Chapter 5
Still, it was unthinkable for Eden to smile and nod along while others beat his own kind, treated them like spoils of war, and even slaughtered them. Even if it was the only way to survive, it was simply too cruel. He could not bring himself to answer.
“Answer me, Eden. Understand? Will you? You must. You have to.”
“…I understand. I will.”
In the end, Eden nodded.
“Good. And once you enter the imperial palace, don’t breathe a word about me or your uncle. In that place, family is the greatest weakness, Eden.”
“Huh?”
Not understanding, Eden asked in confusion. How was he supposed to exchange letters with his uncle, then? He had left home without even saying a proper goodbye to him. Eden’s expression darkened.
“You know that your uncle was tortured for the crime of insulting the imperial family, right? That normally means rounding up every last relative, but no one knew he had you. He never mentioned you to anyone, not even once.”
As Eden listened to Nathan, a shadow crept across his face.
“That’s why the imperial family couldn’t find you when your uncle was brutally tortured in the palace. If they had seized you as well, both of you would have been exposed as monsters and killed on the spot.”
Eden froze at Nathan’s words. To think he had been his uncle’s weakness. His uncle had protected him, even as his mind broke. Eden raised his hands and buried his face in them. The imperial palace housed the people who had done such terrible things to his uncle. He despised himself for having felt even a momentary flutter of excitement at the thought of seeing its gardens. Eden bit hard on his lower lip as guilt surged the moment he thought of his uncle. The rims of his eyes peeking through his fingers were red.
“Eden, answer me. Do you understand?”
When Eden did not reply, Nathan asked again. Eden could not shake the feeling that he had abandoned his uncle.
“I will.”
Eden replied in a thick, choked voice.
“Good. If anything happens to your uncle, I’ll send a letter through someone else, so don’t worry.”
Only after hearing Nathan’s reassurance did Eden’s expression relax a little.
* * *
On the day he entered the palace, Eden said a brief goodbye to Nathan and hurried toward the palace grounds. The route was unfamiliar, and he had barely slept, tormented all night as worries about his uncle and the scenes from the previous afternoon flashed back and forth through his mind.
Yet the sight of the imperial palace was magnificent enough to banish every stray thought.
“Whoa…!”
The cry escaped his lips before he even realized it.
Even though he still had a long way to walk to the entrance, the palace’s sheer scale was overwhelming. Built of golden bricks and white marble, it shone beneath the blazing sun with a brilliance that made his eyes sting. He thought that even someone utterly unmoved by art would feel this light with every fiber of their being when standing before such a radiant palace. Gold and white were the royal colors, and in that instant, he completely understood why.
Yet along with his awe, Eden felt a wave of misery.
This southern kingdom was considered the wealthiest and mightiest nation on the continent because it held far more monsters than any other land. Though far outnumbered by humans, monsters were a common sight throughout the south. All of them had been brought back as slaves during invasions of other lands.
Monsters possessed the power to turn bad luck into good fortune. It was common knowledge that their extraordinary gift had played a part in the empire’s string of victories in war. In the process, however, humans had not hesitated to torture monsters to reap even greater fortune. They slaughtered the monsters’ families and severed their arms and legs to force out their true names and make their horns grow.
The imperial palace, endlessly praised by the people, was a monument built upon the corpses of monsters.
Eden stood frozen, staring at the imperial palace for a long time, before he finally started walking toward its gates. He had always loved greenery, but at that moment, his eyes took in only the palace directly ahead, not the foliage surrounding it. Feelings he couldn’t name swirled inside him.
At last, he was entering the palace.
A lush sanctuary he had dreamed of every single day, but also a place of contradictions that had driven his uncle mad.
* * *
“Phew…”
The palace was large beyond belief. The quarters where Eden was to stay lay at the eastern edge, and getting there from the entrance was quite a long walk. Eden quickened his pace, sweating profusely under the weight of his brushes and paints. By the time he reached the very quiet eastern annex, the heat had worn him out.
“Ugh, phew…”
Eden set his luggage down for a moment and wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead. Though it was called an annex, it was easily the size of a respectable mansion. Eden looked around in renewed admiration. He caught a glimpse of a garden behind the palace. Just then, a sullen-looking middle-aged woman walked out of the palace.
“You must be the new painter. Come inside. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
The woman stepped only as far as the edge of the shade and beckoned to him, as if she despised the sunlight. Eden followed her into the palace.
“I’m Emma. Head housekeeper for the eastern annex.”
“I’m E… Eden.”
Eden answered, scrambling to keep up as she strode down the hallway. Trying to follow her while weighed down with luggage left him breathless. Emma glanced back and slowed her pace.
“Sorry. Walking fast is a habit of mine. Is this your first time in the palace?”
“Yes. Today is my first time.”
“The eastern annex is the smallest, but it’s quiet, so you’ll like it. Members of the imperial family rarely come here unless it’s a special occasion.”
“Wait. This… this is considered small…?”
Eden looked astonished, then hastily masked his reaction. Did it show that he was from the countryside…? A pointless worry flickered through his mind.
“It’s called the Fairy Palace. That’s how small and cozy it is. I suppose you’re here to paint the garden, but the garden here doesn’t have a fountain, just a small pond.”
To think she called a garden with an entire pond small. Eden had to keep suppressing his astonishment.
“Um, excuse me…”
“This is where you’ll be staying. You can eat whenever you like in the basement dining room. Laundry goes in this bin here, and the storeroom attached to your room should already have the supplies you need. Go ahead and check. Oh, the easel and canvas were too large, so they’re in the shed out in the back of the garden.”
How large is the pond? The question he had meant to ask was swallowed up by Emma’s flood of instructions. Eden didn’t even have time to feel put off before she rattled off everything she needed to say and left the room even faster. Eden watched her disappear down the hall, then stepped inside his room, now alone. Well, it was probably better that she showed no interest in him.
The room wasn’t lavish, but it looked clean and comfortable. Eden opened the door to the small adjoining storeroom. Brushes, paints, clothing, and bedding were neatly arranged inside. He reached out and picked up a brush. It was of such fine quality that selling every brush he owned wouldn’t have bought even one of these. Just how large was the canvas? Could it be bigger than the one he had sold…? With that thought, Eden dashed down toward the garden out back.
“Good heavens…”
To call this a small garden was absurd. It was easily several times larger than the gardens back in his village. Unlike the rest of the imperial palace, where the trees were neatly manicured by a gardener’s hand, this garden was lush and vibrant, like a dense, deep forest. It felt as if fairies might actually appear when night fell.
With a small pond at its center, willow trees and unnamed wildflowers spread across the garden. When the breeze blew, early spring willow blossoms drifted down over the pond, and the branches brushed against each other with a soft rustle. It was a coolness that made one forget this southern kingdom’s heat.
Overwhelming emotion welled up from deep within him, bringing him close to tears.
Eden bolted toward the edge of the pond like a young child. Beyond the shade of the trees, the pond’s surface shimmered white, reflecting the sunlight. It looked as though someone had scattered diamonds across the water.
“Incredible…”
It was the exact garden he had dreamed of every day. Then he went to the shed to retrieve the canvas. He had to drag it for some time before he could finally pull the whole thing out. It was far larger than the painting he had sold. Eden caressed the canvas, his heart swelling. He had thought the painting he had been forced to sell was worth less than a cheap talisman, but apparently that was not the case.
To Eden, the imperial palace was a cruel place, but this garden was an unparalleled paradise.