Side Story 2. The Most Precious Gift in the World
“A huge tiger had left behind a cub, you see. But the important part starts now.”
“From now on?”
The parlor was filled with the scent of oranges. After a long while, Juri, who visited bearing gifts, gave me some tea. She said making tea would uplift my mood, and it truly did. The fresh scent of the tea filled the parlor, making it feel as if the bright sunlight was almost tangible.
“Yes, thankfully, its life was saved. But there was no way I could leave the tiger cub alone. It looked at me with innocent, not ferocious, eyes. How could I possibly leave? So, I took it in my arms and brought it to Your Majesty.”
“Why bring it to me?”
Juri had not eaten anything and was low on energy, yet she kept poking at a neatly cut dessert with her fork, talking about her dream without eating.
Recently, Juri had taken up hunting as a hobby. It was just catch and release, but she said the thrill of a successful hunt was indescribably joyful.
I’m not particularly fond of active hobbies, especially not hunting, so I was just listening, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Juri, showing a myriad of expressions, talked very seriously, which perhaps made it feel even more intense.
She hunted every weekend and even hunted in her dreams. It was usually just fox hunting, but one time, she went alone and encountered a tiger.
When I reacted nonchalantly to the dream story, she sort of reacted coldly, saying, “Your Majesty, you’ve changed… You used to listen no matter what.”
That made me end up nodding along enthusiastically.
“Well, who knows. It’s just a dream. The tiger was very brave and cute, so I couldn’t just leave it. But when you received the tiger, you immediately said you would take good care of it. You even said you’ve always wanted to raise a tiger.”
What is that…
“It just sounds like… a wild dream…” I muttered quietly while listening to Juri’s dream.
Even in private settings where we could relax, Juri never dropped formalities and glanced at me as if showing pride.
See, what kind of manner is this…
I had recognized it when she talked about going hunting with just a slingshot.
“Anyway, it was a bit strange. It keeps sticking in my memory. By any chance…”
“By any chance?”
“Never mind, Your Majesty. I only speak of what’s certain.”
Then what was that dream story about…?
I had a lot to say, but seeing Juri’s grim expression, I let it go. She had eaten enough dessert and started relaying the news she had brought, glancing out the window she had opened for some air.
“It really seems like spring now. Soon, it will be summer.”
“That’s right.”
“Last year was really tough. Looking back, I wonder how we managed.”
That reminded me of something, and I smiled lightly.
“Just yesterday, it felt like spring would never come… With each passing year, I feel like time flies faster, or maybe the seasons are really changing quickly. Don’t you feel the same, Your Majesty?”
I nodded in agreement.
As Juri said, after a harsh winter, spring had come to the empire. Last winter had been unusually snowy, causing frequent blockages on the roads several times a month. There were periods when it snowed nonstop for a week, and I had instances where I couldn’t return to the imperial palace immediately because of obligations outside and had to wait over an hour in a carriage. No matter how many people were mobilized, there was no escaping the relentless snow from the heavens.
If the capital was like this, the countryside would be worse. Except for the relatively warmer southern and southwestern regions, heavy snowfalls without regional discrimination caused numerous granaries to collapse. Thus, winter, often called a season of rest, turned out to be the toughest and busiest season that year.
The damage was severe even in the lands of Marquis Chartero. Some said the sky must have fallen. Others saw it as an ominous sign.
On the other hand, some were happy about the heavy snow, hoping it foretold a bountiful next year.
It was extremely cold, after all.
It would have been better if the warm weather had melted the snow, but that was not easy either. The cold wind persisted, and the snow that fell froze solid, making it treacherous to walk over.
I remember despising the cold when I was in the north, and because of that, this past winter was the first season when it was hard time to see Valery’s face. Even though Valery hated being apart from me more than anything and insisted we sleep together regardless of how busy we were, there were days we didn’t see each other because of our schedules.
When we met again after a few days, Valery would appear, looking irritable, and after hugging him for a long while, he would leave again. I can still remember the warmth of his breath on my neck, prickly like goosebumps.
But finally, March passed, and the snow began to melt, warming up day by day. After that busy and harsh winter, as Juri said, a warm spring had arrived. Compared to the cold weather, the greenery was spreading faster than in previous years.
With the start of spring, we took a brief rest, then became busy again. After finishing our tea, we dived back into our respective duties. Thus, Juri’s whimsical dream story drifted into oblivion.
* * *
“You have a slight fever.”
I felt unusually heavy this morning and got up slower than usual.
Valery, more attuned to my condition than even I was, touched my forehead and cheek with his large hands.
“It’s just because I’ve just woken up,” I said nonchalantly, saying that I was fine and trying to get up. But before I could fully rise, Valery laid me back down again.
“Stay in bed a little longer.”
“I’m really fine. It’s just a bit of fatigue, and I’ll feel better once I’m fully awake.”
Despite my words, Valery’s face was already plastered with worry. He insisted and covered me with the blanket up to my neck, patting it down as if putting a child to sleep. I couldn’t help but laugh at his actions.
“What’s this…”
“I’m just putting my wife to sleep. If you still don’t feel well after breakfast, take a rest for the day.”
“I’m really okay…”
“You always say you’re fine. I know you better than you know yourself. So listen to me.”
I was really okay… But his usual determination seemed much firmer this time.
I gave up on getting up and watched Valery as he patted me, and then I touched my forehead with my hand to check. I wondered if I really had a fever…
Now that I thought about it, I did feel heavier than usual. I have been moving nonstop lately. Even on weekends, I worked continuously without going out.
Valery’s increasingly doting nature seemed to make me more and more spoiled. I took Valery’s hand, which was by my side, making sure I stayed in bed. Then, I remembered something he had mentioned the night before about needing to do something this morning.
“Okay, I’ll stay in bed. So don’t worry about me and go.”
Valery reluctantly kissed my forehead and got up when I reassured him that I was fine, patting the back of his hand.
“I’ll finish one thing and come right back. Rest well.”
