Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Interlude 7 (Part Two)

“Madonna, you’ve finally come…”

“I’m here, Noya.”

“I’m in so much pain, Madonna… I’m suffering… It’s worse than death…”

The Marquess said, “Doctor, do something! How can you let her suffer like this?”

“That is precisely why I’ve asked you to come,” Dr. Shannon replied. “Relieving Her Majesty’s pain is actually quite simple. Given her current condition, euthanasia would…”

“Silence!” Madonna shouted, her voice sharp. “How dare you speak such nonsense! Is this the advice a doctor and loyal subject should give? You’re suggesting murder against Her Majesty!”

“I’m merely speaking the truth, Madam. You’ve seen for yourself—rather than letting Her Majesty live in agony, it would be kinder to let her pass away peacefully.” He paused. “But there is another option.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been working at the Empire Academy of Sciences, specializing in neurology and artificial body research. As you may know, the Academy has been focusing on these areas for years. After Her Majesty’s accident, the Academy immediately assembled a team of experts to treat her injuries. However, Her Majesty’s injuries are so severe that traditional methods are inadequate. She can only survive with the help of machines. Therefore, the expert team proposed a solution: to create an artificial body for Her Majesty and transfer her brain into it…”

“What!” Madonna exclaimed in shock. “This… This method…”

“This is one of the Academy’s research achievements. It has been tested repeatedly and is reliable.”

“That’s not what I meant! If you do this, it would mean… only her brain would survive?”

“Exactly, Madam.”

“Only the brain survives—is that even considered being alive?” The Marquess’s voice was filled with anger. “Would she still be human?”

“Human thoughts and emotions are governed by the brain, Madam. For those of us in research, the brain is everything. When ordinary people lose limbs, they can be fitted with prosthetics. When organs fail, they can be replaced with artificial ones. This is progress in science, and no one disputes it. Her Majesty’s situation is similar, except that more of her body would be replaced.”

“A bit more? It’s far too much! I’ve heard about the work at your Academy, your secret research… It’s not just about saving lives, is it? You want to create human weapons, don’t you?”

“Although the research’s purpose is for war, its outcomes can indeed save lives. Nuclear energy can benefit humanity, but it can also be used to make atomic bombs that destroy humanity. Every technology has two sides, Madam.”

“But… this is practically heretical!”

“Right now, only what you call ‘heresy’ can save Her Majesty. It’s either death or a different form of life… Or would you prefer to see Her Majesty continue to suffer as she is now?”

“Enough!”

But the doctor didn’t stop and continued, “I understand this is a difficult decision, Madam. Her Majesty cannot make it herself and has sought the help of the one person she trusts the most—you. With just one word, you can decide Her Majesty’s fate. That’s why she summoned you all the way to the capital.”

“I… How can I make such a decision for Noya? This should be decided together… with Sorey, Winnet, and the other ministers… How can I…”

The weak voice of the Queen spoke again. “I’m sorry… Madonna… I’m a coward… I’m too scared… I don’t have the courage to decide my own life or death… I don’t have… the courage to live… or to die… I’m sorry, Madonna… But I trust only you… We grew up together… closer than sisters… Please, Madonna… make the decision for me… end this suffering…”

“I… I can’t…”

“You’ve always been so brave… Madonna… I trust your decision… Whether it’s death… or a different way to live… I won’t blame you…”

The room fell silent for a while, and Darius heard a woman softly sobbing, unsure if it was his mother or Her Majesty.

“Doctor, what does the expert team at the Academy recommend?”

“We naturally recommend that Her Majesty continue to live—not just out of pride in our research, but also because of the current situation in the Empire… Ah, it’s not my place to speak of this, but it’s for your consideration, Madam.”

“I understand, I understand. Noya’s children are still so young. If she dies, a regent will have to be chosen to lead the government until Annot comes of age. Sorey is gentle, but he’s not suited to be a regent… The remaining heirs might fight fiercely for the position, possibly even usurping the throne…”

“Your concerns are shared by Her Majesty, Madam.”

“But… even so, I cannot… A person with only a brain left, can they still be considered human?”

“As long as the brain survives, thoughts can continue. As long as there is thought, humanity exists. ‘I think, therefore I am,’ isn’t that what a scientist and philosopher from Old Earth once said?”

“But that would be mere existence…” Darius heard his mother sigh deeply. “Noya, do you really want to place this decision in my hands?”

“Please… Madonna…”

“Then, Doctor, proceed with the method you mentioned.”

“As you wish, Madam,” Dr. Shannon replied.

The two then began discussing in low voices, using complex terms that a child couldn’t understand. Darius returned to the bench, pretending to be the well-behaved child who hadn’t been eavesdropping. The door to the room opened, and Madonna and the doctor emerged one after the other.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Darius,” his mother said with a slightly strained smile.

“Can I visit Her Majesty, Mom?” Darius asked with feigned innocence.

“No, dear. Her Majesty needs to rest. We can visit her after she recovers and bring her flowers and fruit.”

“When will Her Majesty recover?”

“Soon, dear,” Madonna replied with a sad smile. “She’ll recover very soon.”

Dr. Shannon quietly closed the door. Although his movements were swift, Darius caught a glimpse of the scene inside the room in that brief moment—the room was filled with complex machinery, and on the pristine white bed lay a person, but the bed was sunken where the body should have been. Her body below the chest was gone, replaced by countless tubes and cables extending from the machinery, connecting to the remaining part of her body, like a tangled web trapping a butterfly with missing wings.

Darius quickly averted his gaze. The sight was so strange and horrifying that he never wanted to recall it again. That’s Her Majesty the Queen, Darius thought to himself.

“Admiral! The fleet is about to land at the Empire Starport!”

The voice of his adjutant abruptly pulled Darius out of his reverie. He opened his eyes and saw that the Unfallen Star was now within reach. This was the place where he had lived for over a decade, his second home. Yet, for the first time in his life, he found the prospect of stepping onto this planet so painful and difficult. If he could, he would have turned back to York γ, never to enter the Unfallen Star’s atmosphere again—perhaps then, none of this would have happened.

“Admiral? Sir? Commander?” The adjutant, noticing Darius’s lack of response, repeated his words, “Please give the order!”

“…Proceed with the landing,” Darius said. “Inform the entire ship: we’ve returned.”

The cheers of the crew drowned out the broadcast announcement, but Darius felt no joy. Her Majesty was right, he thought. Making a decision truly requires immense courage.

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