...RIEN.
THAT UNDER- GROUND PRISON WHERE YOU WERE LOCKED AWAY FOR THREE YEARS AFTER THE REVOLUTION...
HOW WAS IT ANY DIFFERENT FROM WHEN YOU LOCKED YOURSELF AWAY IN THE PALACE?
EVEN THEN, YOU ONLY LIVED WITH YOUR EYES OPEN AT NIGHT, DID YOU NOT?
THERE WERE PLENTY OF SCRIPTURES AND BOOKS BY SAGES DOWN THERE FOR YOU TO READ EVERY DAY.
THAT PLACE...
I COULDN'T SEE THE STARS...
THE AIR WAS DAMP AND STALE...
I FELT MY LIFE FADING AWAY DAY BY DAY.
HOW COULD A PRISON BE THE SAME AS A ROOM I CHOSE TO HIDE IN?
I MERELY RAN AWAY FROM PEOPLE,
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE LOCKED UP AND LEFT TO DIE!
...RIEN.
THE UNDER- GROUND PRISON YOU WERE IN
HAD A PASSAGE LEADING OUTSIDE,
AND THE DOOR WASN'T LOCKED.
SIMPLY KNOWING OUTSIDERS COULD COME AND GO MEANT YOU KNEW THERE WAS AT LEAST A WAY OUT.
DID YOU EVER TRY TO WALK OUT OF THERE YOURSELF, EVEN ONCE?
"...YOUR MAJESTY..."
"HAVE YOU BEEN TESTING ME ALL THIS TIME...?"
BEING BORN INTO ROYALTY MEANS TESTS ARE UNAVOIDABLE.
ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CHAOS, WHEN TRUE WORTH MUST BE PROVEN.
IREMIA AND THE TWINS WERE LOCKED IN THE UNDERGROUND JUST LIKE YOU,
AND IREMIA WAS THE FIRST TO COME OUT.
REFUSING TO HIDE LIKE A COWARD,
SHE DECLARED SHE WOULD PROUDLY FACE JUDGMENT.
BEFORE LONG, THE TWINS ESCAPED THE PRISON.
THEY BEGGED ME TO SPARE THEM, SAYING THEY WOULD GO MAD AND DIE IF THEY STAYED.
ONLY YOU,
REMAINED COWERING IN SUBMISSION INSIDE A PRISON WITH NO END IN SIGHT.
...RIEN.
YOU DIDN'T WANT TO DIE,
BUT YOU RAN FROM LIFE AT THE SAME TIME.
WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING EVERYTHING YOU HAD WAS BEING TAKEN FROM YOU.
"HOWEVER, IT'S NOT AS IF YOU GAINED NOTHING."
"FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF,"
"PRINCESS CURSED BY NEPTUNE."
...I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH ME THAT IT'S CALLED A CURSE?
I KNOW THE WEIGHT OF BEING ROYALTY.
EVEN IF IT'S NOTHING BUT AN EMPTY TITLE TO ME.
THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT I HAD TO PAY FOR MY SINS FOR BETRAYING THE PEOPLE,
AND SO I SIMPLY ENDURED AND HELD ON...
IS IT REALLY OKAY
TO JUST EASILY DISMISS ALL OF THAT AS ME RUNNING AWAY?
IF SOMEONE BOLDLY DISOBEYS ORDERS
AND PROFITS BY TAKING WHAT BELONGS TO OTHERS
DOES THAT NATURALLY MAKE ME THE FOOL WHO RAN AWAY FROM LIFE USING SUBMISSION AS AN EXCUSE,
ONLY TO HAVE WHAT WAS MINE STOLEN?
JUDGED BY OTHERS ON A STAGE I NEVER CHOSE TO STEP ONTO.
THEN WAS CASSIUS'S PORTRAIT A TEST, TOO...
TO SEE IF I'D FOOLISHLY STAY IN THE UNDERGROUND FOREVER,
OR IF I'D COME OUT BECAUSE I DESPERATELY WANTED TO LIVE?
BUT I FEEL LIKE I'M STILL UNDERGROUND.
LOST IN THOUGHT BY MYSELF AS ALWAYS, WANDERING FOR AN ANSWER...
EVEN THE QUESTIONS FADE AWAY,
LEAVING ME FEELING LIKE I'M DRIFTING IN DEEP WATER...
DID I TRULY EVER MAKE IT OUT?
PLEASE, TELL ME.
AM I REALLY IN REALITY RIGHT NOW?
...PRINCESS.
YOU STARTLED ME BY DISAPPEARING SO SUDDENLY.
IF YOUR BODY GETS COLD, YOU MIGHT START COUGHING AGAIN.
WE SHOULD HEAD BACK INSIDE.
...YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T KNOW ME WELL.
SO WHY DID YOU SAY YOU'D PROTECT ME?
...IT'S STRANGE. SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO SOMEONE YOU HARDLY KNOW.
I'M FLUSTERED BECAUSE YOUR WORDS ALMOST FEEL BLIND.
...WE ARE MARRIED.
...AH...
BY THE EMPEROR'S COMMAND...
THROUGH THIS FORCED MARRIAGE...
DID YOU GAIN ANYTHING FROM IT AT ALL?
...YES, PLENTY.
THAT IS WHY I WILL DO MY UTMOST TO SERVE YOU
I ONLY FEEL APOLOGETIC TOWARD YOU.
FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE YOU THE LOVE YOU DESIRE.
THEREFORE, WHEN THE TIME COMES
I WILL GRANT YOU A DIVORCE.
WHEN THE TIME COMES...?
...WHEN SOMEONE YOU TRULY LOVE APPEARS.
HOWEVER, THAT PERSON MUST ABSOLUTELY
POSSESS THE LOYALTY TO WILLINGLY LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR YOU,
AND HAVE THE ROBUST BODY AND MIND TO DEFEAT ENEMIES WITHOUT TIRING IN A LONG BATTLE.
HE MUST ALSO BE EQUIPPED WITH DAZZLING INTELLECT AND REFINED MANNERS,
HAVE A GENTLE, NOBLE CHARACTER, AND...
HE MUST POSSESS LOOKS HAND- SOME ENOUGH
TO CAPTIVATE EVERYONE'S GAZE WHEN YOU WALK SIDE BY SIDE.
WHAT IS WITH THIS MAN...?
RATTLING OFF A LIST OF CONDITIONS FOR MY NEXT PARTNER...
UH... HMM...
...IT FEELS LIKE I SUDDENLY WOKE UP FROM A DREAM.
...YOU'RE QUITE PICKY, AREN'T YOU...?
HE ALSO SHOULDN'T BE TOO OLD.
...UP TO HOW MANY YEARS APART IS ACCEPTABLE?
FIVE YEARS AT MOST.
...THEN HOW MUCH OLDER ARE YOU THAN ME?
THAT IS A SECRET.
Clockwork Lovers Chapter 6 revolves around Rien confronting the underground prison where she stayed for three years after the revolution and learning that it was a test. The voice facing her accuses her of running away from life, saying the door was not locked and that Iremia and the twins managed to get out. Shaken, Rien doubts reality as she questions the curse, guilt, and Cassius's portrait, then wakes to a surprising and humorous divorce conversation with her husband, who promises to protect her.
