Kays Translations

Idle Talk - The Room with Lapis

Content Warning: Contains disturbing and graphic elements. If you're sensitive to such content, please skip. It does not affect the main story.

==================================

In a dim storage shed, two children huddled together. A young girl and a boy, both wearing shabby clothes.

The girl appears to be around 14 or 15 years old, while the boy is around 10. The boy has small gray feathers growing on his back, suggesting that he has recently made a contract with a familiar.

When the boy's stomach growls from hunger, the unlocked door of the room is roughly banged on.

Startled by the sound reverberating in the room, the boy's emaciated body flinches.

"...Lapis."

"John, it's okay. I'll protect you, big sis will."

From outside the door, a gruff male voice filled with impatience continues.

"It's time. Hurry up!"

Lapis, the name the girl is called, replies in a voice that seems to disappear into thin air, her expression dark.

"I'll get ready now."

There is a bright red dress hanging on the wall in the storage room, a stark mismatch to the meager surroundings. The room lacks basic supplies, yet there is only one dress hanging on the wall.

Lapis frowns as if disgusted and reluctantly changes into the dress.

Then, she takes a round, blue-glowing lapis lazuli from the only shelf in the room.

"Mother... I'll be going now."

She presses the lapis lazuli against her forehead as if praying. As far as John knows, it is the only valuable thing their mother left behind.

Lapis has cherished it as her mother's memento.

After confirming the warmth of the lapis lazuli, she carefully returns it to the shelf.

"John, I'll be back soon. Be a good boy."

Lapis hugs John, kisses his forehead, and leaves the room.

It is a routine for her to leave this underground storage room wearing a red dress. John dislikes the time he has to wait for her alone. The underground room is musty, and the dripping water echoes loudly in his head.

But he follows his beloved sister's instructions. He has no choice but to wait alone, leaning against the wall.

About two hours later, the door opens. His long-awaited sister has returned.

Her face is marked with bruises, her hair disheveled. The red dress she wore is torn, and she holds a new dress in her hands.

John knows nothing about what his sister does outside the room because she stubbornly refuses to talk about it. But whenever she returns to the room, Lapis is always hurt.

"Lapis..."

John sadly places his hand on the bruise on his sister's face, and she forces a smile through swollen eyes.

"Let's sell the fabric we got from Count O'Malley and buy some bread. I'll buy something you like too, John."

"Okay..."

"What's wrong?"

Lapis gently speaks to John, who is holding back tears.

"Lapis, I hate living like this. Let's escape together. I'll work too."

Lapis's expression suddenly becomes urgent.

"No, we mustn't escape from Count O'Malley! Just a little longer, just a little longer!"

This exchange has happened many times before. But Lapis's reaction has always been the same.

She refuses to run away from Count O'Malley.

John has been living with his sister in this storage shed beneath the castle for as long as he can remember. He has never seen his mother's face. His sister told him that she died shortly after he was born.

It was just the two of them, living together. And that was enough for John, because he loved his sister.

"It's okay, Lapis."

"It's fine."

John nods forcibly, and Lapis discards the torn dress. She changes back into her tattered everyday clothes, saying how much she hates red.

Then, just as when she left the room, she takes out the lapis lazuli and prays.

"I'm back, Mother."

She cuts the torn dress with scissors and takes only the parts that seem sellable. The two of them leave the room, Lapis leading John's hand.

They walk through the underground corridor, avoiding people's eyes, until they reach the back garden that leads to the town.

"I'm glad it's nighttime."

Lapis and John, as brother and sister, are only allowed to leave the room and wander around the underground and back garden at night. If they were to go out during the day, the gardeners would chase after them, and if caught, they would face severe punishment.

"Let's hurry."

The two of them pass through the back garden, trying to avoid being seen, and make their way down to the town.

However, there are limited options for places open at night. The only place where they can buy food like bread is usually a tavern.

Walking in the shadows of the dazzling city streets, they open the door of their usual tavern.

The first thing they encounter is the displeased face of the tavern owner. Without even making eye contact, he throws words at the siblings.

"I told you not to come here anymore, didn't I?"

"But we need to buy food. We're in trouble if we can't."

"When you come here, it brings unwanted attention to me."

"I'm sorry..."

Lapis bows deeply while biting her lips, and John also bows slightly, following his sister.

The tavern owner sighs deeply.

"Fine, this is the last time. Don't come back."

"Thank you."

Lapis thanks him while bowing her head, and she receives a piece of hard bread wrapped in paper in return. Instead, she hands the owner the fabric from the dress.

The fabric is cut and no longer usable as a whole piece, but it is linen dyed with expensive dyes. In a clothing store or a general store during the day, it would be worth more, but they cannot go out during the day. They had no choice but to exchange it for a small piece of leftover bread.

"This is the last one. Don't come back."

"Thank you."

Lapis receives the breadcrumbs while bowing her head. At that moment, the tavern door opens.

"Tch, so you're here, red."

