CHAPTER~14
The Youngest Princess Returns from the Death and the Emperor Loses His Wife
Beneath the eerie chill brushing against his nape, his expression remained calm, without a trace of agitation.
Just as humans feared the dead that wandered the land, the Siren clan feared the spirits of the sea, and they required someone who could soothe and mediate unjust souls.
That duty had been borne for generations by Nโs mother and her ancestors.
Holding the Princessโs body closer against his own, N began walking toward the advancing shoreline.
The moment he stepped forward onto the sand, thunder roared, and far in the distance, black waves surged high into the air.
Even as the pitch-black shadow crashed down like a tidal wave, N opened his mouth with an unmoving face.
“ืืืื ืืืืงืืื ืืก ืืืืื, ืืื ืืชืืจื. ืืื ืขืืื ื ืืงืจื, ืืื ืืื ืชื ื ืืคื ื ืืืื ื ืืืืืืืืช.”
(Almighty Father, great Lord of the deep ocean. Protect us in this battlefield stained with blood and hatred, and guard us from resentment and violence.)
The ferocious waves halted abruptly in midair, and wind and rain lashed toward him as he stood within the massive shadow.
Despite the crushing pressure that felt as though his skin were being peeled away, N continued his prayer without hesitation.
“ืืื ืืชืืจื, ืืฉืจ ืืจืื ืขื ืืืื. ืจืื ืืจืื ืขื ืขืืื ืืืืื ืืกืื ืืื ืืืืืื.”
(Blessed Father, who shows mercy to all. Grant compassion and pity to your sinful servant, and forgive all sins.)
His clothes whipped violently at his feet as he stood before the cliff-like wall of water.
Though his lineage had long enjoyed the seaโs favor, this alone was not enough.
Just as humans of the land offered lambs to their gods, all magic required a price.
โ If you stab the Princeโs heart, you wonโt turn into sea foam.
Offering the heart of an enemy bound to the Siren curse was itself a form of sacrifice, and from the moment Airi accepted the dagger from her brother, N had been preparing the necessary spell.
“ืื ื ืืืงืฉืื ืืื, ืืื ืืื ืืืื. ืกืื ืืื ืืืืืื ืฉืืืฆืขื ื ืืืืฉืื, ืืืืื ืื ืืืขืฉื. ืื ืืื ืืืืืชื, ืงืื ืืช ืชืคืืืืชืื ื ืฉืื ื ืืืืฉืื ืืืื ืืฉืคืชืืื ืืืืืช.”
(We beseech you, Almighty Father. Forgive all the sins we have committed in thought, word, and deed. O eternal and immortal King, accept these prayers offered from unclean lips.)
Black lightning struck down above Nโs head.
Even as the storm winds tore at his collar and ripped his clothes, his voice did not waver.
“ืืืืืื ืืงืืืฉ, ืื ื ืืงืจืื ืืช ืืืื ืื. ืืืฉืืข ืืช ืืกืืืืื ืฉืืื ืื ื ืืืขื ืืง ืืื ืืืฉืื ืืฉืืืื.”
(Holy God, I offer my heart to you. Save those who suffer among us and grant them peaceful rest. Cleanse this sinful soul of all impurity of flesh and spirit.)
At the moment the black bloodstains vanished from the arms holding the Princess as if washed away, N finished the spell and stepped into the waves.
Splash.
The surface of the water shattered, and Nโs face distorted like pale foam as he sank into the freezing depths.
Agonizing pain crushed his heart as violent currents coiled around his body.
The two of them were dragged into the raging whirlpool like prey sinking into an antlionโs pit.
The relentless water battered his ears, and to keep that knife-like pain from reaching his master, N wrapped her tightly in his arms and endured.
When the raging storm finally subsided and the waves calmed, N realized that one of the hearts within his body had vanished.
The sea, now free of rain, was eerily silent and still.
Lifting his pale face, N noticed countless fish drawn by the scent of blood circling around them.
They would not attack a living Siren, but few creatures in this sea were intelligent enough to distinguish the status of the dead.
Stripping the bloodstained clothes from Airi and tossing them upward, N clumsily moved his two legs and began swimming deeper into the sea.
