IDBWM 01

Chapter 1

Imperial Year 997.

With the beheading of the enemy king by Declan Caesar, the Hundred Years’ War finally came to an end.

The castle reeked of blood.

The knights standing in formation held their breath as they stared at the man who had severed the king’s head.

Declan, with his jet-black hair, was beautiful enough to resemble a god from myth, yet those crimson eyes looked like traces left behind by a demon wearing human skin.

Knowing he would be next, the prince trembled violently.

I don’t want to die. I didn’t do anything wrong!

It was all his father’s fault!

He himself had merely been a “good prince” who exploited commoners and fattened the bellies of nobles.

Sobbing uncontrollably, he waited for his turn.

But then—

What?

The demon who had been carrying out the massacre suddenly stood frozen, absentminded.

Not only the prince, but everyone inside the castle stared at the motionless Declan in confusion.

“Ah.”

A low sigh escaped his lips.

That demon… sighed?

“I can’t remember.”

The words he uttered after abruptly stopping the slaughter were that he couldn’t remember.

What the hell is wrong with this lunatic all of a sudden?

As everyone held their breath, Declan fell into thought.

Why had he been in such a hurry to end the war?

Even while devising battle strategies, smashing through the castle gates, and severing the king’s head…

There had definitely been a reason.

A reason he had needed to end the war quickly.

A reason he had needed to hurry back.

But now, he couldn’t remember that reason.

What on earth was it?

—Don’t worry about me. Come back safely.

At that moment, a voice flashed through his mind.

It was as clear and bright as a lark’s song.

—I’ll wait for you. Come back unharmed.

—Don’t get hurt, Hugo…

The mirage-like voice echoed again, and he furrowed his brow.

He couldn’t remember.

No—had that memory ever even existed in the first place?

“What was that?”

At his murmur, the prince flinched.

Then Declan’s blood-red eyes turned toward him.

“Ah.”

The demon smiled softly, as though he had only just remembered the prince existed.

“S-save m— Ghk!”

There was no hope.

Swinging his sword, Declan pulled out the thing that had weighed against his chest throughout the battle.

A locket?

Inside was someone’s portrait.

He had never carried something like this before.

Then why had it been hidden inside his clothes?

Just as he tried to open the pendant—

Plop.

A sticky drop of blood fell onto the portrait.

Dark crimson spread through the paper fibers, completely obscuring the person’s face.

He stood still for a moment, staring at it.

A cold irritation quietly bloomed in his chest.

“Your Grace, as ordered, we’ve secured all the spoils of war—”

Gasp.

The knight’s words stopped short.

The moment he met Declan’s gaze, his body froze under the murderous intensity in those eyes.

“Yes. Gather the prisoners and prepare to return.”

Declan wiped the blood from his forehead.

His entire body was stained red with others’ blood, yet the blood flowing from his forehead was his own.

“Your Grace, your head injury…! Are you alright?”

Ah, so he had injured his head.

When had that happened?

At some point, parts of his memory felt as though they had been carved away.

Perhaps that was why it felt like he had forgotten something important.

A sweet scent lingered at the tip of his nose, and that lark-like voice echoed faintly in his ears…

Yet he couldn’t grasp where they came from.

Declan stared at the blood-soaked portrait for a long moment before snapping the locket shut.

Well, it probably didn’t matter anyway.

Shiver—

What was this sticky, skin-crawling sensation?

It’s been happening more often lately.

Even though it was midsummer, Prina rubbed her arms against the sudden chill.

“Hey! Why isn’t the food I ordered out yet?!”

“Coming right up, Sir Knight!”

Imperial Cafeteria, Daisy Hall.

Built for the commoner knights and officials of the imperial palace, the place was packed with people as usual today.

Maybe that was why.

The kitchen was constantly filled with shouting and arguments.

“Scrub harder! Make those plates shine!”

“You call that stirring speed acceptable?!”

“Hurry up and serve it! The food’s getting cold!”

Prina was worked to the bone again today.

Carrying stacks of plates and weaving through tables over and over, she moved frantically.

Haah, I’m exhausted.

She was so out of breath it felt like her lungs were bursting.

She wanted just a moment to rest, but today the customers at Daisy Hall seemed even more numerous than usual.

“Hey, Prina! There’s a hair in my food!”

A knight suddenly shouted.

Between his fingers dangled a single strand of green hair.

Prina stared hard at the knight’s hair.

