I was vacuously staring outside the window because I was missing the sun. Since I woke up after a month, I was strictly monitored by my parents, especially my brother who is attending me every meal time. He had just left and I am all alone again.
I can’t leave my room. That’s the rule. And why?
Because I used too much Ahmose that day.
When I woke up that day, my mother asked everyone to leave to talk to me alone. Remembering that moment still gives me chills. I thought I was going to get caught.
**** My mother’s eyes pierced through me as if she was swatting my whole being, even what is in my head. She grabbed my arms and squeezed it. And my body trembled because I was thinking that she might have discovered me.
“Did you practice ‘humming’ with that body?”
I flinched and I was flabbergasted.
How did she know I hummed?
Ackh. I almost forgot that she is Princess Epiphany’s mother and she inherited her Ahmose from her mother.
I gulped. I need to be careful to not spill what I really did. And I cannot say I used Ahmose to Acacius because they might do something to him.
“I… I’m sorry, mother.”
I felt the loosening of her grip and I slowly relaxed when her intimidating look cooled down to gentle.
“No, baby,” She sighed.
“You don’t have to be sorry. I will let this go and I will not tell your father and brother about this. Just be aware of your condition first before using the technique of ‘humming’.”
I nodded. Why does she sound like ‘humming’ is such a big deal? I slept that long because my body was exhausted when I used Ahmose to Acacius right?
“It seems like I have neglected to discuss to you the nature of ‘humming’, my child.” She looked at me with gentle eyes.
Huh? Is it really a big deal?
Come to think of it. In the novel, Princess Epiphany only hummed once. It was when she first met the male lead. The male lead was injured that time and she hummed to heal it.
The rest of the novel, I never noticed if she has used it but it was described in the novel that there is still more that humming can do. That is why I tested it on Acacius. I was pretty sure that I had casted a powerful ability on Acacius but I never thought that it would cost me to sleep a month just because of that.
What is really the ability of this humming?
“My daughter, humming is very powerful yet it is the one that will cause your body to weaken… even I, I don’t usually do it because it is draining my body…”
****
My mother explained the nature of ‘humming’ that day and I could say that it was my fault because of my ignorance. The ‘humming’ I did- cost me to get drained plus my body was still weak because I had just recovered from many years of being malnourished.
And this is why they don’t want me to leave my room because they are planning to make me gain weight before I go out.
My loud groan echoed in my room as I dropped my body to my bed. And I was startled when the door suddenly opened.
“Are you feeling well, my lady?” A bunch of maids came inside. They looked terrified and worried.
“Huh?”
“I heard a sound, my lady. I will be calling the doctor-
“Wait!” I got up to stop them.
Damn it. It must be my loud complaining groan.
“I… I’m fine. I am doing well.” I showed them a smile.
“Are you sure, my lady?” The other one sniffed, and it seems like she is going to cry seconds later.
“I’m fine. I will be sleeping for a while.”
“Yes, my lady!”
I sighed when the door was closed. I dropped my body back to my bed and I stared blankly at my golden ceiling.
Haaa. I still can’t get used to having such a golden room. But I am well aware that this golden room helped Princess Epiphany live after that incident.
As far as I can remember in the novel, when Princess Epiphany touched the divine bubble, she lost her consciousness. The two royal guards that escorted her got terrified to be blamed so they ran away. She was lying alone there, dying, and no one helped her except for this strong young beggar who bravely lifted her back to her carriage and told the coachman to quickly aid her.
And that was Acacius.
Acacius was that young beggar who bravely yet shamelessly touched a noble to help her. If it wasn’t for him, Princess Epiphany might have really died there. And because of what he did, Prince Eunuoa took him and his friends out of their misery as beggars. He then raised him in the Dukedom and trained him to be his sister’s personal knight.
Prince Eunuoa was the one who named him ‘Acacius’ and he also gave him last name which is ‘Xerxes’. Anyone that has this last name is an honourable knight of the Dukedom. And he was even appointed as the Princess Epiphany’s personal knight which even made him more respectable.
Acacius…
He died protecting Princess Epiphany. He died crying because he wasn’t able to protect…
Oh, f*ck. I’m crying.
