Chapter 12 - Secret Portal

She changed into the stolen palace maid’s uniform, just to avoid suspicion at all costs. Her petite face was hidden conveniently by the large lace bonnet that came with the uniform. Luckily her plain appearance did not rouse any suspicions from the maids she brushed past on her way to the wall.

Viola quietly slipped into the garden maze and steadied a hand against the hedge walls as she made her way forward, making sure to count each step she took.

‘It’s eighty steps from here to there… and ninety steps from over there… Next, a hundred…’

She practiced measuring the length of the maze with her strides, taking note of which direction she turned and how far she walked in case she needed to retrace her steps. Such meticulous notes were probably unnecessary, but it was good practice just in case. How far was she going to continue measuring like this? At the next junction, Viola crossed the intricate garden maze and came face to face with the enormous wall she had glimpsed before.

“Building such a tall wall here… What makes this place any different from a prison?”

She swept her palm across the wall to get a sense of its texture, but something felt strange. Viola ran her hand again over the spot she just crossed, and a mysterious current of air brushed past fingertips. Startled, she tried to pull away, but to her surprise her hands were slowly getting sucked into the wall.

“Huh? What… what is this?!”

Viola swallowed a scream. She glanced anxiously at the wall that was pulling her in against her will and then tightly shut her eyes. As she braced herself for some unknown impact, she found it never occurred. Confused, she opened her eyes to look around, and the sight left her both  frightened and surprised.

She was now on the other side of the wall, in the forest connecting the Royal Villa to the Crown Prince’s Palace.

“… This… This…” she muttered in astonishment. “What is this? Is this Magic?”

Wide-eyed, Viola touched the wall again and found herself sucked in by some unknown force. A moment later, she realized she had returned to the side facing the Royal Villa.

“… I’m sure of it, now. This is a magic passageway… Who made this?”

She wasn’t sure who would have created such a portal, but she was reasonably sure it could not have been anyone from the Arpen Empire. With how strict security around the Royal Villa was, they would not have allowed such magic to remain in place if they knew it existed…

“I should come back in the daytime.”

Viola decided she had discovered enough for today and turned around to leave. At the same time, a sudden breeze carrying an enchanting, floral aroma surrounded her being. The scent was so powerful and alluring, her body trembled with excitement. Curious as to what kind of flowers emitted such an intense perfume, Viola followed the trail deeper into the forest.

She didn’t know why, but the smell made her heart pound. Her heart was beating so fast that it surprised her. Other than the loud pounding in her chest, the forest was extremely silent. Even her cautious footsteps along the moonlit path seemed unreasonably loud compared to the stillness of her surroundings.

Then, a gorgeous lake spread out before her eyes.

‘Bea… beautiful!’

Unknowingly, Viola gasped in admiration. Her feet began unconsciously moving forward, as if drawn in by the waves that shined like silver on the surface of the lake. A sea of crimson flowers all along the lake’s edges created a path to the water, and the hem of viola’s dress gently swept them aside as she walked toward the lake.

It was then that she noticed a peculiar shadow floating in the waters. No—the shadow was actually a man swimming in the lake.

She felt her heart drop.

‘Him again! Why is he always floating in some body of water?’

Upon entering the clearing, Viola stumbled upon the leader of the Royal Knights—the very same man who had guided her to the Imperial Palace.

To think that she would meet him again in such a place… She tried to turn around but found herself rooted in place. Her eyes could not help but stay fixed on the knight who vexed her so.

Viola’s gaze sparkled brightly with interest, entranced by his figure. Her body stirred slightly with excitement when the moon’s silvery rays fell upon his masculine form, which rested gently upon the water’s tranquil surface. The moon seemed to only illuminate the knight amidst all this darkness.

‘Why is he here? Is it because it’s hot out?’

She watched him with curiosity, keeping her body as low as possible as she observed him from afar. Gradually, his surroundings became brighter as the clouds overhead parted, revealing the moon in its full glory. Viola’s eyes trembled slightly.

The outline of his beautiful face and the frame of his strong physique were completely visible now.  His flowing, ebony hair and his graceful movements made him indistinguishable from a finely crafted doll.

Viola unwittingly crept closer to the lake as if she were being drawn in by some unknown force.  She hadn’t even realized she was approaching the water’s edge until she lost her footing on hollow ground, plunging her into the lake. The waters were freezing cold, and her entire body was soaked.

“…Ah!” Viola sputtered, attempting to expel the water she had swallowed. “Pfft!”

She moved her limbs to swim back to shore, but as she did so, she realized that her efforts were having the opposite effect. For some reason, the more she struggled, the lower she sank. Goosebumps pricked her skin.