Tamed or Captured

“My wish has always been the same.”

Asha could tell from the way he spoke as if there were nothing to worry about, that she knew exactly what his wish was.

     He probably wished that I wouldn’t leave him…

She couldn’t help but wonder if he would be hurt again if his wish didn’t come true.

As her heart grew heavy, Asha raised the quill to the wishing paper.

Although it was customary to write only one wish on the wish paper, Asha found herself with too many to fit on the paper. So she wrote them in small letters, pouring her heart out onto the paper.

As she wrote wishes for the happiness of others – Jackal and Karaf, Lycaon and Sonya – Asha suddenly paused. A new thought had occurred to her, and without hesitation, she added one more wish at the very end.

[Please allow me to be happy in this life.] 

She knew she couldn’t take care of herself well, but she desperately wanted to be happy now.

With a proud smile, Asha gently placed the paper into the lantern.

As they made their way to the river holding their flower lanterns, Asha couldn’t help but admire the beautiful sight.

The long, straight river was already filled with countless lanterns, giving the impression of moons floating on the water.

Standing next to Karaf, Asha took a moment to appreciate the surreal scenery before preparing to float their own lanterns.

“We have to make them float carefully so they don’t tip over or sink in the water.”

Karaf demonstrated at first, moving with unusually delicate precision.

As Karaf’s lantern slipped out of his hand, it glided smoothly on the water, becoming the most distinctive and eye-catching one among the others nearby. 

Children around pointed excitedly, urging their parents to get one just like it.

Karaf beamed with pride upon hearing the children’s voices, and Asha followed him with a smile, holding her own lantern.

The two lanterns floated side by side on the water, slowly drifting down the river.

Someone was watching them at that moment.

“…… Your Majesty!”

Suddenly, the footsteps of the knights were heard from behind, and Karaf let out a sigh.

“Oh, just when things were getting better, an intruder appears…”

Duran spoke up in a firm tone.

“We’ve been searching for you for a long time. This is not the time to be here.”

“For me, a date with Vanessa is the most important.”

Duran was briefly at a loss for words before answering.

“Still…. how can the master of the Imperial Palace leave the palace on such an important event and let the guests wander around? The nobles have already started to gossip about your absence.”

“Sigh….”

Karaf let out another sigh and turned to look at Asha.

“I’m sorry, but I need to go back. However, the empress can stay and enjoy the festival a little longer. It must have been frustrating being stuck in the palace. You should take this opportunity to relax.”

Karaf instructed one of the knights to bring Sonya, her maid.

Soon, Sonya came running from afar with excitement, but when she saw Karaf, she stopped and quickly put her hands together and bowed her head.

“Y-Your Majesty…..”

Karaf spoke with a relaxed expression.

“I heard that Vanessa cherishes you the most. Do your best so she can enjoy the festival.”

“Yes, Your Majesty……!”

With a face captivated by a sense of duty, Sonya turned to Asha.

“Lady Vanessa! I’ll make sure to properly show you around the festival today! Just trust me and leave it to me!”

Asha smiled excitedly at Sonya’s bright energy.

Karaf smiled, too, but his expression hardened when he had to go. Suddenly, he turned to the knights with a stern face, as if nothing had happened.

“You guys, come with me and carry these things.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The knights replied, freezing in place before picking up the items Karaf had purchased and following him back to the palace.

Karaf glanced at Sonya and handed her a bundle of gold coins.

“That should be enough for you to enjoy the festival.”

“…. Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty! I will do my best to serve Lady Vanessa!”

As Sonya bowed deeply, Karaf nodded in satisfaction and left, swaying like a contented lion.

As everyone left, Sonya finally let out a breath she had been holding and gasped for air.

“Lady Vanessa, let’s now enjoy the festival together.”

Asha replied with a smile.

“Let’s go.”

Sonya led Asha from shop to shop, showing her fascinating accessories and trinkets.

In one corner, a small outdoor performance was taking place, with a man demonstrating by blowing butterflies made out of fire as if reenacting a blooming ceremony.

As he blew the fire, butterfly-shaped red sparks flew up into the sky like fireworks, and the children around them clapped and cheered.

Asha joined in, clapping and laughing while watching from under her hood.

To commemorate the festival, nameless performers also came out onto the streets and held a parade.

Asha felt like dancing and swayed involuntarily while secretly covering her face.

She and Sonya wandered around trying all kinds of food.

Sonya was buying things nonstop and pushing food into Asha’s hand, causing her to eat constantly until she was completely full.

The tempting array of desserts was too much for Asha to resist, and she indulged herself, eating more than her fill.

Sonya emphasized repeatedly, saying the same thing five times in a row.

“You have to try this! It’s hard to find because it’s only sold during festivals. I’ll remember the name and ask the royal chef to make it for you!”

Sonya examined the food more closely and took a taste.

Her face lit up with joy and satisfaction as she savored the transparent pudding with flower petals in it.

Seeing Sonya’s happiness made Asha feel better, and she smiled.

Upon reflection, it seemed that Karaf had noticed that Asha felt happy when he did something nice for Sonya. He tried to consider her feelings and make it possible for them to play together.

