TRIGGER WARNING:
This novel is tagged with under*ge, sh*ta, r*pe, and sl*very set in medieval era. Please close the tab if you are disturbed by these tags.
Or you can read the manga first before deciding whether to read the novel or not.
Fiction stays fiction.
Hisoku the Star Seer
Everyone in that room except me was a soldier wearing armor and a sword at
their waist.
They forced me to drink saltwater but I threw it up. My body felt so wobbly
that I could barely stand. They also stripped my clothes―even the turban
that wrapped around my head―before soaking me to the bone. Then the soldiers
spread my legs apart and ordered me not to move.
A long, thin stick was shoved into my bottom hole. My body jerked in
objection. The cold metal rod probed my insides and pushed up my internal
organs, causing my newly vomited stomach to growl in disgust.
It was a careless procedure, with no consideration for the others. I
wondered if they would do the same to me if I were a woman. But that image horrified me when I thought of my little sister.
"No weapons. Send him in."
I was led naked into the next room that filled with the scent of flowers.
Several women were standing there with clothes in their hands, all dressed
in white and wearing heavy makeup. I wondered if the good smell was coming
from them, but it seemed to be coming from something burning in the corner
of the room.
A rectangular box made of copper plating was in the middle of the room, large enough
for one person to fit inside, filled with clear water. I was expecting the
water to be cold, but it was warm. Just like the room, the water smelled
like sweet flowers.
A woman lifted my arm and rubbed me with a cloth. A slight look of
reluctance appeared on her face, but she carefully washed my body.
I was sure it was because of my dark skin that she behaved like that. Unlike
her fine white skin, my dark skin was a sign of slavery, whilst my frizzy
black hair was also something different in a country where there were many
blondes and redheads.
"It's unusual for a boy to be taken by Lord Azure."
"Well, Lord Vert wouldn't even mind. He's crazy about beautiful boys. It's
rumored that the Green Palace doesn't even have a maid. I've also heard he's
even making them do his personal needs."
Whispers of giggling and laughter echoed in the quiet room.
A woman who had been watching the scene threw a glance at them and said in a
dignified tone, "You people should stop talking so much."
"We're sorry, Miss Ruri."
The woman called Ruri was the only one dressed in sky blue. She had eyes of
the same color and beautiful golden hair tucked behind her head. She must
have been in her early twenties. Her tall figure was dignified, as was her
tone, but she had a soft face with slightly downcast eyes.
Everyone closed their mouths after Ruri's warning, the whole room became
silent. The only thing I could hear was the sound of water until they
finished washing me.
My body was wiped dry, and they put a light-colored cloth on me. The strap was
tied at my hip but because of my thin waist, it was loose. As
if she had given up, Ruri tied it back at my navel. In the royal capital, it
seemed to be normal to wear clothes that were divided into upper and lower
parts, and then cloth layers over the top. In the western part of
the country where I lived, many people were struggling to even get a meal,
so they just walked around wearing only linen.
"This way, please, Master Hisoku."
I was so lost in my thoughts that it took me a moment to realize that I had
been called.
I followed Ruri down the corridors of the palace. The palace garden was full
of greenery and date palm trees. Vivid, primary-colored flowers were in full
bloom, glistening in the sunlight.
At the end of the corridor stood a guard. He wore indigo-colored clothes and
had a sword hanging on his waist. He was tall and slender, with a
well-defined face. His silver hair, almost white, was tucked behind his
head, long enough to reach his shoulders.
The guard noticed Ruri and said, "Wait. He hasn't finished talking to Lord
Green yet. You can't pass by the hall."
"Very well, Master Cyan. I will take the other corridor."
"Who is this?"
"He is Master Hisoku, the servant of Shah. Would you like me to take him to
Harem and prepare him for you?"
"──Hisoku?"
He looked like he had heard the name somewhere.
"It's the name of the star seer, isn't it? You are..."
At that moment, Cyan almost collided with a man who came out of the room.
The man was so enraged that he shouted at Cyan.
"I'm sorry, Lord Green."
Cyan stood with his back on me and gave a small wave of his left hand so
that the other man could not see me.
"Master Hisoku, come here."
Ruri tugged on my arm. We walked back the way we had come, to a room hidden
from view by a corridor. The other women who had followed us each let out a
gasp. They didn't look surprised, so it seemed they knew why we were hiding.
