The Young Daughter of the Goddess 15

Both hands were untied, and the hood was removed. Laban shook his head once and looked ahead. Two torches stood in place. Beyond them, Sabina was clad only in a thin tunic with a single cloak draped over her, just as she had been at Ekenos’s estate long ago. People used to say she looked like the young goddess Perdita as she ran barefoot over the black soil where corn seeds had been sown. If this were the age of myth, Sabina, who received such praise, would have soon been transformed into a bird or an insect by the goddess’s jealousy. But Sabina grew into a sensuous woman and eventually ascended to the position of queen. Was it because the goddess was merciful? Had the goddess blessed Sabina? Perhaps. Though she appeared the youngest among all the gods, people called her merciful Perdita. However, Perdita did not bear children. Of all the blessings Perdita bestows, fertility and childbirth were not among them. After all, she remained forever a maiden.

The soldiers who had brought Laban surrounded him, prepared to strike at any moment. They were dressed as ordinary soldiers, but upon closer inspection, they were the elite guards who protected the royal family. Laban glanced at Ribola, standing behind them, and let out a small laugh.

“Do we need spears and swords to meet with family?”

“It’s just for safety.”

“Is that so? Then who’s looking out for your safety? Her Majesty?”

“I believe I’ve heard that before, ‘Trust the words of a man in trouble over the mercy of her Majesty.’ I heard it in the rain, when my arms were still intact.”

Laban furrowed his brow, trying to figure out what that meant. At that moment, Sabina spoke.

“Everyone, withdraw. I want to speak with my brother alone after such a long time.”

Ribola bowed and led the soldiers out. They were only outside but would remain on high alert. If there were even the slightest hint of trouble, they would rush in immediately. It was impossible for Laban to escape from them.

“It’s been three years.”

“Three years indeed, sister.”

“That sounds better than ‘Your Majesty.'”

“It seems no one who calls you ‘Your Majesty’ truly cares for you, sister.”

Sabina laughed.

“Is that so? Roandros doesn’t even call me ‘Your Majesty.'”

“His Majesty doesn’t seem to truly care for any woman.”

“No woman, indeed. That’s very close to the truth.”

Sabina shrugged her shoulders and let her cloak fall to the ground.

“So, did you cherish in his place instead?”

Laban nearly fell into the trap. He paused for a breath, then pretended not to understand.

“What are you talking about? I didn’t know you wanted to bring that up.”

“Bring up what? The fact that you betrayed me?”

“Well, I have no desire to rehash the past, but if we’re pointing fingers, wasn’t it you who betrayed me?”

“I had no choice. It was Father’s decision. Do you think I could have disobeyed him?”

Laban suppressed a laugh. Now was not the time for laughter. If he made Sabina angry, she would return to the topic she intended to raise from the beginning. He had to steer the conversation away. Not to the events of three years ago, but to those of twelve years ago.

“Oh, I see. I didn’t know. So, on the day of the royal wedding, you looked so happy on the palanquin because you couldn’t defy it, and you had already resigned yourself?”

“Why did you watch that? You, of all people, shouldn’t have wanted to see such a sight, should you?”

“Ha, you might have wished for me to take my own life instead?”

“I never wanted that. I believed you wouldn’t change. Just as you had promised.”

Laban closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. Sabina was still looking at him with sparkling eyes. The rumors that her beauty had faded recently were unfounded. But now he knew what lay behind that beauty. Endless arrogance that demanded everyone move for her sake. How many people had been crushed by that arrogance?

Suddenly, Sabina approached and pressed her lips against his. Perhaps he should have accepted that kiss. But the deep-seated aversion in his heart froze his lips. Sabina soon withdrew, wearing a subtle smile. Laban shook his head and spoke.

“So, you left to covet the title of mother to the people and thought your brother would wait for you forever?”

“It wasn’t about coveting anything. I simply…”

“Simply didn’t want to let go of even a single grain of wheat you held in your hand, is that it?”

Sabina shrugged her shoulders.

“But I did let go. You’re no longer within my grasp.”

“And have you forgotten the sacrifices I made in the process?”

