SBCSM | Chapter 1 Part 1 – Purple Butterfly in the Scarlet Sky

It was a quiet evening in late autumn, with the bright sun setting in the far west through the window.

“Proposal… is it?”

Li An did not understand the meaning of her father’s words and repeated them in a confused voice. She finally realized after putting the words together herself. What her father meant was “marriage proposal”.

On this day, Li An stepped into her father’s office for the first time.

There are six territories in the Kingdom of Sui, known as the Ryohan. Among them, the Lord of the Fourth Ryohan, her father, Shi Kou, has been assigned a room as his office within the governmental building. In the spacious room, the only piece of furniture was a simple writing desk placed at the back of the room, and there was no decoration on the backrest of the chair where her father sat. For a feudal lord’s office, the room was incredibly stark, but for that reason, Li An thought it felt more like her father. Not attached to material possessions or his family.

Due to his position as the feudal lord, Shi Kou rarely showed his emotions in public. Because of this, even now, at fifteen years old, Li An still doesn’t quite know how to relate to her father. However, today, her father had been wearing a very serious expression ever since Li An entered the room.

Her father, Shi Kou, was wearing a dull, dark-colored official uniform, which is only worn by high-ranking military officials during formal occasions. The collar was neatly fastened all the way up to the neck, and there wasn’t a single wrinkle from the hem to the very ends of the flowing sleeves. Perhaps he had received a visit from a high-ranking official, or maybe he had been attending a meeting. In any case, seeing her father in such an unfamiliar appearance, Li An felt an even greater sense of distance than usual. She hesitated and stopped in her tracks when she reached the middle of the room.

A thin, elongated shadow, shaped like Li An’s small figure, stretched out across the floor. The conversation came to an abrupt end, and as Li An stood there aimlessly, she gazed blankly at her own shadow for a while.

When the new year arrives, Li An will turn sixteen. In this country, that age is often referred to as the “flowering age.” It wouldn’t be surprising if such topics were brought up. However, her father had never once mentioned anything like that to Li An.

“Um, who is the person you’re referring to…?”

Unable to bear the suffocating silence, Li An hesitated for a moment before nervously opening her mouth. When was the last time she had spoken directly to her father? It had been so long that Li An couldn’t even remember when they last spoke, and her question, filled with hesitation, naturally came out vague, like a mutter to herself. Her father’s brow furrowed slightly, but even that was just a small, subtle movement, and after that, no emotion resembling anything human appeared on his face.

The room, dyed entirely in the orange hue of the setting sun, felt as though it had been completely detached from the rest of the world, so still and quiet. Gradually, a sense of emptiness spread throughout the room, and feeling as though she might be swallowed by that void, Li An dropped her gaze to her own toes, as if to escape it.

There, vivid crimson peonies bloomed.

The shoes, with large scarlet flowers embroidered on a pale yellow background, were once beloved by her mother. Though they finally fit her perfectly, it may still be a little too early for the fifteen-year-old Li An to wear them. The mature colors and patterns seemed to mismatch her, it only made her feel more unsettled, and so she gently lifted her toes.

Surely, her father hadn’t even realized that these slippers were something her mother had left behind. Perhaps, he had even forgotten that Li An was his own daughter. As she continued to lift and lower her toes, Li An absentmindedly thought about such things.

“The prospective marriage partner is.”

A quiet voice echoed, and Li An gently lowered the tip of her toe, which she had been lifting, back to the floor. Cautiously, she raised her face from the blooming red peonies, and her gaze directly met her father’s clear, piercing eyes, which reminded her of a serene winter morning. The coldness of his gaze directed at her made Li An unconsciously straighten her slightly hunched back.

“It is His Highness Jin, the Third Royal Prince.”

“… Royal Prince?”

Li An couldn’t immediately comprehend the name of something and someone so far removed from her own life. As she repeatedly mulled it over and over in her mind, the weight of the name’s meaning gradually began to sink into her. Feeling extremely dizzy, she lowered her eyes and saw the crimson flower swaying unsteadily at her toes.

Li An barely managed to respond.

“…Is the prospective partner a member of the Royal Family?”

“Yes.”

“If that’s the case, then approval from the State Council of the Sui Kingdom is required, right….?”

Once again, she was met with a simple “Yes,” and Li An was at a loss for words. Her father’s flat tone was far too indifferent to be directed at his own daughter.

Even the näive Li An knew that under the system of the Sui Kingdom, members of the Royal Family couldn’t choose their marriage partners based on their own will. She also knew that everything concerning the public and private matters of the heir to the throne was decided by the State Council. Why was Li An chosen? The doubts only grew in her heart, and Li An looked desperately at her father as if pleading with him.

“The esteemed Chief Military Officer, Cui, submitted a proposal at the State Council and it was approved.”

However, the emotions reflected in Li An’s eyes went unnoticed by her father.

