To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

Seeing Liv’s flushed face as she spoke of wanting to meet people, Emmett grew increasingly doubtful towards the Emperor. Just what reason did he have for imprisoning Liv? How could she have threatened his imperial authority? However, not wishing to probe and risk hurting Liv, he simply sought to comfort her instead.

While he had remained loyal to the Emperor despite knowing his wicked deeds, now that the woman he loved had suffered her whole life because of the Emperor, Emmett no longer wished to follow him.

It may seem selfish and self-centered for the ‘Emperor’s Loyal Hound’ Duke to only now harbor resentment, but nothing was more important to Emmett than Liv.

“Liv, it’s alright. You’ll be able to go outside soon. Just wait a little longer.”

“Yes…”

Responding that way, Liv sat down cross-legged on the floor with a calmer expression. Feeling the chill coming through the hole, she trembled slightly.

“Liv, are you cold?”

“Yes, I’m cold…”

Only then did Emmett realize he couldn’t feel any sensations. In contrast, Liv seemed genuinely chilled, her face devoid of color and unnaturally pale. Emmett tried to discern the current season, but lacked sufficient information.

The Holy Hilysid Empire’s climate was truly capricious. Rain fell frequently throughout the year, and it was common for mornings to be overcast only for scorching sun to blaze by noon. While there had been heavy rainfall not long ago, that was true across all seasons, so he couldn’t pinpoint which it was.

“Do you know what season it is now?”

“Winter, the gods said.”

Liv’s tone seemed unusually bright for some reason when saying that. If the weather was winter, this underground prison must be quite cold. How could she have such a cheerful expression? The reason soon came from Liv’s lips:

“But spring is coming soon. Once spring arrives, the weather will warm up, so it will be okay…”

Expectation for spring shone in Liv’s eyes. Even if her living conditions didn’t change come spring, she beamed at just the word itself. Silently observing her expression, Emmett realized there was something he hadn’t asked Liv until now.

“By the way, how old are you?”

“My age? I’m… how old am I?”

Liv tilted her head quizzically before glancing upwards, seemingly receiving an answer from the gods.

Soon, she relayed their words:

“They say I’ll become an adult soon.”

“You’ll become one… soon?”

“Yes, in two years’ time.”

At those words, realization seemed to dawn on Emmett’s face. Liv Hamelsvoort had been adopted into the Hamelsvoort family two years before making her societal debut that spring. So Liv’s departure from this place was truly imminent.

“Congratulations, Miss Liv.”

“Huh?”

“You will be able to leave here soon.”

“Really?”

“Yes, it may only be around a month away.”

Since they said spring was coming, Liv too would likely leave this place before long. Then once that spring arrived, Liv would begin her life in the outside world.

“One month…”

Liv tried counting on her fingers to gauge how long that was, but being unfamiliar with the concept of time, she couldn’t quite grasp it and simply shrugged as if it didn’t matter.

“Well, I’m glad it’s not too far off!”

“You mentioned wanting to do many things once outside.”

“Yes, that’s right. And you’ll be with me too, won’t you?”

At those words, Emmett fell silent momentarily. When Liv ventured outside, she would indeed meet him again. But the ‘him’ she encountered wouldn’t be his current self before her eyes… He would grow close to Liv, only to ultimately abandon and hurt her. Feeling bitter about the impending tragedy, yet not showing it, Emmett maintained a soft smile and nodded.

“Yes, we will meet again in the outside world.”

“I’m so happy!”

That day, Liv remained elated, reciting her plans to Emmett until she fell asleep.

Finally, as he watched Liv’s slumbering form, a faint smile graced Emmett’s lips. Whatever future awaited her, Liv would soon escape this dreadful hell. She would experience the things she deserved. She would find freedom.

But at that moment, the voice of a god reached Emmett’s ears:

How foolish.

Though the oppressive weight never became familiar, he flinched before straightening his posture and asking:

“What do you mean? Have I done something foolish?”

However, there was no answer from the god.

‘Are they referring to me saying I’ll meet her again outside? Because I’ll hurt her?’

Anxiety assailed him as the absolute divine voice seemed to rebuke him. But his concern wasn’t for his own wellbeing, rather for Liv’s sake. If he had indeed said something ‘foolish’, did that mean Liv would be unable to find happiness outside, contrary to his words? But that was certainly how the future had unfolded – or had some variable changed? He pondered but could not find an answer.

