Grant me Your Grace Chapter 112 - Side Story 1

 

The reconstruction of Baran Kingdom’s imperial palace was decided. 

 

Instead of demolishing the existing palace and building a new one, Dahlia decided to donate some of the excessively luxurious buildings and land to the temple and open them to the citizens of the empire.

 

The citizens sent money and supplies, saying they wanted to contribute to the palace reconstruction, and some even volunteered as workers to help wherever needed.

 

Dahlia entrusted all matters related to the reconstruction to Hovan and ordered him to manage it transparently.

 

Hovan grumbled for a very brief moment, asking why she was assigning him administrative work of all things, but he proved better than anyone that the abilities of a talented person had nothing to do with personal preferences.

 

The workers began clearing the inside of the palace before reconstruction, following Hovan’s instructions. 

 

Inside the palace, precious treasures and cultural artifacts that Khankundra had plundered during the war were piled up in abundance.

 

After discussion, Dahlia decided to return the treasures to their original owning countries and use ownerless items for relief efforts for refugees and the poor who had lost their countries in the war.

 

The citizens of the Baran Kingdom were extremely pleased with the benevolent actions of their new emperor, which were completely different from those of the previous emperors.

 

After long preparations, all designs and preparations for the new imperial palace were completed. With the reconstruction construction now just three days away, Dahlia felt strangely restless.

 

Late at night, Dahlia, who had been reviewing documents in the temporary office until late, stepped into the empty emperor’s palace. 

 

The once noisy and lively atmosphere of the day had vanished, and the old emperor’s palace, now devoid of people, was filled with the silence of ruins.

 

Holding a lamp, Dahlia slowly walked through the vast imperial palace. 

 

The gleaming golden pillars and treasures that Khankundra had boasted about, along with the works of the era’s outstanding artists, had all disappeared. 

 

Only cracked walls and piles of spiderwebs filled the palace.

 

This must be the end of excessive greed. 

 

Looking at the utterly desolate imperial palace, the thousands of years of the Baran Kingdom’s history felt utterly futile.

 

Dahlia’s feet, which had been wandering aimlessly, suddenly stopped in front of something. When she raised her head, she saw the imperial throne placed on a high platform.

 

While countless treasures and valuables had been left in the emperor’s palace, only Khankundra’s throne remained alone in this place.

 

That throne was an object that blatantly contained the cruel and ugly history of the previous imperial family. 

 

By destroying the throne along with the emperor’s palace, they intended to symbolically show the opening of a new era.

 

‘For that fleeting thing, how long have the Hinna people suffered…’

 

Looking at the throne covered in a thick layer of white dust, Dahlia gave a bitter smile. 

 

Thinking that the painful history would soon disappear made her feel strange.

 

A complex and subtle emotion that could not be defined as mere relief. 

 

For some reason, she felt like she might cry, and an urge to suppress her chest.

 

Why did she feel this way? 

 

Even though it was her own heart, she couldn’t understand it and was blankly staring at the throne when…

 

“In three days, this place will be completely demolished too.”

 

With a pleasant, low voice, Hissin approached her. Dahlia, who hadn’t noticed him coming, quickly composed her expression and greeted him.

 

“Why did you come out? It’s late at night.”

 

“You should be asking yourself that.”

 

Hissin wrapped his arm around Dahlia’s shoulders and kissed her forehead. At the gentle spreading warm affection, Dahlia leaned her body against him for a moment.

 

“Is there something else bothering you? When I went to the office, documents were scattered everywhere again.”

 

Dahlia had been so persistent in reviewing the construction during the Mohron migration that even the experts were left speechless. 

 

So he thought something must be bothering her again ahead of the palace reconstruction.

 

Dahlia, leaning her head on Hissin’s shoulder, smiled softly and shook her head.

 

“It’s just… thinking that this place will soon be demolished keeps making me feel strange.”

 

“Are you reluctant?”

 

“No, not at all. Rather, I wish it could be demolished right away, even tomorrow.”

 

“Then what is disturbing your heart?”

 

Dahlia quietly gazed into the air. 

 

The cracked and broken floor of the emperor’s palace made her heart feel even more desolate.

 

“I wonder if the Hinna clan ever once set foot in this imperial palace…”

 

Before Khankundra took her from her parents and made her a false princess, had Hinna ever truly stepped into this imperial palace even once?

