Please Answer Me - Chapter 122

“Yes, it was me. In truth, I asked him for a favor.”

“A favor… I’ve heard he rarely shows himself. So, you must have made a wish.”

As expected, Tanit knew a lot. She had already figured out that Rosetta had made a wish.

“That day, you took the arrow in his place. It was probably his way of repaying that debt. He cannot directly interfere in human affairs, except in two cases: when repaying a life debt or witnessing the death of the covenant bearer.”

“The covenant bearer?”

“It refers to someone like you. Someone bound to Maiastra by a covenant, also called a ‘soul-bound being.’ He naturally exists on the border between reality and death, making him closer to souls than anyone else.”

Tanit let out a sigh that seemed laden with meaning and then looked up at Rosetta.

“Rosetta, do you really need to know? Perhaps it’s better to remain unaware, as you have been.”

“I need to know.” Rosetta tightened her fists. “Tell me who I am.”

Tanit lowered her gaze slightly, lost in thought for a moment, before she spoke words Rosetta never expected.

“Have you ever heard the old tale of the king’s three sons who set out to find a golden feather?”

Without waiting for Rosetta’s response, Tanit continued, “You probably don’t know it well. Although that story is the founding myth that gave rise to the current Lysa, it has been thoroughly hidden. Instead, the founder of this country fabricated a more plausible myth, claiming to be a descendant of the gods and thus born with divine abilities.”

“Are you talking about the Maiastra myth?”

“Yes, the story you know, or perhaps the one you don’t.”

And so, Tanit began a long tale about the king’s three sons who went in search of the golden feather. The story eventually led to a child trapped in the underground of a temple.

“The girl was the surviving bloodline of the third son, chosen by the golden bird just like him. The king realized that only the third son’s lineage could command the golden bird again. So, what do you think the king did to that child?”

Rosetta bit her lip. “…He imprisoned her underground and drained her power.”

“Exactly. As long as he kept the child, the golden bird couldn’t go anywhere, so it wasn’t difficult. The king used the child’s life as a hostage, plucking the bird’s feathers for his use. It’s said that each time a feather was plucked, the child screamed in agony as if her soul was being torn apart. The two beings were connected by their souls, sharing pain. Then, one day, the king thought: What if this child dies? If the bloodline ends, the golden bird will leave, and the power will be lost forever.”

Rosetta held her breath. For some reason, she sensed that the next part of the story wouldn’t be pleasant.

“When the child grew old enough to bear children, the king selected a suitable man, sent him to the prison, and had him sire a child with her. This was how the bloodline was continued for some time.”

Tanit continued to speak, her eyes fixed on Rosetta’s face, which had gone pale. “After many years passed, one king decided to take that being from the underground and raise her as his own child.”

“Why?”

“The king pitied the being and sought a way to coexist. At the time, the royal couple had no children, which meant they would have to pass the throne to a collateral branch of the family. But that couldn’t be allowed, could it? The world must never learn of the Lysa royal family’s hideous secret. They might have thought it was a good thing in the end—a bloodline that should have become king long ago reclaimed its place, and the royal family gained true magical abilities. From that time on, only those who could see the golden bird became kings. For quite a long time, only those who saw the golden bird could ascend the throne in this country.”

Rosetta trembled as she understood the implications of Tanit’s words.

“The problem began when, suddenly, the covenant bearers stopped being born. The king passed away, but none of his children were chosen by the golden bird. Maiastra did not appear just because someone was of royal blood. People began to doubt and whisper. It was only natural since the new king showed no supernatural abilities. In the end, the king hastily used magic stones to fake powers, and the succession transitioned to the eldest child, which was the simplest and most convenient method of determining the heir. It might have been better if things had stayed that way. The problem was that after several generations, a child who could see the golden bird was born again.”

Rosetta realized that the next part of the story was what she had most wanted to know.

