There was No One Beside Her

It was an amazing sight. After the imprint of a moon marked the back of her hand, the actual thing vanished from the sky.

The unbelievable phenomenon led Cecile to question her sanity.

However, the swirling halo of light was undeniably real.

A silver-white radiance, mirroring an unusual glow, enveloped her.

Dark blue shadows intertwined with strikes of silver lights, drawing mysterious traces. Cecile gazed blankly into the light.

‘Do I possess unique abilities?’

Despite Cecile considering her thoughts nonsensical, she clutched the robe in her hands and uttered quietly.

“Disappear.”

The entire process occurred effortlessly, like flowing water. It felt familiar, like she had been doing this for a long time.

As her words concluded ominously, the intact robe, once perfectly fine, dissolved into the light.

Cecile’s jaw dropped as she witnessed the silver-white clusters of light disbanding.

“It can’t… be.”

Nonetheless, Cecile was left with no other choice but to accept this reality.

No, she couldn’t help but believe the crazy situation. Every attempt she made was carried out flawlessly.

As she commanded, the withered trees lining her path sprang back to life, the neglected carriage with peeling paint rejuvenated, and even her clothes transformed into a milky white dress.

At this juncture, Cecile had no alternative but to acknowledge her reality.

She wasn’t crazy; she genuinely possessed special powers.

Though she didn’t know why.

Cecile vaguely assumed this was connected to her death.

She thought something had changed since that time.

However, regardless of the cause, there was no longer any need for her to travel by carriage given these circumstances.

Cecile mumbled while estimating the location of Alcaden on her map.

“Let’s go. To Alcaden.”

At that moment, numerous clusters of light emanated and enveloped her.

And in the blink of an eye, Cecile’s figure vanished into thin air.

The only remnant left behind was the coin pouch she accidentally dropped.

_____

The carriage came to a halt, unable to proceed any further.

As the city lights dimmed one after the other, the portable carriage lantern did very little help to the coachman.

“Why is the road so dark tonight?”

The coachman complained, belatedly taking notice of the vanished moon. Horrified, he pushed open the back door to where Cecile was supposedly resting.

“Ma’am! Look, the moon suddenly disappeared!”

His surprise didn’t stop there.

This was obviously due to the disappearance of Cecile, who had been seated inside the carriage just a while ago.

The coachman muttered in a dismayed tone at the unbelievable sight.

“Huu, maybe I’m being haunted by a ghost.”

It was then the coachman’s gaze fell on Cecile’s coin pouch.

He hurriedly picked up the item. Inside were large amounts of authentic jewels.

Moreover, by some unknown means, his worn-out carriage had transformed into a pure white masterpiece adorned with a sparkling radiance.

“Hyuk!”

The coachman, upon inspecting his surroundings, involuntarily took a step back.

Then, with a bewildered gaze, he gazed vacantly at the white carriage emitting light in all directions, like silver dust breaking through small cracks.

___

The festivities were in full swing at the imperial palace.

The Queen Dowager reveled in joy for the first time in a while.

All guests were eager to pay their respects and shower her with a welcomed attention.

“Your Majesty the Queen Dowager, it is an honor to meet you.”

Her gracious eyes turned towards them. Despite any attempts to withdraw, there was no escaping the crowd of people.

Certainly, if the Queen Dowager chose to leave her spot, there was nothing she couldn’t achieve. 

But how could she, with all the continuous praise and flatter?

It was a tremendous delight to be surrounded by people and bask in their admiration, and she relished it to the fullest.

She exchanged pleasantries with her relatives.

At one point, she took the time to receive the report from the doctor who examined Cecile.

Finally, after successfully exerting influence over the Emperor, the Queen Dowager strolled through her garden in high spirits.

The moon hung prominently against the night sky, its brilliance unmatched.

During festival nights, lights would adorn every corner to dispel the darkness. However, nothing could rival the beauty of the moon illuminating the night sky.

‘So the God Serendi lives on that moon?’

The corners of her lips twitched.

The thought crossed her mind that even the moon, with its elegant and beautiful appearance, was beneath her feet.

She had ascended to the position of empress by displacing her predecessor, the Saintess. And now, she planned to discard the current Saintess as well.

“Once again, you lost to me. I have defeated God.”

With a slightly intoxicated mind, the Queen Dowager gazed up at the sky and smiled.

Did a god truly exist in the first place?

If so, it made no sense for her to neglect her daughter like this.

“Ahaha! How ridiculous!”

The champagne glass in the Queen Dowager’s hand shook wildly as she laughed.

Intoxicated by alcohol, her body lost direction and became limp. However, despite stumbling, the smile on her face persisted.

The Queen felt so elated that she could confidently claim to be the happiest person at that moment.

It felt as though she held the entire world in her hands.

Certainly, she did.

“…Uh?”

A question-like mumble escaped her lips. She lifted one hand and rubbed her eyes, like she had witnessed something unbelievable.

“Have my eyes dulled with age?”