Located in the east of the continent, the Sui Kingdom is the only one among the existing three nations that does not adopt a monarchical system. The country is governed by the State Council, officially known as the “Supreme Bureaucratic Council of Sui Kingdom”. Only the first and second-ranking officials of the Sui Kingdom can attend the council, and Li An’s father, Shi Kou, was one of them. Shi Kou was not only the Lord of the Fourth Ryohan but also a second-ranking military officer.

The reason why the Sui Kingdom does not have a monarchy dates back to the mythical era known as the Soriku Era. Once upon a time, a god created a vast continent from a world filled with chaos, and as its foundation, they placed five sacred mountains—one in each of the four directions (east, west, south, and north) and one at the center.

At the foot of the mountains, five nations were established, with each of the five attendants being entrusted with one of these nations. The first king of the Kingdom of Sui, Sui Han, was given the responsibility of overseeing the country located to the east of the continent. Sui Han was concerned that a single individual holding all the power over the nation could be dangerous, and established laws and regulations to ensure that governance would be carried out through the consultation and cooperation of multiple individuals.

According to ancient customs, in the present-day Kingdom of Sui, the King refers to a priestly role called dai-shin-ō (代神王), who governs the Sui Kingdom as a representative of the gods. Once the King ascends the throne, they are regarded as the god’s agent, and thus, all aspects of his personal “self” as a human are stripped away. Naturally, he does not have the discretion to govern the country on his own.

In other words, this marriage proposal was approved by a majority vote of the high-ranking officials of the Sui Kingdom. Once it was decided, even the feudal lord, Shi Kou, could not overturn it, and naturally, an individual like Li An had no right to object either.

The quiet, characteristic of the autumn slanting sun, once again settled into the room. The surge of Li An’s emotions, which had once risen, gradually subsided, as if soothed by the tranquility of the moment.

As if he had anticipated this, her father spoke again.

“In the State Council, the most important issue is the succession to the throne. The closer a relative is to the throne, the stronger their voice in the State Council. His Highness Prince Jin is the first son of Prince Shin, and his mother Princess Shin is the daughter of Chief Military Officer Cui.”

In the Kingdom of Sui, the King does not hold real power, but the existence of the ‘King’ is necessary as part of the country’s functions. The law stipulates that only a direct male descendant of the Royal Family can inherit the throne, and the order of succession prioritizes the King’s eldest son, followed by the eldest grandson. The current King of Sui has four children, the first of which is Prince Kou, and the second is Prince Fubo. King Sui has reigned for a long time, and both of his sons are already in their thirties, each with their consorts and children.

Her prospective marriage partner, Prince Jin, is both the King’s grandson and the grandson of Chief Military Officer Cui Wei.

“Meanwhile, the first in line to the throne, Prince Kou, is married to Chief Civil Officer Shou Kan’s daughter, Lady Xiang Chang. Lady Xiang Chang gave birth to three daughters and passed away several years ago. This caused the State Council to be divided into two factions; the Chief Civil Officer faction and the Chief Military Officer faction. However, in recent years, there has been a growing praise for the achievements of Lady Kei Shin, who gave birth to two sons, and the Chief Military Officer faction is beginning to take the lead.”

At this point, her father took a deep breath with the heavy feeling that is characteristic of when he was about to say something difficult.

“That’s exactly why, Li An. You were chosen as the marriage candidate.”

At that moment, a loud flapping sound of wings echoed from outside. A black shadow, perhaps a crow, swept past the other side of the window. Its dark wings were blocked the setting sun, casting a deep shadow that was carried neither sorrow nor uncertainty on her father’s profile.

It was then Li An finally realized.

The Chief Military Officer is the highest-ranking figure overseeing the military officers of the Sui Kingdom, and is directly superior to her father, the feudal lord. If Li An were to marry into the Royal Family, the military faction would gain another relative by marriage, and her father would be able to form a familial connection with the Chief Military Officer.

Furthermore, Li An’s mother was a person who gained fame as the first female civil official in the history of the Sui Kingdom.

At the age of eighteen, she passed the civil servant examination, and according to official records, with her exceptional talent, she significantly influenced the bureaucratic system of the Sui Kingdom.

Her mother’s reputation has not faded even to this day, and if her daughter Li An were to marry the Royal Prince, it would make for an impeccable public appearance. Moreover, if luck is on their side and a son is born, the Chief Military Officer’s faction would be able to wield even more power within the State Council, which was their prime intention.

Feeling the weight of the burden she was suddenly forced to shoulder, Li An lowered her head to avoid her father’s gaze. Her long hair flowed down from her trembling shoulders, obscuring her face. Looking down, the outline of a crimson flower blooming on the tip of her shoes gradually began to blur.

Li An could do nothing but wish. If only her father would understand, even a small part of the feelings of his daughter, who had no choice but to accept an unwanted marriage proposal. If only his voice, which had become so cold it could freeze frost, could convey even the slightest warmth. Perhaps then, the pain in her chest would have eased a little.

“Li An, raise your head.”

