Reflection of Another World Volume 1, page 9
She tried to get up, but couldn’t. Somehow, she’d fallen in a strange position. The second she tried to move, a cramping pain shot through her leg. Her shoes had flown off somewhere. She couldn’t stand up, no matter how she tried…
“Lady Yuura!”
Leila charged toward Yura, brushing past the throngs of people as she did.
“Ahh! What happened?”
But she suddenly stopped right in front of Yura. She made a face like she had candy stuck in her throat.
“Leila?”
Her eyes were on something behind Yura. Her face was clearly shocked, so Yura twisted her head to look behind her. Someone was leaning over her from behind.
“What wert thou chasing?” said a voice from above with a slight laugh.
Startled, Yura stiffened.
“Ashes…?”
The silver-haired young man was looking down at her. A perfectly crafted smile crossed his face as their eyes met.
“Stand up,” Ashes said, offering Yura a hand.
He put an arm around her waist, as she couldn’t stand on her own, and helped her to her feet.
Accepting his help, Yura finally took a look around. She realized she was beneath the massive hanging banner she’d seen from the balcony before. She could see the semicircle platform nearby.
Yura instinctively gazed at Ashes.
His long hair was pulled back with a hair tie just above the nape of his neck. He wore gold-crafted armlets, adorned with medals that shone dark grey.
His clothes were different than in the afternoon. They were more refined. And atop his head was, unmistakably, a crown.
“You really are an emperor, huh…?” Yura muttered reflexively, grabbing at the hem of his cape.
Ashes laughed lightly, his eyes softening. Suddenly, a voice rang out in awe from among the onlookers.
“My…how beautiful!”
Yura looked toward the voice. Sighs then erupted throughout the room, as if a wind had swept in.
“She seems completely out of this world.”
“Such beauty cannot be from our realm…”
A mixture of cries filled with admiration and gasps bubbled up from the crowd, one after the other. Yura gazed around.
Not again.
Yura knit her brows, feeling uneasy.
Who do they keep talking about?
She turned her head, glancing around.
Was that person that the old man from earlier called “beautiful” somewhere nearby now? She couldn’t find them.
There weren’t even any other women nearby.
Behind her was a blank wall. There were no other people there.
As Yura twisted to look around, she gazed up at Ashes, as if to ask where this person was. She opened her mouth to ask him, but suddenly stopped.
Ashes had calmly placed a hand on her shoulder and she stiffened. He turned her toward the crowd and bent down next to her. Then he whispered into her ear, in a voice so quiet only she could hear.
“Didn’t you hear them? Everyone is complimenting you.”
Yura froze, taken aback by his words. Her face stiffened.
“Wh-Why?”
She fidgeted as if to indicate how ridiculous the idea was.
But then Yura finally realized that everyone was staring directly at her.
They were looking at her the way one looks at something exceptionally beautiful. The stares of the men were filled with longing, while those of other women were mixed with a pinch of jealousy.
“Such unparalleled beauty, eh?”
Yura lifted her head, as if pulled by a string. The look on Ashes’ face was one of enchantment. Even he seemed to be infatuated with her. Smiling at the tongue-tied Yura, Ashes spoke with longing.
“Those words exist for you.”
At that moment, the short fuse in Yura’s head was set off with a pop!
What did he say? She fidgeted. Yura gazed up at him in shock.
“Wh-What…?” she sputtered.
Her body went ice cold and she could feel an icy sweat trickle down her back.
An unparalleled beauty? Me?
Those gazes and voices left her convinced that they must be teasing her.
Yura shrank back like a cornered rabbit.
What in the world is going on?
The gorgeous lights of the banquet seemed to blur into an arc. Ashes stroked Yura’s cheek gently.
***
AS the banquet continued, Yura’s anxiety only worsened.
Leaning against the impeccably designed throne, Ashes jovially tipped back his cup.
Yura stood back in amazement, ladling alcohol into his cup.
It’s so strange. No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. No matter how I turn it over in my head, I can’t understand it.
It was something that shouldn’t have been, but feeling a slight chill, Yura began to look around. Every person whose gaze she met genuinely complimented her.
Each person praised her, with utter sincerity, despite the fact she wore no makeup.
They said things like “Your looks are peerless in this realm.”
Everyone looked intoxicated as they complimented her looks. But Yura looked down. She couldn’t believe their words to be anything but sarcasm. She remained silent, clasping her decanter.
“Lady Yuura, there is no need for you to do that…” Leila chided her with a hint of nervousness.
However, Yura shook her head and refused to surrender the decanter.
A new chair had been brought and set out, facing Ashes’ throne as soon as he invited Yura to join him on the platform.
That chair was currently vacant. Instinctively, Yura felt she couldn’t sit, declining the offer and instead snatching the decanter one of the maids was holding, proceeding to walk around and serve others.
“Don’t keep offering it to me. I can’t keep up.”
Ashes’ laughter caught Yura off guard.
