Eton really disappeared.

Sezh frequently checked the dull room he usually resided in; but, the absence of its owner confirmed her suspicions. She sat at the empty table, looked around one final time, and went to her tutoring. She knew Eton was only just a friend she recently made in the palace. She had become friendly with Raytan first, but, without realizing it, she had also given Eton a lot of affection in her heart. She got worried about him too.

He said he was leaving to find a magic stone, but she couldn’t be sure where he went exactly. Sezh had no choice but to pray in her heart. She hoped that Eton would keep his promise and return before she grew up and left the Imperial Palace.

***

The founding celebration finally began.

The celebration is recognized as the largest event in the entire Denhelder Empire. On the first day, there was a sacrifice at the beginning of the celebration. Various large and small competitions were also held.

The royal family and the nobles gathered together in a stupid place, as Eton said, and had an excuse to enjoy a night in the ballroom. They became intoxicated with alcohol and even seemed to do some strange things when no eyes were watching. When Luna coincidentally passed by, she said, ‘Lady Yerena will be busy for the time being.’

Bern, Lillian, and the rest of the Imperial children all attended the celebration. However, there was no one inviting Sezh and Raytan. When she was young, she often thought, ‘I want to go too’ or ‘I can be quiet without making any sound’, but such thoughts had lessened now. When Sezh asked Raytan, he said he wouldn’t even want to be invited to go there.

“Isn’t Brother curious?”

“If I thought about something stupid like that, I will hang my neck and die,” he replied.

Sezh sealed her lips.

Anyway, those who were not invited to the celebration continued living their regular life. In other words, Raytan and Sezh studied at Lize’s palace as usual. Sezh walked around the palace every day, but she couldn’t even see the tip of Lady Lize’s nose. She seemed very busy. The Emperor attended the ball every day, and it was always her job to stay by his side.

Sezh worried several times a day whether Lady Lize, who suffered from a weak body, could cope with such heavy activity. However, all the people who went to and from the palace unanimously agreed and said, ‘Lady Lize is as beautiful as ever today.’ Still, even if she seemed to be handling herself, Sezh was secretly concerned.

Like a whirlwind, it was now the last day of the founding celebration.

“That’s it for today,” Raytan said, indicating that it was the end of tutoring that day. He then closed the cover of the book.

“Okay,” Sezh nodded and also organized her books.

Raytan and Sezh walked out together from Lady Lize’s palace as usual. The sky was dark, and the cool air eagerly welcomed their bodies.

After walking a few steps, Sezh looked back. Then walked a few steps more before turning around again for the second time. Raytan, with knitted brows, was staring at her.

“What did you leave behind?”

“Um, it’s not that… “

“Then why… “

Sezh hesitated for a moment. She couldn’t think of an answer that would sound good to Raytan’s ears. He was not a person that would easily believe a lie. Sezh just decided to be honest.

“That is, today is the last day of the founding celebration.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

Instead of answering, Sezh pointed her finger in the direction of the temple.

“Soon, there is going to be an announcement that the celebration has already ended.”

“Are you curious about stupid people doing stupid things?”

How can his reaction be similar to Eton’s? Sezh laughed.

“It’s not that. You know, Brother. There’s a belief that if you hold a grand celebration, God will be impressed, and a golden rain will fall.”

His face was saying, ‘What kind of goddamned nonsense is this kid talking about?’

“Luna told me. And the scale of this year’s celebration is so incredibly great… So there are a lot of people saying that the golden rain might come pouring down in Delhender. I’m also curious about it…”

It wasn’t a lie. Luna really did say it. The Emperor prepared quite enthusiastically this time. That means all kinds of valuable items and expensive food are coming into the palace. Sezh had watched the lines a few times. Many fully-loaded carriages endlessly entered the Imperial Palace in just one day. She was curious. With such an enormous festival, Sezh wondered if the golden rain might fall this time.

But then again, Raytan seemed not to be as curious as her.

“Even if the golden rain pours, what does it have to do with you and me?”

“Uh…. “

“If only someone sets a fire, then it will be a little fun.”

