The brothers had finally fallen asleep. It had been a quiet journey through the night.
Jinny was also sleeping, hidden behind sacks and crates inside the carriage.
TJ, unable to sleep, peered outside for a moment, then turned his attention to the sacks. Hunger gnawed at his stomach. He was certain his brothers had brought food. Quietly, he untied one of the sacks and started searching inside.
A soft rustling sound stirred Jinny awake. Her eyes fluttered open at the noise coming from within the carriage. Slowly and carefully, she peeked from her hiding spot—and froze.
Someone was rifling through one of the sacks.
Her heart pounded.
Did someone sneak into the carriage while they traveled?
Was he a thief? A bandit?
It was too dark to see his face.
Suddenly, the carriage jolted as it hit a rock. The impact threw Jinny off balance, causing the crates around her to tumble forward—and with them, her. She let out a soft yelp as she hit the floor.
Startled, the man turned toward her.
Jinny's eyes widened in panic. Fear coursed through her.
What if he kills her?
In that moment of panic, all she could think about was Ran... She needed him.
But then, the moonlight broke through the small window of the carriage, casting a soft glow inside. The pale light gently illuminated their faces—and they both froze.
Recognition struck like lightning.
"You..." TJ muttered.
Jinny. His adopted sister.
Their parents had adopted her because she resembled their late little sister. But since she wasn't related by blood, the brothers never truly accepted her. They bullied her constantly—and TJ, like the rest, paid little attention. He ignored everything that had to do with her.
After their sister's death, the wound in the family never fully healed. Grief hung heavy in the air, unspoken and unresolved. And when someone who looked exactly like the sister they lost suddenly became part of their home, it didn't ease their pain—it deepened it.
Instead of offering her love and comfort, the brothers met the adopted girl with coldness and resentment. In their eyes, she wasn't family—she was an impostor. They all believed the adopted girl had been brought into the family to replace their little sister—a replacement they never asked for. And that, to them, was unforgivable.
They would never accept her.
"B-Big brother TJ..." Jinny said softly.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, still trying to process her presence. He didn't remember seeing her with them when they had all stood together around the painting.
"I... I ended up here by accident. Just like you and the others," she replied.
TJ nodded and pulled an apple from the sack. He bit into it, already retreating into silence when her voice spoke up again.
"But only Ran and Rin know I'm here. The others have no idea."
"Is that so..." he muttered between bites.
"Ran helped me join them... and hide here."
TJ paused mid-chew. His brow rose.
"Ran did that?"
Of all people?
TJ knew his brother too well. Ran didn't do favors. Not unless there was something in it for him.
And TJ had noticed it before—the way Ran looked at Jinny.
"Did you two already fuck?" he asked bluntly.
Jinny's face turned bright red. "W-What? No!"
"No?" TJ scoffed. "That's hard to believe. Knowing Ran… he wouldn't help you unless he got something out of it."
Jinny looked away. She knew he wasn't wrong.
"He just wanted to help me..." she said, though her voice lacked conviction.
TJ shrugged, unfazed. "Alright. Just let me know when he gets you pregnant so I can beat the crap out of him."
"That's not funny," she snapped.
But TJ had already closed his eyes, tossing the apple core aside.
Jinny pouted and returned to her corner, sitting with a sigh.
Now that TJ had seen her, things were bound to get complicated.
He would probably tell the others about her presence in this world.
She curled up again, thoughts heavy, and slowly drifted back to sleep.
.
.
.
The next morning in the Imperial Palace.
Matias jolted awake, a sharp pain ripping through his body like wildfire. Dark, sinister marks spread all over his upper body, burning deep beneath his skin. The cursed blotches had taken over his entire upper body.
"Aaahhhh!!!" he screamed, clutching his flesh as if trying to tear it away.
The pain was unbearable—an inferno that refused to relent. The marks slithered further, crawling up and covering his entire neck and seeping down to his thighs. His breath came in ragged gasps, each inhale a battle.
His agonized cries echoed through the halls, prompting the servants and knights to rush into his chamber, faces pale with terror.
"Call the physician! Now!" the head butler shouted, voice trembling.
"Summon Princess Beatrice—quickly!" commanded the First Knight, urgency heavy in his tone.
Panic rippled through the room. The emperor—writhing in pain and marked by a darkness no one could explain—terrified everyone.
.
.
