That Lady’s Stalker - Chapter 49
The creaky sound of the old stairs groaning under his weight made Jace look down at the small footprints, realizing they were his brother’s. He turned back and saw his own larger footprints beside them.
Siblings…
He felt a strange emotion surge up, so he quickly walked faster. Finding Asher’s room was easy; he just had to follow the small footprints.
He hesitated as he stared at the door, which had visible chips and scratches. His hand hovered over the handle, gripping and letting go repeatedly.
‘What am I hesitating for after coming all this way?’
He shut his eyes tightly and slowly opened the door. The creak of the door sharply echoed through the silent room. Inside, with just a desk and a bed, the room was as dark as night.
“Asher.”
At Jace’s voice, the blanket on the bed, which had been lumped up in the shape of a body, shifted. The stiff edges of the blanket folded down, and Asher, who had been curled up, slowly lifted his head.
“You…!”
“…”
Up close, Asher’s face was a mess. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing scrawny arms with cuts here and there, and his face, hidden beneath his messy hair, was covered in bruises.
Jace confirmed what he had feared. Only one person could bring the Imperial Prince to such a state.
“Crazy, crazy!”
There were several new, dark bruises layered over the old ones. It was the unmistakable sign of persistent, obsessive violence.
Jace, seething with anger, stood silently for a moment before storming out. He could no longer pretend not to know.
He immediately went to find his mother. He poured out all the details about Asher’s quarters and the violence he had seen on his brother.
“Thank you. Thank you, Jace.”
His mother, with tears in her eyes, kept thanking him. Looking at her, Jace thought that from then on, Asher wouldn’t have to endure this, and his quarters wouldn’t be left in such neglect.
But things hadn’t changed. Nothing was different.
“Mother, why aren’t you doing anything? He’s in pain—why?”
Jace, still a child, thought that his mother had abandoned Asher. That she had cast him aside just because of his black hair.
Jace felt a wave of fear again. He feared that if even a single strand of dark hair appeared on his own white hair, he, too, would be abandoned.
“Jace, just listen to your father. If you were treated that way too, I don’t think I could bear it.”
Her voice was thick with emotion, and now that he thought about it, Jace realized his mother had already been at her breaking point.
Things had still not changed. And perhaps that’s why Jace’s concern for Asher grew stronger. He visited Asher’s quarters more often, gathering his cherished belongings and bringing them to him, even though Asher still refused to speak.
Jace’s belief that he would not inherit the black color from Asher stemmed from an unfounded hope that his kindness would protect him from it.
Of course, there had been times when his father caught him, and he was scolded. In front of Asher, his father often spoke harshly. That had been another shock, but Jace didn’t stop visiting Asher from time to time.
Though they never exchanged kind words or laughter, something resembling brotherly affection seemed to develop between them.
What had begun as selfishness eventually transformed into affection, and Jace came to accept Asher as a true member of his family.
When their mother got weak and could no longer bear it and passed away while Asher was confined in the tower, Jace felt a fleeting resentment toward Asher.
But he knew. The true culprit behind it all was their father.
But Jace couldn’t openly blame his father because he knew, without a doubt, that his father truly loved him. So, it wasn’t until his father’s deathbed that Jace finally vented his frustration on behalf of Asher and their mother.
“Asher is not a bad omen. He is not a demon or a harbinger of misfortune. He’s not the filthy child Father spoke of! He’s just my normal little brother.”
His eyelids fluttered before finally closing, and his trembling lips parted weakly.
What had he wanted to say? Harsh words against him? Another curse toward Asher, as usual? It didn’t matter anymore. It was over.
“Rest now.”
Jace picked up the crown that lay gently beside his father’s head and headed toward the tower where Asher was. He pushed open the heavy iron door with force.
“Let’s go.”
There would be no more oppression.
Fly free. Soar high. Far away.
* * *
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
“Goodness! You little rascals, you’ll make me fall!”
Jace embraced the two children running toward him with short legs. They were as lively as their mother but as gentle and kind as their father.
“Did you miss us?”
Jace pinched Ririn’s nose softly playfully, as she looked up at him with bright, eager eyes.
“Of course, I missed you.”
He then gently patted Ricky’s head, who was pulling at his hair.
“Is it amazing?”
“Yes! It’s different from us!”
The two children, with dark hair like Asher’s, always found it fascinating when they saw him.
“Ricky and Ririn, your hair color is truly beautiful.”
It was like the night sky.
Not the dark night that was so black it made you forget who you were, but the night sky where the big moon rises, and the stars shine like jewels.
The kind of light that makes you look up, holding hands with others.
