The Seed Thief

Er tirelessly massaged her hands and feet, which often got cold since she got pregnant, holding her close until she fell asleep despite the summer heat.Before he left, his gentle gaze and smile, his hand caressing her belly, “I still can’t decide on a name for our little one.”“You were deceived by that man,” the woman had said to Lulu. As the one who had revealed to her the ugly side of people, her word was probably right. But..If he smiles like that, I would gladly stay deceived all my life.Lulu’s grip loosened, and the rock slipped from her hand.* * *The next day, the guards burst into Lulu’s cell. They unlocked her chains, prodding her with their spears as she huddled on the floor.“Get up!”Lulu swayed, her thin limbs barely able to support her swollen belly. The guards either laugh or look disgusted.“Walk out quickly. There are a lot of people waiting for you.”People waiting? Lulu didn’t understand the guard’s words as she struggled to her feet.Step by painful step, she ascended the underground stairs. The fetid smell that had constantly surrounded her was replaced by fresh air.Though it was a sharp, wintery wind, Lulu hastened her steps, savoring the scent of the wind she hadn’t felt in so long.As she felt the chill on her bare toes, she rounded the final bend in the staircase. Sunlight flooded in.“Ah…”Sunlight. Sharp, brilliant sunlight, stabbing into her eyes. Her eyes, accustomed to the darkness, ached in protest, but Lulu kept her head raised, gazing at the sky. After a while, something she had never seen before entered her vision.A vast plaza. A pile of firewood. And a wooden post in the center.The guards, their spears jabbing at her back, forced her to climb atop the pyre. Men rushed forward, ropes in hand, and roughly bound her wrists to the post.Just then, a voice called out,“Wait. Someone said to take that ring from her finger.”“Ring?”The man closest to Lulu examined her hand, his gaze lingering on the tarnished ring on her broken finger.“Why?”“The hag who turned her in is making a fuss, claiming it’s theirs.”“Those ones who complained about the reward being too small?”“Yes, they’re quite insistent, even today. They want to take it before we burn her.”“That’s odd. Why would the lord give in to the demands of those rural bumpkins?”“His Royal Highness is arriving today. He probably wants to avoid any unnecessary commotion. Anyway, let’s just get this over with and chase them away.”“Right.”It should have been simple enough. To take a ring from a woman who barely had the strength to stand.The man frowned and grabbed the ring on Lulu’s finger. He thought it would come off easily, but at that moment, Lulu clenched her fist and spoke.“This was given to me by Er. It’s not theirs.”“That’s none of my concern, so just hand it over.”Lulu shook her head. She remembered Er’s words, telling her to cherish the ring, to never give it to anyone else. That it was a token proving their bond.“No.”The guard, irritated, ripped off his glove and slapped her. Slap! The blow sent her head snapping back, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.Lulu, as shocked as the guards, registered the sharp pain. The magic the crow had given her, the magic that had protected her for so long, was gone.The men, who had been creeped out by Lulu’s resilience to their beatings, now felt a sense of relief seeing her injured. They became more brazen, their hands exerted more force.She couldn’t endured the pain. Her fingers, numb and aching, loosened under their grip.“Should have just cooperated. Saved yourself some pain.”The man, catching his breath, wrenched the ring from her finger. A worn and shabby ring. The flame-shaped ornament on top looked vaguely familiar, but he didn’t think much of it. It was just an old, worthless thing to be tossed to some country folk, and then it would be over.Then, Lulu muttered,“That… Er gave it to me. So it should be returned to Er.”“Er?”The man who took the ring questioned her, and another guard standing nearby spoke up.“Seems like the name of the father of the bastard in her belly. But we couldn’t find anyone with that name in the village. Maybe it’s a made-up name. Carrying a child she conjured up with her witchcraft…”Lulu recalled Er’s real name, hearing their snickers and mocking words. Not the name she gave him, but the name given to him by humans, the name he first told her.“Ervandas.”“…What?”The guards flinched slightly at the sudden mention of the Prince’s name from the witch’s mouth. Unaware of their surprised expressions, Lulu repeated Er’s name.“Ervandas Richard Arsipen. It’s his ring. So give it back to him.”Having said that, Lulu hung her head.The guards, holding the stolen ring, looked back and forth between the collapsed Lulu and the ring.It was the name of the prince, the object of their fear and veneration.A terrifying thought briefly crossed their minds. Could it be that the father of the child this witch carried was…?But the thought was quickly dismissed. They must be crazy. How could the noble, the revered prince, be involved with this wild forest witch?