By the time he reached the deeper waters, royal Sirens awakened by the storm that swept the entire sea had emerged from the palace.
โ You bastard! Do you have any idea what youโve done?
Matthias, who had come rushing out of the palace in shock holding the box N had left behind, lost all reason the moment he saw Airiโs corpse in Nโs arms.
โ Bring Airi back to life right now, right now, before I kill you!
The piercing scream twisted Nโs face in pain.
The Siren voice, born with specialized vocal cords, was the most powerful weapon of all.
โ Stop, Matthias.
The one who restrained Matthias, who looked ready to tear N apart, was the King of Triton.
As Matthias staggered back, gasping, soldiers armed with swords and spears surrounded them from all sides.
Bound with his arms tied behind him, N was dragged into the palace and shoved roughly to his knees.
After placing the box containing the dagger beside the Princessโs body, Matthias stood shaking, while her siblings nearby turned deathly pale, barely holding back their tears.
The Princessโs crudely cut hair scattered across the cold stone floor.
The King stared silently at his daughterโs lifeless body for a long time before pointing his spear at Nโs throat.
โ You swore you would offer all your hearts to the Princess.
The instant he met that chilling gaze, N understood why the King had kept him alive and brought him here.
Since the King desired the same outcome as he did, N answered without hesitation.
โYes.โ
Before their eyes, he began chanting another spell.
“ืืืื ืืืืงืืื ืืก ืืืืื, ืืื ืืื ืืืื. ืืืืืื ืงืืืฉ, ืื ื ืืงืจืื ืืช ืืืื ืื. ืืืฉืืข ืืช ืืกืืืืื ืฉืืื ืื ื ืืืขื ืง ืืื ืฉื ืช ืฉืืืโฆโฆ.”
(Almighty Father, great Lord of the deep ocean. Holy God, I offer my heart to you. Please save those who suffer among usโฆโฆ.)
The murmured spell was swallowed by the swirling currents like wind.
When the long prayer ended and the waters finally grew calm, N realized another heart had disappeared from within him.
As color slowly returned to Airiโs face, her brothers grasped her fingertips and checked her pulse, finally breaking down in tears.
Yet even with her heart beating again, the Princess did not awaken.
Her breath had been forced back into her body, but the consciousness destroyed by the gunshot wound to her head could not be restored with only one heart.
More payment was required.
Only after a month passed with Airi lying motionless like a dead fish did the King of Triton, who had sat like a stone statue in her chamber, finally speak to N standing outside the door.
โ No matter how long it takes, I will pardon not only your sins, but even those of your mother. So please, make the Princess open her eyes.
The Kingโs face, gazing at his daughter without sparing N a glance, was paler than that of the sleeping Princess.
N bowed his head toward the Kingโs sunken back and replied.
โI will obey your command, Your Majesty.โ
From that day on, N continued praying daily, offering sea creatures brought by the Siren clan as sacrifices.
Because prayers offered in the bustling palace had their limits, he eventually moved to his dark laboratory nestled within a rocky crevice where not a single ray of light reached.
No matter how many unintelligent fish he gathered, they were far from sufficient to restore the consciousness of a Siren Princess.
When the offerings he had piled up in the cave began to rot, N decided to change his approach.
Discarding the heaps of fish and shellfish, N captured a single anglerfish from the deep sea and entered the crevice.
As its light illuminated the walls, engraved letters carved deep into the stone came into view.
In a corner of the cave his ancestors had used as a dwelling for generations, a passage leading to ancient ruins long since collapsed was densely filled with their research records.
There, he searched meticulously for passages describing methods to revive the dead.
Each time he discovered a new spell amid the flood of information, N entrusted the Princess to her family and went up to the surface to procure sacrifices.
The price of each spell differed, and with no record of success or failure, he had no choice but to test them himself.
By the time N memorized every letter along the long corridor and set out to find the final ingredient, several years had already passed on land.
It was the year 762, at dusk, when posters celebrating the Princeโs sixth birthday were plastered throughout the streets.
As N wandered the market all day in search of a sacrifice, he overheard a strange rumor.
The six-year-old Prince was dying under the Siren curse, and the Emperor was searching everywhere for the missing Empress.
