The Emperor’s strength had waned, and recently, even his mobility had deteriorated. Since Sys left for the battlefield, he’d withdrawn from public appearances, making only minimal decisions through Father, the Prime Minister.
“Enter.”
The attendant guarding the door opened it upon seeing me. I followed his lead into the room where the Emperor awaited.
Despite the warm sunlight streaming through the window, the room’s air was heavy. The court physician, stationed by the Emperor’s bedside, bowed as I entered.
“Your Majesty, Lady Elient has arrived.”
At the Emperor’s gesture, the physician helped him sit up. His face, far more frail than the last time I saw him, was shadowed with death.
“Come closer.”
The Emperor beckoned, his once-commanding voice now weary.
“Bijonne Lotta Elient greets the Sun of the Empire.”
My greeting drew a faint smile, deepening the wrinkles at his lips.
“You’re as steadfast as ever.”
He waved, and the physician and attendants left silently.
“So, you have something to say?”
His rasping breath made speaking seem laborious.
The Emperor I remembered died when I was eighteen, living vigorously until he passed quietly, like falling asleep. If that timeline held, he had a year left. But his current state suggested he might not last the year. The deaths of the First Consort and First Prince had clearly taken a toll.
“You look unwell.”
“Age catches up, and the body isn’t what it used to be.”
He chuckled weakly, gesturing to a chair. I sat where the physician had been.
“I hear you have a request.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Speak. You’ve earned my favor, so whatever it is, if it’s within my power, I’ll grant it.”
His words were bold, especially given the First Consort’s matter.
In the empire, there was little the Emperor couldn’t do. But my request was daunting, even for him.
“I wish to meet the Black Priest.”
He paused, a faint sigh escaping his lips.
“You never cease to surprise me.”
“My apologies.”
“No, I promised to grant your request, and I’ll keep my word.”
Speaking seemed to drain him, and he paused to catch his breath.
“The Black Priests are unique, even in the empire. Even I, as Emperor, cannot command them at will.”
“I understand. Please, just tell me how to meet them.”
The memory of the Black Priest’s anguished cry—demanding why I wasn’t happy—haunted me.
“They may not answer the summons.”
“I know.”
Even with the Emperor’s help, the odds of meeting them were slim. Given their past behavior, they’d likely ignore the call. Yet, an inexplicable certainty told me the Black Priest from my memory was waiting for me.
“You’re set on this.”
“I am, Your Majesty.”
“If that’s your will, so be it.”
His approval came more easily than expected. He’d always been lenient with me, then and now.
“Why are you so kind to me?”
The question slipped out, but I didn’t regret it.
“Do I seem kind to you?”
“I feel it, Your Majesty.”
Though a secluded palace, requesting to bring forces into the imperial grounds or to meet the Black Priest was audacious. Yet, he’d granted every request without hesitation. He’d never refused me.
“Perhaps.”
He turned to the window, where the once-brilliant sun now cast a crimson glow, sinking slowly.
“I am the Emperor of this empire. And that boy is its Crown Prince.”
It was the first time I’d heard him call Sys a “boy.” He’d always referred to him as the Crown Prince, as if Sys was nothing more or less.
“To sustain this vast empire, one must be unyielding. An emperor must set aside personal feelings. That’s why I pushed him—relentlessly, harshly—to be a flawless Crown Prince.”
His gaze returned to me.
“As the Emperor, not a father.”
The wrinkles at his lips deepened, his face steeped in loneliness.
“I don’t regret raising him as the Crown Prince, not my son. But…”
His eyes curved as they met mine, his wrinkled hand reaching for me.
“The boy, who always stiffened in my presence, smiled for the first time, repeating your name.”
His rough hand covered mine.
“Being Emperor is a lonely role. I hope you’ll be his haven, as Empress Laiya was for me.”
His warm, weathered hand patted mine.
“The Crown Prince… no, Sys. Please take care of him.”
“This is the place. From here, you must go alone, my lady.”
A door, known only to a few royals, opened before me. Beyond it stretched an endless corridor. I stepped forward, leaving the attendant behind.
My heels echoed in the silent air, breaking the stillness.
How far had I walked? Another door appeared at the corridor’s end. Without hesitation, I turned the handle. The icy knob turned smoothly, and the heavy door opened soundlessly.
It’s like that day.
An empty space, a darkened view—everything resembled the moment I headed to Erharak Hall to die.
According to the Emperor, this was where the Black Priests appeared. If they chose to answer, they’d show themselves.
A dark curtain seemed to fall, shrouding my vision. In the pitch-black void, I waited.
“Sob…”
A faint sound pierced the darkness. Focusing, I heard it grow louder, clearer.
Crying?
As I recognized the sobs, the darkness lifted like a curtain, revealing two figures—a man and a woman.
What is this…?
I reached out, but an invisible barrier stopped my hand.
“She’s only sixteen! Why?!”
“Darling…”
The man embraced the weeping woman, who sobbed like a waterfall. Tears glistened in his eyes too.
Why?
Though younger than I remembered, I knew them.
Father… Mother.
They were Ijia’s parents—my parents.
Staggering, I tried to approach, but my vision blurred, and the scene shifted.
“Ttorong, I’m going to die soon.”
A girl, about sixteen, hugged a large dog.
“It doesn’t hurt much, so it doesn’t feel real.”
She buried her face in its fluffy fur.
“I haven’t even gone to high school or college, haven’t fallen in love or gotten married, but I’m running out of time.”
Her hollow eyes stared into nothingness. Though younger, her face was mine—or rather, Ijia’s.
Ijia!
Realizing who she was, I recognized the scene. Just as I, as Ijia, saw Bijonne’s life, now I was seeing Ijia’s, like watching a play.
But what is this?
In my memory, Ijia lived an ordinary life, aging normally, dying peacefully. This scene didn’t exist.
“They say in Buddhism there’s a next life.”
The girl’s voice pulled me back, her words unfamiliar yet heavy with meaning.