It was a place where the Imperial family and nobles gathered. If there is a fire there, the Denhelder Empire would be a mess. To say such dangerous words with a casual expression, it was really his unique talent.

“If you don’t want to get a fever, stop spitting bullshit and follow me.”

After that, Raytan hastened his steps. Sezh laboriously tried to match his pace with her little legs.

Well, Raytan’s words are right. Whether the golden rain falls or not, it has nothing to do with them. However, she was still curious. But while making up a disappointed expression, something crossed her mind.

‘…Don’t be disappointed. Yeah, that’s right… The path you use every time you come to Lize’s palace. If you walk a little past it, there is a hill behind the path. Go there.’

Sezh automatically stopped walking.

‘All you have to do is go there and bring one wheat bread and a glass of clean water. Then, a god will give you a gift.’

She shifted her vision to the inside of her bag. There were still some pieces of strawberry cake that Marie had packed for her. There was water too. She already drank a little bit, but no one could tell. Maybe it could still work?

“Why did you stop walking? This stup-… Sezh.”

Raytan, who hastily took back his words, turned his head around to her and frowned slightly. Sezh was making a determined expression that didn’t suit her at all.

“Brother, could you help me with one thing?”

“What is it?”

“Will you listen?”

“I asked what it is.”

“Can you tell me that you’ll listen first?”

“Why… “

When it became like this, Sezh had nothing to say. She stared at Raytan and closed her mouth. What should she say to him? She pondered hard about it, but not even a sentence came to mind. Whatever she would tell him, it seemed Raytan would say, ‘Don’t spit any bullshit, go back to your palace.’

Sezh made a pitiful expression and laid her eyes on him. But will this work?

However, his reaction was unanticipated by her.

Raytan’s face got horrified in an instant. He checked on Sezh while grabbing her wrist. Then he stopped and just scratched the back of his head. She was reminded of the incident when her mouth was sealed.

“What is it… “

“… “

“I’m gonna tell you this just once. I won’t go to that celebration even if I die. I never want to be mixed up with stupid peop-“

“No!”

“Then?”

“I’m not about to say that we should go there.”

“Then what… “

Sezh giggled. She then abruptly grabbed his hand. In response to that, Raytan’s eyes shook and widened, but he didn’t try even a little bit to release his hand from hers.

***

Sezh dragged Raytan to a small hill behind the path that had Eton mentioned. There was no one on the hill. No, to be more precise, it seemed that even their footsteps had stopped sounding a long time ago. It was a hill that didn’t grow a single blade of grass.

It was still spring. All kinds of flowers are blooming all over the Imperial Palace. So, it was bewildering that nothing grew in this place. There were just dead and dry trees. And, every time the smallest amount of wind blew, sand scattered.

The hill was in the middle of the forest, but it looks like a desert.

“What do you want to do here?”

Reluctantly dragged here, Raytan had an unhappy face. Sezh thought Raytan was about to leave her, so she looked at him and asked him to sit down.

“Please take a seat for a minute. I will finish in a short amount of time.”

Although he didn’t look thrilled, Raytan was surprisingly listening to her well. He leaned against a dead tree and just watched her.

Sezh subsequently took out the cake and her water bottle. But there was one problem that she didn’t think about. Where should she put the offering to dedicate it? Although she hadn’t seen it properly and didn’t know the details, Sezh was sure that the Imperial sacrifice altar was incomparably magnificent. Whether it’s an ornately decorated altar or a solemn ceremony… Sezh wandered around the barren hill.

“What are you doing?”

“Wait a minute.”

Still, they couldn’t just come here and do nothing. Just in time, her eyes caught a stone buried in a corner. Sezh groaned while digging at the dry soil. She couldn’t offer the food on the ground, so it was a temporary solution she came up with in a hurry.

Sezh, who with all respect was passionately digging up soil, didn’t notice Raytan looking at her like a crackpot.

“Whew…”

After struggling for long, Sezh succeeded in digging up the stone. It looked a little out of shape, but it was better than nothing. She wiped the stone with the hem of her dress and put the strawberry cake that Marie had packed along with the water bottle on it.

