To Know the Truth

Jinny slowly opened her eyes. A deep ache consumed her body, and a sharp pain throbbed between her legs. Slowly, she sat up, and the memories of the previous night crashed over her—the terrible things the emperor had done to her, things she had never imagined. They clung to her mind like a relentless nightmare, refusing to fade.

Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she let out a soft sob. How could the man she trusted betray her so cruelly?

As she cried, a voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Why are you crying?"

Jinny gasped, startled. In the dim corner of the room, she saw Matias, seated with a document in his hands. His face was devoid of emotion, his gaze sharp and unreadable.

"Y-Your Majesty..." She clutched the blanket tightly around her trembling body, trying to shield herself.

Matias placed the document aside and rose to his feet. He walked toward her with slow, deliberate steps, his expression as cold as ever.

"It's morning," he said flatly. "You have duties to attend to. Get dressed."

Jinny bit her lower lip, gripping the blanket as if it were her last defense. Tears continued to streak her face, but she dared not defy him. With a slight nod, she lowered her head.

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty..." Her voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Matias narrowed his eyes. "And fix yourself. I hate seeing you in such a wretched state—it ruins my mood."

Swallowing her pain, Jinny forced herself to move. Slowly, she rose from the bed, each motion sending sharp pangs through her body. She gathered her clothes, her fingers trembling as she put them on one piece at a time, aware of Matias's unwavering gaze upon her.

Once dressed, she turned to him but kept her head bowed, unable to meet his eyes.

"I will take my leave, Your Majesty." Her voice was quiet, almost lifeless.

Matias said nothing. He only watched her, his face unreadable.

Without another word, Jinny walked past him, keeping her head low as she stepped out of his chamber.

Matias let out a slow, tired sigh. He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes landing on the blood stain against the silk sheets. His jaw tightened.

He had been too aggressive last night—unable to control himself. His gaze fell to the dark marks on his arm. Closing his eyes, a heavy sigh escaped his lips as guilt flickered in his eyes, only to be quickly buried beneath his usual coldness. Straightening up, he called for a knight.

"Deliver this letter to my sister, Beatrice," he ordered, handing over a sealed envelope.

As the knight left, Matias leaned back, his expression dark and unreadable.

.

.

....

In the capital.

Imman quietly followed Hikari as they navigated the narrow, dark alley. Hikari had ordered him to assist in locating a man named Arthur Morem, a guild master who resided in the black market.

After a few more minutes, they emerged from the alley and found themselves in the black market, a bustling area filled with stores selling rare and illegal items. They were disguised to avoid drawing suspicion from the market's inhabitants.

"Move aside!" a man shouted, shoving another customer aside.

Imman quickly adjusted his hood and continued walking, avoiding the crowd.

Finally, they reached the guild Hikari had mentioned. They entered, and a woman at the counter greeted them with a polite smile.

"Good day, sir. How may I assist you? Looking for magical items, weapons, or perhaps information?" she asked.

Hikari revealed the Crimson Blood symbol to her.

The woman nodded, recognition flashing in her eyes. "You've come at the right time. He just returned. Please, follow me."

She led them upstairs, where she knocked on a door. "Master, Crimson Blood is here."

They heard a loud thud from inside—the sound of something falling to the floor. The door swung open quickly, revealing a man who appeared to be around the same age as Imman's father.

"Hikari?" the man asked, his voice filled with surprise.

"Long time no see," Hikari replied, offering a small smile.

"Come in," Arthur said, stepping aside to let them enter.

They walked into his office, where Arthur immediately cut to the point. "Why are you here? Do you have new information about the Montclairs?"

"My men have already reached their land," Hikari said. "They are about to make their move into the capital."

"Good to hear," Arthur responded. "But you'll need to be careful. The king of Montclairs has his Cerberus."

The Cerberus were the king's three most loyal and powerful guards, each leading their own troop. They were formidable opponents, and if the king was ever in danger, the Cerberus would rush to his side to protect him.

"But that's not the reason we're here," Hikari continued.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What is it, then?"

"The emperor wants to see you," Hikari replied.

Arthur's expression hardened. "Is that so? I understand. I'll go see him."

Hikari nodded, and Imman, still standing silently in the corner, listened intently to the conversation.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two young men entered, completely unbothered.

"Mister, you said we were going on a mission. When's that happening?" one of them asked, stretching.

"I'm bored here. Let's do something!" the other one added.

Imman's eyes widened in surprise.

The two paused and looked at him, equally shocked.

"I-Imman?" one of them exclaimed.

"Bro, is that really you?" the other asked.

Imman quickly composed himself and walked over to them. Without a word, he kicked Shuu, but Shuu, quick as ever, blocked the strike with his right arm.

Both Arthur and Hikari stared, surprised by the sudden confrontation.

Shuu smirked. "Confirmed. It's really you."

Imman straightened up, his expression unreadable. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"You know them?" Hikari asked, his curiosity piqued.

"They're my brothers," Imman replied simply.

"Haha! Long time no see, bro!" Tohru exclaimed. "I'm glad we finally found you! Have you seen the others?"

"I haven't seen them yet. You two are the first I've come across here," Imman answered.

"At least we found each other," Shuu said, grinning. "Now, we just need to find the others."

Before the conversation could continue, Arthur cleared his throat.

"Sorry to interrupt your heartfelt reunion, but we need to head to the imperial palace now," Arthur said, his tone brisk.

Tohru's eyes sparkled. "A palace? Really?" he asked, clearly excited.

"Yeah," Arthur confirmed. "But you need to prepare yourselves. I'm taking you both with me, but you better behave. I can't save you from the emperor if you get on his bad side. He's scarier than you think."

Tohru and Shuu nodded eagerly.

Once the conversation was over, the three brothers left Arthur and Hikari to discuss their experiences in this unfamiliar world and their plans to reunite with their other brothers.

.

.

"Have you told Imman the truth about your parents?" Arthur asked Shuu.

"Yeah, at first he didn't want to believe it. But after we explained it further, he accepted it in the end," Shuu replied.

"Good. Prepare yourselves. We're going to meet the emperor. He is the eldest son of your mother. It's time for them to know the truth," Arthur said.

Shuu nodded.

They stepped out of the office and met the others outside, waiting by the carriage. Together, they made their way toward the Imperial palace to meet the emperor.