TGS - Chapter 2
Chapter 2: She is a Spirit
Lotus was finally free from the confines of her stone shell. She subconsciously moved her limbs, stretching her body, then floated lightly down to the empty space before the statue.
But she was far too light.
She tentatively reached out a hand. Her translucent fingertips passed through the altar as if through air, without any resistance. It seemed she wasn't exactly a person at the moment.
Lotus circled the altar, confirming that she was now a ghost-like spiritual entity, able to pass through solid objects at will. Even the surface of the water did not reflect her form.
Looking back at the statue, she saw that the marble was white and fine, every detail rendered to perfection. Even though she already knew of the highly developed art of ancient Solancian sculpture, the exquisite craftsmanship of this statue was still beyond imagination.
The facial features, in particular, seemed somewhat familiar upon closer inspection.
Lost in thought, Lotus subconsciously raised her right hand to her other wrist, then paused midway as if remembering something, finally clasping her hands loosely together.
The cause of her transformation from statue to spirit lay in the young princess's two tears. Whatever the connection, the young princess was her only clue to escaping this predicament.
In that case, the path forward was clear.
With a faint smile, Lotus passed through the curtain and left the ritual chamber. Bathed in the bright, warm sunlight outside, she felt as if she had been reborn.
She quickly came to her senses and looked around.
Several pebble-paved paths surrounded the ritual chamber. Directly in front was a flat, wide avenue that passed a circular pool in the courtyard, filled with blooming aquatic flowers, and led straight to the temple gate. Huge pillars, carved with reliefs depicting various fantastical scenes, lined both sides of the road.
Lotus glanced out beyond the temple, then turned and floated in the direction the young princess had fled.
Following a path lined with dwarf palms, she could see several courtyards built of white stone bricks in the distance. A few girls about Alyuin's age were walking toward the courtyards, talking and laughing.
"Have you heard about the one who came from Akhet...?"
"Who hasn't? Sigh, the former king had only just gone to see the gods, and the princess was already driven out to our Kadera City. How pitiful."
"What's there to pity?" The chestnut-haired girl in the middle snorted, her expression arrogant. "Don't forget that one has the blood of a sinner flowing through her veins. The great new king sent her here to have the Goddess Lotus wash the filth from her blood, not for people to sympathize with her!"
This girl seemed to hold a high status. As soon as she spoke, the others exchanged glances, not daring to reply.
"Well, Tarsha, should we go have a look?" the girl beside her ventured. "The princess is probably hiding somewhere, crying."
The arrogant girl named Tarsha shot her a sideways glance. "If you want to go, go by yourself. Don't drag me along."
The girls quickly changed the subject and began to chat about lunch.
These children were all daughters of nobles in Kadera City. During their childhood, they received instruction from priests and scribes at the temple. They could graduate after reaching a certain level of learning, and only the most excellent students were allowed to stay on for advanced studies as apprentice priestesses.
And Alyuin would soon be studying alongside them.
Lotus frowned, watching their retreating backs.
The little princess's future classmates are hardly friendly.
She delayed no longer and, before long, found Alyuin in the farthest courtyard.
Each small courtyard contained a house built of white stone bricks, divided into three rooms—left, center, and right—each housing one person. The young princess had received no special treatment for her royal status; she had been assigned the room on the left.
When Lotus arrived, Alyuin was alone, organizing her belongings.
Solancians had a tradition of wearing gold ornaments. On formal occasions, especially, one would be ridiculed for not being adorned with gold jewelry.
Seeing the young princess wearing little jewelry earlier, Lotus had assumed it had been confiscated by the people in the royal city. She hadn't expected it all to be safe and sound in her bundle.
Alyuin clearly understood not to flaunt her wealth and had a strong sense of caution. She divided the valuable gold ornaments and treasures into several portions, hiding them in hard-to-find corners of the room. The largest portion was even buried at the base of the wall, and after she stamped the ground with her foot, no trace of digging remained.
Next, she took out a small, sharp dagger and carefully placed it under her pillow.
After finishing, the young princess sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees. The rims of her eyes were still a little red, but her expression showed a coldness that belied her age, her thoughts unreadable.
Lotus floated in front of her, but Alyuin showed no reaction. When Lotus tried to touch the hand resting on her knee, her own hand passed right through it, just as it had with everything else.
She wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but for a fleeting moment, Lotus thought she felt a touch of warmth. When she tried again, however, it was gone.
Alyuin suddenly stood up, and for a moment, Lotus was startled, thinking she had been seen.
