Vivienne was not seriously hurt, but she caught a cold due to the chilly air.
Alaric insisted that I give her the cloak to apologize.
“Vivi says she doesn’t blame you. She doesn’t ask for much, she just likes the fox tail. You shouldn’t have bullied Vivi. After all, without her, there would be no you.”
He said without Vivienne, there would be no me…
It felt like a blow to the head. A wave of humiliation I had never felt before surged through me.
“Does that mean whatever Vivienne likes, I have to give it to her? In your eyes, am I just a substitute for her? When she’s not around, you’re kind to me, but when she returns, you give all your love to her. But don’t forget, the fox tail is mine, it was a gift from my father! It’s not yours, so who are you to tell me what to do!”
www
I threw away all my composure and cried, kicking Alaric and pushing him out of the room.
“Leave! Go! I never want to see you again!”
Alaric forcefully held me, wrapping his arms around
me tightly.
With a frustrated look, he asked, “Does your hand not hurt? What’s all this
It’s not just a fox tail!
nonsense? It’s just a fox tail…”
ww
www.
Alaric, it’s not just a fox tail!
It’s all that’s left of my love and dignity, the love and dignity you’ll never
give
me again.
But now, even that has been torn away by Vivienne.
www
Everything around me suddenly felt unreal, shifting between reality and illusion. I couldn’t tell the difference anymore. Alaric held me tightly as my body slumped. I heard his panicked voice calling my name, Zhou Sera! Sera, wake up…”
As if he still loved me.
When I woke up, Alaric had already left.
He hadn’t taken my cloak, probably because it was ruined, no longer beautiful, and Vivienne had lost interest in it. Doctor was kneeling in front of me, his expression somber. After a long pause, he finally spoke softly: “Your Majesty’s condition is worse than last year. I fear there is little I can do…”
I pressed my hands into my palms, my head in a daze. It took a long while before I could regain my composure.
I asked doctor to rise and pretended to be calm, asking, “How much longer do I have? How long can I live?”
He lowered his head, his eyes full of regret.
“At most a year and a half, but… possibly only three to four months.‘
Oh, so I’m going to die soon.
Everyone must die, I know that.
But I’m still so young. There’s so much I haven’t done yet.
”
My grasslands, my cattle and sheep–I haven’t even had a chance to go back and see them…
Father often said, “Death is nothing to fear.”
But I am a coward. have failed his teachings.
When I heard that my time was short, I could only tremble in fear.
Thid under the blanket, carefully concealing my weakness. I didn’t want to become a pitiful person.
“I have one request. Please don’t tell anyone that I’m dying, alright? You know, so many people are waiting to see me fall…” I whispered.
Chapter 4
R ReelShort
Amasel
35
Chapter 5
I tried to summon the strength to keep up appearances, pretending everything was fine.
But the headaches, chest pains, and nausea became more frequent.
Elara, seeing me deteriorate, tried to cheer me up in front of others, but behind my back, she secretly wiped away her tears.
One evening, she burst in cradling a half–dead kitten. “Save it, my lady! It won’t last the night!”
Great, I’m not dead yet, but she’s already losing her mind.
A little while later, she sneaked into my chambers, her eyes furtive as she looked at me, then pulled out a small sickly cat from her pocket.
“Your Majesty, please save it. It won’t survive unless you help.”
Elara, with tears in her eyes, gazed at me.
I was both angry and amused. I didn’t know if she was being clever or just trying to irritate me.
The sick cat was barely alive. I thought it wouldn’t last long, so I let Elara take care of it, just as long as it didn’t bother me.
The next day, when I woke from a nap, I found the cat’s head buried in my milk bowl, drinking so much it looked like its belly would burst.
I feared it might choke, so I quickly scooped it up in my hands, too scared to move it.
Elara heard the noise and rushed in, exclaiming, “Your Majesty! It’s eating so much, it’s going to explode!”
Before she finished speaking, the cat began to vomit and defecate.
I cried, truly cried.
My hands are ruined.
I thought it was about to die, but instead, it grew more lively every day, stubbornly clinging to life.
It loved to drink from my bowl, and because of the cat, my appetite improved.
Every day, I had to drink quickly or else there wouldn’t be any left.
Elara, seeing me regain my strength, happily made a few yarn balls and let the cat play with me.
Neither of us liked it.
We both preferred climbing trees. Every day, we scampered up to the trees in the yard, scaring away several nests of sparrows.
One day, as I climbed up to about two or three meters, I heard a crowd calling, “Your Majesty, long life!”
Alaric was standing beneath the tree, staring up at my back with a look of bewildered confusion.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Suddenly, a sharp pain struck my chest, and I nearly lost my grip on the tree.
Alaric quickly extended his hand, seemingly ready to catch me.
He nodded at me, saying, “Sera, don’t be afraid. Jump.”
In that moment, I felt like I was back in a time without Vivienne.
Back when he had been so kind to me.
For a brief moment, I softened, closing my eyes and making a bet with myself.
If Alaric could catch me, I would say goodbye properly, so we could part on good terms.
I heard Vivienne crying outside, saying, “Where did this cat come from? It hurts!”
Alaric, who will you choose?