Yura had been mindlessly serving Ashes, relentlessly offering him more alcohol every time his cup got half-empty.
“…I’m so sorry,” she muttered, and Ashes flashed her a gentle smile. No matter how sardonic his expression, there was always a hint of playfulness.
“Is there nothing here that strikes your fancy?”
Yura suddenly felt something tug her sleeve and came to her senses. Leila was staring at her, worry tinting her features.
She was bending over, knitting her brows together, giving Yura a reproachful look.
“I beg your pardon, but it is unseemly to make such a face before His Majesty…”
Yura looked up in a panic. She covered her face, wondering what kind of expression she had been making. At that moment, a thought flashed through Yura’s mind like a lightbulb going off over her head.
That’s right… Why don’t I find out myself?
Yura nodded to herself without realizing it.
Everyone here was probably just exceedingly good at being polite, right? There was no way they could’ve really meant it.
She spun around.
“Um, Ashes, is there a mirror nearby?”
“A mirror?”
At first, he met her gaze with a blank stare, then quickly seemed to light up with realization.
“You mean the Twin-Gazing Mirror?”
Any mirror would do, so Yura nodded vigorously. Ashes laughed once more. He then lifted his hand, pointing straight ahead.
“You have such random knowledge. The mirror you’re talking about is over there.”
Yura looked in the direction he’d pointed. She saw the balcony they’d originally descended from when they first arrived. Above that was a smaller balcony she hadn’t noticed before. Gazing up at it, a light suddenly flashed in her eyes. Something was catching the light of the chandeliers and reflecting it back out. Situated on the balcony was something round.
An elliptical mirror. It captured the light from the hall and reflected it back with a startling white light. It was facing out toward the banquet.
Yura suddenly froze.
It’s…
Her body seemed to shrivel up. Everything around her became distant, even the sounds becoming inaudible.
It’s…
Yura stared up at it in amazement.
It’s that mirror, isn’t it?
The mirror she’d seen in Tomoko’s shop was hanging right there.
It looked good as new, polished reverently…
Yura blinked. It was so far away, and yet, she could see it perfectly.
That double-sided mirror that’d sucked Yura into its silvery light was hanging right there.
There’s no mistake about it.
The waves of shock finally receded. Yura blinked, then slowly looked at Leila. Leila, in turn, looked a little frightened.
“Hey…”
Yura closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to calm her pounding pulse. Lifting her trembling hand, she slowly pointed to it.
“How can I get up there?”
Leila looked truly troubled at this question.
She was completely baffled and glancing all over, looking for help.
“‘How?’ I’m afraid there isn’t a path that leads there directly,” Leila replied, struggling with each word.
“That mirror is a Tolkinian national treasure. Every year, only on this day of the Festival of Gratitude, it is brought out from the mirror chamber…”
Yura shook her head. Then she gave a little nod.
Leila had a dubious expression on her face and quickly looked away.
What…do I do? It doesn’t seem like there’s any way I can get over there.
She took a breath and somehow calmed down, glancing around at the festivities. The dancing people, the lively music. The crowd of people surrounding the platform showed no signs of dwindling.
If only I could get to it.
Yura searched for some alternate route.
First, I have to convince Leila and then slip off by myself. Then, I need to find a corner of the room… If I can just get to that balcony. But then what?
Yura looked up. Could she climb that high?
From the time she was a small child, she was so afraid of heights, she couldn’t even play on the swings at first.
Not to mention with what she was wearing, there was no way she’d be able to climb up there…
How can I get to it…? Is there really no way?
At that moment, she heard an indistinct voice.
The sound of something breaking.
A sharp sound.
“Dammit!” someone shouted, outraged at the mistake.
Hearing the person cry out, Yura turned in that direction.
Suddenly an arm shot out, pushing someone else away. The person staggered back, as if they’d been struck on the head. She had no idea what had happened.
A young woman was turning away, visibly upset. She was pulling up the hem of her long skirt. Shards of glass were scattered at her feet.
Undeterred, a thick arm shot through the air once more. Water splashed someone’s lowered head, splattering everywhere.
That was when Yura finally realized what was going on. She started to rush over.
“No, where are you going!?”
Leila’s arm held Yura back. Yura was so worked up, however, that she shook Leila off.
“How horrible…what happened!?”
People were crowding around, making it difficult to move. Yura tried to crane her neck to see what was going on.
It was a young man with his eyes downcast. Perhaps because he’d turned his face away and his body was stooped over, he looked so small.
He lifted his eyes to look at the two men holding the empty glasses. The men had fist-sized stains on their chests. Colliding with each other and spilling the contents of their glasses must’ve started the whole thing.
Even if that was the case…aren’t they going too far?
Yura tore the fabric off the decanter Leila was holding and turned back to the disturbance.
The young man was staring at the others, expressionlessly. There was no hint of emotion in his eyes. He wiped away the water without a word.
Suddenly Yura gasped.
It was him.
She froze.
The young man Yura had chased and failed to catch earlier.
