The Curtain of Despair
It was incredibly noisy, even in the dead of night.
Olivia sat motionless on her bed, thinking it must be due to a storm that didn't fit the season. The windows rattled with a clatter, as if the fierce wind were shaking the very frames, and lightning turned her room stark white in rhythmic, blinding flashes.
"You mustn't be afraid. You mustn't... Everyone is enduring this because of me. Because of me..."
She clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, struggling to suppress her trembling.
Perhaps the storm was a blessing in disguise. Even the Emperor's army could not move in such weather. Lutgarth Castle would hold out for as long as the storm raged, and those who were destined to die because of her would live for that much longer.
Yet, every time the thunder crashed, Olivia flinched as if a hole were being punched into her heart. She curled her body into a ball and buried her face between her knees.
Knock, knock.
Someone tapped on the door. Olivia answered with a voice devoid of strength.
"Come in."
The person who opened the door was Theodore, the Count of Lutgarth. The scent of wet dust and the metallic tang of blood flooded in with him. His pitch-black hair was soaked, and his sharp, handsome features were clouded with exhaustion.
His usually full, red lips were drained of color, turning a ghostly white. Olivia asked, flustered, "Has something happened?"
"Your Highness, get up and put on your shoes. Something comfortable, quickly!"
He spoke with firm, rapid urgency, roughly throwing open her wardrobe.
Olivia complied, though she was at a loss. As she stepped down from the bed and slid her feet into the boots she had left by the side of the room, Theodore rushed over and draped a coat he had pulled from the closet over her shoulders.
Then, he divided several heavy pouches between her coat pockets and the pockets of her skirt. They felt like bags filled with coins.
At this point, Olivia could not help but understand the situation. She asked him, trembling like an aspen leaf, "Is the castle... falling?"
"We can hold out a little longer."
That was a lie. Olivia knew it now.
It was absurd to think that the military of the Lutgarth County alone could stand against the Imperial Army. Theodore had helped her, knowing from the very beginning that they would be defeated.
Solely out of a sense of duty.
When she thought of that, Olivia felt tears welling up. If he hadn't taken her in, nothing would have happened to the Lutgarth County. As a powerful Margrave of the Empire, Theodore would have lived well, receiving treatment befitting his status and power.
But now, all that remained of Lutgarth was this one small castle. All four of Theodore's territories had been engulfed in the flames of war, and his people had become refugees. Less than thirty percent of his loyal army remained, and most of his knights had lost their combat effectiveness.
And now, they would lose this final castle, too.
Theodore grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
"Let's go."
Olivia followed him with quick steps. The enemy must have already breached the outer walls, as the shouts of battle and screams could be heard not far away.
Theodore moved at a near-run, forcing Olivia to scramble to keep up. Even so, he did not look back at her, nor did he slow his pace.
"Where are we going?"
Olivia asked, wondering how there could be a way out when the castle was already under siege. Theodore did not answer; holding a lantern in one hand and gripping her hand with the other, he descended the spiraling stairs toward the basement.
"Just hand me over to Ezekiel," Olivia pleaded, even as she followed him. "It's alright. He won't kill me."
"Don't talk nonsense. You are the only one who threatens Princess Roella's succession."
"It's better than everyone dying."
"Even if I hand you over, everyone will die anyway."
That was true. Ezekiel Schwaben, who controlled the Imperial Army, was not the type to let those who resisted him go free. Especially if the opponent was Theodore. He would surely kill them all.
Theodore stopped and looked back at Olivia.
"Do you want to live, Your Highness?"
The red light of the lantern reflected in his dark eyes. It looked as if flames were burning within them, or perhaps the shadows made them appear even darker.
Olivia shivered. It felt as if he were reproaching her, asking if she intended to survive alone.
"Do as you must."
But Theodore only said that before pulling her hand again.
Before she knew it, they had reached the castle basement. Theodore set the lantern on the floor and pushed aside a piece of furniture against the wall. He kicked at the corner, and the stone shifted, revealing a gaping hole.
