"Now, what's my agenda for today's video?"
Ett hummed, momentarily blissful, as her paperwork had already lessened.
She quirked a smile.
"Greetings, Your Ladyship; these were sent to you by the Emperor."
Oops, let's turn serious again.
"!"
"Uhmp."
Cough. Cough. Cough.
"Your Ladyship!"
Indeed, it is only a moment of the blissfulness of pretending to be serious. Ett wiped the blood that slipped out from the edge of her lip.
"Are you alright?"
"As you can see."
I'm not okay, but thank you for asking.
Akan cracked an awkward smile. "Then I shall summon Physician Franz to tend to your health."
That pungent and bitter medicine again?
"Stay."
Akan paused, "As you command."
Ugh. I should have married the document itself. Look, I can attend to this task more than my son. Well, it's better than meeting him. My medicine is also being taken care of personally by Ares with the help of the Imperial Physician Fran.
Somehow, Akan was highly praised by the physician, seeing that he had a natural-born talent for medicine. He even wanted to take him as his apprentice!
Ett couldn't agree more; his mother was her master of disguise, crafting potions with ingredients—some mysterious and others sourced from the wild.
Okay. Let's go back to work.
Cough.
"Mistress..."
"Hush."
"Can I serve you a hot tea?"
"..."
"...go ahead."
This newbie, really, every time she coughs or sees her getting paled, Ares would ask if she needs something.
"You'll get used to this."
Ett was not bothered at all.
"Be terrified once I suddenly coughed a different colour."
Moreover, she's pretty in a good mood as her experimentation has good news. Well, it's not that good, but there's an improvement.
Ett usually fainted up to five times, depending on the task. She could even estimate how often she would faint by looking at the papers on her table. For instance, she could confidently say she would faint thrice today.
Fufu. Is it something to be proud of? Because, yes, she strangely feels so. She looked at her list before resuming to do her royal work.
Knock. Knock.
"Whose there?"
"It's me, Physcian Fran, Empress Dowager."
"Come in."
"Thank you, Your Grace."
"You should have said something better."
"Pardon, Your Grace?"
"Pardon who?"
Physician Fran frowned even further as he opened the door.
Pardon who? What?
"Your expression is hilarious."
Question could be seen above Physcian Fran's forehead as Akan looked away.
These are the times when his Mistress gets especially strange but somehow amusing.
Saying hilarious with a straight face, hah.
"Apologies, I don't understand what Your Grace meant. Could you repeat it, please?"
"Nothing."
Physcian Franz, "???"
"Anyway." Ett dipped her pen into the ink. "The joke was gone."
Physcian Fran, "..." Was there even a joke? No, do you even joke?
"Was it a success?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager. The young lady of the Count Ecluss household is presently in a stable condition. As for the eldest son of the esteemed Garth family, he has sustained some bruises, which, with care, should mend within a week."
He didn't mention the third lady who has caused the ruckus as it doesn't seem like the Empress Dowager is interested in her.
"Nothing more?"
"Oh, and I assured them that, as the incident occurred within the Banquet Hall—a place that personally belongs to His Majesty—it is only fitting, as a loyal subject, that I ensure no grievous harm has been done.
That's a subtle advertisement well done.
"Then let's wait for now."
Ett dismissed.
"Then I'll leave first."
"Well done."
Ett complimented on a mere whim, which stunned the Physcian as if he heard a pig singing angelically before bowing deeply and going in a rush as if death was a centimetre away from him.
"..."
Erm, that's too much of a reaction, dude. The old Ett may have complimented her exceptional subject differently and not verbally. Yeah?
Ett scratched her head.
Yeah, was that a mistake as well?
"Ares, was my impression truly unremarkable in all ways?"
"Indeed not, Mistress. The physician was merely overjoyed. He's quite speechless and bereft of words."
"..."
Yeah, as if.
***
"Hoooooo."
Ett stretched her limbs after fainting the fourth time laying in her bed, no, her sofa make-shift bed. What's the other term for this sofa again?
Anyway, she should be looking forward to something soon enough.
"Work, work, work."
"Do you need any help, Matriarch?"
Ares asked as he stood near her sofa.
"Yes. When I sleep, sit."
