The Color of Hidden Blood

The next morning, Era bounced into the room holding the clothes she'd folded the night before.

"Your Highness~ Today I'll finish making the rest of your clothes!"

She was carrying a lopsided bundle of fabric with only one sleeve attached—an incomplete, clumsy-looking mess.

"...Yeah."

"You promised!"

"...I know, I know."

I glanced down at my wrist. The soot-like mark Era had wrapped with cloth yesterday was still there.

"..."

Neither of us brought up the holy power. It was as if yesterday had never happened.

"...Hand."

"Hehe. You won't run away, right?"

"...I won't."

"I'll trust you~"

Era didn't press any further and unwrapped my wrist.

"Mmm..."

I rotated my wrist once and took the needle from her.

"Era, here—and here..."

We resumed our division of labor. I handled the sewing while she cut the fabric. But after cutting for a while, Era suddenly set the scissors down.

"Your Highness~"

"...What?"

Whenever she called me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like that, something was usually about to happen.

"I want to try sewing too."

"...You couldn't even cut straight yesterday."

"That was then, but...!"

"...Still. I want to do it like you, Your Highness."

I stared at her for a moment.

...This was the same girl who had turned the fabric into a disaster yesterday because she didn't even know how to cut properly.

"You'll prick yourself."

"I won't!"

"...You will."

"I'll show you!"

Seeing her declare it so boldly, I let out a sigh.

"Sigh... Fine. Do whatever you want..."

I handed over the needle.

"...Take it slow. Watch your fingers."

"Yes!"

Era grabbed the needle with a serious expression.

"Huh? Uhh? Is this right? Hmm?"

But even the way she held it was awkward. Her fingertips kept slipping.

"...Hey, if you hold it like that—"

"Like this?"

"...No, not like that. A little higher—"

"Like this!"

"...That's not what I—"

Stab.

"...Ouch!"

The needle pierced her finger in that instant. I immediately reached out.

"Hey! Let me see."

"...I'm fine!"

Era quickly hid the injured finger against her chest.

"It doesn't look fine. Give me your hand."

When I tried to take her hand, she jerked it back sharply.

"...!"

It was an unusually fast reaction.

"...You can't!"

"What do you mean I can't? You're bleeding...!"

"...I'm okay! Really, I'm okay!"

Era hid the pricked finger behind her back. Desperately.

"...Era. Let me see your finger."

"...You can't!"

Her voice was firm. It wasn't her usual playful, giggling tone.

"Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"

"...It's nothing. Really, it's nothing."

Era brought the injured finger to her mouth and sucked on it, turning her back slightly so I couldn't see.

"...Hehe. It'll heal if I put saliva on it."

She smiled as she said it.

"......Alright."

I backed off for now... but it still bothered me.

'Why won't she show me her finger?'

'It's just a needle prick.'

We went back to making the clothes, but...

"..."

I couldn't stop thinking about Era's finger.

"Ugh...!"

Era kept hiding the injured finger. She'd wrap it with cloth or turn her hand so I couldn't see it.

"Era. Doesn't your finger hurt?"

"...It doesn't hurt!"

"...Has the bleeding stopped?"

"Yes! It's all better now!"

...Something was off.

"...Show me."

"...No."

She was adamant. I was about to press further when I saw her expression harden slightly, so I stopped.

'What is this?'

"...Fine, I get it. Do what you want."

"..."

Still, the clothes kept coming together. Even in this awkward atmosphere.

"Your Highness~ What about this~"

Era seemed to be trying to lighten the mood, chattering even more than usual. She cracked jokes while cutting the fabric.

"Your Highness~ When it's all done, you'll wear it, right?"

"...How am I supposed to wear a rag?"

"It's not a rag! It's a masterpiece!"

"...This?"

"...Anyway."

A long while later, the clothes were finally finished. Both sleeves were attached, and the torso had a decent shape. The stitching was still crooked and the fabric colors didn't match, but...

"...It's done!"

Era threw both hands up in triumph.

"Your Highness, try it on!"

"...Now?"

"Yes!"

I took the garment. Threads stuck out here and there, and the sleeve lengths were slightly uneven, but...

It was the first time anyone had ever made clothes for me.

"......"

A strange feeling washed over me.

"...Why aren't you putting it on?"

"...Oh, right. I'll wear it."

I slipped it on. It was a bit loose and the sleeves didn't match, but...

"Oh! It looks great on you!"

"...Where?"

"It really does! Kyaaaaaaa!!! So cute!!!!!"

'What part of this looks good? It's a rag.'

But Era was so delighted that I couldn't bring myself to take it off...

"...Should I keep wearing it?"

"Yes!!!"

...So I decided to leave it on for now.

Era was so excited that she completely forgot about cleaning up. She kept circling around me, inspecting the clothes from every angle.

"...Hey, clean up first and then enjoy it."

"Ah, yes!"

Era went to pick up the fabric scraps that had fallen to the side. I helped by gathering the needles and scissors.

As I picked up one of the needles...

"......?"

There was blood on the tip.

It was the blood from when Era had pricked herself earlier... black blood.

"......"

It was pitch black, like ink. A black that seemed to swallow light.

I stared at the needle intently.

'What is this?'

At first I thought the needle was just dirty.

'Is it rust?'

But no matter how I looked at it, it was clearly blood. A dark, deep-colored liquid with a metallic scent.

'......'

The events of the past few days flashed through ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my mind in rapid succession.

Black hair. Black eyes. The way she trembled at the rumors about the Maryeokche. The first time she got angry and told me not to use holy power. The way she refused to show me her finger.

