C1 Part2

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TL/Editor: yana/Obleau

Chapter 1.2

TL/Editor: Yana/Obleau

This was what happened the day before that left Anastasia with bloody calves. Still feeling the whips on her legs, Anastasia wiped the tears away with her sleeve.

Her father was so angry yesterday that she hid out of sight for a while. The events that transpired made her miss her mother even more, so much so that she snuck out through the backyard to visit her grave.

After having whispered all her misery to the wind, Anastasia finally turned back.

‘Let’s go back home. If you don’t memorize the prayer of repentance tonight, you’ll be hit again and you won’t even be able to eat once a day.’

Though she was afraid to sin, she was even more afraid of starving to death. On days when she could not eat, the chill of the frozen earth penetrated deep into her skin even more than usual.

It was time for Anastasia to go back home.

“…?”

A strange sound was caught in the wind. After listening for a while, Anastasia realized that it was the sound of a carriage.

‘Headman?’

The only person in this village who even owned a carriage was the headman. Though it was an old carriage drawn by an old horse, it was still the most precious ride the village had to offer.

Anastasia stood there as she listened. She noticed that the sound of this carriage was different from what she was used to hearing. It was the sound of extra hooves that distinguished it from the Headman’s carriage.

‘Who is it?’

This was a village where no one would normally pass by because it was so rural, there was nothing special about it. Apart from the assistant lord, who came once a year to collect taxes, the only other person who ever visited the village disappeared while hunting a few years ago. The villagers still talked about him when they drank, as if it was the only source of entertainment they had.

Anastasia looked towards the end of the road leading away from the church. She could see a carriage being pulled by four big horses. A golden, whimsical-looking carriage was approaching the church.

“…!”

Anastasia was momentarily hypnotized by this wonderful sight she had never seen before. Only when she heard the horses’ whinnying did she come back to her senses. Anastasia hurriedly dashed into the church and hid under a long prayer bench. She closed her eyes, while covering her ears.

‘Go away quickly.’

After the death of her mother, Anastasia’s father loathed the idea of her possibly meeting and interacting with anyone. As a result, she was often confined in the room where her mother had died and was not allowed to venture out of the church.

Anastasia was not allowed to appear before, let alone greet, any visitors of the church. Even those who came to offer their prayers, or children of the village whom she used to play with, Anastasia was not allowed to meet anyone.

If there were any accidental meetings with guests, then on that same day, Anastasia would be beaten to such an extent that she would not be able to collect her thoughts. That being the case, when anyone passed by the church, Anastasia would hastily go into hiding. Anastasia cupped her ears, not wanting to listen.

‘But I miss you.’ This was a phrase from her favorite prayer that she thought of as she wondered about the approaching carriage. Anastasia prayed that the carriage would take her away to heaven.

A golden carriage headed to paradise. Wouldn’t a carriage like that look the same as the one approaching?

Anastasia imagined the scene. A carriage that stops in front of the church, and a messenger sent by God ready to whisk her away. She takes the hand of the messenger of God and climbs into the carriage that’s waiting to take her to a beautiful place. Since this was the first time she’s ever seen such a large carriage, Anastasia could not fathom what the interior would be like. Presumably, it would be warm. The seats would be soft like a grassy field in the summer. This was all she could imagine as she hid.

‘It will probably pass by.’

The church was the creepiest place in this sparsely populated village. Even hunters from the village would not have passed by had it not been for the path it contained leading into the forest.

This was a church that most wouldn’t visit, except believers with old strong faith. Those who donated offerings to the church often brought potatoes and sacks of barley. They would pray but immediately leave afterwards. As such, Anastasia predicted that the carriage, which for unknown reasons appeared to be approaching the church, would only pass by.

At that moment, she heard the carriage stop, contrary to her prediction.

“…!”

Surprised, Anastasia covered her mouth with her hands. ‘The carriage stopped. Why? Why?’

After a while, she heard the old wooden door of the church creak open. From underneath the bench where she hid, Anastasia saw polished shiny shoes approaching closer. The gentleman’s shoes were far cleaner and prettier than those of a lord’s representative.

Suddenly, the gentleman who entered screamed.

“Chloe!”

Anastasia shuddered. She trembled violently from the cry of the unfamiliar gentleman. Chloe. That was her mother’s name.

“Chloe! Where are you!”

The gentleman was a person who knew her mother.