"Matriarch?"
"The soles of your feet will have roots growing." For a thousand years, if you stand there. Ett wanted to add.
"It's not that...yes, I will do so, Matriarch."
Seeing her hard stare, Ares bowed his head.
It's not that big of a deal. There were more times when he was in Count Shubert's Estate, standing for two days during the snowy season, three days beside the Count's bed. Ten days being with his hands hanged above as he was dangling naked, and so on.
Ares smiled brightly. "This is nothing, Matriarch."
"Troublesome."
"Matriarch?"
"From now on, just come when I call you."
Ares frowned. According to Sire Akan, he must always stay close to the Matriarch at all times except when it's personal, such as bathing and sleeping, unless it is not life-threatening. "Did I do something wrong, Matriarch?"
"You know Akan is not here."
"Yes?"
"Butler Xiwen is mostly in another wing."
"Indeed..."
Ares felt like he knew where this was going.
"Do your other duties overseeing the servants and rest for a day or two."
"Ah?"
"Ah, what?"
"Why must I rest for a day, Mistress?"
"Then do you want to rest for eternity? I can do that."
"No, of course not, Mistress. It's just."
"Odd?"
Ett asked back. Well, these days, every day is a working day.
"Tell the maids to rest a day or two as well. Arrange for it. What's with that look?"
Ett coughed, ignoring Ares' expression. "Just for this wing. Unless His Majesty mandates it to all those, cough, I can't speak, cough water."
"Here you go, Mistress."
Ett took a sip. Wow.
"Mandates to those within this palace, or maybe the entire Adiand empire?"
"Mistress, did you just suddenly think about that?"
Ett nodded. "A mere whim, but won't the citizens like it?"
"Indeed. Shall I address this matter to Butler Xiwen, or would you prefer I deliver your letter to Sire Xiwen?"
"Write, you say? Might you do the writing in my stead?"
"As Mistress wishes."
"Wonderful. Well, that's all; you can look for Xiwen."
"Then, please call me if you need something."
"Yes."
As the door closed, Ett looked back at her remaining task.
"Another grind."
***
Later that evening, after finishing her tasks, Ett stepped onto her balcony.
"Ah, now this is different from the city lights."
The night air was cool and refreshing, and the soft hum of crickets would sometimes linger like some annoying tune that reminded her of when she would travel and trek in the mountains.
Ett took a moment to glance at the garden below, her movements deliberate to step forth.
"Thank goodness he didn't stroll in this area again."
That could be just one time when their eyes met.
Ett made sure it wouldn't be the same day and time meeting him before, even if that were a coincidence. She wanted to avoid the chance of their eyes meeting.
Even though she wasn't the Ett from the novel and genuinely wished for Guren to live a long life, she couldn't approach him. Talking to him or growing closer felt like a step she wasn't ready to take. For now, she was content to keep her distance.
"This is better."
When she dies, that child won't feel sadness or despair. The extreme pain of her absence won't consume Guren.
"So sorry."
That's all Ett could say.
She wants to do what the old Ett does in her way. Taking care of a child was not her forte, nor did she want to try. Let the story resume as it was. "I want to leave this place. This is not a role I can act upon."
As alone as she was in her world, she still likes being stuck in her apartment. There are things she can't leave behind, no matter how small it is.
This is well known in the novel; once you get close to your child, the affection could change him. If she can't prevent it, she is sure either Guren will turn into a twisted Yandere villain who has nothing to lose and will follow her to death, or he'll bring forth the destruction of this world just like how he ends up in the novel.
In short, he won't die peacefully.
Pulling out her necklace, she looked closer at the simple whistle to call out Eru. It's been so long since she had not called her little lyrebird—such an irresponsible owner.
Ett whistled, hoping it could reach Eru by the speed of sound.
She waited and waited, starting at the gloomy sky falling the empire.
"Well, that didn't work."
If she is near the Ostelian Duchy, it would be possible. Hah, what was she expecting? For the little lyrebird to come to her like before? Hayst.
It feels like a decade since she'd seen Eru. If she's long gone, won't she be forgotten?
Aiya, what to do? She looks at her mini black note containing all her To-Do List.
"Eru..."