Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Interlude 2
On the outskirts of Nami, the spaceport city where the imperial capital and the royal palace were located, stood a three-story mansion with red tiles and white walls, surrounded by fiery maple trees. A winding cobblestone path led to the entrance, lined with pink and white roses meticulously tended by the gardeners, complementing the maple trees around the mansion. The scenery was as beautiful as the famous ancient Earth painting [Sunset in Fontainebleau Forest].
The locals referred to this mansion as the “Maple Pavilion”. Although it was beautiful, no one dared to approach it, for its owner was Duke Winnet, a prominent figure and the cousin of Her Majesty the Queen. To some, the Duke was a formidable and ambitious man. Rumors circulated that he was recruiting troops and amassing an army with the intention of staging a coup to seize the throne. Naturally, the Duke himself denied such claims. “How could I possibly take my sister’s crown? What a ridiculous notion!” he said calmly in a televised interview—though this did little to reassure those wary of him, instead making them more anxious about his manipulation of public opinion.
Today, the Duke had finally managed to escape his busy duties and returned to his long-neglected home. Since the death of the Duchess, he had grown increasingly estranged from this so-called “home”, preferring the company of his ship, the “Stella”.
But today was different. Today was a special day for the Duke, necessitating his return to the Maple Pavilion. After getting out of the car, he hurried along the cobblestone path, cutting across the neatly trimmed lawn to save time, much to the gardener’s anger, and arrived at the front door of the mansion. The butler, along with a group of male and female servants, was already waiting under the porch. The Duke waved them off, indicating they need not stand on ceremony, and went straight inside.
“Where is my daughter?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” the butler bowed slightly. “The young lady is in her study.”
“I’ll go find her. You all may return to your duties.” The Duke dismissed the servants.
“Uh, but sir, the young lady has ordered not to be disturbed, ‘even if Her Majesty the Queen arrives’. Those were her words…”
The Duke’s eyes widened. “I am her father!” Ignoring the butler’s attempt to speak, he hurried upstairs.
The Duke’s daughter, Musaya, had her quarters on the third floor of the mansion, an entire floor to herself, including half the attic. It was filled with her rare collectibles, from first-edition anime chips to limited-edition figurines, all meticulously categorized by the Duke’s daughter. There was even a room dedicated to life-sized pillows, the images on it which deeply concerned the Duke about his daughter’s mental health.
There were several studies in the Maple Pavilion, and the Duke had a rather large library of his own. However, it paled in comparison to the “study” of the Duke’s daughter. Her study was as large as a basketball court, with shelves connecting the floor and ceiling, so close together that only one person could barely pass through. The shelves were packed with the Duke’s daughter’s beloved books, mostly comics and novels, with some classic literature she bought to appear deep (none of which had been opened). Even so, the study was filled to capacity, with no room for more books, so the Duke’s daughter had to move some older books to the attic to make space for her “new loves”.
The Duke was troubled by his daughter’s peculiar hobbies. Unlike other noble ladies, she didn’t care for jewelry, fashionable clothing, parties, or social balls (in fact, she loathed such events, preferring to stay home with her computer rather than dance with handsome young men). She was not particularly interested in politics or business and had only a casual interest in literature and art, without delving into their principles. She majored in literature at university but took an indefinite leave of absence halfway through, citing “social anxiety and inability to write papers” and had since been idling at home. Fortunately, the Duke’s wealth could support her lavish lifestyle. However, the Duke had grown increasingly worried: he could take care of her now, but what would happen after he passed away? He had been planning to find Musaya an excellent husband who could manage the family business, treat her well, and help him achieve his ambitions.
Years ago, the Duke had discussed this with his daughter. “Would you be interested in marrying Prince Annot?” the Duke asked. “He will be the future ruler of the Empire, and you would be the Queen. You could buy any book you want.”
“Mm…” Musaya seemed slightly swayed by the last statement. “But Annot is my cousin.”
“The Empire’s laws don’t prohibit cousins from marrying.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Musaya said dejectedly. “I mean, I know him too well. His cowardly nature annoys me! Marry him? I’d rather buy an inflatable doll!”
“Watch your language!” the Duke retorted angrily. “Even if Annot is a coward, you shouldn’t say it out loud!” And what on earth is an inflatable doll?! Don’t bring strange things into the house!