* * *

“What will be outside once I leave? I’m so excited to find out.”

These days, Liv kept repeating those same words, but Emmett didn’t mind. For the anticipation infusing her face as she uttered them could melt even the most callous heart. So Emmett simply responded and continued the conversation alongside her.

“So, I wonder what lies beyond Abgrund.”

To explain to Liv, Emmett recalled the area outside Abgrund. It was located near the Duchy of Lartman, close to the Holy Hilysid Empire’s borders.

As a cursed land forbidden to all religions, each country had fought to claim Abgrund, for governing the symbolic space beyond any god’s authority held significance.

Ultimately, however, it was the Holy Hilysid Empire that now controlled Abgrund, using it as a prison to confine heinous criminals.

‘I heard it has been a long time since any criminal was actually imprisoned here. While I don’t know why Miss Liv is here…’

In any case, once outside, Liv would only see a barren, desolate land. Since it was near his Duchy of Lartman, Emmett had visited the area around Abgrund before – there was truly nothing there. As he opened his mouth to tell Liv that, he suddenly realized something strange.

‘But then why was Liv found near the temple after escaping here?’

The Hamelsvoort family had discovered Liv near the temple. Since the temple was close to the slums, everyone had mistaken Liv as being from those impoverished areas.

However, Emmett now knew Liv wasn’t from the slums. How had she ended up near the temple after leaving Abgrund?

‘It would take several days by carriage to travel from here to the temple.’

In other words, it was too far a distance for Liv, lacking any knowledge of the Empire’s geography or outside assistance, to have reached alone.

Deep in thought, Emmett began formulating hypotheses about how Liv had managed to escape Abgrund:

One, if Liv had escaped by herself. But this seemed impossible first of all. Abgrund was an inescapable prison without any means of breaking out. Even if a storm caused the ceiling to suddenly collapse, Liv couldn’t have traveled alone all the way to the temple.

Then the second case, if someone had helped Liv escape. This did seem more plausible…

‘Could the one who imprisoned Liv here have released her again?’

However, the person who had confined Liv in Abgrund with the intent of eternal imprisonment didn’t seem likely to then take her all the way to the cathedral area and allow her admission into the Hamelsvoort family.

‘So there must have been a third party involved.’

Finally, Emmett arrived at this conclusion. An outside collaborator had extracted Liv from Abgrund and brought her to the temple. The reason for leaving her near the temple was unclear… but perhaps they thought she could receive aid there?

“Miss Liv.”

“Yes.”

“Have you truly never seen any human besides me since birth?”

“Yes, that’s right. There must have been someone who brought me to this prison as an infant, but I have no memory of them…”

“I see. And during your time imprisoned here, I am the only person you have conversed with?”

“Yes.”

The more he heard Liv speak, the less Emmett could discern who this potential third-party helper could be. Even he, among the Emperor’s closest confidants, had been unaware of Liv’s existence – hardly anyone in the Empire likely knew of this girl imprisoned in Abgrund. So who would come to her aid?

‘Did one of the prison’s staff take pity on her?’

It was possible that one of the people charged with imprisoning and overseeing Liv under the Emperor’s orders had taken pity on her and helped her escape. However, seeing how not even food ever entered this place, that possibility also seemed doubtful. It appeared there were no staff to manage Abgrund, which hadn’t held any criminals for so long, as people likely assumed Liv was already dead.

It was at that very moment that a sound reached them – one Emmett had thought could never be heard in this place.

Bang, bang!

The sound of someone fiercely pounding on Abgrund’s outer door echoed. It was not a polite knock, but a desperate, forceful hammering.

“What was that?”

Liv sprang up in alarm, her face etched with terror at the unexpected situation.

Emmett was just as flustered, uncertain how to react. Currently, he had entered this place through special means after receiving divine punishment, and while taking a human form, he lacked an actual physical body. If an outsider witnessed this situation, how could he possibly explain it? Moreover, the fact that someone had come for the imprisoned Liv didn’t seem like a positive development – for instance, what if the Emperor had come to eliminate her?

As both Emmett and Liv froze, unable to speak, the voice that came from outside was completely unanticipated:

“Is there someone in there?”

“…”

“I am Viscount Wolfe!”