Theodore spoke rapidly.
"This is a hole leading to the sewers. A secret passage of sorts."
"The, Theodore..."
"I believe Lutgarth has fulfilled its duty."
Those words sounded horrific to her. It was as if he were saying, "Isn't everyone dying because of you?"
He was right. If it weren't for her, Lutgarth would not have perished.
If he hadn't taken her in, if she hadn't revealed who she was, if she had handled it alone—Lutgarth would not have died.
Olivia finally let the tears she had been holding back spill over.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Do not cry."
Theodore said in a low voice. Olivia knew it wasn't the time to cry. She knew she didn't have the right to.
But the tears wouldn't stop. Theodore gripped her heaving shoulders tightly.
"I told you not to cry. I didn't say it was because of you."
He spoke with the same overbearing authority he had used when she was a child. Olivia looked up at him, her blue eyes wide. Her vision was blurred by tears, making it difficult to see his face clearly.
"Go."
"If, if someone has to run away..."
"I cannot run. The one responsible for Lutgarth is not you, but me."
Theodore forcibly pressed a key into her hand and said,
"Live in hiding. Forget everything about who you are, and survive in the shadows. If you feel guilty for those who died to keep you alive, then live as long as the sum of all their lives combined."
"Theodore, Theo...!"
Theodore, still holding her shoulders, pressed his lips hotly against hers for a brief moment.
Olivia was stunned. For a moment, she couldn't comprehend what had just happened. But without a second of hesitation, he shoved her into the hole.
Once she regained her senses, she screamed and resisted, but there was no way she could overcome Theodore's strength.
Behind her, the stone shifted back into place, completely sealing the entrance. Olivia was left in the pitch-black darkness.
"Theodore!"
She shouted and pounded on the stone, but it didn't budge an inch under her strength. A grinding sound echoed like thunder as Theodore dragged the furniture back into place.
Soon, only the sound of her own ragged breathing and the metallic clanking of Theodore's steel greaves remained. Olivia stayed crouched in the spot, trembling violently. Tears streamed down her face.
Lutgarth was her home. It was her family.
The previous Count of Lutgarth had taken her in and raised her, and until she heard who she truly was, she had never doubted that she was a daughter of Lutgarth.
That was why, when she realized she could not escape this fate, Theodore was the only person she could think to ask for help.
If she had known it would come to this, she wouldn't have done it. She should never have done it.
Theodore had said the responsibility was his, not hers, but it was she who had forced an unwanted burden upon him.
The tears would not stop.
Before long, she gripped the key tightly and began to crawl through the narrow passage.
It wasn't because of Theodore's words to survive. She had to go to "that place" to start everything over.
How long had she crawled through that lightless, suffocating passage? A foul stench began to rise, and it soon connected to the sewers.
From there, she could straighten her back slightly. Olivia forgot her tears and moved as quickly as she could along the sewer. Perhaps she could save at least one person. Please, she prayed, hoping to save at least one.
The sewer passage felt as long as eternity. Screams and thunder echoed incessantly above her head, though she couldn't tell if they were real or mere hallucinations.
Rumble—!
A massive clap of thunder shook the entire passage, making her flinch. Soon, the sound of rain followed. Olivia hurried toward it.
Flash—!
Lightning turned the entire sewer yellow in the darkness. The exit was near.
She rushed forward and used the key Theodore had given her to unlock the iron grate of the sewer.
The end of the sewer connected to a stream a short distance from the castle. It seemed it had been designed that way from the start to serve as a secret passage.
She moved again and crawled out into the stream. The pouring rain drenched her, as if to wash away everything—from the filth of the sewers to her own tears.
Rumble—!
The ground vibrated so hard it shook. Olivia's eyes widened.
This time, it wasn't thunder. It was the sound of gunpowder exploding.
Lutgarth Castle was collapsing.