Hajee exhaled deeply as he closed the last book he had been reading in his father's laboratory. He had been tirelessly searching for the forbidden book Beatrice had mentioned, but everything in the room seemed to be just ordinary magic books. Nothing even hinted at a cure for the emperor's curse.
Sighing, he sank into a chair, his mind racing.
"Just where the hell is it?" he muttered, frustrated. He didn't even know what the book looked like. Beatrice had only said it contained the cure, and that had been enough for him to go through every book in the room, one by one. Yet he had found nothing.
Crossing his arms, Hajee stared blankly at the wall in front of him.
"I wonder how my brothers are doing," he murmured, his voice low. His gaze drifted to a peculiar wall lamp mounted behind his father's study table. It hadn't caught his attention before, but now, standing out in the middle of the wall, it looked oddly out of place.
"Is this part of the room's interior design?" he wondered aloud.
The lamp had a strange design—an oni's grotesque face flanked by gargoyle wings. Intrigued, Hajee stood and walked toward it, examining it closely. The whole fixture was covered in dust. He pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping it down.
As he cleaned, his finger was pricked by one of the oni's horns.
"Ouch," he hissed, watching a small drop of blood fall onto the lamp.
He instinctively placed his finger to his mouth to lick the wound, but then something unexpected happened. The lamp began to glow.
"What's going on?" he whispered, eyes narrowing. There was no switch—no visible power source. Yet the glow persisted. He cautiously gripped the lamp, and as he did, it tilted slightly under his hand. A soft grinding noise followed.
The wall behind the desk trembled.
A hidden door was opening.
Hajee's eyes widened in disbelief.
"A secret room?" he breathed.
He glanced toward the main laboratory door to make sure no one was around, then slipped through the opening. As soon as he entered, the door shut silently behind him.
What he saw took his breath away. The room was filled with treasures—piles of gold, glittering gemstones, ornate jewelry, ancient scrolls, and enchanted artifacts. In the center, a single book floated in midair, shrouded in dark smoke.
"Is that the forbidden book?" he murmured, stepping closer, compelled by the aura of power it exuded.
As he reached out and touched it, the smoke exploded outward, wrapping around him like living tendrils. He gasped, struggling to breathe, as though invisible hands were choking him. His vision blurred, and then—
A torrent of memories surged into his mind.
His father's memories.
He saw fragments of the past—his father crafting the portal, working alongside Hajee's uncles. He watched them step into the otherworld, disappearing into the unknown.
The vision ended as abruptly as it had begun, and Hajee collapsed to the floor, panting, drenched in sweat. His body trembled. It took a moment for him to gather himself. He looked down. The book was still in his hands.
He opened it, flipping through the pages with urgency.
And then—
"Finally," he whispered. His eyes locked on the passages that described the cure for the emperor's curse and the method for creating a portal.
He stood, rushing back to the entrance—only to find that the door had vanished.
"What the fuck?" Panic rose in his chest.
He ran his hands over the smooth wall, searching for any hidden mechanism.
"Damn it! Where the hell is it?"
Then he spotted it—a small keyhole embedded in the stone.
"A key?" he muttered.
Suddenly, he remembered—Beatrice had once mentioned finding a strange key in their father's study. Hajee fumbled through his coat pockets, heart pounding, until his fingers closed around cold metal.
He let out a shaky breath of relief. He had taken the key from Beatrice and stashed it in his coat, just in case.
With trembling hands, he inserted the key into the hole and turned it.
Click.
The wall shifted. The hidden door creaked open once more, revealing the laboratory beyond.
He stepped out, clutching the ancient book tightly to his chest. Behind him, the wall sealed shut, and the oni-faced lamp returned to its original position.
Hajee quickly hid the book inside his coat.
No one in the tower could know—not yet.
This book didn't just contain the cure. It held the knowledge to recreate the portal. With it, he and his siblings could finally return to their original world.
He needed to get back to the Ruby Palace. His brothers had to know.
Their escape was about to begin.
A sly smirk curved his lips as he turned to leave.
.
.
.
At Ruby Palace...
"A drug?" Ran asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, this asshole's been taking a drug," Rin said, smacking Harusheen's head.
"Damn it, bro! You're taking drugs? You want our fathers to kill you?" Shuu snapped.
"I'm sorry. I just can't stop. It helps me calm down and gives me strength in a fight. I feel more relaxed and energized every time I take it," Harusheen explained quietly.
"But you know it has serious side effects," Koko warned.
"You should quit before our parents find out. If you keep this up, we all know you're headed for rehab. Idiot," Kasey added.
"I know, I know! Fine, I'll stop," Harusheen sighed. "But can I at least keep taking it until we return to our world? I promise I'll quit once we get home."
"Shut up!" Ran smacked his head again.
"Ouch!" Harusheen groaned.
"Tsk. You're lucky it's us who found out, not our parents. I'm taking these pills and throwing them away," Rin declared.
Harusheen pouted. This is torture!
.
.
.
Jinny held her stomach as she stood on the palace balcony. Sooner or later, they would leave this place.
"I wonder if Ran has told them I'm here," she whispered to herself, a wave of shame washing over her. Facing her brothers felt impossible right now. Thankfully, Ran was keeping her pregnancy a secret from them.
"It's getting cold outside. You might get sick," a voice said behind her.
She turned to see Matias standing in the balcony doorway.
"I'm just getting some fresh air," she replied softly.
"Your vitamins are ready. It's time to take them," he ordered.
"I will, Your Majesty," she said, bowing slightly as she passed him.
Matias watched her walk back toward her room, a heaviness settling in his chest.
After drinking the vitamins, Jinny lay down on her bed, trying to rest. She felt trapped—grounded inside the palace walls.
She wasn't allowed outside without Matias' permission, and knights had to guard her every step. He controlled what she ate and drank. She was forbidden from seeing Nene or Nelly, and even barred from speaking to other servants. It felt like a prison.
Is this the life of a woman pregnant with the emperor's child? Especially one who was nothing but a lowly servant? The emperor would never marry her because of her status.
She closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Outside her door, Matias leaned against the frame, struggling to conceal his guilt. Seeing Jinny suffer alone weighed heavily on him. But he had no choice. For the sake of the empire, he had to sacrifice everything—even his own feelings.
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.