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~Chapter 24~
“Ah…”
Suddenly, a terrible feeling hit Dahlia.
Fear filled her purple eyes.
I hope it’s not today…
Dahlia hurried toward where Lemon was. As she pushed through the bushes, she heard loud splashing beside her.
Splash, splash.
She turned to the lake and saw a white hand struggling in the water.
It is today…
Dahlia quickly turned and looked in the direction where the emperor had disappeared.
Should she chase after him and ask for help?
“Help…”
But the child’s weak voice stopped her in her tracks.
If I go and get lost, what if I can’t find the child?
Can I really catch up to the emperor before it’s too late?
Her mind was a tangled mess, panicked that someone might die right in front of her.
She shook her head hard and slapped her cheeks.
Focus. Do what you can right now.
She looked at her clothes. If she entered the water in her heavy dress, she would sink.
Dahlia quickly unbuttoned her dress and looked up at the sky.
“Lemon, you know the emperor, right? He just left here. Please go bring them back!”
Pipi!
Lemon nodded as if to say “okay” and flew off.
Dahlia took off her dress, pulled out Rose’s letter (which she always carried in her pocket), and placed it under a rock so it wouldn’t blow away.
Wearing only her thin slip, she quickly gathered some sticks from the ground and tied them together with her dress.
Splash, splash.
The child’s pale face kept coming up and disappearing beneath the water.
Dahlia took a deep breath, hugged the bundle of sticks tightly, and stepped forward.
The cold lake water touched her feet. Goosebumps ran all over her body, and she froze in fear.
She slapped her own cheek hard.
Slap!
Her mouth stung—she must have bitten inside her cheek. The pain pushed away her fear and let her feet move again.
The blue water wrapped around her ankles. As she moved forward, the water rose up to her chest.
Dahlia tried not to look down. She kept her eyes fixed on the child’s pale face.
But soon her feet couldn’t touch the bottom, and everything went dark for a second.
She bit the inside of her mouth. The sharp pain and taste of blood helped her fight the fear.
Luckily, the sticks tied together floated, just as she’d hoped, and kept her afloat.
All I have to do is give these sticks to the child.
She took a deep breath, focused on the child who was still struggling, and carefully paddled her arm through the water.
Her body remembered how to swim from when she was a child.
She heard the struggling sounds get closer.
I can do it. I have to. If I can’t even save one child, how can I save the world?
She repeated it to herself, pushing through the water.
A little closer…
“Help…”
The child’s voice was right in front of her now.
Dahlia pushed the bundle of sticks toward the child.
The child grabbed the sticks, and they both began to sink lower into the water.
Suddenly, Dahlia lost her grip on the sticks.
“Ah…”
She panicked, accidentally opened her mouth, and swallowed water.
Darkness closed in. Fear that she’d held down deep inside began to overwhelm her.
As she struggled, she swallowed more water.
“Ngh…”
She couldn’t breathe. Her vision blurred.
Her tense body started to sink.
Under the dark water, she opened her eyes a little and saw the child clinging to the sticks.
Thank goodness. This time, I could save someone.
Dahlia felt like she was sinking endlessly down.
Deeper, deeper.
It’s cold. Mother, the water is so cold…
Dahlia slowly closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Grey was walking, lost in thought.
He knew the pink-haired young lady was afraid of water even before she said it.
He had seen her shoulders tremble when her violet eyes looked at the lake. She held her hands together tightly, trying not to look at the water.
Why did she beg to go to the lake if she was so scared?
She’d been busy searching, so maybe she really was looking for something.
“Ah.”
Up ahead, Oreon stopped suddenly—a small stick had fallen on his head.
Ethan clicked his tongue, as if to say, Don’t make a big deal over a stick.
Oreon looked embarrassed and kept walking, but then a strong wind blew a leaf right onto his face.
“The tree must like me a lot, huh?” Oreon grumbled as he pulled the leaf off.
He stepped forward again, and another gust of wind swirled the dry leaves around their feet.
It almost felt as if the wind and leaves were telling them to stop.
“Why is it suddenly so windy? It feels like something is telling us not to go… Where are you going, Your Majesty?!”
Oreon’s silly words changed as the emperor suddenly turned and went back the way they’d come.
Grey was suddenly worried.
I should have brought her with me, even if I had to drag her.
He quickened his pace, regretting it already.
Ethan hurried to catch up.
Oreon rushed after them, shouting.
“Your Majesty! Why are you running?! Huff, huff…”
Running? Am I really running?
Even as he wondered, Grey didn’t slow down.
They pushed through the long branches and returned to where they’d been.
No one was there.
Oreon, arriving last and out of breath, panted,
“Huff… Lady Herdan is already gone—”
“Quiet!”
Ethan urgently stopped Oreon, and then both Grey and Ethan turned sharply, having realized what was happening.
They ran quickly toward the sound.
Splash, splash.
Looking toward the lake, they saw Vivian holding tightly to the tied-up sticks.
And next to her—Dahlia’s pink hair was sinking lower and lower under the water.
Grey’s mind went dark. He felt like he couldn’t breathe and grabbed at his throat.
“Your Highness!” Oreon yelled.
Grey snapped out of it, threw off his jacket, and dove into the lake. Ethan dropped his sword and jacket at once and jumped in too.
Ethan swam quickly toward the princess, and Grey plunged under the water to look for Dahlia.
Why? Why would a girl who’s afraid of water come in here?
He couldn’t see her. He came up for air, then dove down again.
Deeper, deeper.
Suddenly, in the dark water, he saw a pale figure floating alone like a star in the night.
Grey reached out with all his strength, pushing through the heavy water.
Her small, white hand was just within reach.
He caught her.
