C1 Part1

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TL/Editor: yana/Obleau

Warning: This novel contains themes that are intended for older (15+) readers only. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter 1.1

Anastasia raised her head, holding back locks of her red hair that flowed chaotically in the wind

Not far off, a hill was situated by an old, shabby wooden fence. There was a small tombstone nestled at the center of the hill.

“Mum…”

Anastasia muttered softly. The blaring sound of the wind, bringing forth the bitter cold of the frozen ground, quickly picked up Anastasia’s whisper and swept it away. The formless body of the whisper instantly disappeared. Anastasia felt both pity and relief from the fact that this whisper was difficult to be picked up even for herself, let alone the hill.

“I hope I get less than ten hits today.”

Anastasia once again let free her whispers into the air as she cupped her frozen cheeks with her hands. Despite this effort, the cold still remained the same. Her hands were as frozen as the bitter cold the wind carried.

Anastasia lowered her hand and felt the skin on her calves under her skirt. The place where her father had whipped her the previous day hadn’t healed yet, and it was still bleeding.

“Dad says that I am an obscene girl because I look like my mom. That is why I must ask the Lord for forgiveness for my sins.”

She muttered out loud, her voice mingled with a sob.

Anastasia did not know what ‘obscene’ meant. However, she was so afraid of her father abusing her with such a cruel word that it evoked a negative connotation.

“I just … wanted to see the book that Anton had …”

Anastasia recalled the events that had happened the previous day when Anton, the headman’s son, came to visit the church. He had quietly called for Anastasia in order to show her something he had received.

Anton was a young man of the same age as Anastasia. According to the headman, Anton was a very smart child. He already knew how to read and write, and when he grew older, the headman planned to send him off to a school in a big city.

As if to prove the veracity of his praise, the headman presented Anton with a thick book called the “Dictionary”, which he had bought from the city for his birthday.

Anton bragged about this book to the locals and wanted to show it to Anastasia. Anastasia stared at the leather-bound book Anton held in his hand. Whether she was an adult or a child, she was just genuinely curious.

The village they inhabited was located on the outskirts of Novgorod (1). It was a village with limited agriculture – mainly potatoes and rye – that could only be harvested during the short summers.

The main source of food were fish caught from rivers, as the village’s agriculture alone was not enough to sustain them. Mushrooms and berries from the forests were also a staple, along with wild animals caught from hunting.

Most of the villagers were not educated enough to be able to read and write, or even understand simple arithmetic for daily life. The only people who knew how to read, write, and calculate in the village were the Headman, Anton, Victor, who was originally from a big city, and Anastasia’s father, Reverend Ivan.

Because of Anastasia’s illiteracy, she wouldn’t have been very interested in Anton’s book had it just been an ordinary book. It wasn’t as though she had never seen a book, in fact, her father’s study contained many books. Ivan often read the Bible, which recorded the words and miracles of God. Although he could read and write, he never bothered teaching Anastasia a single word.

“For those who are unfaithful, knowledge is just a shortcut to evil. Like the knowledge the serpent stole from paradise.”

Ivan forbade Anastasia from reading any books, or even entering the room where the books were kept. In spite of this, Anastasia still wanted to look at books.

When Anton called for Anastasia on the other side of the church fence to show her the book he had received, Anastasia could not contain her admiration.

The book had a dark red cover, darker than the one her father had, and even had shiny decorations all over. There was something written in gold lettering on the cover. Anton told her that it was a Dictionary for children.

Anton boasted about it as he flipped through the book, page by page. With the dictionary being far beyond Anastasia’s physical grasp, all she could do was stare at it as if possessed.

Unlike the plain Bible her father often read, Anton’s book had beautiful, colorful paintings. As Anton was flipping through the book, something suddenly caught Anastasia’s eyes.

What caught her eye was a painting of a beautiful landscape. The landscape was filled with flowers that covered the ground, and it also detailed trees in full bloom with green leaves that bathed in bright sunlight. There were birds flying through the sky and wild animals standing next to people. Behind all of this was the most magnificent and wonderful building in Anastasia’s eyes. Never in her wildest dreams could she have ever imagined such a glorious looking structure. Behind it was a green forest that extended far back.

“What is that?”

When Anastasia asked, Anton looked at the page she was referring to and read out one word.

“Let’s see. Para … dise?”

Anton frowned as he stammered.

Paradise. At the sound of this word, Anastasia clenched her fists. This word was often heard when her father preached to the villagers and forced her to kneel down and read the Bible. Paradise, a place where there is neither longing nor sadness. A place that is always warm and regarded as a safe haven.

‘It really is.’

Anastasia blinked and looked at the picture of paradise. When suddenly, Anton closed the book. Anastasia simultaneously stretched out her hand to grasp once more at the sight of paradise, but it was gone in an instant. At that moment, Anton grabbed Anastasia by the hand.

“No, let go! Let go!”

Anton heard a slap but he did not feel anything at all. Instead, it was Anastasia who was struck and fell to the ground.

“Lustful bitch, if you stare anymore with your eyes, you will attract the attention of unwanted men! Just like your mother!”

“I’m sorry! Oh! I was wrong!”

Anastasia clapped both hands together in front of her face to pray for forgiveness. Anton glanced at Ivan, who had turned into a demon, before fleeing away in fear. Ivan grabbed the fallen Anastasia by the clothes on her back, without even sparing any attention towards Anton. Anastasia’s body, lighter than half a bag of barley, was dragged away helplessly by Ivan’s hands.

Ivan mumbled scriptures from the Bible he memorized by heart as he dragged Anastasia back to the church. Throwing her onto the altar, he recited a prayer while he struck Anastasia’s calves with a whip, “You must pray to God to forgive your sins.”

N/T: Novgorod (or Veliky Novogorod) is one of the oldest and most famous cities in Russia – the place of the vocation of the chronicler Rurik and the origin of Russian statehood. And as a result, people from this city have Russian names.

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