Spared Mina waiting at a Inn

“It’s freshly baked bread.”

“Thank you.”

Mina laughed a little, and the boy who had delivered the bread blushed and disappeared into the kitchen. As soon as the boy left, Mina wiped the smile from her face and peered at the simple piece of bread uttering a single word under her breath. "Worthless."

She was starting to get tired of this miserable inn her thoughts always returning to the palace and of course the mad bitch along with it. "Why did she let me live?" The question that was on her mind was driving the girl crazy drawing laughter from her. "What is that bitch's game?" Mina's fear that the princess would send a killer to her bed while she spelt away from prying eyes the fear of dying was not what she was truly afraid of but the being dealt with behind closed doors only to be forgotten.

At that moment, the door opened, and a familiar silhouette stepped inside the inn. As the man crossed the threshold, the gold light illuminating his shoulders was erased by shadow.

The man glanced up with tired eyes, and walked straight toward Mina.

The man who had been the prince of a now ruined country even walked differently than normal people. At least, it looked that way to Mina.

“Nothing happened?” He asked.

Dimitri pulled Mina into his arms. Wrapped in his embrace, Mina caressed his back a few times without much sincerity.

“Yeah.”

“And it’s been fine staying here?”

Mina did her best to laugh and nodded. Then she asked without delay,

“And that woman?”

She felt Dimitri’s arms tense.

“…..Why do you keep asking about that?”

He drew his head back and met Mina’s eyes.

“And why wouldn’t I? Am I not even allowed to ask how much of a good time she’s having after shoving me into this shabby, disgusting place?”

Mina yelled sharply. Realizing that the only thing she had left was the man in front of her, she softened her expression.

“……I was ruined because of that woman, but you never got angry once.”

“Mina.”

“Why? Why are you looking at me like that? If you really love me, do something. That woman made me a subject of mockery! Look at where I am now! I……”

“You have always been special to me. Even now you’re-.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about right now! I get it, you’re saying that since I was just another maid who got kicked around, things haven’t gotten much worse for me compared to you, because you used to be a prince?”

“You know that I don’t think that.”

“So? Should I be grateful?”

“…..Mina, I don’t think you should have anything to say this time.”

Mina erupted in nervous laughter.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You should know. You suffered too, didn’t you?”

“…….”

“Even if they make the same mistake, some people become so miserable, while others get off easy. Why do I have to be the former? I’m going to become the latter. Instead of suffering I’ll-.”

“Mina. Calm down.”

“Don’t you hate it? This unfair world? Doesn’t it seem damn ridiculous that they get to have good lives?”

Mina was silent. It had been a while since he’d noticed that the woman he loved might not have ever existed.

But he wondered if he could abandon the woman in front of him. Whatever had been the truth and whatever had been lies, it didn’t change the fact that she had been the one to free him when he was trapped in a world of hate and shame.

“I won’t forgive her.”

Dimitri cupped Mina’s face in his hands. Anger and hatred swirled in the eyes of the one he loved so much.

He recognized the emotions as those which had once boiled inside of him.

“Mina, please. Just leave it. Don’t hurt yourself more.”

“……”

“If you want, let’s go somewhere far away. We can leave now. find a ship maybe...That’s……. enough for me, Mina.”

She had said to forget. And to maintain a distance neither too short nor too long.

To go their own ways.

“You’re…… going to forgive that woman? Is that what you’re saying? You?”

“No. I said I would forget.”

“You’re mad.”

Now and then, Mina would get the feeling that she and Dimitri were different in some unknowable way.

'I hate her this much, but who are you to be so detached?'

Even his hatred was so detached that it made her want to retch. Dimitri had been this way since the first time she had met him.

'Choosing a life of being stepped on by the princess for the sake of your countrymen whose faces you don’t even know? And what else? Saying you’ll gladly die so spare me instead?'

But she ignored the feeling in her heart every time. After all, it didn’t make sense for her to be jealous of someone whom she already had at her feet.

“It’s okay if they say I’m mad. Because you’re all I have left. So, let’s just leave together already.”

“……”

Mina wanted to scream.

“…..That woman will continue playing around with people as she wishes. How can you be so certain that we won’t be one of them? You still don’t know? Do you think that woman will really spare us? It’ll be over the moment she says she changed her mind!”

“…….”

“Why are you so naïve? That’s why she got the best of you.”

“…….”

“People don’t change that easily.”

Dimitri became absorbed in thought as he gazed at Mina. It was true that there were things that didn’t change. But sometimes, the more something seemed that way, the more easily it changed, leaving you feeling empty. Even though you had once believed it would never change.

That included Mina, the princess, and himself.

“Don’t you trust me? Then do this for me.”

Mina pulled Dimitri in by his collar. With their noses almost touching, she ordered in a clear voice,

“Kill that woman.”

“……”

“Kill her!”

“……”

“Then I’ll leave with you. And forget everything.”