Side Story 2 This Family’s Afternoon
After much running and walking, Jediel arrived at the Empress’s court. At a table in the gazebo sat Veronia. Veronia’s face lit up as she caught sight of Jediel, who was now approaching.
“Jediel, welcome!”
“Ahh! Are you well today?”
Veronia’s brow tightened as she caught the ragged breath in Jediel’s voice as he bowed politely in greeting.
“Oh, Jediel, I thought I told you you weren’t allowed to run in the palace.”
“I know, but I couldn’t help it, I missed my mum so much!”
Jediel whined, hugging Veronia tightly, looking so cute that Veronia forgot all about her scolding and smiled.
“You weren’t hungry, were you?”
“That’s…”
The way he pouted his lips and stammered was adorable.
“It’s true that… was hungry, but it’s also true that I missed my mum.”
“Yeah, yeah. You thought I was being scolded for missing my Jediel, too.”
Veronia kissed the child lightly on the forehead, and soon the table was filled with food, and the two hats began to eat in a cosy atmosphere.
Jediel had many things he wanted to say. Mostly about the book he had read last night and the class he had attended this morning, and Veronia listened with a smile on her face.
“In World Geography today, we learned about our neighbouring country, the Duchy of Deven.”
“Really? The Principality of Deven… I think I learned about it when I was younger, but I don’t remember it now.”
Veronia lowered her eyes and looked to Jediel for help, and for a moment the child’s face lit up like the sun. As if he had been waiting for this moment.
“The Duchy of Deven isn’t very large in area, but they say it has good farming thanks to its mild climate, so it’s called the granary of the Burlington Continent.”
“I see.”
“We, the Asnerdom Empire, also import grain from the Duchy of Deven, especially…”
Watching Jediel rattle off what he had learnt filled Veronia with a sense of happiness. She also felt fortunate that the child was so much like Killion.
As they chatted, their plates were soon cleared. Jediel’s face showed his disappointment as he put down his fork.
“You have physical training and swordsmanship lessons in the afternoon, right?”
“…Yes, but….”
The child stammered, glancing at Veronia. Veronia, who was wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin, stopped her hand and asked.
“But what?”
“I want to stay with mum longer today.”
For a moment, the corners of Veronia’s mouth curled up gently.
‘Of course. That’s what five-year-olds do.’
Jediel was adapting so well to life at the palace. So well, in fact, that it was almost worrying.
As a grown man, he would fumble and fumble at night. But as a five-year-old, Jediel took his new life in stride without complaint.
So Veronia was grateful for the occasional moments of pampering.
“That’s what mum was thinking too! We’ve got it! So… we’re staying together?”
“Really?”
“Yes, for real.”
The child’s eyes widened, and Veronia nodded her head vigorously.
“Then can I go to the clinic with my mum this afternoon?”
“To the clinic?”
“Yes. I’ll be your assistant, Mum.”
“Wow… I’m impressed, my Jediel is going to help me at the clinic! Okay, let’s go!”
Jediel bounced with excitement.
“You know you can’t run around like that at the clinic, because there are a lot of patients there and you could hurt them.”
“Yes, I know! I’ll be careful, don’t worry, Mum!”
Jediel’s voice was so booming that it made her ears tingle.
***
The Imperial Infirmary, located right next to the imperial palace, was for sick children and pregnant women, and Veronia saw to their care every afternoon.
“Welcome back, Your Majesty!”
“It is an honor to see you, Your Highness.”
“You’ve grown so much since then, Your Highness, you look so much taller and more dignified!”
Everyone in the healing centre welcomed Veronia and Jediel with open arms.
Veronia led Jediel to a table near the doorway, where several gift bags of flower teas and dried fruit were laid out. All were made from flowers and fruit from the Empress’s gardens.
“Your job today is to hand out these gift bags one by one as you greet the patients and their carers as they leave the clinic after their treatment. Can you do a good job?”
“Yes, I can do it!”
Jediel replies cheerfully, just as a young girl and her grandmother are leaving the clinic. Jediel, carrying a gift bag, hurries over to them.
“Get well soon!” He said.
“Oh, thank you.”
The little girl and her grandmother’s faces lit up as they received the gift bags. Veronia was relieved to see Jedidiah going about his duties with such alacrity, unlike the way he’d been running around in the patronage.