And that was the end…

Nothing happened. Only the gentle, dry wind blew.

‘Eton, you damn uncle!’

Sezh swore with madness inside. She knew it. It was a complete mistake to believe his words in the first place. She even regretted that she was sad about him leaving. Just go wherever you want to! He might have tricked her and must be seeing this stupid look of Sezh’s from a distance while laughing ridiculously.

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to do, but come here and sit down.”

Her lips sulkily pouted as a reply. Even so, Sezh couldn’t say anything about it, since she was the one who subjected herself to doing this stupid thing. Sezh quietly sat down next to Raytan.

Silence fell between the two of them. Raytan incredibly didn’t say, ‘Didn’t I tell you to shut up about your idea before’ or ‘Stupid kid’ at all. He just leaned against the tree and looked down at the Imperial Palace beneath them. Sezh’s gaze also followed along.

Somehow, the Imperial Palace they overlooked from the hill was like a different world. The bright twinkling lights and the small-looking people were beautiful to look at… but Sezh knew. Every day in that beautiful Imperial Palace, difficult things happen, and the breath of innocent people who live there is always choked…

Sezh was the same. In her life, she had never been happy to live at the seemingly small Imperial Palace. She always wished that tomorrow wouldn’t come before she fell asleep every day. And when morning came, she always hoped that today she wouldn’t meet anyone, and could pass the day quietly. Such hell-like days continued over and over until her throat was sliced and she fell to the floor, sending her back to her twelve-year-old body.

Sezh suddenly looked at Raytan, who was sitting next to her. He had the same expression as usual, but now she seemed to know a little. In the midst of those red eyes was loneliness. She was like that too…

It was ironic. The fact that it was Raytan who healed her loneliness and made Sezh look forward to tomorrow. And today too. Although she forcefully dragged him here, he did not throw her hand off and only matched her steps.

“Brother.”

Instead of answering, he just swiveled his eyes towards her. Sezh paused for a while, then spoke again.

“Thank you.”

“… “

“Thank you for teaching me Kazaki, thank you for having meals with me sometimes, and thank you for coming here with me today…”

Every time she thought about it, Sezh was grateful. But the thing that she was most grateful for was…

“Thank you, Brother. For being on my side.”

For taking care of her, the thing that even her mother didn’t do. All the swearing she got until she was used to it and the absolute truth of loneliness because there was no one willing to be on her side… Sezh was so grateful for Raytan to the point that she wanted to cry.

In the meantime, Raytan stared at her and parted his lips with a scoff.

“That sounds stupid,” he continued with more hurtful sentences. “And don’t be mistaken. When am I ever on your side?”

In the past, Sezh would have said ‘Ah, yes, so it’s like that.’ But now she knew after spending a long time together with him: Raytan is just making useless noises. Of course, it was not any warm comforting words, but that was because she knew he wasn’t used to saying such things.

So, Sezh chose to laugh.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Just because.”

“Don’t laugh. It’s annoying.”

“Brother doesn’t admit it, but it’s okay. Instead, please listen to me! I will always be on Brother’s side!”

Sezh was sincere. Although at first, she was obsessed with the idea of ‘I have to buy his favor and survive,’ but it’s not the same now. She was thankful to him. She would willingly take his side anytime.

It seemed that Raytan was also the same. He stayed here beside her. Plus, he got worried about her too on a few occasions.

It was good to be like that.

“… I can’t even understand what you are talking about.”

Raytan shuddered. He stopped talking and jumped from his seat. Sezh just locked her lips and smiled lightly.

However, it seemed that Raytan wasn’t content with the smile. He frowned and looked at Sezh. Moreover, he still held his tongue and didn’t say anything. But Sezh could hear him mumble in a small voice, ‘This idiot…No, I’m not’ or ‘Such a fool.’

Was Raytan feeling hot? He suddenly released a few buttons on his white shirt. Sezh’s eyes, looking at Raytan, soon rounded. She saw something unbelievable.

“Brother, that… “

Sezh carefully opened her mouth.