It could have simply been the aftereffects of the alcohol she consumed. Otherwise, there was no explanation for the sudden disappearance of the moon, which had been floating serenely just a second ago.

The movement was slow but unmistakable.

With the disappearance of the moon, the world slowly plunged into darkness.

No matter how many torches were lit to brighten the surroundings, the absence of the moon could not be overlooked.

This contrast was even more pronounced, considering yesterday’s full moon.

The once large and round moon, able to fit in the palm of one’s hand from afar, gradually lost its light.

The sky was too clear for the Queen to excuse this occurrence by blaming the obscurity of the clouds.

Thus, unless one was truly delusional, the moon had indeed vanished.

This phenomenon cast the world into a pitch-black darkness once again.

Suddenly, a myth flashed across the Queen Dowager’s mind.

[If Serendi’s daughter no longer exists in this land, the continent will sink into the depths of the sea, and the blessings bestowed upon the Empire will cease to exist.]

She had this unknown certainty that such a mythology was foreshadowing this situation. With a pallid face, the Queen Dowager cried out.

“Someone, now!”

An attendant, startled by the Queen Dowager’s urgent call, hurriedly approached and bowed.

“Yes, your Majesty.”

“Go to the Empress’ palace immediately and see what the Empress is doing. And bring the doctor who examined her earlier!”

“Yes!”

The attendant rushed out hurriedly, but the Queen Dowager couldn’t shake off her anxiety.

As she observed the dimmed moon, she bit on her fingernails, eventually losing patience and rushing to the temple.

Her hurried steps, contrary to the elegance and culture she had previously discussed, caused her to stumble as she stepped on the hem of her skirt.

___

The Empire descended into chaos in the face of the sudden occurrence.

The moon, a natural earthly object, suddenly disappeared.

The once joyful singing came to an abrupt halt, and everyone’s gaze turned upward simultaneously.

Then they began whispering.

The world might be ruined.

People who had been happily dancing amidst the grand banquet hall of the imperial palace, and those laughing and enjoying themselves on the streets. All turned somber.

An air of hesitancy filled the crowd until it finally erupted into confusion.

“How did this happen?”

“Hnng, mommyyy…”

People usually lit lanterns at night, and used the fireplaces in their homes to illuminate rooms.

So, some dismissed the moon’s temporary disappearance as inconsequential.

However, the sky, once filled with a natural presence, was now overtaken by a sense of emptiness. This enveloped a sense of anxiety and fear.

The moon, which everyone assumed was a right to enjoy, now lost its light, leaving only the deafening darkness within the night sky.

Everyone panicked and hurried to gather in front of the neglected temple building.

They cried out to a God they had long forgotten, and prayed for their Empress’s safety.

There were no responses from the imperial family. Instead, knights were dispatched without a single word of comfort.

However, there was no result.

Rumors circulated that even the Emperor himself ventured out, but no trace of Cecile could be found.

Everyone desperately searched for Cecile.

They cried out for their Saintess to come back.

However, Cecile was nowhere to be found, and only the white carriage she was supposedly riding in was discovered several days later.

___

Time passed quickly.

Meanwhile, Cecile ensued a peaceful life.

It was a freedom she had only vaguely imagined. No, she hadn’t even imagined it. She didn’t know what the outside world looked like to fantasize about it.

‘Everyone said it was filled with rough and dirty people. They were lying.’

As Cecile observed more, she realized how inexperienced and naive she had been.

The world was much more vibrant and enjoyable than she thought.

She communicated with others very freely. Although things were unfamiliar to her at first, Cecile was gradually accustomed to such a lifestyle.

The world was a difficult place to survive alone. But she had her money and her ability.

At night, she was able to change her appearance and travel anywhere she wanted.

That was why Cecile was able to live freely, although she was currently being sought after.

No one suspected her because she could transform herself into a completely different person.

‘It’s fun.’

It was amazing and fun. A strange feeling of excitement swept over her.

She walked around to her heart’s content and ate whatever she wanted.

If there was something she wanted to buy, she would ask for the price and negotiate. At night, she gazed upon the sea in fascination.

When she did that, all her worries faded away.

As Teresa said, she felt like a completely different person.

Moreover, Alcaden was a port city. A night market was held every day, constantly crowded with people.

Today too, the dark streets were filled with lights.

As Cecile strolled down the noisy streets of Alcaden, she stopped by a familiar restaurant and bought a load of desserts.

“Thank you for your purchase!”

“I wish your business well.”

The jingling, cheerful sound of a bell resounded against her ears.

_________

Note: I love this so much for her!! Though I have a bad feeling it won’t last.. tsk..

On another note, I am truly curious why, out of all Saints, Cecile was brought back? Is she different from them? Or was she the only Saintess that accepted the opportunity? It’s all very intriguing indeed

Now everyone is starting to give a damn about the Empress when they’ve been taking her for granted. I want everyone to just rot for at least a couple years in regret and pain. sigh