to do? I’m short of money but I have to pay for my mother’s medicine.”

 

“I’d rather do it.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You’re both my lifesavers, so I’m not happy to watch you do such a thing.”

 

“I told you we’re fine. Besides, we can’t give you money, but you work so hard.”

 

“That’s not enough.”

 

“No, it is more than enough!”

 

“…But still.”

 

Clarence shook his head firmly at Karen’s words. Unlike his head which was shaking firmly, his expression was very shy.

 

“And I’m going to marry you later, so it’s up to me to make money.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

“My mom told me not to make my future bride suffer.”

 

Without saying anything, Karen looked at the seventh prince, whose head was filled with flowers, with a disturbed gaze.

 

“Aren’t I just… a maid? You’re not even clear where I came from.”

 

“But I’ve been with Karen for a year now, so it’s okay.”

 

Clarence meant it. Although he was still young, he felt love for the first time. For the person who stayed in this desolate palace for himself and his mother.

 

“What if I’m a dangerous person?”

 

Karen asked after Clarence’s hot confession as if she was in dismay.

 

“Then we can run to a quiet place!”

 

Karen burst into laughter as if she couldn’t help it at Clarence’s bold words.

 

“You’re completely different from what I thought you were.”

 

“You’re cursing me because I don’t look like a prince, right?”

 

“It’s a compliment. I wish someone like you would lead this country without prejudice and discrimination.”

 

“That’s far from enough.”

 

“I’m sure it’s a little silly.”

 

“Are you cursing at me?”

 

Clarence pouted his lips and brushed the laundry. Karen replied with a smirk when Clarence complained, “Do you not like the prince who even does the laundry?”

 

“You have to listen to people until the end.”

 

“Try me.”

 

“But if I tell you one thing, you act like you know ten.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“If I teach addition, you know subtraction, and if you go out to the market and teach them how to bargain, you don’t have enough bargaining to bring extra money.”

 

“But if I run into them by chance, they’ll call me a fool.”

 

“Being stupid and not knowing because you haven’t learned it yet are two very different things.”

 

Karen only told objective facts. There was also a hidden meaning that it was regrettable that the situation was not good enough to receive proper royal education.

 

But Clarence, who listened straight to Karen, thought it sounded like a compliment. It was a compliment that he had never heard from anyone before. Clarence scratched his nose and smiled bashfully.

 

“You like me a lot.”

 

“I’m only telling the truth.”

 

Karen’s words made it seem as if it was better for Clarence to learn, but he smiled lonely, saying, “I need to hang the laundry right now, so I can continue to do my next job.”

 

“Let’s go. Your mother is waiting.”

 

Clarence laughed like the sun.

 

How many people knew of his existence without prejudice, equal to all, and passionate about teaching one thing?

 

Such a person was…

 

Karen, who was staring at Clarence’s face, pursed her mouth as if she had decided something.

 

**

 

Marian had a hard time getting out of bed, so the two sat side by side. To call it an imperial palace, it was nothing more than a table for commoners. Hard bread and water-thin soup. Karen broke the bread in half and gave it to Clarence.

 

“Clarence-nim lives in a place like this and smiles as if there have never been hard times.”

 

“It’s because Karen’s around.”

 

He thought that he would continue to live a happy life even though he would be poor in the future.

 

But Clarence was too young, and the money he needed kept increasing. The reason was that Marian’s condition was getting worse day by day.

 

The night before, Marian even vomited a handful of blood.

 

Clarence was able to withstand it, though. Because Karen was there, she didn’t have to handle this moment alone.

 

Even if it was a little hard, the three of them were eager to stay together.

 

“Can’t sleep?”

 

Karen appeared like a ghost when he was in the kitchen alone.

 

“Yeah. It’s a little cold.”

 

He had a nightmare and couldn’t tell her that he was calming down while enjoying the fire for a while. Hearing the silly excuse, Karen smirked and covered Clarence’s back with a blanket.

 

“Then would you like to sleep with me?”

 

“What? You can’t say that.”

 

Karen rolled up one corner of her mouth and laughed when Clarence blushed as if he knew everything even though he was young.

 

“Why not?”

 

“… I’m going to sleep in the same bed if I marry Karen. But not now.”

 

Clarence twisted and said. Karen, who was playful, asked with a natural look.

 

“When did I say that I will marry your Highness?”

 

“You don’t like it?”

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“After this, when we grow up, the three of us will go out and live together in the Northern Palace.”

 

Clarence grabbed Karen’s arm and yelled. Instead of answering, Karen smiled softly.

 

“Don’t you hate your brothers? You might want revenge or something.”

 

“It’s people I don’t see often. Even though I am not living like a prince, I am quite happy.”

 

“Your brothers don’t see you often, but they bother you every time they do.”

 

“Rather than risking my life for revenge, I want to live with Karen and my mother.”

 

“You can’t be tough because you’re blind.”

 

“Then why don’t you answer the question of the three of us wanting to live together later?”

 

“You’re persistent.”

