The Abandoned Empress Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Chapter 96

My father pulled a blanket over . Watching him leaving the room, I fell asleep.

How much ti passed? When I opened my eyes again, I saw Lina standing beside my bed in embarrassnt.

“Lina, give so water.”

“Oh, here it is, my lady.”

When I quenched my thirst with lukewarm water, I felt a bit better.

Holding the empty cup, she said, “My lady, there is sothing for you from the Imperial Palace… ”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Here you go.”

What Lina gave was a small box and a letter. The mont I saw the envelope, I was short of breath. An envelope with golden pearls on a blue background. It was from the crown prince. Breathing hard, I opened the box. I saw the finest lavender leaves inside. The peculiar scent of lavender leaves tickled my nose. Was it because I slled lavender leaves that were known for soothing the nerves? My breathing eased little by little. I took a big breath before opening the envelope.

< I heard that you took sick leave.>

I let out a deep breathing. When I saw the last part of the letter written in sloppy writing, which was unusual, I felt stuffy again.

“Oh, my lady?”

“Huh?” I ca to my senses when she called hesitantly. She was usually hesitant.

“Well… Duke Verita’s son is here.”

“Allendis?”

“Yes, he ca a long ti ago, but he said he just wanted to see your face before leaving…”

“Why didn’t you tell earlier?” I quickly got up, started. Why didn’t she wake up If I had a visitor instead of keeping him waiting?

I hurriedly changed into casual clothes and headed for the reception room.

“Hi, Allen’.”

“It’s been a long ti, Tia.”

“Huh? It’s only been three days since we t last. ”

“Really? By the way, I hear you’re sick. You don’t feel so good? Can’t you take so more rest?”

“Oh, I’m fine now. I got better after rest. ”

Suddenly, I rembered my first eting with him. One day after I had just returned from the past four years ago, I was sitting here like I am now. When I saw his with light green hair, I stood up. ‘At that ti I called Lina and gave him tea.’

Lost in old mories, I asked Lina to bring the sa tea I had served him back then.

“Lina, please bring a cup of rosemary tea. ”

“Yes, my lady.”

Hearing my order, Allendis laughed brightly. Back then, he was only thirteen. Now, he was a seventeen-year-old young man. Her fresh light hair and erald eyes were still the sa as before, but his short hair grew long enough to co down to his chest. The boy with white face now looked more mature.

‘Wow, ti flies!’

So much ti has already passed since the day I started living a new life from the day I ca back as a ten-year-old girl.

“Tia, that sounds like what we talked about when we first t, righ?”

“That’s right. Oh, you also rember it. ”

“Of course. I rember vividly whatever I have seen or heard once. ”

“…That must be hard for you.”

“Huh?”

I laughed bitterly at Allendis, who seed to be puzzled at my response.

mories of one’s past that ca to mind vividly? What if I rembered the mories for the rest of my life, which always tornted before accepting a new reality? I would go mad. I didn’t even want to think about it.

“To rember anything vividly ans that you keep thinking of bad mories or things that you want to forget as if you just experienced it, right? That must be hard for you.”

“Well, you’re right, but it depends on how you think about it.”

“How?”

“Well, you just keep making good mories so much that you don’t recall bad things or what you want to forget.”

Maybe he was right.

When I had just returned from the past, I was troubled by the mories of the past that ca to mind, but as I made new acquaintances and relationships, I recalled fewer things than I did before. But that doesn’t an you’re completely free from that mory. After the day I wrote everything down in the mirror room in my dream, the mories that ca to my mind vividly were fading away little by little, but I could not completely get rid of my painful mories of the past.

“Here you are, my lady.”

“… Oh, just leave it here. ”

I woke up from my idle thoughts as Lina ca in. When I lifted the mug, I suddenly saw a small basket next to Allendis. What is that? I have never seen him carrying sothing like that.

As if he noticed my gaze at that, he put the mug down and said, “Well, I planned to give it to you, but forgot while we were talking about our old mories.”

“Ugh?”

“I went to the village and bought it, thinking about you. Take it. ”

I stood up hastily and received the basket that he gave . What is this?

When I tried to ask him what’s inside, I noticed a bunch of round hair moving. ‘Huh?’

“… a cat?”

“Yes. I heard the cat was born two or three months ago. I was about to pass by the pet shop, but I bought it as it looked like you. The mont I saw it, I thought of you. ”

It was a kitten I saw in the basket. She was very small, with soft, long silver fur. When I touched it curiously, the crouched cat raised her head. When she raised her right foot and wed, rubbing her golden eyes, she was so cute.

“So pretty…”

“Do you like her?”

“Yes. Thank you so much, Allen. ”

The small cat curled up again and fell asleep after yawning. I carefully put the basket down next to and raised my head. I could see his erald eyes warmly looking at .

“Allen, what’s her na?”

“Huh? You have to na her, Tia. ”

“Really? Well, which na would be good? ”

“Think hard about it and let know later. Okay?”

“Sure, Allen.” I nodded, smiling at him brightly. What’s a good na? I wanted to give her a really good na. I thought about it, but couldn’t find one.

While I was thinking hard about her na, I suddenly felt sorry for Allen looking at .

Oh my god! I was neglecting him while I paid attention to the cat! Originally, I planned to go to the village to enjoy the festival with Allen. I got a little better, but I couldn’t go out today.

‘Oh, let try that.’ I suddenly thought we might play a chess ga that we used to enjoy in the past.

“Allen, how about playing chess? We haven’ played in a long ti.”

“Sure, I’d like to. Let see if you are better now, my lady,” he replied with a smile.

When he and I were practicing fencing together, we often played chess together in the parlor on a rainy day when we couldn’t practice. I thought I was above average, but I was defeated every ti I played against him. No matter how hard I practiced it, he used all sorts of extraordinary tactics to beat .

“Checkmate!”

“… ”

“Well, this is my 78th win, Tia.”

“… Hey, don’t rember that. ”

When I retorted bluntly, he grinned at . ‘Dang it! How can you sacrifice a lot of pawns and throw knights as bait, then catch all my pieces with just one bishop? Does it make any sense?’

Why can’t I beat him even once?

“Would you like so advice?”

“Ugh? What is that?”

“Tia, you tend to focus on rooks and knights. Why don’t you try other things such as bishops or your queen? ”

“Oh, I see. Thanks, Allen. Let’s play one more ga.”

“Sure, no problem.”

He then put the knights back. Let try using bishops and queen like he suggested, taking out so rooks and knights.

“Uh, it’s a draw!”

“Yea, you’re right!”

“Wow, I played a draw in our 79th ga!” I exclaid with joy.

“Hey, you told not to count the ga, but you cared about it deep down, right, Tia?”

Despite his teasing, I was happy. When I used knights like he advised, I played a draw for the first ti. Although I didn’t win, it’s an achievent for . While looking at , he stood up with a smile. I stood up, too.

He gently stroked my hair and said, “I have to go. You should rest now. ”

“Okay, Allen. By the way…”

“Ugh? Why, Tia? ”