Just like when I read the novel, I cried all night when he died. I never thought that I am going to cry again even now.
And damn it. Just where is he now?
I’m sad. I will be sad if that happens again.
Acacius might have died in the novel but now that I exist inside it, I will thwart it.
Acacius, just live. I want you to be happy. I will repay what you have done to Princess Epiphany.
***
Acacius was silently reflecting on himself in the black tower of the Dukedom. He almost couldn’t open his eyes because of his big bags.
He had been crying since the first day his lady hadn’t woken up. He was blaming himself for what happened to his lady. And when Prince Eunuoa punched him to the face for his inability to protect her, he was happy that it was such a painful attack which is enough to make him realize that he is still weak to protect his lady.
He was sentenced to reflect inside the black tower until he will be pardoned.
Isolation in the black tower is the worst punishment that the knights of the Dukedom are afraid of. It was all gloomy, cold, and eerie. You could only hear the sound of the wind passing by and you are only given two meals a week.
This is known as the worst punishment because everyone believes that ‘silence is deafening enough to make you crazy’.
For Acacius, he willingly accepted the punishment because he thinks that he deserved it. What is hunting him every second is his guilt and that is why he is drowning to his sadness.
Acacius was already feeling weak at that time because it’s been a month. But then, suddenly, he started hearing his lady’s voice.
He immediately stood up to be attentive. He placed his ear near the wall to hear it louder. It was really his lady. She was singing such a sad song that he couldn’t help but let his tears come out.
He was so relieved that his lady had finally woken up. He wants to see his lady’s condition with his own eyes but…
“Please forgive me, my lady.”
Prince Eunoua stopped scribbling his pen when her sister’s voice echoed in his ears. His heart immediately skipped with the melody that penetrated his ears. It was such a sad song, a heart breaking song that he thinks if it won’t stop, his heart will turn cold and will stop beating.
What’s worrying here is his sister’s emotion. This means that she is sad and he needs to go to her right away.
In a snap, he was now watching his sister looking out the window. Her room is full of blue lines that terrified him. This is his first time to see lines from his sister. And it’s blue. It’s so light that he could only feel more terrified because of how sad she is.
***
The moment I started to sing, my tears stopped and my heavy heart started to light. However, whenever I think of Acacius being punished for something he didn’t do, I feel sad because he protected Princess Epiphany until his end.
I stood up from my bed to look at the sky which made me even bluer because the clouds were gloomy and dark. I wonder if they could hear my voice all over the mansion again? What would they think if they heard such a sad song?
This song… is one of the songs I never had a chance to have a cover in my previous life. I have always wanted to sing it because it is my comfort whenever I am sad but when my boss heard me sing it, he threatened me with my body and he told me not to sing a sad song ever again.
Now come to think of it, what happened to him now that I died falling from above his company? He cried so much that time…
“Are you looking for Acacius?”
I flinched when I heard a voice from my back. So then, I turned to see Prince Eunuoa.
“Yes.”
I’d be lying to his face if I don’t tell him right away. I had a feeling that he blamed Acacius for my sudden sickness. Acacius will never leave my side except if he gets obliged to something. He had a soft spot when it comes to Princess Epiphany so if she gets sick, he would blame himself for not protecting her.
“Why? Why do you want to see him? Are you sad because he isn’t here?”
My eyes expanded. What?
Why does he look… pained?

That moment, I felt the skipping of my chest because I could see the water forming in his eyes.
“Why are you looking for him when I am here? You can just call me when you’re feeling sad…”
His tears fell and I panicked.
“I… I’m sorry, brother!”
I didn’t know what to do. That is why I found my arms wrapped around his waist.
“I’m sorry for making you sad, brother. I… I was just sad because I think… I think there is something bad that might have happened to Acacius… I’m sorry, please don’t cry. I… I will call you in the future.”
I sank my face to his abdomen. He is so tall that I don’t want to look up to him because I think my neck would hurt. I hope he will let this go and won’t do anything to Acacius. Please, work. Please!