“You must have heard that name somewhere.”“…”Lulu didn’t respond. Whether they believed her or not didn’t matter anymore.“I’ll have to inform the lord of this. You should be thankful His Royal Highness didn’t hear it. You would have been executed in a much more gruesome manner.”The man, holding the ring he had snatched from Lulu, turned around. Just then, a trumpet sounded in the distance, signaling the arrival of the Prince.“He’s already here. Let’s light the fire. The lord wants to show him the spectacle of the witch burning.”* * *The lord bowed before Prince Ervandas, who appeared amidst a cloud of dust.The Prince was already renowned, but his name had soared even higher after leading the war to a complete victory.“You must be tired from your long journey. Please, rest and enjoy the evening banquet…”“No need.”The lord, who had been trying to curry favor, swallowed nervously at the coldly curt reply.Even before, Ervandas had been ruthless in dealing with rebels. After the war, he had become a true embodiment of cruelty.“Bring me a new horse. I’ll be leaving immediately.”“But…”“I won’t repeat myself.”“Y-Yes, sir!”The lord, realizing further attempts to delay the prince would be futile, hurried to obey. It was better to comply swiftly and avoid incurring his wrath.While servants rushed to fetch a horse from the royal stables, Ervandas stood in the courtyard, his gaze fixed on the horizon.‘I’m too late.’Just a little further, and he would reach the forest where he had lived with Lulu. The forest he had longed for with every breath for the past six months.When he first left, he never imagined he would be away for so long.Upon leaving the forest, Ervandas had rushed back to the capital, greeted his parents and brother, and immediately announced,“I’m married.”Clang.Forks clattered against plates as his family stared at him, their faces frozen in disbelief. Marriage. The word, coming from him, was unthinkable.Before they could recover from their shock, he continued, his tone calm, measured.“My wife is already carrying my child.”Kalendas choked on his wine, his eyes wide with disbelief. Did my brother really just say that?As Ervandas had expected, his family’s reaction was explosive. “Who is she? Where is she now? Which family does she belong to?”Kalendas, his face a mask of shock and barely concealed glee, bombarded him with even more questions.“Wait, how did you meet? Who fell in love first? How did you… you know…consummating the marriage?”His wife nudged him, reminding him to maintain his royal composure, but he was consumed with curiosity about his younger brother’s love life. After a moment of thought, Ervandas told his parents about Lulu.Who she was, how they met, and how they came to be married.“…”A long, uncomfortable silence followed. It didn’t surprise him. It was an impossible situation, their prince marrying a commoner, not just any commoner, a witch who lived alone in the woods.But she was his wife, and he would not be swayed. As he prepared to elaborate, his brother, his face contorted in a mixture of anger and disbelief, exploded.“You idiot! You left your pregnant wife alone in the forest? Who cares if she’s a witch or not! Anyone who says otherwise, I’ll personally cut their throats!”Kalendas, his outrage focused on what mattered most, pointed an accusing finger at him. Ervandas, relieved that his brother’s anger was directed at his negligence and not his choice of wife, smiled. It was exactly the reaction he had expected.With Kalendas’s enthusiastic support, preparations for Lulu’s arrival at the palace began in earnest. His brother, however, continued to berate him.“I knew something was off with your letters. I thought you were just in love, but a baby! A baby!”It was half a complaint, half an affectionate. He knew Kalendas was truly happy for him.Just as the preparations were nearing completion. Just as they had prepared a carriage to bring Lulu back, and even doctors to attend to any potential issues during the journey, a massive explosion rocked the royal palace.At the same time, enemy forces launched a surprise attack. The remnants of the former rebel faction, who had yet to be captured, joined hands with the neighboring kingdom and plotted a second rebellion.Naturally, Ervandas stood at the forefront, confronting them head-on. His fury this time was even greater than before. The separate palace he had prepared for Lulu had been destroyed in the explosion.Looking at the collapsed building, Ervandas felt a pang of fear. If she had been with him, if he had brought her here… he would have lost her.His grief and anger fueled his every move as he led his forces against the rebels.They had underestimated him. They had believed his six-month seclusion had weakened him. They were wrong.The enemy, caught off guard by the ferocity of his attacks, scrambled for a solution. They turned to a group of rogue mages, outcasts from the Magic Tower.