26 She Thinks It's Hopeless

Shortly after, Karolina seated herself at the bar with Teresa on one side and Jule on the other. Eddie continued to work the counter, grabbing a bottle of doker, a Whitensen variety of whiskey. Because I refused to consume alcohol, Jule described the taste and sensation like burning, yet sweet. However, the sugar content in comparison to ordinary whiskey is much higher. The bottle was pretty small, only about the length of the bartender's palm. Eddie popped the mini cork and let its contents trickle into the glass. Karolina swirled the alcohol around.

"You were a general, Karolina? I never knew," I said, walking into the back room to hang the towel. I was profoundly interested in hearing her stories. When I came back, face to face, with her, she looked me up and down.

Taking the glass of the doker and bottoming a swing, she told me, "That's because I didn't tell you."

"She's only the best general in all of Lotte. Maybe in all of Ager." Jule giggled with a smug smirk. "We heard she was going to Whitensen for some business, so we set up shop here. Ed and I were her former comrades. Weren't we, Ed?" He grinned, popping open a fresh bottle of red wine for another customer.

Teresa drew herself up. "I'll go get fresh towels." I sent a nod toward her, and she continued into the back room.

"Mind if you tell me your stories? That's, of course, if you're comfortable. Just in case there are some things you don't want to talk about. I don't mean to…" I glanced away and scratched away at a missed spot of dried alcohol on the counter.

"Yeah! General, can we?" Jule asked Karolina, who, in return, scolded her for referring to her as "General." Still, Karolina refused to answer any of our questions.

Eddie leaned over the bar towards Jule. "We should talk about how we fought off some raiders in Amarinth. That was our most adrenaline-filling mission."

"No. No. We should start small and work our way up," she argued. The working bartender straightened himself and went to put the burgundy wine away.

"I would rather start with the exciting stuff. Come on. How long do you think we have? It's a full house tonight!" Eddie spread his arms towards the rest of the tavern. The crowd was busy chattering away while taking occasional sips and swings.

Some drunks lounged around, speaking to one another in slurs. Others were joyfully roaring with laughter. You can't deny that business is going well for Eddie. As I caught my eyes on a group leaving, another employee taking the coins, I nodded to him. Then, I rushed off to clear some more tables.

Teresa came into view from behind me, giving me a startle. "My Lady, here." She handed me a fresh cotton towel. I would grab all the glasses and jugs, balancing them delicately. Then, Teresa would follow it up with a few swipes across the surface.

We'd have to work quickly. Otherwise, the spilled alcohol would drip and annoyingly stick. After the end of a night, Teresa and I would sit in the backroom and soak each dirty rag with hot water. The process continued with us wringing out the liquid and letting the towels hang on a rack.

Jule and Eddie went on and on about their duties as the mighty soldiers in Lotte. I could notice how Karolina didn't add anything to their storytelling.

"Ah, Karolina. I have been meaning to know for a while now. What business are you on?" Eddie asked, finally referring to the woman by her first name. Jule waited for the veteran to speak. However, Karolina only drank her second glass of doker in silence. "Karolina?"

"It's none of your business. I only wanted to come for a drink. You noisy lot are obnoxious," Karolina snapped at them. She abruptly sat up, pulled out some bronze coins, and placed them on the counter. "Don't follow me everywhere." The former general glared at her past comrades.

Teresa and I watched as Karolina approached me. "My Lady," she greeted me, giving me a slight curtsy.

"My Lady?" Jule questioned me. "General, why are you curtsying to your inferiors?" My military maid walked out of the tavern, ignoring Jule's inquisitions.

Eddie quickly shushed Jule, and I sent him a look of relief.

- When Karolina exited Eddie's tavern -

"Your Highness, greetings," she executed another curtsy to the future monarch. There was no telling how exactly she knew he was there. Perhaps, it was instinct or the mysterious aura that loomed over her.

The night sky was littered with sparkles of stars. Occasionally, around this time, there would be drunkards wobbling about. If there were any townsfolk nearby, they would be too intoxicated to notice Karolina's exchange with the royal. The busier streets are typically closer to the tailor and traders' market. When the moon is shining bright in the sky, everyone that isn't planning on drinking avoids the routes near taverns as a precaution. Sometimes, brawls would break out, or you would be jumped by a man with a knife. Not that loopy people would be any match for the royal or the former Lotte general.

Generally, the area wasn't considered a crime hotspot, but all accidents can be fatal. If you lived closer to the capital, you had a higher guarantee of safety. There were people known as candlers. They created candles out of blue-tinted wax, representing the royal family's distinct ocean eyes, and lit them every night in the city of Edithan, the capital of Whitensen. The wax sticks would perch on candle holders donned upon bejeweled poles running up and down the many roads. If a single candle went out, it would be relit by a candler within seconds. It was an ethereal sight and was one of many ways the Whitensen kingdom flaunted its wealth. Therefore, the streets were never entirely dim.