Li An bit her lip tightly at his words. Feeling a sense of loss, as if the petals of a peony were being ripped off one by one, she slowly raised her face.

The colors of the setting sun, cut into the shape of a window, were lined up at equal intervals on the floor. The hues were clearer and more beautiful than anything Li An had ever seen before, and she felt that her father, on the other side of that light, seemed like a presence far, far away, beyond the horizon.

A political marriage proposal.

Li An met her father’s eyes directly. Slowly, his mouth opened, as if to utter the next words. However, Li An didn’t want to hear what came next. Instead, she forcibly lifted the corners of her own mouth into a smile, faster than the words could follow.

“If I’m needed for the country….”

At those words, her father quietly widened his eyes. His lips, slightly parted as if he wanted to say something, closed firmly again without a sound. In that moment, the look in his eyes was filled with a pity that, for some reason, seemed as sorrowful as the sunset from that very day. It was a genuine expression that her father had never once shown to Li An before. She would never forget that face for the rest of her life. The fleeting glimpse of her father’s expression struck Li An’s heart deeply.

On the table, the tip of her father’s right index finger, which was intertwined with his other hand, was lightly tapping the back of his other hand, as if he were pondering something for a while.

Li An’s father, a military officer, must have noticed the fleeting glance she sent at him immediately. The movement of his fingertips suddenly stopped there. As if to shake off the doubts in his heart, her father closed his eyelids very lightly. However, when his gaze turned back to Li An, what remained was the usual sharpness in his eyes.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?”

The words, devoid of any emotion, struck Li An’s heart even more intensely. The light in his father’s eyes was strong, but in contrast, his tone remained entirely neutral. Li An was at a loss for words, and remained silent. Her father too sealed his lips from that point on. Only silence remained in the space between them.

“Li An.”

Her name was called softly, and the response that should have been a clear “Yes” faded away, barely audible due to the tension. For a brief moment, his father directed his attention to the fingers he had clasped together. He must have been choosing his words carefully. Anticipating what would come next, Li An quietly steeled herself.

However, what left her father’s lips was something she had never expected.

“Become a civil servant.”

Li An’s heart involuntarily tightened with a sharp pang.

“Father, that’s…”

“Listen carefully.”

Her father strongly interrupted the words of protest that were about to leave her mouth. The excuse was swallowed up by the setting sun and vanished, erased completely.

The civil service exam for the Kingdom of Sui was held every year in May, and there were only six months left until the deadline. Li An lacked the extraordinary talent her mother had, and on top of that, she had never seriously studied to become a civil servant until now. Her father’s suggestion felt far too reckless.

However, ignoring Li An’s surprise and distress, her father continued in his usual calm manner.

“If I say you’re going to take the civil service exam, they’ll likely be convinced.”

“That’s…”

“However,”

Before Li An could speak, her father immediately cut her off. There was an undeniable, resolute strength in his stance that left no room for argument.

“You’ll only be able to use that excuse to reject the marriage proposal once.”

“Father…”

“What is it?”

As Li An was told in a clearly refusing tone, she lowered her gaze, leaving her words unspoken. Her mother’s smile overlapped with the crimson flowers blooming in the shoes at her feet. Her mother, who eventually became a high-ranking official, was, as she had heard from others, a smart and cheerful woman who was not afraid to express her opinion to anyone and was well-liked by everyone. The generous praise for her mother, who left her mark in the history of the Kingdom of Sui, has reached Li An’s ears even as a child.

That’s why Li An felt she had to tell her father these words.

“I can’t be a civil servant.”

It was pathetic, but ever since she was young, Li An had been told that she resembled her mother in appearance. However, Li An knew that she could never be like her mother. For Li An, to acknowledge that she couldn’t live up to the expectations of those around her, was the most painful thing of all.

“So, it’s easier to accept the marriage proposal…”

Just like water slipping through the gaps between her fingers, something slipped out of her father’s voice. Li An looked down at the floor, as if searching for what had fallen. Before she knew it, the sun was starting to dip behind the mountains. A dark shadow gradually fell over the room, and the colorless floor revealed its original shade of dull gray.

Without a word, her father stood up from his seat and walked slowly towards where Li An was standing. The only sound that echoed in the room was the rhythmic tapping of her father’s shoes stepping on the hard wooden floor.

The footsteps stopped right beside Li An. With her father facing forward and Li An looking down, their gazes couldn’t meet. Her father quietly spoke.

“It’s all up to you, you decide.”

Once again, the rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed. Immediately after, there was a dry sound of a door closing behind him, and Li An was left alone in his father’s office.

Everyone tried to find her mother in Li An. If possible, Li An would like to live up to those expectations. But Li An does not have the talent her mother had. The one who felt the most powerless about that fact was Li An herself.

Why did her mother become a civil servant? In Li An’s memories, her mother was always dyed in the color of the crimson sunset.

 

T/N: The names written here are so hard to translate. I may or may not change some of them in the future. Apologize beforehand if I made any mistakes.