The Wall's Whispered Regret
Lisbel Belloc let out a deep sigh, her heart heavy and turbulent.
*She only dislikes feeling good… but you want it too, right? Or… no?*
The reason for her inner turmoil was all too clear. The memories from last night remained far too vivid.
*Focus only on the pleasure, Lisbel.*
The passion they had shared before had faded like a dream, yet why did only last night’s memory stand out so sharply, like shards piercing her mind? She had no answer.
It was a mad thought, but last night Hendrick had treated her with the same careful tenderness he once showed when they loved each other. The way he looked at her, the gentle touches, even the absurdly lewd demands—he had shown such consideration, prioritizing her pleasure.
*You’re insane, Lisbel Belloc.*
She had not been the only one bewitched by the curse. Hendrick was ensnared by the same foul atmosphere. It was unnecessary to read meaning into the past nickname that had slipped out unconsciously.
Inside the ruins they had entangled in madness, but the moment they stepped outside they were once again only a knight captain and a prisoner.
No matter how intense their relationship had been within those walls, no matter how kindly his hands felt, it was nothing but a cruel illusion born from the curse.
*What matters more than all that is this.*
Lisbel murmured while staring at the records she had copied from the wall with desperate determination, even knowing she would cling miserably to Hendrick for days.
The sentences densely filling the walls of the astronomical tower were, as expected, diaries. Not just one person’s, but the vast accumulation of countless others over long centuries.
*It feels more like a prayer journal than a diary…*
Whether she liked it or not, three years had been spent in the Sanctuary. The contents on the tower walls marked the days when the writer prayed, along with the majority being biblical passages.
*Still, this part was unique. I could write it into a report…*
While most records were brief and short, one stood out for its detailed description of a specific location.
*The floor and pillars constructed of pure white stone never accumulate even a speck of dust no matter how much time passes.*
*The bed, the prayer stand, and the desk for recording the lord’s voice are the only furnishings here.*
*In a place where the only moving thing besides stone golems is me, how long can I endure without going mad?*
*Why exactly am I here?*
The diary that seemed to describe a specific location went on to detail the area where she stayed.
*Today I tried to escape as far as I could. I left this place entirely for the forest, running and running through the forest.*
*But when I came to my senses, I was back here again.*
*I will never escape this place until I die.*
The description of an entirely white space suggested it was a place related to a temple.
*The Sanctuary…? No, a spell preventing anyone who escapes the Sanctuary from being returned isn’t in place…*
No matter how deeply she dug into her memories, no location in the diary overlapped with anything she remembered. A legendary golem appeared, and the description of being unable to escape even after fleeing suggested it was a ruin with ancient magic, deepening her doubts further.
If such a massive facility existed within an empire that had survived hundreds of years, the empire’s archaeologists would never have missed it…
*Still, it’s fortunate that I can finish everything.*
Most of the contents repeated with different dates, so after last night all that was inscribed on the wall could be decoded.
*Just a little more… just a little more.*
Having greedily rushed to untie Hendrick’s belt first in her eagerness, she had still finished all the decoding. For now, if she avoided him, everything would be fine.
*Huff…*
While exploring two ruins, Lisbel reached a conclusion. The curse that had driven her to frenzy was not because she had entered the ruins, nor because she had approached the inscriptions.
*Rather than being decoded automatically, it’s the side effect of what you obtain?*
Approaching the inscriptions and touching them caused no reaction. Only when she read the characters on the wall did her body heat up. The curse’s activation condition had become clear.
*If you want to give up, say so. I didn’t know about this trap either, so I won’t enforce the promised reward even if we don’t explore the remaining ruins.*
Immediately after realizing it was not just one ruin that was the problem, Hendrick made a radical proposal.
She knew it would be wise to accept his terms outright. But Lisbel politely refused the perfect opportunity. Hendrick had worn a cold, rigid expression, as if unable to understand her.
*If I escape here, I may recover my lost honor, but the ruins and inscriptions I could have seen with my own eyes will be lost forever. I don’t want to have that regret.*
Removing the false accusation and regaining her lost honor were important, but at that moment her stronger desire was to see and research every ruin and inscription herself.