Turning around, they see a young man.

He is dressed in fine clothes, surrounded by several women with heavily applied makeup.

"Of course, it's you."

The man looks down on John with disgust.

John knows the man's name.

He is one of the people John least wants to see.

"...Lord Tymon."

John bows to the young man without making eye contact.

"Damn it. Just thinking that we share even half of the same blood makes me sick."

The women surrounding him laugh vulgarly.

Then, the man turns to the tavern owner, his voice filled with anger.

"I told you not to let him into the shop! Didn't I!?"

The tavern owner trembles under his gaze.

"I apologize..."

"The taste of the alcohol becomes worse when he's around."

Saying that, the young man kicks John, who is lying on the floor.

"It's troublesome to have a father who likes women. And what are you thinking, keeping a child born to a prostitute alive? It tarnishes the O'Malley family name."

"But, but, don't you like it too?"

One of the women, entwining her fingers, whispers, and the young man and the women burst into vulgar laughter.

Seizing the moment, the man steps on John's head.

"Sho...f?"

"John... Let's go."

Lapis steps forward, protecting John, and pulls his hand.

But her way is blocked by her brother.

"Let him go."

"Defiant, aren't you? I could do to you what my father does. Just like your mother."

Lapis's shoulder trembles for a moment.

"I'm sorry..."

Lapis apologizes while biting her lips.

"Normally, my father restrains himself. He actually prefers it to be more intense."

"Please, let us go."

The young man moves his foot.

"Tch, you belong to my father. Don't try to escape."

"...I won't escape. We have a promise."

After that, the two silently return to the storage shed, hiding from prying eyes and whispering.

"Lapis, is what he said true?"

"...Don't ask."

"But..."

"I said don't ask!"

Lapis slaps John's cheek.

"Ah... I'm sorry, John."

"It's okay, Lapis."

The two embrace each other.

Their warmth is the only thing they can feel in this dim storage shed.

―― I wish there was a room where no one would come. There's nothing but unpleasant things outside.

That day, without touching the bread they bought, the two fell asleep.

Their chests were tight, and they had no desire to eat bread soaked with the smell of alcohol and vomit.

And the next day, Lapis was summoned again and left the room wearing the red dress.

John waits alone in the room as usual.

The story he heard last night keeps echoing in the depths of his ears.

Unable to bear it any longer, words spill from his mouth.

"A prostitute..."

Then, the door suddenly opens.

It's too early for Lapis to come back.

When John turns his gaze to the door, it's a lower-ranking servant who usually comes to call them.

"What do you want?"

John glares at him with a resentful look in his emotionless eyes.

"I'll let you two escape. If you give me money."

It's hard to believe at first.

Not that they're trying to betray the earl with money.

Everyone knows that for servants and attendants, what's under the sleeve is more important than loyalty or obligation.

He was surprised that the servant would make such a demand to the two who should know they have no money.

But there's nothing they can do if they have nothing up their sleeves.

"...We don't have any money."

"But you have that, right?"

John, not particularly intelligent and not particularly good at memorization, can still guess what the only valuable thing in this small room might be.

John takes out the lapis lazuli from the back of the drawer, bewildered.

It's a memento from a mother he has no memory of.

"You really will let us escape with this!?"

For John, everything is his sister Lapis.

Lapis, who has always been by his side, is much more important than a mother he has no memory of.

"Yeah, it's a promise. We can go to a new place. I'll come to pick you up tonight."

"Really?"

"It's true. Even I'm a human being. I can't stand to see someone so pitiful."

"...Can I trust you...?"

"Of course. You'll finally be free from all this."

There's no doubt that the servant's expression holds compassion.

"Understood. It's a promise."

After putting the lapis lazuli handed by John in his pocket, the servant quickly closes the door and leaves.

Alone, John's face is filled with joy.

He can finally escape from this prison, and his heart leaps with excitement.

The usually gloomy and depressing time until Lapis returns feels incredibly enjoyable.

And finally, the long-awaited Lapis returns. She is wearing her torn dress as usual.

"Welcome back."

John's smile is overflowing uncontrollably.

"What's the matter? You seem happy?"

As usual, Lapis discards the dress.

As Lapis tries to take out the lapis lazuli from the shelf, her hand makes a strong rustling sound.

"It's not here! It's gone!"

Lapis desperately searches for her mother's keepsake, looking confused.

"Lapis, listen. I gave it to the servant."

Lapis's eyes widen.

"Why...?"

"It's the price for letting us escape."

"...What are you saying? That was... something my mother received when she married my father. It's an important item."

"You're more important than any stone."

"For me, Father may be a stranger, but... he's an important person to me."

"L-Lapis, calm down."

"Give it back! Give it back... That is my hope. Please, give it back..."

Lapis clings to John, her voice on the verge of disappearing.

"Please, give it back... When we can leave this place, it's proof that we are the children of our mother and father. Without it, I won't be Lapis Lapis anymore."