 

They had been trapped underground their entire lives after having their name and country stolen. 

 

The thought that her ancestors had left without ever stepping into this palace once pained Dahlia deeply.

 

Hissin firmly wrapped his arms around her shoulders and comforted her heart with a low voice.

 

“Still, they will soon rest comfortably under the warm sunlight on the green meadows.”

 

At those words, Dahlia’s smile became much more at ease.

 

With the decision to reconstruct the imperial palace, a place to bury the Hinna clan’s remains was also chosen. 

 

It was a place with vast green meadows, precisely the southern part of the capital where the temple stood.

 

Dahlia hoped that the citizens would remember the fifth girl, Hinna, for a long time. 

 

Since she had been trapped underground for so long and not even a single line was recorded in history, she wanted her to remain in people’s memories and be revered forever, even now.

 

That was why she decided to build a shrine for the Hinna clan next to the temple. 

 

So that Hinna could be together beside the temple filled with the goddess Nuit’s blessings.

 

In the beginning, when Goddess Nuit gave Baran, she took Hinna as her child. Dahlia hoped that Hinna would now protect this land together with the goddess from a place where all of Baran could be seen.

 

Hissin, who understood Dahlia’s heart better than anyone, quietly embraced her and said,

 

“After the new imperial palace is built, it might not be bad to show them this place first before moving them to the new shrine.”

 

So they could see this place first. 

 

So they could be the first to see the new history that would be written on this land they had protected with their blood.

 

Dahlia nodded, her reddened eyes curving beautifully.

 

“Yes, let’s do that. I hope they like it…”

 

“They will definitely like it. Because the true owner of Baran, who succeeds you, will sit up there.”

 

“Will they?”

 

Dahlia, still in Hissin’s arms, looked at the high throne. The throne standing alone on the high platform looked as majestic as it was imposing.

 

“Even after ascending there, I hope I never forget this moment today.”

 

The highest seat reigning over all things. Because it was a position where one could look down on everyone, it was also a place where one could easily forget the height of one’s gaze and look down on others.

 

Becoming a benevolent ruler meant never forgetting that height of perspective. 

 

Dahlia wanted to be wary of the new palace’s throne becoming too high.

 

“If possible, instead of raising the throne, it would be better to lower the platform so I can talk more closely with the officials…”

 

Just as Dahlia approached the throne and was examining the platform…

 

“…What is this?”

 

An unnatural gap behind the throne, between the platform, caught Dahlia’s eye. 

 

At first glance, it looked like a crack in the marble forming the platform, but upon closer inspection, it was a precisely carved groove.

 

“Hissin.”

 

At Dahlia’s call, Hissin also came closer and examined the groove. It was clearly different from an ordinary crack in his eyes as well. 

 

After exchanging glances with Dahlia, Hissin began to push the grooved platform with force.

 

Ruuuumble…

 

Then the platform, deeply embedded in the floor, slowly moved backward. 

 

Surprised by the massive sound shaking the ground, Hissin and Dahlia stared at it.

 

Thud. Finally, the heavy platform was completely pushed back. Because of the thick cloud of dust, Hissin held Dahlia in his arms and covered her mouth and nose with his sleeve.

 

Finally, the hazy dust settled. 

 

The two carefully approached the spot where the platform had been pushed away.

 

Dahlia’s eyes shook violently when she looked down. Beneath where the throne had stood was an entrance leading underground.

 

“This… what on earth…”

 

Looking at the stairs leading down to a depth where the end could not be seen, Dahlia couldn’t easily continue speaking.

 

She had been back in Baran for several days and had walked around this place, but she had never imagined there would be a secret passage beneath the throne.

 

“Follow carefully. Hold my hand.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Hissin, holding the lamp, led the way down the stairs.

 

Traces of fairly frequent use were visible throughout the passage. 

 

There were also many marks where candles had apparently been placed on every landing. It meant the emperor had visited this place quite often.

 

Dahlia and Hissin descended the endless stairs, relying on the small lamp.

 

And finally.

 

“Hissin.”

 

The long passage finally ended in front of a thick iron door. Hissin hid Dahlia closely behind his back and carefully turned the door handle.

 

Creeeeak…

 

The thick, unlocked door opened with the rusty sound of metal.

 

What lay beyond was something neither of them had expected at all.