“The covenant bearer, once eagerly awaited, had now become a major inconvenience. That child was evidence that the current king was a fraud and not the one chosen by the gods. If they officially recognized the child as king, then more covenant bearers would continue to be born, causing even greater problems. But they couldn’t just kill the child outright either. The magic stones were dwindling, and they needed to borrow that power once more. So, from that time on, the royal family began to hide any covenant bearers that were born. At first, they prevented them from leaving the palace, then they were confined to rooms, and by the time of our grandfather, they were once again imprisoned in the temple’s underground.”

Now Tanit’s gaze met Rosetta’s directly. “Rosetta, you have no idea how much despair your father and mother felt when they found out you could see the golden bird. They had hoped that no covenant bearer would appear in our generation.”

At that moment, a wave of nausea swept over Rosetta. She finally realized the fate she had narrowly avoided. If her grandfather had lived, she would still be trapped underground to this day, never to escape until death.

“Then, how was I able to escape from there…?”

“Father was constantly looking for a way to get you out of the temple, and it just so happened that Iselle approached him. He told Father that he had the temple keys and would cooperate if Father was planning to rescue you. The plan was to set the temple on fire to divert attention and then take you out, but things went awry. Grandfather unexpectedly showed up…”

“And shot Masha with an arrow. I took the arrow in her place.”

“Yes.”

“How did Grandfather die?”

“Maiastra did it. When you were struck by the arrow and fell, he flew into a rage and immediately burned your grandfather to death. His body was so charred that it couldn’t be displayed at the funeral.”

After Rosetta lost all memories of Masha, he no longer appeared before her. Even after he put out the fire last time, Masha vanished. Perhaps he realized that staying by a human’s side only brought more misery.

“Then, is my marriage to Iselle because of what happened back then?”

“I heard that he requested it when he first approached Father. He asked to have you if he succeeded in saving you.”

“But Iselle could use my power.”

“That’s why he gave his blood in return.”

“Blood?”

“Rosetta, who is allowed to wield the sacred sword?”

Rosetta didn’t understand why Tanit was suddenly talking about the sacred sword, but she answered anyway. “Direct members of the royal family, or those of equivalent status, and the royal guards who protect them.”

“Yes, for important individuals, the king himself grants the sacred sword. It’s an indestructible, invincible weapon. Why do you think they’re given that sword? It could be used against the king, after all.”

Rosetta finally realized that there was some secret to the sacred sword.

“The sacred swords they possess are embedded with magic stones that are enchanted with blood rituals. With those, the king can kill them or find them no matter where they hide. The sword is essentially a shackle that binds them.”

At this point, Rosetta was utterly confused. “Why would Iselle go that far…?”

Why would he bind himself so and still want to marry me?

“Because he likes you.” Tanit’s gaze deepened. “He’s been strangely obsessed with you since long ago. He was even willing to deceive Grandfather, knowing that it could ruin not only him but the entire Hezen family, just to rescue you.”

“But I won’t marry him. No, I can’t.”

“What do you mean?”

Rosetta pressed her lips together tightly. She couldn’t predict how Tanit would react if Rashid’s name came up.

“I will find out eventually if I ask Iselle. Even if he stays silent, I could just torture your guards or your nanny.”

“Sister!”

“Do you think I wouldn’t?”

Rosetta knew that while Tanit was kind to her family, she was a terrifying person to others. She would really torture them to get what she wanted.

“…I met another man during my journey and fell in love with him.”

“Who is this man?”

“The chieftain of the Quat tribe.”

Tanit frowned. “The chieftain of the Quat tribe? Are you talking about the man known as Nazar Quat?”

Rosetta nodded, and there was a brief silence. Instead of asking for specific details about how Rosetta met him or any other information, Tanit fell into deep thought.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, “It might actually be a relief. You and he are not meant to be together anyway.”

Rosetta looked up. “What do you mean?”

“It was our father who did that to his parents. If he’s in his right mind, he wouldn’t want to continue any relationship with you.”

Rosetta stared at Tanit, dumbfounded. She couldn’t understand what Tanit was saying. “If you’re talking about what happened twenty years ago, that was the work of the Basque tribe. I heard rumors that Lysa might have orchestrated something behind the scenes, but nothing was certain…”

“No, you’re wrong. We planned it directly in advance. Father himself went to the Basque tribe and set it in motion.”