You would also be considered a local bastard if you purposely blew the candles out. The candlers had an ominous ability to pinpoint which candle was blown out at what time and what had blown it out. Perhaps, you might find yourself beat up in an alley if they found out it was you who blew out the candles. There were tales about resentful candlers lighting homes on fire over it. Of course, they were only stories. It was common courtesy to walk calmly in the Edithan streets. After all, the capital was filled with nobles and knights. The rich were never in a hurry, for their wealth continued to rapidly grow. The knights only trailed behind the nobles, so they were also never in a hurry.

The moment the nobles and knights moved swiftly, the candlers would be notified of their movements. It was an easy way to tell if there had been a scuffle in a specific area during the night. Then again, it was a flawed tactic. The wind was also a factor you had to take into consideration as a candler. Despite that, Edithan candlers were a group of men and women not meant to be messed around with. Even gangs do their best to avoid them. It was clear candlers had better torture methods at their disposal than gang groups.

Whitensen knights often patrolled in Edithan since the knights' academy is located there. It was a massive training ground, their classrooms being battlefields. If the knights weren't on the training grounds, they were mastering the art of combat tactics within closed rooms. Or, it could be lunchtime.

Close to the knights' academy was the academy for the upper class, the academy that Elisabeth, Prince Caydel, and Viktoria attend. Upon graduation, the nobles would handpick graduating knights as tradition. In a way, they both support each other.

The crown prince scoffed, hiding within the shadows to be unseen. The military-trained woman couldn't catch sight of his silhouette. Her dark eyes strained to capture him. "Don't ever refer to me as 'your highness.' I despise it, especially from you." Karolina rose after hearing that statement.

"I have the information you want about her," she informed him. The prince emerged from the shadows, a hood masking his face. He resembled more of those ghouls they told children about to frighten them. He had a menacing air and appeared to be almost invisible in the unilluminated street.

There lacked any sense of movement, but she located his voice from another position. "All I need to know is if she's safe."

"Your princess is. You are too attached to her, you should let her go," Karolina advised the smitten prince. When silence followed, she ran her fingers through her hair. "The queen will not allow it. What are you going to do?"

She continued to stand there, feeling as if he had left already. Then, she turned on her heel and walked down one end of the street. The stillness was filled with the sound of croaking insects. Her light footsteps accompanied their music. Karolina lifted her head to watch the shining stars.

'Hopeless. That man is unfortunate.'

A drunk fellow lunged at the scrolling woman, but she took a step to the side to avoid his touch. She didn't pay much mind to the pathetic life. Only a single thought came across her regarding him.

'This man may seem hopeless, but at least he has an opportunity to change his life.'

- The next day at the academy -

There was one room in the academy that was always vacant, and it had this extraordinary grand piano. I always thought it was strange how some modern instruments appear in this world, and others don't. It's as if the creator didn't know what to add and what not to. That is if there were a creator.

The academy does teach about the theories of the origin of this world. Though, there are so many possibilities that there's never a definite answer. Some say a childish man created this world to idle away his time. Others believe there were powerful mages that were otherworldly and wanted to produce lives of their own. Then, the go-with-the-flow people conclude we shouldn't waste our time wondering about mysteries that cannot be solved within our generation⎯or solved at all.

"Teresa, what is this area for?" I questioned her. "It's always empty."

She peered through the parted doors. "This must be one of the spare piano practice rooms that students would use to prepare before their lessons. Professor Johann's classroom has migrated farther away from here, so there's no point in rushing from here to there."

Professor Johann was the academy's genius pianist and music teacher. I heard he was Elisabeth's private piano tutor before she ultimately quit on him.

"They have another piano practice room near his classroom," Teresa told me, pointing me to the upstairs.

"Huh. Then, what's the point of keeping this room like this?" I asked, taking a step into the grand ballroom with the singular piano.

"What's the point of changing it? Pardon me, my lady, but the academy has plenty of classrooms," Teresa reminded me.

I chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. There are so many classrooms that I get lost."

I was approaching the piano by now, curious as to what it sounded like. I used my gloved finger to wipe the dust off the edge of the black-lacquered instrument. A single swipe appeared, revealing the glossy finish. Then, I went to press one of the white keys. I noticed how the keys were dusted off, and the rest of the piano remained covered in miscellaneous particles that floated around in the closed space.

"No one plays this piano?" I inquired, a bit confused by the cleanliness.

Teresa shook her head, taking a few steps through the doors. "I'm not aware. I scarcely come to this area."

I pressed a key, and the sound resounded clearly, not one pitch sharp or flat. "I think someone comes in here and tunes the piano too. There's someone that's maintaining it. You think it's a student?" I didn't wait for her answer, and I plopped down upon the seat.

Teresa was patient with me, letting me do whatever it is I was going to do. I wanted to grace the keys with my fingers and play a lovely tune that both of us could enjoy, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I couldn't bring myself to.

Hopeless.