The distance from the Palace Infirmary to Garnet Palace wasn’t particularly far, but today, it felt farther than anywhere else.
I couldn’t gather my thoughts; my composure as the Crown Princess was nowhere to be found.
I just ran and ran.
As I gasped for breath and stumbled, a solid arm caught me from the side.
“Rohiriel, no matter how urgent it is, you must be careful.”
It was Julion.
He, too, appeared to have rushed here upon hearing the news, breathing heavily.
The Crown Prince’s Palace was even farther from Garnet Palace than the Palace Infirmary.
Judging by the way he ran into me, he was in a hurry, too.
“Thank you.”
After catching my breath for a moment, I tried to run again.
But Julion didn’t let go of me.
“Calm down, Rohiriel.”
“We need to hurry.”
“Then I’ll carry you.”
“What… right here? Imagine how absurd it would look.”
“You’re shaking so badly now. If you keep running, you might trip again.”
“What am I…….”
I wanted to say I’m not a child, and it wasn’t that bad.
But since my body was indeed trembling, I eventually nodded.
“…Alright. I’ll go a little slower.”
Slowing down our pace, Julion’s large hand tightly grasped mine.
As we entered the Garnet Palace, I felt the warmth transmitted through his grip. I took slow, deep breaths.
Step by step up the stairs to where Mother would be upstairs, countless thoughts swirled in my mind.
Would she still not remember anything?
Would she still not feel any emotions?
No, her emotions were slowly returning, but only a little.
She might have forgotten the past, but surely she wouldn’t forget the time she spent with me recently.
Hope and despair, and hope again, crossed over dozens of times.
‘No, just opening her eyes like this….’
Is that really enough…?
Am I truly satisfied?
As I pondered, I found myself at the door of the room where Mother was.
I steadied myself and turned the doorknob.
With a soft click, Julion pushed forcefully from behind.
The scent of Yukarif flowers that I had left behind filled the air.
And then, bathed in the glowing light of the sunset, I saw her aquamarine-like eyes slowly blinking.
Two slightly widened blue eyes, seeming somewhat surprised by my sudden appearance.
Strands of water-like-colored hair sway with their heads’ movements.
At that moment, I realized all my previous thoughts had been futile.
‘…I can never be satisfied.’
My arrogance led me to believe that I could find satisfaction simply by opening her eyes.
If she can’t remember, then I will make her remember.
I will somehow recover everything.
I’ve sewn the first stitch, so I’ll check my progress, keep trying, and eventually…!
My whole body tensed up.
I clenched my fists and tried to figure out how to introduce myself.
“Rotty…?”
Mother’s head tilted slightly, and a soft voice flowed out.
The warm voice I had missed so much. A voice as gentle yet firm as ever.
…As if to say, stop these unnecessary thoughts firmly.
“No, no…no.”
With that, my thought process halted.
I took the first step shakily, the second impatiently, the third urgently, and ran to my mother.
The scent of Yukarif, intertwined with the smell I could never forget, filled my nostrils.
Soon, arms gently embraced my shoulders.
My eyes grew warm.
My throat choked, and my nose tingled.
I wanted to call her mom, but no words came out.
“Oh dear…”
My mother gently patted my back and brushed my hair. I hugged her tighter, as if she would disappear at any moment.
Mother smiled softly, as if resigned, and continued to gently pat my back.
“Stop crying. I haven’t seen you in so long; I want to see your face properly.”
Only then did I realize I was crying. I saw the deep blue eyes looking down at me through my heavily blurred vision.
Eyes that looked just like mine, but a little darker and deeper.
Inside them, there was nothing but me, fully reflected.
I was so happy and overwhelmed.
“I told you not to cry, but you’re crying even harder.”
I sobbed for a long time.
Just like that, pouring everything out.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“Blood tests.”
“Normal, though she’s very malnourished.”
“Cognitive tests.”
“That’s normal, too. No major problems.”
“And poison reaction tests?”
“Yep. It’s clean.”
“Then…….”
After I calmed down, I immediately underwent dozens of tests.
Hemion came back with positive reports as soon as the results were in.
Everything was within normal ranges, but I still felt anxious and restless.
“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”
Hemion inquired worriedly as I paced around the lab, lost in thought.
I stopped abruptly and stared at the test results in my hand.