And Black Star Veins...

'No way.'

I slowly lifted my head and looked at Era.

"Hum, hum! Hmm~!"

She was humming a little tune as she picked up the fabric scraps.

Black hair. Black eyes. Black blood.

'Era. You...'

My mind went blank for a moment.

In the original story, Black Star Veins were the ultimate outcasts. They were to be reported immediately upon discovery, and if you were unlucky, executed on the spot. The Maryeokche hunted them down. They were the lowest beings in this world.

Era was a Black Star Vein.

The girl who had slept on my lap. The one who shared half her bread with me. The slender girl who had pricked her own fingers to make clothes for me.

"...Era."

"......"

Strangely enough, I didn't feel fear or disgust.

Whether she had Black Star Veins or not, Era was still just Era. The same Era I'd seen for the past few days.

'Not all Black Star Vein users are bad, right?'

That was the only thought that came to mind.

But my chest felt heavy.

'Then... why didn't she tell me...?'

That was the first thing that popped into my head.

We'd spent days together. We'd slept side by side. We'd eaten together. We'd even made clothes together.

Yet she'd hidden what she truly was until the very end.

'When you think about it, we haven't really done anything grand together.'

'Yeah. We just slept next to each other, ate cheap porridge, and made some rag-like clothes. That's all.'

'Right. That's all it was.'

'...So why does it hurt this much?'

'Did she think I'd leave if I knew?'

'Or that I'd be scared of her?'

The image of Era hiding her finger behind her back flashed through my mind. The awkward smile as she said saliva would make it better.

'......'

It hurt. It felt... lonely.

'We aren't even close enough for me to feel hurt. We've only known each other a few days...'

But somehow, it hurt.

'There's no reason to feel hurt. What has she even done for me?'

She couldn't even tell me.

'Because it's me...? Is that why she couldn't tell me?'

'Because it's only me. That's why she couldn't say anything.'

My chest felt like it was being torn apart.

'...During those few days...'

It seemed I'd grown far more attached to her than I'd realized.

"...Your Highness? What are you doing?"

Era turned around. I quietly set the needle down, turning the bloody tip away from view.

"...Oh, nothing. Just cleaning up."

"Hehe. Let's do it together!"

I tried to act normal. I couldn't let it show right now.

I'd seen her rage yesterday. I had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no idea how she'd react if she knew I'd found out.

But my mind was a mess.

'Black Star Veins cause emotional instability and are dangerous... She doesn't seem like that, though...'

'No, she's hot-tempered and literally a kidnapper. The danger is definitely there.'

'But... why was she so kind to me...?'

'After kidnapping me, she could've done whatever she wanted. She didn't have to care about my feelings...'

'Why did she tell me she likes me?'

'When she couldn't even reveal her true identity to me.'

'Why to me...?'

The questions kept swirling in my head.

"...Era."

"Yes!"

"...You did a good job on the clothes."

"...!"

"...Thank you."

Era froze, her face filled with emotion.

"R-really...?"

"...Yeah. It's warm."

Era's face turned bright red.

"Hehe! I'll make more for you!"

"...No need. One is enough."

Night fell. As usual, we lay down together under a single blanket.

But today, I was the one who turned toward her first. Face to face.

"...?"

"...Your Highness?"

Era looked quite surprised.

"...Why?"

"...Why are you lying facing this way today?"

"...Just because."

I gazed at her quietly. Up close.

Black hair. Black eyes.

'Black Star Veins.'

But the face looking back at me was exactly the same one I'd seen for the past few days. Whether she had Black Star Veins or not, nothing had changed.

'Yeah... Era is still Era.'

Without thinking, I reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.

"Hup...!"

"...Era."

"...Yes?"

"...Thank you so much for the clothes today."

Era's face grew even redder.

"...W-why are you acting like this all of a sudden..."

"...What do you mean?"

"...Today, especially..."

Era averted her gaze slightly.

"...Why... why are you being so..."

"...What?"

"...Forward?"

"...I"

I stared at her flushed face. Even knowing she had Black Star Veins, I found it strange that I wasn't afraid. I opened my mouth.

The hurt I'd been holding back was finally about to spill out.

"...Era."

"...Yes?"

"I have something to ask you."

"...What is it?"

"...You actually—"

"Actually?"

"You..."

"...?"

Why couldn't I get the words out? I could just ask. Ask if she had Black Star Veins. Why she'd hidden it from me. Whether she didn't trust me that much.

"You...!"

"You actually don't like tree-bark porridge, do you?"

"...Huh?"

'This isn't what I wanted to say...'

"Uh... suddenly...?"

"Yeah, suddenly..."

In the end, I couldn't ask.

...Because I was scared to hear the answer. Like a coward. Scared that the Era in front of me would change. Scared that someone else would leave me.

"Ehh? No way~ I love tree-bark porridge so much— Tree-bark porridge is..."

Luckily, Era didn't seem to notice what I'd been trying to say. Instead, she launched into a passionate speech praising tree-bark porridge.

"...Yeah, that's good then."

"...Let's sleep now."

"...Okay."

Era slowly closed her eyes.

But her hand... was gently holding ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠onto the hem of my clothes, just like always.

No. A little tighter than usual.

Almost as if she were silently asking, You're really not going to leave, right?

I looked at that hand and gently placed mine on top of it.

"..."

I didn't say anything, but Era must have felt it. The grip on my clothes slowly loosened. As if relieved.

"......"

Whether it was black blood, Black Star Veins, or the Maryeokche, I didn't want to think about any of it right now.

The fact that this hand was warm was enough.