There was a bit of silence there. I didn’t move and then later, I felt his hand on my head and he tapped it.
“Alright, I will be releasing Acacius for you.”
“Really?” I looked up to him and he is now smiling which is a relief.
I was right. He has punished Acacius.
“Yes.”
I smiled. I showed the best genuine smile I could do and I hugged him again.
“Thank you so much, brother!”
That’s a relief. Acacius didn’t do anything. It was my intention to use Ahmose with him but I don’t regret doing that.
“Do you want to go out for a walk?”
I broke the hug to look up to Prince Eunuoa whose smile on his lips was wide. And because I have always wanted to go out, my eyes were sparkling.
“Really? Will you take me out? Won’t mother and father get upset?”
“No, as long as this brother is accompanying his sister”
I gasped in shock when he suddenly lifted me in his arms like a doll. I was startled that I unintentionally wrapped my arms around his neck because I felt like I was suddenly lifted to heaven.
When I looked below me, I still couldn’t get used to how high I could be lifted by Prince Eunuoa.
Just how tall is he, 7 feet? And wait- how old is Princess Epiphany now?
“You are still so light, Tia. I could lift you with just one arm. I think I need to add two more meals every day in your schedule.”
My jaw dropped.
What? I couldn’t eat almost all of the food they gave me three times a day and now the number of meals will be added??
“You’re so small for a seventeen year-old Princess. I guess it is because of that incident, now that I remember it, I want to destroy the temple.”
I looked at him blankly, while watching his deadly smile like he was already planning on destroying the temple just because he remembered that incident.
So I am 17 years old as of now. That means it has been eight years since Princess Epiphany met the male lead. And…
I will be captured by the temple with the help of the female and male lead after I debut.
This year, the Duke and the Duchess will be missing…
“Sometimes I want to know what is on your mind, Tia.”
I flinched when I heard Prince Eunuoa’s voice again. He seems to have stopped walking and was watching while I was lost in my thoughts.
If he says that, it means that he wants to know what is going on in my mind.
Should I ask him?
Prince Eunoua killed himself for his sister. That means he loves her so much to the point that he is willing to die for his sister. I bet he would believe it if I joked that I have travelled across the universe. But of course, he might kill me if he finds out that his sister’s soul wasn’t healed but was replaced.
“Brother, why do mother and father travel often?”
Yes. I have been curious to that since I was reading the novel. The Duke wasn’t always at home and he didn’t stop travelling even after marriage. Does the Duchess like travelling too?
“So you are thinking about that?” He smiled as he started walking again. His voice was gentle.
I clung to his neck. I don’t know but I feel a sense of protection from him. And instead of being flustered because of his unrealistic beauty, I was feeling more admiration, maybe because Princess Epiphany’s emotion is more dominant than mine that it is impossible for me to fall in love with him.
“Hmm. Father has been obsessed with discovering new things. Since he was young, he likes travelling and he eventually expanded his territory. He has helped many towns that have suffered from scarcity and drought. That is why people appointed him as their lord and served him. As for our mother, she was a wanderer. She likes travelling with mercenaries and helping them as well.”
“They both liked travelling, that’s why?”
“Yes.”
“Have you ever known when or where they have met?”
“Hmmm. I think it was when our father was ambushed by bandits. He suddenly heard a song and the attack suddenly stopped because the bandits were bewitched to listen to the song. And so, he killed them right away to find whose voice that belongs.”
“Wow. It was a ‘love at first hear’?” I casually chuckled.
I just find myself comfortable with him somehow.
“I think so. That is why I don't like you to sing for ‘that’ man.”
Is he referring to… the male lead?
“Who?”
He stopped and looked at me. He looked shocked but then eventually, his lips crept up as if he had achieved the biggest triumph in life.
“It seems that my sister has forgotten something that is necessary to be forgotten. I am happy to have witnessed this progress, Tia. Keep this up and you don’t have to think of it more.”
He had a very big smile when we left the manor. I wasn’t able to speak because I was busy watching how happy he is to think that I have forgotten the male lead. It’s good that I pretended to have forgotten him but I know that I will meet him sooner or…
He might be watching me from far away.