*To understand by her own hand why the recorded history and the history carved into the inscriptions differ, where exactly the “place I can never escape” filled the walls of the astronomical tower is, and why she can interpret characters she has never encountered.*
*Do as you like.*
Hendrick spat it out with a blank expression and turned away. It was the attitude of a helpless being beyond saving, but Lisbel did not care.
The real issue was elsewhere. For the rest of the exploration, every time she interpreted the inscriptions she would have to repeat the act with Hendrick.
Unlike herself, intoxicated by heat and driven to animal frenzy, Hendrick handled the irritating duty with devastatingly emotionless detachment. Each time she became aware of that terrible temperature difference, crushing self-loathing followed.
Even when Hendrick had only suggested giving up, it had not been this severe. Yet she could not force him to stop now, and she only felt awkward.
*If you can’t enter with someone else either…*
The exploration continued, yet that exact point felt most uncomfortable. The level of physical intimacy was rising uncontrollably, making it worse.
*“…Why is it so noisy?”*
The noise from outside the barracks penetrated Lisbel’s ears while she was lost in thought. The exploration had ended, and it seemed preparations were being made to depart for the next ruin.
If she waited quietly until someone came to retrieve her, she might hear some harsh words from the knights again. Thinking that far, Lisbel hurriedly packed her few belongings and stepped out of the barracks.
“Ah…?”
Lisbel drew in a sharp breath at the familiar face before her.
*“It has been a long time, Sister Lisbel.”*
*“…Father Isaac?”*
The priest’s build was unnaturally large for one of the clergy, the tanned skin beneath his white robes visible. Isaac Czesław smiled warmly at Lisbel, who stood frozen in surprise.
*“You’ve greeted me more warmly than I expected. Starting today, I will accompany you on the inscription exploration. Please treat me well.”*
The warmth of his large hand drew Lisbel’s stiff hand into his grasp and held it.
Isaac Czesław was a priest of the Czesław Barony, born into a clerical family that had served the temple for generations. Despite the empire’s weak temple influence, the family had produced high-ranking priests and archbishops, granting the barony considerable prestige.
And above all, he was the only person who had secretly protected and shown kindness to Lisbel during her time in the Sanctuary.
*This is not repentance! She is a criminal the imperial family specially ordered to be managed! How do you plan to bear this later!*
Of course, Isaac had not been kind to her from the beginning. Like most people, he had treated her as nothing more than a heretic plotting the empire’s destruction. But he had changed his mind after he personally witnessed the brutal abuse she endured.
*Why don’t you resist? Why not scream or cry for help!*
*…So nothing would change anyway.*
*What…*
*Do you really believe there is a god?*
The instant Isaac faced her eyes, which had lost their light, he felt ashamed of himself for the first time.
She had not failed to resist. She had screamed at the top of her lungs, pouring out her grievances, begging anyone, anyone at all, for help. The only thing missing was that no one had listened to her desperate cries.
*I will prove it. That god is watching over you.*
After that day’s oath, Isaac had used his characteristic smooth, flattering manner to protect Lisbel in a subtle way. Thanks to him, her situation had improved, however slightly.
*The Grand Archbishop had ordered me to return to the Great Temple. I am sorry I could not protect you until the end.*
But the salvation had been short-lived. He had suddenly left the Sanctuary one day, as if appearing out of nowhere. After that guilt-ridden farewell, it had been nearly a year since their last meeting.
*“What are all of you doing here?”*
Before Lisbel could offer a kind greeting to the rare person she was glad to see, a cold voice cut in like a winter wind.
Lisbel startled and pulled her hand free from Isaac’s as if to shake it off, turning around. The chill of Hendrick’s obsidian eyes staring at her made her spine tingle.
*“Ah, you must be the leader of the exploration party. I am a mid-level priest, Isaac, who joined at the imperial family’s request.”*
*“A pleasure.”*
Isaac smiled amicably even in the frozen atmosphere and extended his hand to Hendrick. At the same time he naturally shifted his steps, moving behind her broad back to shield Lisbel from Hendrick’s view.
*“We will head to the next ruin now. I ask that you make ready to depart.”*
After delivering his words, Hendrick turned away without waiting for Isaac’s reply. The thick fingers of the man whose expression showed displeasure crushed the hand he had shaken with Isaac.
The priest who had dared to block her path and hide Lisbel from view. And Lisbel’s eyes that had wavered when she looked at him. That fleeting scene continued to haunt his mind like a nightmare.