Beatrice burst into the chamber, her breath hurried and eyes wide with fear. Inside, Matias sat propped on his bed, the imperial physician examining him carefully.
"W-What happened?" she asked, tears threatening to spill.
The physician shook his head gravely. "He's deteriorating. The marks covering much of his body are accelerating damage to his internal organs. The heart is especially affected, making it difficult for him to breathe. Soon, his body will weaken further—his balance will fail, and he may become unable to walk."
Tears streamed down Beatrice's cheeks, her sobs filling the chamber. "No… no, this can't be…"
She rushed to her brother's side, grasping his hand tightly. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"Shh…" Matias gently wiped her tears away. "There's nothing we can do. This is the power of the curse. We must accept my fate."
"No! You can't give up!" she stood, determination flashing in her eyes. "I will find Father's book. I will find a way to cure you—I promise!"
Her voice cracked with desperate hope as she bolted from the room, leaving Matias sinking back into his pillows, a hollow, defeated sigh escaping his lips.
Hope was slipping away.
.
.
Beatrice raced to the Ruby Palace. She needed to find Hajee—she needed his help.
"Where's Hajee?" she demanded when she spotted a servant.
The servant looked away, unable to answer.
"Answer me!" she shouted.
"Your Highness!" the head maid came rushing over.
"Where are the guests?" Beatrice asked urgently.
The servants knelt, heads bowed. "Forgive us, Your Highness… b-but…the guests… they've all left," they stammered.
"What?" Beatrice ran through every room, opening doors one by one. All were empty. They were gone.
"W-Where the hell are they?" she muttered under her breath.
She rushed back to the main palace to find Matias. How could this happen? Where were they? Had they been kidnapped?
No. Some of their belongings were missing, and there was no sign of forced entry.
So that meant… they left the palace.
But why? Why would their younger brothers leave?
"Your Highness!" a mage called out as she passed.
"What now? I'm in a hurry!" she snapped.
"We found this in the Grandmaster's laboratory," the mage said, holding out a key.
It was the key she had given Hajee—the one she found in his father's study.
"Why is it here? I gave this to Hajee in case he found something…" She froze, her heart pounding so fast. "Somewhere he might need this key."
Had Hajee discovered the secret lock this key belonged to?
He wouldn't have left it behind unless he had already found what they were looking for.
"The book…" she whispered.
Damn.
"Call King Arash and King Froilan! This is an emergency!" she ordered, her voice shaking.
Damn it!
If her suspicions were right, that meant Hajee found the book and escaped with it.
They had all escaped.
She rushed to Matias. He needed to know.
.
.
"How's Jinny?" Matias asked Nelly.
"She's still resting, Your Majesty. She hasn't left her room since earlier. One of the maids said she's still sleeping, completely covered by her blanket. They didn't wake her because she seemed sound asleep," Nelly replied, bowing respectfully.
"It's already late in the morning. She can't skip breakfast. Wake her up now," Matias ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Nelly bowed again and hurried out.
Matias closed his eyes, deep in thought, when the door suddenly burst open.
"Your Majesty!" Beatrice came rushing in.
"What is it?" he asked.
"They're gone…" she said breathlessly.
"Gone? Who?" he furrowed his brows.
"Our younger brothers… They're no longer in the Ruby Palace. They all escaped!" she revealed.
"What?" Matias was stunned.
"Your Majesty!" Nelly returned, panic written all over her face. She knelt before them. "J-Jinny…"
"What happened to her?" Matias asked, worry flooding his voice.
"She's not in her room," Nelly reported.
"Maybe she's outside, getting some fresh air," he suggested.
"I already asked the knights and the other servants, but… they haven't seen her. S-She's nowhere to be found, Your Majesty," Nelly stammered, fear creeping into her voice.
Matias and Beatrice exchanged anxious glances.
Matias clenched his fists tightly. Jinny can't leave the palace—she's carrying his heir.
"FIND JINNY! SEARCH THE ENTIRE PALACE!" Matias commanded.
"Find the guests of the Ruby Palace! Search everywhere—inside and out!" Beatrice ordered as well.
The servants and knights sprang into action, scattering throughout the palace in search of them.
Matias gritted his teeth.
Is it just a coincidence that the brothers and Jinny went missing at the same time? Or are their disappearances connected? Is it possible they left together? But how?
Jinny has been guarded all day and never had any interaction with his brothers—they never even met each other.
Jinny… where the hell are you?