"I apologize for the suddenness. We don't want to get in trouble if Lord
Green finds us, so please wait here for a while. I'll take you to Shah
later."
"Who is Shah?"
"What?"
Ruri rolled her eyes and looked at me as if she were troubled. I was
embarrassed at my ignorance since it seemed to be a well-known knowledge.
"Shah is the honorific title of the king. Chevron is...this country is ruled
by five kings. I serve the Blue King, so I refer to him as Shah, and you
should do the same."
I nodded at the gentle admonition. As if to pass the time, Ruri continued to
speak.
"Three other kings are living in the palace. If you ever meet them, please
call them by their names instead of Shah. Lord Gules is the Red King, Lord
Purpure is the Purple King, and Lord Sable is the Black King."
"What about the other one? You said Lord Green, right? Is he also a king?"
"Yes."
Ruri gave a small smile, as if agitated.
"That's Lord Vert. He is the only one who lives outside the palace. When you
were passing through the capital, you saw a green building with an
onion-shaped roof, right?"
"Oh...I saw it!"
The green roof with golden edges stood out amidst the brick houses. The high
walls of the building were over a dozens times larger than the rest of the
houses. A carriage drove past it which made me think it was a royal palace.
"That's the Green Palace."
"So they're all named after colors?"
"Yes, there are four royal palaces in the country, each named after the
king. This is the Blue Palace, so the floor must be blue as well. In the
past, the walls were all even painted in blue."
"Now they are white."
I looked at the walls.
"The five kings have the blood of God flowing through their veins, and they
all have certain physical characteristics. It's easy to tell them apart."
As Ruri said this, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. A short man
was coming towards us, accompanied by an attendant. I recognized him as the
man who had been yelling at Cyan earlier.
His head was clean-shaven and he had a big belly, but he was not an old man.
He walked briskly, and his beady eyes were intimidating. A guard walking
behind the man was dragging a woman dressed in white. Ruri quickly changed
her color.
"Lord Green, please let her go. If the maid has done wrong, it is my
responsibility as the head maid. Please forgive her."
Before she could finish, Ruri was pushed away by the Green guard. The maid
in white dress was also knocked against the wall, making the women around her
scream. The Green King swung his fat foot up and stomped on Ruri's head.
"Cheeky servant! When did a dog get so smart? You're no better than a dog if
you forget to bow down before the king."
Then he looked at me and smiled wickedly. It was a hot evening, but a chill
ran down my spine.
"If you give me this boy, I will overlook your rudeness. I'll let you off
the hook if you give me this little one. It was shallow of you to think that
a servant girl could outsmart me." Ruri groaned as he put his weight on her
and stomped harder.
The Green King moved his foot away in boredom and came closer to me this
time.
"I thought it'd be a good distraction by having a meeting with Azure, but
I've found something good. A boy with emerald eyes is hard to come by,
though they're not a gem fit for a dirty-skinned child."
A large hand grabbed me by the neck and pulled me close to his face. The
fishy smell of a dead animal hit my nose.
"These green eyes are telling me that they want to be mine." He blew hot,
lustful breath at me.
I gasped in pain as my throat was lifted, making it difficult to breathe.
I noticed a tattoo on the Green King's hand. It was a standing figure of a
man, looking sideways. A small circle was superimposed on his stomach, with
large wings on either side. From the circle, a band that looked like snakes
twisted in all directions and was placed so as not to interfere with the
wings. It was marked in dark green on a round, fat hand.
"Please don't!"
Ruri shouted in agony as she raised her upper body.
"He is not a white maiden. He is The Blue Princess that Lord Azure has
taken. Even if you are The Green King, it is against the royal court's ban
to touch the property of another king."
"Blue Princess?"
I'm not sure what to make of this.
"Where on this body is there any evidence that he belongs to Azure? As long
as he doesn't have the blue tincture, he is no better than the white maiden.
Azure can't stop me from taking what I want."
"No...!"
"Shut up, you noisy woman!"
The Green King ordered his guard to cut her head off. The guard who had Ruri
in a bind hesitantly put his sword to her neck.
SPLASH!
Blood splattered.
The maidens screamed and began to cry.
The Green King only watched, slowly stroking my bare chest with his palm.
The only thing I could think of was, how do I protect my little sister?
- N O T E -
In dire need of an editor or two for this novel. Please go to contact page if interested~