Veronia left Jediel in the care of her servants and headed for the healing chamber. It was time to share her goddess’s gift with others.
“Welcome, my dear. What ails our little gentleman?”
“He had an upset stomach a week ago, and no amount of medicine could cure it, so we traveled all the way here.”
The child’s father replied on behalf of the grunting child in pain.
“Well, you’ve been suffering for a week. Why don’t you come here and lie down?”
“Uh… but.”
The child on the bed looked up at Veronia and stiffened.
“Yeah, what’s wrong?”
“Are you sure you’re really the Empress, because you don’t have a crown and you’re not wearing gold.”
Veronia smirked at the innocent question. It was a question she often heard from children visiting the healing centre. They were curious because the Empress herself was said to be here, but there was no one who looked like her.
“I’m just a healer for our little gentleman here. But when I finish, when I return to the palace, I’ll be the Empress. Sometimes I wear a crown and golden robes.”
“Oh, I see.”
The child nodded languidly, as if the question had been answered.
Veronia placed her hand on the sick child’s body. She gently rubbed his stomach, and soon a faint glow emanated from her hand.
Watching the child’s grimacing and grunting face relax a little, Veronia concentrated on her healing.
It had been six years since she had left her old life behind and arrived in the new world.
Despite all the years that had passed, there were still moments when everything seemed unfamiliar.
There were times when she wondered if everything that surrounded her was not for her, but for the original Veronia or her original mistress, Evangelina.
But strangely enough, the moments when she healed patients with her divine powers were not unfamiliar. In a way, it was the most unbelievable fantasy moment, but for Veronia, it was also the most real.
‘It’s a power that was given to me specifically as a possessed, something that the original Veronia didn’t have.’
So when she was treating sick children and pregnant women, it felt like a time when she could be herself, and she always loved them and did her best.
After treating five or six patients, an hour had already passed. Veronia took a break and went to see where Jedidiah was. The doorway was crowded with people coming and going, but Jediel was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is he?”
“Ah? Your Highness was surely here a moment ago, where has he gone?”
For a moment, the servant’s face turned pale with despair. Veronia reassured her with a smile.
“Then I don’t think he’s gone very far, so don’t worry too much, I’m sure I’ll find him if I take a walk for exercise.”
“I’ll look for it with you, Your Majesty.”
“Then I’ll look around the front of the building, and you’ll look around the back.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Veronia watched the servant’s back as he disappeared into the shadows.
She was sure that the child was too sensible to get lost or follow a stranger, but she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry.
‘I wonder if he’s off somewhere talking to a young patient at the clinic, or maybe he’s watching butterflies or ants.’
She pushed her ominous thoughts to the back of her mind as she walked around the building. She saw Jediel squatting on the floor in front of her.
‘As expected.’ She thought.
He seemed to be concentrating on something, losing track of time. Veronia approached him quietly, hoping to startle him, and whispered in his ear.
“Jediel, what are you doing here?”
“Aaah, Mum, no!”
Jediel’s eyes widened in surprise and he jumped to his feet. Tears filled the corners of her eyes. Thinking she had made him cry, Veronia lowered her eyes and apologized.
“I’m sorry, Mum said…”
“Mum’s cat came and dropped her kittens here and left.”
“Huh? Oh… I see.”
Veronia realized that it was a black kitten that Jediel had been looking at.
“I learnt from Mr Onyx that if you see a kitten on the street, you shouldn’t take it away. The kitten mum will come back for it.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“So I’ve been waiting… but no matter how long I wait, the kitten mum hasn’t come back for her kitten. What if she’s abandoned it completely?”
Tears like chicken shit fell from Jediel’s eyes. Veronia’s heart ached for the child.
Veronia examined the kitten closely. The skinny kitten was lying on its back, barely able to keep its eyes open.
“But the kitten looks very ill.”
“Yes, I think so, he can barely breath.”
“Hmm…”
Watching the kitten’s eyes flutter slowly shut, Veronia spoke up cautiously.
“I don’t think Mum’s cat abandoned the kitten.”
“If she didn’t abandon it, will it come back if we keep waiting?”
“No. I don’t think it will come back.”
“…”
What are you talking about? Then you’ve abandoned it! The unspoken words turned to tears and rolled down his chubby cheeks.