 

“Tsk…”

 

A warm glow of fire illuminated Karen’s face. A calm air flowed. It would be nice if time passed like this, but even if it was the Northernmost Palace, it was still inside the Imperial Palace. 

 

Unlike the previous emperors, the current emperor had several children. No prince was unique enough to overwhelm other princes. This meant that the competition for the crown prince would intensify.

 

Soon, a wind of blood will blow in the Imperial Palace. Whether the people wanted it or not. 

 

“I’ll try to live well until then. Don’t stay a fool.”

 

“We’ll be together, so Karen will teach us a lot.”

 

Clarence grabbed Karen’s hand. Her hand trembled at the hot Clarence’s temperature. Karen didn’t move, with her back to Clarence. And instead of answering him, she turned her back.

 

“… Let’s go to bed. Because it’s late at night. If you sleep now, you’ll wake up in the middle of the day again.”

 

“If Karen wakes me up early, I’ll wake up early.”

 

“You have to wake up well on your own.”

 

He should have noticed then. Karen was already thinking of leaving.

 

He didn’t notice anything at that moment.

 

Clarence’s long-cherished desire was nothing short of an illusion that would soon disappear.

 

Karen left abruptly as if she had never visited the Northern castle.

 

Clarence thought it was a normal day.

 

What was a little different from usual was that Karen didn’t wake her up, so he thought that was all.

 

“You really didn’t wake me up.”

 

Clarence stretched out, thinking to live with strength today.

 

He thought Karen had overslept, so he tapped her door with a light step.

 

Knock. Knock.

 

“Karen?”

 

Strange. Clarence tilted his head and knocked on the door again.

 

“Are you sick? You didn’t come to wake me up.”

 

He knocked several times, but he couldn’t feel the presence inside.

 

“I’m going in.”

 

Clarence eventually opened the door without saying anything.

 

“Eh?”

 

Clarence looked at the room with a stupid look on his face. There was no sign of people living in the room. He went out of the room because he thought he had mistaken the room and repeated the action several times.

 

“Karen?”

 

He wasn’t mistaken about the room. Karen just evaporated as if she had never lived in this Northern Castle.

 

Clarence searched the entire northern castle, but there was only one trace of Karen.

 

A large pocket by the kitchen with a short note.

 

That was all.

 

[Don’t steal, use this money to buy Marian-nim’s medicine.]

 

There was no word on where she was going or when she would return. When Clarence opened the pocket, he found it was filled with a ridiculous amount of gold.

 

“Mother… Karen’s gone.”

 

Clarence ran out crying and panting for his pale mother.

 

“If she left without a word, wouldn’t there be something wrong with it?”

 

“But she didn’t say a word.”

 

“Don’t be too upset. Karen thinks that was the best way for her to live, I think.”

 

“I want to find Karen.”

 

Marian stroked Clarence’s sobbing hair. His child, saddened by the loss of a loved one, looked pitiful.

 

However, it was obvious that the future he would have to endure would be even harsher.

 

“The most important thing is to live in the right place for each other. Huh? Baby.”

 

Marian soothed Clarence, but Clarence was too young to understand the meaning of her words. 

 

Karen seemed happy by his side, but he couldn’t understand why she left. If she had told him a reason, he wouldn’t have followed after her like this.

 

Clarence went to the capital to find Karen. He couldn’t stay long, so he went out early every day and came back late at night.

 

When he returned late at night he would go to Marian’s room and tell her that she hasn’t been found. 

 

“Where did she get the money? One can’t get that much money easily.”

 

“Haven’t you looked enough now, dear?”

 

“I’m afraid she’s caught up in something dangerous.”

 

Clarence roamed around the capital where he first met Karen for a while, saying she might be in danger. Without thinking of her mother who would remain alone in the castle, he was just busy looking for Karen.

 

He should have paid more attention…

 

It was the day he arrived at the Imperial Palace later than usual while looking for Karen in the capital. As soon as he stepped into the palace, a strange cold silence greeted Clarence. The air was always cool because they couldn’t afford a fire, but today it felt so cold that his bones ached.

 

Clarence hurried to Marian’s room, lighting a few candles.

 

“Mother?”

 

The ungreased, stiff door opened with a noise. Faced with such a shocking situation, Clarence, who was only ten years old, found it difficult to accept the situation as reality. This moment felt so unrealistic.

 

“Baby…”

 

The closed eyes barely opened. A scratching voice called Clarence.

 

“Mother… What?”

 

He felt dizzy. His body trembled with a late chill. His eyes blurred. He could barely get close to his mother by the sound of her words. Her chest was stained with blood as she vomited blood several times.

 

“You have to live, baby. Okay?”

 

Marian kept repeating the same words over and over again. Even in the increasingly cloudy gaze, Marian said to live again and again. Even though his hands and his mother’s pajamas were so red that he could no longer recognize their original color.

 

Clarence, who was young, didn’t know. The fact that every meal served at the main palace was served with a small amount of poison.

 

But Marian knew it. Nevertheless, she always ate the meal that was brought without leaving any leftovers. It was because she was worried that Clarence would eat it in secret.