The one she’d happened upon in the garden. But there was no emotion in his eyes now.
Instead, he looked like a wax doll with lifeless eyes. So completely empty that she was sure if he spoke now, his voice would be monotone.
He turned toward her with equally empty movements.
In that instant, Yura regretted not hiding.
In that moment when their eyes met, he looked so pained, it was as if someone stuck a needle in his eye.
As soon as he recognized Yura, he silently spun away. Turned his back to her and walked off.
There were numerous people in his way and they all stepped aside for him. They all watched him go in disgust, as if looking at something truly awful. The music once again sprang to life.
Finally, the banquet slowly returned to its easy pace, as if nothing had happened.
Suddenly, Ashes was standing next to Yura. He had a capricious look on his face, likely drunk.
Yura turned away, watching the young man who still hadn’t completely disappeared into the crowds. She hadn’t noticed before, but every single person that watched him go turned away from him, putting as much distance as they could between them.
“Hey, th-that man…” Yura whispered, just barely audible and trembling. Ashes bent closer to her, struggling to hear. “That man, the one with the gold hair…”
“Oh, him?” Ashes snorted in response. He casually extended a finger, still wrapped around his cup, to where the young man had been.
It seemed like others nearby were laughing as well. Yura looked down, her heart aching. It was a strange feeling, as if an old forgotten wound had begun to throb.
“Does he have some sort of illness…?”
Ashes laughed in response. It was a sneer; his gaze was cold and disgusted. He smiled with pity, as if rejecting the other man down to his very core.
“Saying it’s an…affliction of appearances might be more like it.”
“Affliction of appearances?”
Appearances—like his looks?
Yura frowned.
She turned her head to look at him. He was currently looking to the side. Where she stood was up high, the place she was least likely to lose sight of him. She could still see him very clearly.
“Isn’t he hideous?”Ashes slid closer and whispered. He continued to smile at her with a cold expression. “He’s the ugliest man in our entire nation.”
Ashes’ words slapped Yura like an ice whip. She shuddered as if she’d been hit with cold water and looked at him.
The young man looked back up at Yura, as if detecting her fear. His face really was like that of a doll’s. A fake expression with any emotion shoved deep down inside.
However, his looks were still as handsome and as breathtakingly beautiful as they were that day they saw each other through the mirror.
It gave Yura goosebumps and she stiffened up. She slowly looked back and forth between them, speechless.
The young man with golden hair and Ashes.
Both of them had such handsome faces that they couldn’t help but garner attention.
Could it be…
Could they possibly be…
The words sprung back to her mind.
“My, how beautiful…”
That old man who had sighed enraptured. Those words of delighted admiration. Those envious gazes.
“I can’t believe such beauty is of this world.”
Yura looked up. The young person whose eyes met hers grew red in the cheeks and flashed her a broad grin.
“An unparalleled beauty.”
“Those words of praise were meant for you…”
Yura took a step back.
For me?
Flustered, she looked around. All eyes were on her and she felt backed into a corner.
He’s the most hideous man in the country and I’m an unparalleled beauty?!
Questions she couldn’t put into words were running through her head. Her fears formed a dark veil before her and increased at an interminable speed. She was tormented by a strange sense of terror, all amid the backdrop of this glamorous feast. Yura stood there vacantly, wringing her hands.
Chapter 4: Common Ground
EVERYTHING felt distant to Yura.
All around her the ceaseless cacophony of laughter ebbed and flowed like waves, and the elegant music served as a background to her melancholy.
Yura’s arms hung limply at her sides, completely slack like a wooden puppet. The aroma of flowers competed with the powerful scent of wine wafting throughout the room. Yet it all seemed so far away.
As did Leila, who stood at Yura’s side, anxiously calling to her, and Ashes, staring at her with a dubious look.
A wind seemed to blow in from somewhere, causing Yura’s hair to dance on the breeze. It was like a mysterious hand had grabbed her hair, trying to yank her back to reality. The night wind that broke through the excitement was refreshing.
But her heart was pounding, breathing proved difficult, and she was dizzy.
“Lady Yuura?”
A wave of confusion welled up within her. Like alcohol inviting a drunken state, it intermingled with fear, and suddenly, Yura was losing consciousness.
Her knees quaked. Her heart stalled. She staggered, her arms going limp, and bumped into the glass someone else was holding, knocking it out of their hand. The glass shattered at her feet. But even that felt far away.
Her mind, which had gone white, now went black, like a game of Othello.
Leila’s shriek sounded so far away. Ashes threw his arms out to stop her from completely collapsing.
“Yuura!”
Her eyes spun as she fell. In that last second, before her consciousness fully slipped away, a brilliant light shattered into fireworks amid the darkness beneath her closed eyelids.
***
YURA awoke to a muffled scream not unlike the sound of shattering porcelain. She blinked as she tried to sit up. But she found it quite hard. It was like her mind had awoken before her body. Her vision still hadn’t caught up yet.