“The woman and the child? Did you expect me to forgive a woman who bore a child I couldn’t? If she thought she could continue living happily with you, a commoner with no family, wasn’t that arrogance too? After all, she was only a concubine…”

Laban clenched his fist and struck the air. Unconsciously, his voice grew louder.

“Iole was my wife!”

Sabina stared at him. The sister who once resembled a goddess did not understand how to swap her misfortunes with those of others. She struggled to fill what was lacking in herself but only saw others’ lack as a flaw. Her once-beautiful face now seemed distorted. At the same time, the faces of Tina and Gene overlapped with hers. Laban had sworn to protect them. He would not lose them helplessly, as he had Iole and Beleas. He must not let his emotions take over. He forced himself to calm down.

“This is quite the place for a heartfelt conversation, isn’t it?”

Sabina responded immediately.

“It would have been better if you hadn’t brought up such unpleasant topics. This place holds so many memories, doesn’t it?”

It had been over a decade since either of them had been here. The white house situated on the high hill of the royal capital belonged to Ekenos’ mother, that is, the siblings’ grandmother’s villa. All of the siblings had memories of coming here to play during their childhood. After their grandmother passed away, no one had lived here, and only a maid would come by occasionally to clean. In other words, it had been the perfect place for a nineteen- and twenty-one-year-old to engage in a reckless affair.

“If we had followed through with our plan to flee far away, to a place like Piroas, things might be very different now, don’t you think?”

Would Sabina be the person she was today if that had happened? It was impossible to know. Perhaps they would have realized their true selves later and parted in disgust. Or maybe they would have retained the tenderness of their barefoot childhoods. Despite countless promises, in the end, Laban was the only one who went to Piroas. Though, he hadn’t gone alone.

“I’m not sure. But I wonder if you wouldn’t be happier now, sister.”

“I’m not. Because I couldn’t fill the palace with my children.”

“That’s unfortunate. It seems the goddess who blessed you must have overlooked something.”

“She forgot something very important. A woman without children in the Epherium royal family is nothing more than a scarecrow. If someone else bears a child, I can’t even be a background figure. It doesn’t matter whether they come from a noble family, whether they’re beautiful, or whether they have any refinement. Being the daughter of the great Ekenos means nothing. Only bearing children matters! Isn’t it unbearably disgusting?”

“You’re right, but it seems to me that’s not the only disgusting thing in the world.”

Sabina, lost in her own thoughts, barely heard what Laban said before she suddenly blurted out.

“That’s why I can’t forgive that woman.”

Laban tensed up and spoke slowly.

“Iole is already dead.”

“Who’s talking about her? I mean Erectina. The filthy, ignorant dancer who bore Roandros’s son.”

Laban tilted his head in confusion.

“I remember her, but didn’t she die long ago?”

Sabina suddenly burst into a sharp laugh.

“You’re quite the actor. If I didn’t know better, I might’ve believed you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re hiding them. That woman and that child.”

Laban pressed his lips tightly together before letting out a deep sigh.

“This is absurd. Where did you get such delusions? A dream?”

“Something like that. But it’s far more credible than a dream. Now, tell me. Where are they, and how are they living?”

“If you’re going to accuse me without evidence, do I have to humor your delusions? Fine. The two of them are in heaven. I visit there from time to time. They’re doing well, naturally, since it’s heaven. Satisfied?”

“Do you think I’m asking because I don’t know where they are? I’m just testing how much truth you’ll admit to. Stop the nonsense.”

“Why don’t you stop with the nonsense, sister?”

Sabina stepped closer, standing right in front of Laban, staring into his eyes. Laban didn’t back down. Sabina spoke.

“You lost your wife or whatever she was, and your child. That’s why you felt sympathy when you saw Erectina and Politimos. That’s why you smuggled them out beyond the Full Moon Gate. You almost got caught when you came back alone, but you made up some story about a brothel and escaped. Did you really think I believed that lie? I’m not a fool. I know you’re not the type to frequent brothels. You’ve always been like that. You only ever care about one person at a time, and you have a strong sense of fairness. That’s why you took care of those two, wasn’t it? To spite me.”

