Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Interlude 7 (Part One)
Darius Bayes sat in the command chair on the bridge, gazing out at the boundless stars. The Sword of the Queen was about to arrive at the Empire Capital, the Unfallen Star. Not long ago, he received a message from Alveira, informing him that Chancellor Greenwald had submitted his resignation and was preparing to retire. It was almost certain that Alveira would take up his scepter and become the regent of the Empire—assuming the Queen approved. However, she was unlikely to oppose it. The Queen neither agreed nor disagreed with her ministers’ suggestions. When asked for her opinion, she would only say, “Do as you see fit,” never offering her own views. Darius had heard from some older officials that the Queen wasn’t always like this. Ever since a car accident twenty years ago, she had seemed like a different person, no longer concerned with state affairs, spending her days secluded in the depths of the White Radiance Palace, with no one knowing what she was occupied with.
Twenty years ago…
The memory floated to the surface of Darius’s mind. It was the year 1396 of the Standard Calendar. He was still a child, accompanying his mother, Madonna, to the Unfallen Star to visit the Queen, who had been injured in the car accident. It was Darius’s first time setting foot on the capital’s soil. The scenery of the Empire Capital was vastly different from that of his hometown—York γ, a place filled with skyscrapers and space elevators. On the Unfallen Star, no building stood taller than the White Radiance Palace. Most transportation relied on ground vehicles, with lush trees and blooming flowers creating an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity. It was said that Emperor Nasir I had missed his homeland so much that he restored the ancient Earth’s landscape on the Unfallen Star.
Everything was so unfamiliar and new to Darius that he nearly forgot they were there to visit his aunt. It wasn’t until their ground car drove into the Empire Medical University Hospital that Darius remembered the purpose of their trip.
The area around the hospital’s surgical building was heavily guarded, given that the Queen was hospitalized there. Armed guards watched every exit, and the floor where the Queen was staying had guards stationed at every step to prevent any suspicious persons from approaching. Even the Queen’s cousin, Countess Bayes, the Marquess Madonna, had to undergo a search before being allowed through.
Madonna held young Darius’s hand as they followed two guards to the top floor via elevator. Someone was already waiting for them there. Darius saw a tall, handsome man surrounded by a group of attendants, but his expression was one of sorrow.
“Finally, you’re here, Lady Madonna.” The man approached, as if seeing a savior, and briefly embraced the Marquess.
“It’s been a long time, Sorey. You’ve been through a lot recently.”
The man shook his head despondently. “I couldn’t do anything to help. Noya is gravely injured. She won’t let anyone visit her, and she won’t allow the doctors to disclose her condition. She only said she wanted to see you.”
“Why did she summon me to the capital in such haste? What exactly happened?”
“I don’t know, Madonna. Since she was admitted, I haven’t even been able to see her. She… She won’t even let me visit her!”
The Marquess clutched her chest. “Oh, poor Noya, merciful Lord…”
“Go see her, Madonna. She needs you. She’s in so much pain… Please help her… There’s nothing I can do…” The man was on the verge of tears.
Madonna offered him a few words of comfort, and he seemed to regain some composure. Then he finally noticed Darius standing by her side.
“Is this your son?” The man crouched down and patted Darius’s head. “Your name is Darius, right?”
“Yes!” Darius nodded vigorously. “I know, you’re Prince Sorey.”
“Good boy.” Prince Sorey managed a strained smile. He called out to the other end of the hallway, “Annot, come over here and meet your cousin!”
A small figure came running down the corridor. Darius curiously observed the boy who appeared to be around his age. The boy had shiny blond hair and deep violet eyes, as beautiful as the auroras in York γ’s winter.
“Annot, this is your Aunt Madonna’s son, your cousin.”
The boy was slightly shorter than Darius and had to look up to meet his eyes. Darius suddenly felt an urge to pinch the boy’s cheeks, but with his mother and uncle watching, he resisted the impulse. “Hello, I’m Darius.”
“I’m Annot,” the boy replied. He turned and waved to a maid carrying a bundle, who came closer. “This is Alveira, my sister.”
The maid bent down so Darius could see the baby in the bundle. The baby was asleep, with hair that curled on her head, similar to her brother’s light brown locks. Her skin was soft and pink, with the unique sheen of a newborn.
“She’s so tiny…” Darius couldn’t help but marvel.
“She’s only five months old.”
Which meant that Annot had only been a big brother for five months, but he already had the demeanor of an older sibling. He held his head high and puffed out his chest, his face full of pride, as if he were a loyal knight protecting a little princess.
Suddenly, the baby opened her eyes. She let out a small cry, struggling to turn her head to look at the stranger in front of her, and reached out with her tiny hand. Darius noticed that her eyes were also violet. He couldn’t help but grasp the baby’s hand. Her fist is so small, Darius thought. I can cover it with one hand.
The maid patted the baby’s back, trying to soothe her cries. Prince Sorey said, “Felt, take the child to the lounge so she won’t disturb the patients.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” the maid replied, and she carried the little princess back down the corridor. Prince Annot, seemingly having lost interest in his first meeting with his cousin, followed the maid, his mind entirely occupied with his little sister.
Madonna watched them leave with a gentle smile. “Well, Darius, let’s go see the Queen.”
Darius politely bid farewell to Prince Sorey, but the Prince seemed lost in his own thoughts, barely registering the boy’s words.
The Queen’s room was in the center of the floor. Strangely, there were no guards nearby. Darius guessed that this might be to maintain the room’s quietness, or perhaps the Queen had forbidden guards from approaching—after all, she didn’t even want to see her husband.
A doctor wearing glasses and a white coat approached them.
“I’ve been expecting you, Madam, Young Master,” he said, bowing slightly to Madonna and Darius. “I am George Shannon, Her Majesty’s attending physician.”
“Dr. Shannon, how is Noya?” Madonna asked, her concern evident.
Dr. Shannon looked troubled. “To be honest, Madam, Her Majesty is gravely injured. The explosion during the car accident nearly destroyed her entire body. Now, only the part above her chest is intact. We tried to save her heart, but we failed. She can only survive with life support machines now—without them, she wouldn’t…”
“Oh, Lord, poor Noya…” The Marquess looked like she was about to faint. “How could this happen… Why did it have to be this way…”
“Stay strong, Madam.” The doctor supported her trembling body. “Her Majesty specifically requested to see you. She needs your help, and only you can help her now.”
“I’ll do everything I can, of course, but what can I do? I’m not a doctor…”
“You just need to make a decision on Her Majesty’s behalf,” the doctor said, adjusting his glasses and opening the door to the room. “Please, come in, Madam.”
Darius wanted to follow, but Dr. Shannon gently stopped him. “I’m sorry, young master, but only your mother can enter. Her Majesty asked to see her alone.”
“Wait here for a moment, Darius. I’m just going in to talk with your aunt,” Madonna said.
“Okay!” Darius obediently climbed onto the bench in the hallway. Madonna nodded approvingly before entering the room. The doctor followed her in and closed the door.
Darius had never been the type to wait patiently. He immediately jumped down from the bench and ran to the door, pressing his ear against it to listen in.
The room was silent at first, but soon, Darius heard his mother’s voice.
“Oh, Noya, how could this happen…” Madonna sounded like she was crying. “Lord, why would you do this to her? Why are you so cruel…”
Then another voice, weak and feminine, spoke. Darius guessed it was the Queen. “Madonna, you’ve finally come…”
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