If all of his memories had returned, he would have remembered everything he did to Sonya in her previous life…. 

Perhaps he did it out of guilt.

But then, Sonya suddenly spoke with a slightly tender look on her face.

“Meeting Lady Vanessa was truly the greatest fortune in my life.”

When Asha looked over, Sonya blushed a little and lowered her head.

“Actually, I grew up very poor. My father, my mother, my three siblings, and I lived in a small and shabby room. I was the eldest, but when my younger siblings were sick, I couldn’t do anything to help…”

Pity filled Asha’s face.

“I used to leave my house at dawn every day and clean other people’s houses until late at night. But, by chance, I was noticed by the chamberlain and was able to work as a maid in the Imperial Palace. I was excited to think that I could finally feed my family, but the job was so demanding that I could only send money to my family. It’s been a long time since I saw their faces.”

Asha was heartbroken, not realizing that Sonya had gone through such a difficult time.

She gently grabbed Sonya’s shoulder and said.

“After this event is over, go home. I’ll speak for you.”

Sonya jumped up.

“Oh no! I’m so happy just to be out of the palace like this. If it wasn’t for Lady Vanessa, I wouldn’t be able to walk around. My family is already under your protection, so I will continue to stand by your side. I am really happy to be Lady Vanessa’s exclusive maid. There’s nothing happier in my life than this.”

Sonya bowed her head, and Asha looked at her, feeling emotional.

However, Sonya quickly changed the subject, perhaps feeling ashamed to confess her true feelings.

“Lady Vanessa, shall we go and have our fortunes read with flower petals?”

“Fortune-telling?”

“Yes! It’s a fortune-telling that common people often go to, but it’s surprisingly accurate! It’s fun to try at least once!”

Sonya exclaimed, leading Asha to a flower fortune-telling shop.

Once inside the store, many large flowers looked like sunflowers and had folded paper petals glued around their edges.

In the center of each flower, there was a round brown bead filled with sunflower seeds.

“All you have to do is pick a petal and check what’s written inside! You can also pick a sunflower seed, and if you’re lucky, they’ll give you a prize.”

Thinking it would be fun, Asha paid and picked up a flower petal and seed.

But as she checked the contents inside the petal, her eyes widened in surprise.

[A precious lover is waiting for you across the river. Don’t miss the chance.]

Asha turned her head toward the river, just in case.

Suddenly, she noticed a tall horse standing across the river in the distance.

As the moonlight shone on the horse’s blue-gray fur, Asha’s eyes widened and she cried out involuntarily.

“Sheppy…… !”

Sonya’s eyes widened as well, and Sheppy responded to Asha’s voice by lifting his front legs and neighing.

Touched by the unexpected encounter, Asha quickly rented a small boat to cross the river.

The boatman rowed cautiously, taking care not to collide with the lanterns floating on the river.

When they finally reached the opposite shore, Asha tried to get off the boat but stumbled due to her impatience.

“Lady Vanessa!”

Sonya quickly came up behind and supported Asha, while Sheppy moved in closer in surprise, pushing his face towards her.

As soon as Asha caught sight of him, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

“I missed you, Jackal. I missed you so much…”

Jackal’s eyes widened momentarily, but then he softly shut them and rested his head on Asha’s shoulder.

“But how did you get here so quickly?”

Asha leaned in close to Jackal’s ear and whispered a question. He turned and made his way toward the nearby bushes.

Suddenly, a tall, naked man stood up among the trees, and Sonya covered her eyes and turned around, exclaiming ‘Oh my God!’

Jackal hastily grabbed the clothes he had hung on a nearby tree and quickly got dressed before returning to Asha.

As soon as she saw his face, her emotions overwhelmed her and tears welled up in her eyes.

Throughout the festival, Asha had been worried that Jackal might not have experienced such an event before, but she never imagined their reunion would happen like this.

The fortune teller’s prediction was indeed correct.

This time, Jackal took the initiative and walked toward Asha, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

“As soon as I received your letter, I transformed into a horse and ran nonstop to come to see you. I missed you so much…I couldn’t bear it.”

Asha closed her eyes and embraced Jackal’s broad, sturdy chest.

She could feel his heart beating strongly and quickly, and his familiar scent felt warm and comforting.

The two stood facing each other in a romantic riverside setting, surrounded by flower lanterns that shone like fireflies.

Asha’s heart was pounding.

Feeling uneasy about the atmosphere between Asha and Jackal, Sonya quickly stepped back, putting a hand on her eyebrows to scan the area to make sure no one was watching.

As Jackal tilted his head and closed his eyes, he leaned towards Asha’s lips.

She hugged him and kissed him gently.

The sweet fragrance of the flower taffy Asha had eaten earlier made the kiss even sweeter.

Jackal was lost in the moment and deepened the kiss, pulling Asha even closer to him.

As the two lovers shared a kiss so intense they couldn’t breathe, a red firework exploded in the sky, followed by a loud cry that pierced the night.

A red firecracker had exploded in the sky, and at the same time, a loud scream was heard.

“It’s a monster…! A monster has appeared at the monastery…!”

Asha and Jackal stopped kissing and looked toward the direction of the sound, their eyes wide with shock.