Later, news broke that Annot had fallen in love with a commoner woman. “That’s wonderful—a prince and a Cinderella, just like a novel!” Musaya was happy for her cousin’s romance. Thus, the idea of a political marriage was abandoned. However, the Duke couldn’t easily swallow his anger. Of course, he would never tell Musaya what he did to that commoner woman.
Standing in front of the study door, the Duke hesitated. The urgency from earlier had completely faded from his face. He had traveled thousands of light years back to the capital to see his daughter, but now, in front of her door, he hesitated. He paced for a moment, then took a deep breath and knocked decisively.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Hearing his daughter’s long-missed voice, the Duke felt both joy and sorrow. He turned the door handle and opened the door.
In the center of the study was a large computer desk, cluttered with empty drink bottles and half-eaten snacks, and several magazines of varying sizes piled beside them. The Duke’s daughter sat at the desk in a swivel chair, her back to the door, typing on a tactile keyboard.
“Emma, is it my delivery?” Musaya asked without turning her head.
“Yes, miss, your delivery has arrived,” the Duke said, mimicking a female voice.
Musaya pushed the tactile keyboard away and spun her chair halfway around to face the Duke. “Dad, why are you back?” Her tone lacked the joy of reuniting with her father and instead had a hint of reproach, as if saying, “I told you not to disturb me, so why did you come in?”
“What’s with that attitude?” the Duke said. “We haven’t seen each other in nearly six months, and this is how you greet your father?”
“What should I say? ‘Oh, Dad, you’re finally back. I’m so happy!’ like that?” Musaya raised an eyebrow. “Come on, you barely come home, and when you do, it’s never for a good reason. Last time, it was because the terrifying assassin killed Leia, and before that, Prince Sorey had a falling out with Her Majesty. What’s wrong this time?”
The Duke turned away. “If I’m so unwelcome, I might as well leave. I had prepared a birthday present for you, but I might as well return it to the store.” He played a little trick, thinking Musaya would surely change her attitude and beg him to stay.
To his surprise, Musaya crossed her legs and smirked. “Go ahead and return it. I don’t care.”
In the end, the Duke conceded defeat. He considered himself more cunning and capable than anyone else in the universe, but he always lost to his daughter. “Alright, alright, I admit defeat,” he said with a smile, taking a small box tied with a silver ribbon from his pocket. A golden tag on it read, “Happy Birthday, Musaya, love from Dad.”
“Oh, my god, what’s this?” Musaya exclaimed in surprise, untying the ribbon. Inside, on a red velvet lining, was a teardrop-shaped pendant, intricately carved with totems. Upon closer inspection, the totems were actually melted and solidified rubies, shining with a noble and mysterious light against the velvet.
“This is the ‘Tear of Blood’! Just like in the anime!” Musaya’s eyes sparkled. “Oh my god, even the official merchandise isn’t this realistic! Dad, where did you get this?”
“Had it custom-made. The butler told me you liked that anime and always wanted a pendant just like this.”
“Oh, my god.” Musaya hugged her father. “Dad, I love you so much!”
The Duke smiled helplessly. Only at times like this did Musaya act like a sweet daughter. He patted her head. “Though your birthday is over a week away, happy early birthday.”
“Won’t you stay and celebrate with me?” Musaya asked.
“No, I have many things to do. Besides…” the Duke looked at his daughter apologetically. “I’m afraid you can’t stay in the capital for your birthday. Start packing today. You need to leave for the territory by Friday.”
“Why?” Musaya asked, dissatisfied, “Why do I have to go back? I don’t want to leave! Besides, I have so many things here at the Maple Pavilion…”
“Listen to me, my child,” the Duke said softly. “It’s for your own good. In the near future…” His gaze passed over his daughter’s shoulder, over the holographic computer screen, through the study window, beyond the tall mutated maple trees of the Maple Pavilion, into the blue autumn sky of the capital, and out into the boundless stars beyond the atmosphere. “It will become very dangerous here. Everywhere will be very dangerous. I need to send you somewhere safe.”
“What’s going on, Dad?”
The Duke withdrew his gaze. “Nothing major,” he said. “Just start packing. Travel light. It’s only for a while. It’s not like you can’t come back. Emma and Garn will take care of your collections. I promise, they won’t gather a speck of dust by the time you return.”
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