But she immediately realized it was just a coincidence, for the young princess's next action was to remove the lapis lazuli amulet from her waist. She stared at the amulet—a symbol of protection from En, the God of Sky and Wind—for a long moment before suddenly raising her hand and smashing it violently against the wall.
With a sharp crack, the amulet shattered on the floor.
The young princess looked at the pile of fragments and, surprisingly, gave a silent laugh. She then carefully gathered the pieces, leaving no evidence of her disrespect toward the god.
Lotus silently watched as Alyuin put everything in order. Only then did the princess take a piece of cold bread from the table and eat it in a few bites, a meal that served as both lunch and dinner.
Then, she took a book bound with thick, dark brown paper from her bundle and began to read intently.
Lotus floated beside her, reading along. She had expected it to be a futile exercise—after all, who could expect someone from three thousand years in the future to understand the ancient script of this era?
But to her surprise, the characters on the brown paper seemed both strange and familiar. As she looked at them, it was as if they were automatically translated, and she could understand them with ease.
"A perk of transmigration, I suppose?"
Lotus considered this. It was a very useful skill, and she had to admit her luck hadn't completely run out. At least she wouldn't be illiterate in ancient Solancia.
Outside, the sun gradually set, and the light in the room grew dim.
When it became too dark to read, Alyuin glanced at the oil lamp on the table, seemingly wanting to light it. But after tilting her head in thought, she ultimately decided against it.
The young princess hid her book, double-checked that the door was locked and the window curtain was secured, and only then lay down on the bed, staring calmly at the ceiling.
Her eyes were shaped like a cat's, with round, lustrously clear pupils. But the outer corners tilted up and were drawn out long, giving them a sharp look that wasn't very cat-like after all.
Of course, Alyuin would never have guessed that the spirit form of the Goddess of the Yilu River was floating right beside her, racking her brains for a way to escape her current ghostly state.
Did she have to wait for the young princess to cry again?
Gradually, the sky outside grew dark. In this era, there was no nightlife, so people went to bed early. The room was so quiet that only the young princess's soft breathing could be heard, and soon, it deepened into the slow rhythm of sleep.
Alyuin was asleep, but even in deep slumber, a lingering worry clouded her delicate face. Her eyelids trembled slightly, and her long, thick brows were furrowed, as if she were unhappy even in her dreams.
Lotus rested her chin on one hand, watching her quietly.
Reason told her she should leave for now and explore other parts of the temple. Perhaps the young princess wasn't special; perhaps someone else's tears would work just as well. In any case, it seemed more practical than watching over a sleeping child.
Yet Lotus couldn't bring herself to leave. She considered herself a person of few emotions, but the young princess's deeply hidden sorrow and her stubborn persistence in the face of desperation seemed to affect her, making her feel that she couldn't just leave the girl alone.
Lotus raised her hand and placed her fingertips on Alyuin's brow, as if to smooth the slight furrow there, though she knew it was a futile gesture.
Just as she had that thought, the scene before her suddenly changed.
One moment it was pitch black; the next, she found herself in a magnificent, sun-drenched garden. Before Lotus could react, something was pressed against the small of her back.
"Who are you?" A crisp, clear, yet imposing voice sounded from behind her. "Trespassing in the royal palace is a capital offense. Didn't you know?"
Lotus slowly turned, her gaze falling upon the young princess.
The Alyuin here was dressed in a fine, exquisitely made silk gown. Her honey-colored skin had an even, jade-like luster in the sunlight. She wore brilliant gold ornaments in her hair, which was meticulously braided. She was far more gorgeously attired than she had been at the temple.
Or rather, this was how a princess of Solancia ought to be dressed.
The young princess pressed a jewel-encrusted dagger against Lotus's back and lifted her chin slightly. "If you don't answer, I'll call the guards."
Lotus paused for a moment before saying gently, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness Alyuin. I was invited here."
"Liar," the young princess said, eyeing her with suspicion. "Father and Mother always tell me who they've invited." Still, the pressure from the dagger unconsciously eased a little.
A hint of a smile flashed in Lotus's eyes.
This had to be Alyuin's dream. Faced with such a clever little girl, extricating herself would be troublesome, but not impossible.
Just as Lotus was about to continue her deception, an urgent shout came from nearby:
"Your Highness—Your Highness Alyuin! Where have you run off to? The Queen is looking for you in her chambers!"
The call came from a guard, who hurried over and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Alyuin.
"So here you are. We must hurry. Her Majesty the Queen will worry if we're late."
Alyuin looked at the guard, who seemed completely oblivious to the other person present. Then she looked up at the perfectly nonchalant Lotus and slowly narrowed her beautiful eyes.
Lotus maintained an innocent smile. "..."
Ah, a miscalculation.
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