“There’s nothing abnormal.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“But Mother clearly wasn’t normal. There should be something wrong.”
“So… the fact that there’s nothing wrong is what’s strange.”
Hemion’s expression turned serious, too.
“We should redo the blood tests, using a different method this time.”
“Yes, and I’ll proceed with the other tests!”
I left Hemion and walked out of the lab, clenching my fist.
As the cool air touched my skin, I felt the heat that had been overwhelming my body calm down a bit.
I still felt a bit groggy, unsure if this situation was a dream or a reality.
“Your Highness, are you going to the Garnet Palace?”
Zenid, who had just gone on an errand, returned.
The corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose were red.
“Yes, I’m going to re-examine the blood.”
With that, we hurried back towards Garnet Palace.
Standing in front of the door where my mother was, my heart sank heavily once again.
I wondered if this was all a dream, and when I opened the door, she would be asleep like yesterday.
I chuckled at the absurd thought, yet my fingertips trembled nonetheless.
“I’ll open the door, Your Highness.”
Thankfully, Zenid quickly opened the door.
I saw my mother’s face, sitting and smiling, along with the scent of Yukarif.
With a sense of relief washing over me, I entered the room.
“So, have the results come out?”
The Empress asked with a voice tinged with laughter.
The teacup had already been emptied and refilled several times, but the Empress had not yet returned to the Tishrit Palace and was still at my mother’s side.
My mother looked at me and smiled softly, her eyes shining.
“You left so suddenly when I told you to take a break. I’m a little disappointed.”
“It’s an urgent matter. How could I postpone it?”
“It’s alright. Mom is completely fine now.”
Mother grinned widely, raising both arms and gesturing playfully.
Beside her, the Empress, who had been sitting, spoke with a sigh.
“Hmm, it’s so frustrating. How come Shana hasn’t aged at all while I’ve developed a whole bunch of wrinkles like this?”
“Oh my, Psirias is still so youthful, too, isn’t she?”
“It’s makeup.”
“Really? You’ve gotten so much better at makeup; you used to be so bad at it.”
“Ahem. Anyway, Princess, how did the results turn out?”
There seemed to be more between the Empress and my mother than I expected. I thought I would ask about it later and sat down next to my mother.
“Everything came out normal…For now.”
“For now?”
“It’s weird that they’re normal. I think we should run more tests.”
“I see.”
The Empress erased the faint smile from earlier and furrowed her eyebrows.
I retrieved the prepared blood collection tools and took Mother’s arm.
“I’m going to draw blood again.”
“Sure, but the results will be the same.”
“You died and came back so many times. It can’t be that simple to be completely better.”
“Rotty, Mom is…”
Mother’s blue eyes met mine, shimmering with moisture. It was like ripples on a calm yet transparent lake surface.
Deep within that lake were feelings of pity, vulnerability, and love directed at me.
“I will never leave your side now, so rest assured.”
“…Of course.”
I swallowed hard again, cleared my throat, and rolled up my mother’s sleeve.
“Of course, it has to be this way. Even if you don’t, I’ll make sure you do.”
“You’ve become quite sturdy since I last saw you.”
“I’ve also progressed a lot.”
“It seems so. You destroyed all the potions I made for Duke Cassian, didn’t you?”
“Do you remember everything from that time?”
“Well, not perfectly. It’s hazy, like fog.”
So, her memories of her time in Teveroca were hazy.
If that was the case, then why was my mother so well?
Is there something I’m missing?
I pushed away the recurring negative thoughts and felt Mother’s forearm with my fingers.
I was looking for a good vein to draw blood from.
“You’re really skilled, my daughter.”
“…I might even do better than you now, Mom.”
My mother let out a soft, chuckling laugh at my somewhat sulky response.
After finding a suitable vein and disinfecting the skin, I inserted the needle.
The Empress, who had been watching nearby, suddenly turned her head and let out a small groan.
“Psirias, you’re scared of this even at your age.”
“Don’t tease me, Shana.”
As I pulled the piston, dark red blood filled the syringe.
After drawing an appropriate amount, I removed the syringe and pressed firmly on the puncture site with cotton.
“Keep pressure on it, Mom, to stop the bleeding.”
I quickly got up from my seat, intending to proceed with further tests.
However, Mother’s solemn voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Rotty, there’s something I have to tell you about my illness.”
