Darkholm Translation

CHAPTER 152 Side Story 1: The Times I Wasn't with You   Arabelle at nine years old. At the break of dawn, the early morning light began to filter in. Creak. The rusty door of the storage shed slowly opened. A small, thin shadow was cast on the cold floor through the crack in the door. The young girl's movements were cautious and timid as she entered the shed. It was her father Jonathan's laboratory, though "laboratory" was a grand word for what was really just a small, shabby storage shed attached to the castle’s stable. As the dim morning light illuminated the inside through the window, the large, round eyes in her small face became more prominent. Her timid and fearful gaze was fixed on one corner of the room. In Arabelle's line of sight was a small, battered wooden cage. Rising on her tiptoes, Arabelle quickly ran to the cage and knelt down on the floor. Inside the wooden bars, she could see a small, motionless bundle. Covered in dirt and grime, the little ...

CHAPTER 151 Splash, splash. The once calm river rippled gently. From the other side, the distant sound of hooves began to echo. The sound of hooves stepping into the water grew closer and closer. Veins bulged on the back of the emperor’s hand as he gripped the reins. A white horse emerged from the thick fog. The emperor clenched his teeth to keep from blinking. He feared that he might miss the one approaching him. Through the dissipating mist, a small, round face appeared. Soft, light brown hair fluttered in the river breeze. Large eyes that gazed at him soon folded into crescent shapes and sparkled. “Hyah!” At the emperor’s command, the black horse, Maximus, galloped across the river with great strength. In an instant, the emperor reached his wife and extended his arms to lift Arabelle by the waist. He pulled his wife into his embrace, thoroughly concealing her within his robe. His trembling breath fell continuously onto the crown of Arabelle’s head along with his lips. The emperor’s ...

CHAPTER 150 Inside the cave, it was surprisingly warm and cozy. The traces of the couple who had lived there for so long were evident everywhere. The emperor's gaze deepened as the cave felt more like home than the cold, stifling air of the palace where he had spent his childhood. His eyes fell on a stone platform ahead. A large black body lay stretched out on the flat stone. With each shallow, uneven breath, the skin on its back rose and fell slightly. Eyes that were slowly closing were lifted with effort to hold the emperor’s gaze. The golden eyes within were dimming rapidly. The emperor, kneeling with one leg bent at a right angle, did not move a finger. He simply held the panther's gaze in a prolonged silence. In that silence, countless unspoken words passed between them. A warm hand rested on his tense shoulder. When he turned his head, a dignified face came into view. The harsh years had not stolen his mother’s beauty. Even her sun-weathered, wrinkled face and rough, call...

CHAPTER 149 The expressions on their faces showed they had never imagined reuniting with the two elves in this place. The elves' faces also briefly showed surprise as they encountered the Emperor's group. Arabelle, filled with joy, ran forward to greet Esperel and Beryl. As the warmth from her side disappeared, one of the Emperor's eyebrows twitched slightly. A hint of confusion spread across Arabelle's eyes, which sparkled with happiness. “When did you return to the Empire? You said you wouldn’t be back until next spring…” Arabelle looked back and forth between her master and her friend, trying to hide her disappointment. Esperel and Beryl had sent word that they couldn't attend Arabelle's wedding due to an urgent matter. They had said that due to the need to travel through time and space, they wouldn’t return to the Empire until next spring. Yet here they were, meeting at Mount Ecol… Moreover, the barrier in front of them was clearly made by her master. It was...