When Lapis squeezed out her voice that seemed to fade away, the door opened.

In front of the door were a heavily obese man and his son. The servant who had made a promise with John earlier was standing behind them.

The obese man was Earl O'Malley, John's biological father.

"Lapis. It seems you tried to escape, didn't you?"

"N-No, that's not true."

Lapis instinctively denied with a strained voice.

However, it seemed that Earl O'Malley didn't hear it, as his face grew grotesque.

"Your mother was the same! The daughter of a nouveau riche merchant, she went and had a child with another man while I was away fighting the empire!"

Earl O'Malley glared at Lapis.

"Please, listen to me."

"And she killed the man and got pregnant with him. But still! Your mother didn't love me."

Earl O'Malley continued speaking while briefly looking displeased at John.

"Lapis, don't you love me either?"

"I..."

Lapis glanced at John from the corner of her eye, and their gazes met.

Immediately, Lapis's words stopped.

"The promise is over. Unless you betray me before you come of age, there will be no promise to let that trash be called Esta O'Malley. Of course, there won't be a promise to become the support of your family either."

"Please, I beg you! Please forgive us! We'll do anything!"

The corners of Earl O'Malley mouth lifted.

"Then, satisfy me like your mother did in the end. I am a man who keeps his promises. You and John can still breathe now because of the promise with your mother."

"P-Please... Not that...!"

Earl O'Malley snatched the mace from the servant.

Beside him was his blood-related brother, grinning with a smirk. In his hand, he held Lapis's keepsake, the lapis lazuli. Beside them stood the servant, averting his gaze with a sour expression.

John finally realized that he had been set up.

His brother casually threw the lapis lazuli toward Lapis as if tossing a pebble.

Lapis caught it in her hand as she crawled on the floor, trying to stop it.

Then, an iron rod mercilessly swung at Lapis.

An unpleasant sound of bones breaking echoed in the room.

"Aahhh!!!"

From beneath Lapis's skin, something white and red protruded.

"I learned of this beauty on the battlefield. The most beautiful red in the world. The most beautiful flower born from the life and death that people bet on."

Earl O'Malley turned his muddy gaze toward Lapis.

He gazed at the protruding bones and the blood clinging to them as if admiring a beautiful flower, with a look of ecstasy.

"I taught you the beauty of a flower that people, as humans, bet their lives on. And yet! Yet, your mother rejected me!"

Earl O'Malley continued speaking while swinging the mace at Lapis's back again.

It was a hoarse voice that couldn't even turn into a scream, only a raspy sound.

John couldn't help but run.

"Stop! Stop it! Stop!!!"

But he was quickly restrained by his brother and the servant.

His brother whispered in his ear.

"Just watch quietly."

"Sto...p... ugh..."

His throat was being tightly strangled, and he gradually lost consciousness.

"L...a...pis..."

Right before losing consciousness, he saw his sister's body, collapsed with her eyes still open.

After a while, a drop of water hit his cheek, and John woke up.

"Ugh."

The windowless room made it impossible to know if it was day or night.

It seemed that his neck was still sore from being strangled even after losing consciousness.

Next to John was the lifeless body of his sister, her eyes wide open.

Bruises of red and blue-black were visible all over her body.

"Are you okay, Lapis?"

Lying down, he called out to her without a response.

The girl hasn't blinked since earlier.

On Lapis's face and the hand beside her face, something viscous and white was sticking.

And in her hand, she tightly held the lapis lazuli.

"Lapis... You don't have to leave this room anymore, right?"

John gently closed her open eyelids with his hand.

Tears overflowed as he looked at his sister's closed eyes.

"No, it's not good. If I die now, they might eat me at the ceremony."

John continued talking to himself alone.

"Then, let's trap the ceremony too. We should create a place where we can be together, no matter how long it takes. Yes, that's good. We'll place lots of lapis lazuli that Lapis loves."

A fly landed on Lapis's cheek.

"Oh, but if I die, someone will definitely come in. What should I do? The entrance should be as inconspicuous as possible. Let's make it underground. But that alone is not enough."

When John placed his hand on Lapis's cheek, the fly flew away.

There was no warmth in her skin, just coldness.

"...I see, that's right. That's it! It's good! When I become a lord, I'll kill everyone. Earl O'Malley, Lord Tymon, all of them. Then I can become the earl. Why didn't I realize it was so simple? I'm such a worthless person."

The timid boy gradually became enthralled by the dark hope.

"That's perfect! If I kill them all, I'll become the lord. It would be troublesome if I become a lord, right? Hehe. But the Earl's family, the vassals, the servants, and the people of the territory, all of them should suffer. All those who hurt Lapis."

Ignoring the pain in his neck, he stood up.

"Wait for me, Lapis. I will create the perfect mausoleum for you. No matter how many years it takes, no matter what sacrifices I have to make, I will definitely..."

From that day on, the soliloquy of the boy from the dim underground room never ceased.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter