The Seed Thief

Vol. 2 Chapter 7.5

Er tirelessly massaged her hands and feet, which often got cold since she got pregnant, holding her close until she fell asleep despite the summer heat.

Before he left, his gentle gaze and smile, his hand caressing her belly, “I still can’t decide on a name for our little one.”

“You were deceived by that man,” the woman had said to Lulu. As the one who had revealed to her the ugly side of people, her word was probably right. But..

If he smiles like that, I would gladly stay deceived all my life.

Lulu’s grip loosened, and the rock slipped from her hand.

* * *

The next day, the guards burst into Lulu’s cell. They unlocked her chains, prodding her with their spears as she huddled on the floor.

“Get up!”

Lulu swayed, her thin limbs barely able to support her swollen belly. The guards either laugh or look disgusted.

“Walk out quickly. There are a lot of people waiting for you.”

People waiting? Lulu didn’t understand the guard’s words as she struggled to her feet.

Step by painful step, she ascended the underground stairs. The fetid smell that had constantly surrounded her was replaced by fresh air.

Though it was a sharp, wintery wind, Lulu hastened her steps, savoring the scent of the wind she hadn’t felt in so long.

As she felt the chill on her bare toes, she rounded the final bend in the staircase. Sunlight flooded in.

“Ah…”

Sunlight. Sharp, brilliant sunlight, stabbing into her eyes. Her eyes, accustomed to the darkness, ached in protest, but Lulu kept her head raised, gazing at the sky. After a while, something she had never seen before entered her vision.

A vast plaza. A pile of firewood. And a wooden post in the center.

The guards, their spears jabbing at her back, forced her to climb atop the pyre. Men rushed forward, ropes in hand, and roughly bound her wrists to the post.

Just then, a voice called out,

“Wait. Someone said to take that ring from her finger.”

“Ring?”

The man closest to Lulu examined her hand, his gaze lingering on the tarnished ring on her broken finger.

“Why?”

“The hag who turned her in is making a fuss, claiming it’s theirs.”

“Those ones who complained about the reward being too small?”

“Yes, they’re quite insistent, even today. They want to take it before we burn her.”

“That’s odd. Why would the lord give in to the demands of those rural bumpkins?”

“His Royal Highness is arriving today. He probably wants to avoid any unnecessary commotion. Anyway, let’s just get this over with and chase them away.”

“Right.”

It should have been simple enough. To take a ring from a woman who barely had the strength to stand.

The man frowned and grabbed the ring on Lulu’s finger. He thought it would come off easily, but at that moment, Lulu clenched her fist and spoke.

“This was given to me by Er. It’s not theirs.”

“That’s none of my concern, so just hand it over.”

Lulu shook her head. She remembered Er’s words, telling her to cherish the ring, to never give it to anyone else. That it was a token proving their bond.