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CHAPTER 23
The sound of Lete and Minte frantically running toward us echoed from behind.
Then came Ares’s irritated yell.
“What the hell! How did that blue-eyed freak get in here?!”
Honestly, I wanted to shout the same thing—just minus the profanity.
How on earth did he find his way here?
When Carion dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully, I was startled.
“It’s been a while, Your Holiness.”
“What?”
But I just met him yesterday in Elysion. How is this a “while”?
When he raised his head, his deep blue eyes shimmered with moisture.
“Ever since you left that day… I’ve been waiting. And waiting.”
My heart skipped a beat when I saw his eyes.
Don’t tell me… his power actually works on demons?
“My High Saintess.”
“……”
…Didn’t I just resolve not to reveal my identity?
And yet here I am, already blowing it.
Carion had been alone for as long as he could remember.
His room was in the coldest, most remote corner of the Halcyon Palace.
It was the place the maids least wanted to work.
They didn’t take care of him properly and always gossiped among themselves.
“You’re really unlucky. Had to end up serving the bastard child.”
“Yeah, just bad luck. I’m just gonna save up a bit and leave.”
“At least he’s quiet, so he’s easy to deal with. But… he kind of creeps me out.”
“Creeps you out? Why?”
“I don’t know… maybe it’s how he’s so perceptive. Or has sharp ears.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“I don’t know. He’s just… unsettling.”
Carion tilted his head as he listened to the murmurs behind the door.
‘What exactly is a bastard child?’
Everyone who was supposed to care for him called him that.
“The Emperor’s bastard.”
“A child born by accident with a dancing girl.”
“The child whose mother died in childbirth.”
So Carion had a “father,” but no “mother.”
The Empress, who sat beside his father, always had a kind face.
But…
‘The sound I hear from Her Majesty… it’s terrifying. Like a violent storm.’
Even his older brothers and sisters had frightening “sounds.”
It was like the harsh scraping of a whetted blade.
No one in the palace ever called Carion by name.
Not a single soul.
Carion, age 4.
Learns he is the bastard child of the Imperial family—without title or surname.
His father gave him neither a title nor affection.
But to avoid disgrace, Carion was at least allowed to be educated with the other royal children.
He studied hard. He thought he would be praised if he did well.
The result was the opposite.
“Didn’t I tell you not to act out, you little—!”
“Ugh! I-I’m sorry, brother!”
“Don’t call me that!”
His older brother would beat him whenever he excelled.
Even when Carion groaned in pain, his three sisters only glared at him.
“Brother, your shoes are getting dirty.”
“He’s not even worth hitting.”
“Why doesn’t Father just throw that thing out?”
Sometimes his brother made Carion serve him tea.
It was hard for his small body to carry the heavy teapot.
But every time he made a mistake, his brother flew into a rage.
That’s when Carion began paying closer attention to people’s “sounds.”
‘How strange… Why do I hear different sounds from people even when they don’t speak?’
He didn’t know why, but the ability helped him escape his siblings before trouble came.
Thanks to it, he got hurt less, felt less pain.
Yet, even when his body wasn’t in pain, his heart always ached.
Carion hated crowded places.
In those settings, the “sound” was deafening—enough to burst his eardrums.
‘I wish someone would just take away my ears and eyes.’
That was all he felt at his very first official event.
The “sounds” inside the palace reminded him of animals screaming in the kitchen before they were slaughtered.
‘So loud, so loud… My ears are going to rip apart!’
The noise drove him insane.
He wanted to curl up, block his ears and eyes.
He didn’t care if he got punished later—he just wanted to run.
“Her Holiness, the 13th High Saintess, has arrived!”
But then—
At that moment, all the “noise” vanished in an instant.
‘Huh? Why did it suddenly go quiet…?’
A woman appeared, her hair adorned with a headpiece studded with blue gems.
And Carion realized there was such a thing as a pure bell-like sound.
‘Who… is she?’
His heart began to race, full of a hope he couldn’t explain.
When she bowed to the Emperor, her voice rang out as clearly as the sound he’d heard.
“May this year be filled with blessings and peace.”
“I also pray for your well-being this year, High Saintess.”
That was the moment Carion was completely captivated.
He could finally breathe—following the clear ringing of her voice.
But the Saintess did not stay at the banquet long.
‘No! I can’t just let her go like this!’
Carion ran after her retreating figure without thinking.
He wandered the palace halls, chasing the soft sound of a bell.
Eventually, he came upon a very small audience chamber.
He waited a long time, until the priests guarding the door let their guard down.
But he wasn’t tired or bored at all.
‘If I can just meet her—even for a moment!’
He waited for hours, breath held in the hallway.
When the priests briefly stepped away to change shifts, Carion quickly slipped inside.
At the center of the room were several layers of white curtains.
Beyond them, the Saintess stood, gazing out at the setting sun.
Carion unconsciously clutched his chest.
‘She’s like my brother’s blue bird…’
A blue bird trapped in a cage.
A strange creature that sang beautifully… but would fall utterly silent.
Then the Saintess turned toward the curtain.
“Who’s there?”
“……!”
“I thought my schedule was done for the day?”
The curtain parted, revealing a girl with long chestnut hair and bright silver-gray eyes.
Her elegance was undeniable, though a hint of shadow lay over her features.
“Do you know where you are?”
“Uh—um—well—”
“There should’ve been priests outside. Are they off getting drunk again?”
Her tone was unexpectedly brusque.
Carion hurried to answer.
“I-I followed the sound! That’s how I got here!”
“What?”
The 13th High Saintess looked puzzled for a moment.
Then, naturally, she placed a hand on his cheek.
Carion nearly hiccuped from the warmth he felt for the first time.
“Hmph. You’re using divine power in an odd way.”
“Uh, um—”
“Is it a ‘sensing’ ability? No, it feels a bit different.”
“Huh?”
“Your divine power. You’re using it to perceive people’s energy, aren’t you?”
“……?”
Carion tilted his head, not understanding.
The Saintess crossed her arms and tilted her head too.
“Are you a trainee knight? First time tagging along?”
“Oh, no… I’m just… just Carion.”
“…Ah.”
The Saintess nodded.
Carion’s face flushed.
She must’ve heard about the “bastard of the Imperial family.”
‘Is that beautiful sound going to turn cruel now, like with Her Majesty or my siblings?’
But what came next was firm yet kind.
Her “sound” remained clear as a bell.
“You shouldn’t wander like this. If the priests catch you, it’ll be a mess. Go on now.”
“B-but… Can I stay just a little longer? I won’t be noisy.”
“You’ve already said a lot, haven’t you?”
“Th-that’s…!”
“That doesn’t match what you just said.”
The Saintess let out a small laugh.
And Carion, too, wanted to laugh.
At the same time, he felt so relieved he nearly cried.
In the sunset light, her long brown hair gleamed gold, and her silver-gray eyes softened kindly.
“It’s a bit cruel to be cold to a kid. You can stay a bit—just sneak off before you get caught.”
It was the most beautiful moment in Carion’s life.
