“Then my lady should behave like one,” Martha commented.
Before I could say another word, she pulled out something from the pocket of her sleeve. “This is for my lady.”
I swallowed my words and asked in surprise, “For me?”
‘Present for me?” I smiled lightly and took it from her, not waiting for a moment.
It was a delicate, finely carved hairpin with multiple and brightly shining stones fixed on it. Delicate gold chains hung to it, forming a semicircle, giving it a sophisticated look.
“It’s pretty,” I said with a light smile, suppressing a childish squeal not to show her how happy I was that she got a gift for me.
“But this pretty hair ornament almost cost me my job, my lady,” Martha replied, hinting at the trouble I caused.
‘Ohh, so she went to that shop to get this hairpin for me when I was running away,’ I thought and felt bad at the memory, but as usual, there was no need to show it to her and apologize for it. ‘I’m a princess, after all.’
“Thank you for this gift.”
Ignoring my thanks, Martha went to fix the bed for me as it was late. “Tomorrow, we will have a cooking lesson for my lady.”
The smile on my face disappeared as I exclaimed, “Tomorrow?”
“Hmm.” Martha nodded while getting a new set of bedsheets and quilt for me from the wooden cupboard.
‘No way,’ I screamed inside. “But, we had it a few days back.”
“Those few days were long back,” Martha replied.
“I’m a princess. Why do I have to—”
“One day, by chance, if my lady is lost in the wilderness or somewhere unknown, she should know how to survive. People will not be kind to you when they call you a witch.”
“Why do I need to when you are here—?”
“What if I’m not there with my lady, just like what happened today in the marketplace?”
Her words reminded me of the man who saved me. Ever since we returned to the palace, my thoughts were occupied with worry for Martha and about what could happen to her. I almost forgot about that man.
“That man!” I mumbled and looked at Martha. “Did you see the man who saved me? Who is he?”
“My lady, I didn’t see anyone but one beheaded body on the ground,” Martha replied.
“He was there,” I insisted. “He was the one to behead that man. He has scary red eyes and—”
“My lady must have made a mistake,” Martha interrupted me and finished preparing the bed. She then went to add more wood logs to the fireplace.
Sulking over the ignorant Martha, I complied and went to bed. “It’s not the first time I’ve seen him … I don’t know how to explain, but I’m sure it’s him.”
I looked at Martha, whose back faced me as she tended the fireplace. There was no reaction from her, as if she didn’t hear me.
“I once saw him fighting in the mountains, and he was the one to pull me underwater… You don’t believe me as always.” I couldn’t help but feel infuriated by her reaction—or rather, her lack of one. Whenever I said things I’ve scryed to Martha, I always got silence in return.
Martha finally finished her work and stood up to look at me. My eyes were full of expectations that she would say something this time, but…
“Seems like it’s due to lack of sleep that my lady is having weird dreams,” Martha commented. “I’ll ask His Majesty to send more books for my lady to study so her mind will stop imagining absurd things.”
“I don’t want to study those boring books.” I pulled the quilt over my head and lay in bed.
Martha came to fix the quilt properly. “Studying is important for my lady. One should have all kinds of knowledge if they wish to survive in this cruel world.”
I turned to one side, my back facing Martha. “I don’t see any of its use when I can’t even use that knowledge.”
“Then how come my lady recognized the flammable oil on that curtain and defended herself?”
Martha was right. It was because I have studied the situation of the nearby kingdoms and the current trade between them. Back then, I was curious to see what kind of expensive things were imported from the eastern kingdoms. Afterward, Martha brought one tiny bottle and showed it to me. We ended up using that expensive oil to ignite fire for our cooking lesson….Annoying cooking lesson.
Since I was young, Martha had taught me to read and write, and there was always a stock of books sent by the King for me to study. Though I wouldn’t say I liked studying as I was upset with my father and didn’t wish to follow any of his orders, I had to do it because of Martha, as she always found a way to make me do it.
Her favorite trick was, giving me a target, and if I finish it to her satisfaction, she will take me out. Sometimes, she would make my favorite food. Taking me out was the best deal for me, and I always did my best to get that deal done.
“Goodnight, my lady,” Martha said, but with me being stubborn, I didn’t wish her a goodnight back. I heard the door of my room open and close, which meant Martha had left.
Finally alone, my thoughts wandered about. ‘Why does the King want me to study everything? Not like I’ll be the one to rule his kingdom… Then…is this his way to torture me silently?’
Tired of having so many questions in my mind, I closed my eyes, only to remember that red-eyed man again. I couldn’t stop thinking if he was indeed the man I saw in my vision.
The first time, I could only see his back and tattoo. The second time, those red eyes and the same tattoo.
“It’s the same tattoo. I can’t be mistaken,” I mumbled. “Those eyes…?”
I focused on remembering and compared the eyes I saw in water and those I saw in the marketplace.
“Ahh!” I covered my mouth immediately to suppress myself from screaming loudly, or it would have ended up breaking all the glasses inside my bedchamber.
“Did…Did he just see me naked underwater?”