“I see. So, you’re saying that just like you killed Iole and Beleas, I saved those two, the ones you’re now trying to kill. If that were true, it would indeed be an admirable deed. It would have been even better if it had really happened. But for that to be the case, I would have had to instantly recognize His Majesty’s favored concubine, whom I’d never seen before, concoct a plan, and smuggle her out of the country. That wouldn’t have been easy, even for me. A pity, really.”

“How could you not recognize her? When that woman gave birth to a son, they paraded her in a flower palanquin all over the city, throwing gold coins everywhere!”

“Don’t assume everyone in the world shares the same interests as you. Whether His Majesty has a prince or not means nothing to me. Besides, I had no need for gold coins.”

Laban remained unperturbed, and Sabina furrowed her brow, blinking several times. Her certainty seemed to waver.

“No, you’re lying.”

“Well, well. Did you receive an oracle or something? If you were so sure, why didn’t you do anything for three years? I may have wandered far and wide, but I always returned for Father’s memorial.”

Sabina pursed her lips, then sharply turned her head and called out.

“Ayub!”

Laban thought to himself. Yes, I knew he would show up.

The door leading to the terrace opened, and a man wearing a hood entered, bowing toward Laban. Even though he had been expecting it, Laban couldn’t help but feel tense. Ayub spoke.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again after yesterday. This place has such a beautiful view. Even standing outside, I wasn’t bored. I hear this is the place where you both played as children.”

“Spare me the idle talk. I take it you’re here because you’ve delivered an oracle?”

“I deal with demons, not gods.”

“So, demons are acting as spies these days, are they? You’ve been trailing me for three years, and now you’ve reported that I’ve hidden a woman in a faraway land? It seems I should have remained celibate to avoid suspicion.”

Ayub bowed again before speaking.

“I must apologize in advance, for what I am about to say may be unpleasant.”

Laban’s brow furrowed. Ayub turned to Sabina.

“As you know, some years ago, you commanded that a demon be attached to Erectina, His Majesty’s favored concubine, and her son. Demons, being avatars of gluttony, cannot return to the earth until they have consumed the bones and flesh of those to whom they are bound. However, that demon disappeared. Therefore, I reported to you that they must have perished. Although no bodies were found, there is usually little left after a demon feasts. The fact that not even a strand of hair remained was somewhat curious, but there were traces of blood, so I reported it as such, and you, after much consideration, accepted it. After all, it is impossible for a demon to taste blood and then retreat.”

Though Laban had already guessed much from what Tina had told him, hearing it spoken so bluntly was still revolting. Sabina merely gestured for him to continue.

“You may not be aware, but one cannot attach a demon to the same person twice. In fact, there is rarely a need to do so. However, I have always harbored some doubts. Then, last night, when I saw Laban at your family’s estate, I suddenly realized the truth. This is an extremely rare case, one I have never encountered in my lifetime. I do not know the reason, but when a demon returns to the earth without killing its target, the incomplete spell remains attached to that person. The spell to summon a demon is simple, and thus, the pressure to complete it is incredibly strong. As time passes without resolution, the spell continues to swirl around the target, like endlessly drawing the same circle on a piece of paper. Eventually, the paper tears. This is what happens—the pressure of the spell begins to break the natural flow around the target. Sorcerers call this the ‘tributary of magic,’ though we practitioners of demon sorcery do not deal with magic, so we simply call it natural energy. In any case, while an ordinary person would experience no harm, someone like me, who deals with sorcery, or a magician, would immediately notice the broken flow. And when I saw Laban yesterday, I noticed it around him.”

“Really? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re telling me that there’s something around me, and you’re certain it’s because of the spell you cast on some woman years ago? Quite a convincing argument, as if you’re the only sorcerer or magician in the world.”

“I would never dare to suggest such arrogance. No, it’s because of this.”

Ayub pulled back his cloak, revealing his forearm. His forearm was covered in small tattoos resembling symbols, all in the ancient script known as “Ifnish.” Laban, having studied the classics, recognized them immediately. However, they were inverted, merged, or had additional marks, distorting their forms. He had heard that such alterations were used for curses or dark sorcery. There were at least twenty such marks on one arm alone. Ayub pointed to one of them with his finger.

“Look.”