…The exact same shade of green.

“That’s… your hair, Sir Knight…”

“Ahem, be more careful next time!”

…Me?

Obnoxious customers were an added bonus sometimes.

But in moments like this, agreeing was the fastest solution.

“I’m sorry, Sir Knight. I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Good. I’m forgiving you because I’m generous, Prina.”

Prina forced the corners of her mouth upward.

Just think about payday.

At least the palace paid well.

The workload was brutal, but among all the places she’d worked, this one was easily the best.

Soon the knights who had finished eating poured out like a receding tide.

Only then did she finally have a moment to breathe, but today she couldn’t relax like usual.

The problem that had been bothering her for days surfaced once more.

“Prina, you look pale. Are you sick?”

“Yeah, you seem especially off today.”

As Prina slumped more than usual, her coworkers approached her with worried expressions.

“N-no, I’m fine. Just tired today…”

She forced a smile, but she was anything but fine.

Because…

Today’s the day Hugo is supposed to come back! What do I do?!

Prina’s lover, Hugo.

Black hair, red eyes, and a beauty mark near his eye that completed his face like the finishing touch on a masterpiece.

He was beautiful.

And now it had already been a year since they’d been apart.

He said he was guarding some noble, right?

Hugo was a knight.

He had left to protect his master, and they had been separated for a year.

And today, finally, they were supposed to meet again.

But Prina…

How am I supposed to tell him we should break up?

Could you really tell your lover to break up after reuniting for the first time in a year?

But pretending everything was fine only to break up later would be strange too…

“Hey! How long are you planning to stand around resting?!”

Right then—

The head cook emerged from the kitchen and bellowed at the sprawled-out workers.

The workers jumped in shock and hurried back to their feet.

“Prina! Get over here and do the dishes! They’re piled up to the ceiling!”

Only then did the absentminded Prina turn her head.

Wow, they really are.

The dirty dishes were stacked like a mountain.

“……”

For now, she decided to finish work first and think later!

Shuffle, shuffle.

One exhausted corpse-like figure trudged slowly down the dark road.

Ugh, I’m dying.

Whenever her shift at Daisy Hall ended, it felt like her body was falling apart.

And it was cold!

The night air was chillier than she expected. Shivering, Prina arrived at the meeting place.

Layton Bridge.

A famous dating spot for lovers.

There was a superstition that couples reunited here would stay in love forever.

Ah.

…That wouldn’t do.

Because they were supposed to break up.

Hugo had too many secrets. And if Prina’s instincts were right, they weren’t harmless ones.

“Anyway, when you’re raising younger siblings, all sorts of things happen. Come to think of it, what were you like as a child, Hugo?”

“I’m more curious about your stories, Prina.”

Whenever she asked about his past, he would wear a gentle smile and smoothly dodge the question.

And that wasn’t all.

“Oh right, I wanted to send you a letter, Hugo, but I don’t even know where you live.”

His residence, family, past.

Hugo had never told her a single thing about any of them.

Why?

Unless he was a criminal, what reason could there be to hide everything?

The suspicion slowly began to grow.

Then one day—

“I’ll come back as soon as I can, Prina.”

Hugo held her hand tightly, looking at her with sorrowful eyes.

“So don’t go meeting some other guy while I’m gone.”

“D-don’t worry, Hugo.”

“I’m afraid you’ll forget me. Don’t abandon me, Prina.”

“I won’t… aband—”

“You’ll abandon me?”

“Huh?”

Still holding both her hands tightly, his gaze deepened as he stared at her.

“You really mustn’t abandon me. And you can’t forget how much I love you.”

Hugo pulled her into his arms, emphasizing the words as though they were the most important thing in the world.

But did he know?

That on that very day…

Prina had been planning to break up with him.

Yet she simply couldn’t bring herself to say it to a man about to leave on a dangerous mission.

And just like that, a year passed.

And then he left after promising to meet me at Layton Bridge today.

She had agonized over whether it was right to ask for a breakup from a man returning after so long, but she knew she couldn’t keep postponing it.

Right. I’ll say it clearly.

When Hugo arrives!

And so, Prina waited for Hugo.

But even after two hours, he never came.

Right. Hugo’s a busy person. That can happen.

He was returning from a distant land, after all.

Maybe tomorrow.

But the next day, and the day after that, he still didn’t appear.

A whole week vanished in the blink of an eye.

Huh?

…Wait, was this a ghosting breakup?