Damn it, I should have realized sooner!
Annan's hesitation over whether to help the Freemen overthrow Grand Commander Raymond vanished.
What he saw before him hardened his resolve and stripped away the last of his longing for the lavish Golden Palace.
It was only a building raised on suffering.
"Nearly everyone who ever opposed the Broken Mountains is here." Grand Commander Raymond swept a nostalgic gaze over the human skins stretched on display. "Peterson, my old rival. Lothar, a bishop of the Lady of Blasphemy. Mossley, an executioner who threatened the safety of the Broken Mountains. And..."
His gaze settled on a small, pale skin marked with scars. "The leader who started the uprising."
"Adele..."
"What?"
"Her name was Adele."
Grand Lord Raymond glanced at Annan, then turned to Joan. "What do you think, Princess?"
"It's disgusting..."
Grand Lord Raymond, who had already been taken aback by Annan, froze again.
Annan's gaze gave Joan courage. "I said it's disgusting! The Empire stacks its enemies' heads into towers as a warning and a show of force. You keep them in your collection room just to satisfy your own... your own twisted tastes!"
Grand Lord Raymond's good mood disappeared.
"Don't nobles of the Empire keep their enemies' skulls and skins in their collections too?"
"They're just as disgusting!"
As she spoke, Joan spotted a familiar patch of pink skin among the displays.
"My nephew sent me that skin. Such a lovely shade of pink," Grand Lord Raymond said, as if flaunting it.
Joan suddenly covered her mouth, lowered her head, and rushed out.
"Excuse us."
Annan followed her out of the collection room that weighed so heavily on him and found her retching in the corridor.
He waved the bewildered maid aside, signaling that he would take care of Joan, then walked