Chapter 399: To Elizabeth (7.5k)
In the past few days, the maids working in the vast Golden Palace have suffered greatly.
Since being chosen to work in the Golden Palace by Elizabeth, their days have never been easy. This empress, known for her decisiveness, is quite harsh with her subordinates in both life and work. Those who serve her closely have always endured tremendous pressure, never having a moment to catch their breath.
Now that Empress Elizabeth has fallen ill and is bedridden, their workload has not diminished; instead, it has become even more intense.
The news of the empress’s illness has not reached the people of Nali, yet for some reason, it has spread amongst the New Party, the Griffin Party, and the ministers she appointed. In the past few days, several ministers have submitted inquiries to test Elizabeth’s current condition, but all responses have been relayed by the maids in the form of dictated messages from the bedridden empress.
Perhaps it is due to the handwriting and efficiency, or perhaps the unprecedented bloody purging of Sorceress Research Society members that followed, leading those below to sniff out opportunities amidst such clues, they have begun to stir restlessly.
It is still snowing in Nali today, and the heat magic in the warm rooms of the Golden Palace operates day and night. The maids taking turns serving come and go, all for the moment when they tend to the pale Empress Elizabeth, who is dressed in golden-white pajamas.
At this moment, two maids are sitting by her bedside, reading letters and opinions from the ministers to her, while the weakened Elizabeth musters her spirits to dictate responses:
“Reply to Ruibak. Since he has decided to continue serving as the Minister of Finance, then he should start to implement reforms—measured, cough, he must be careful not to offend everyone. Areas to consider focusing on could be those I mentioned before.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The maid below is intently transcribing Elizabeth’s words when two other maids enter the room, carrying two plates of steaming food.
“Your Majesty, it’s time for lunch.”
“… Just set it down. I have no appetite right now.”
“You didn’t eat anything yesterday, Your Majesty.”
The pale-faced Elizabeth leans against the headboard and exhales a couple of times. For the past few days, she has felt somewhat dazed. Ever since she heard the bad news about Fisher and fainted, she has had to devote all her scant energy to work, not even daring to sleep. Because as soon as she relaxes, the fact that Fisher is gone comes back to her like an unshakeable nightmare.
Her tears have nearly dried up. Several times in the middle of the night, she has dreamt that Fisher returned, but upon waking, the emptiness around her reminds her of the cruelty of reality. This sense of disparity has made Elizabeth feel utterly hopeless, as if it is draining her completely, making it difficult to face.
But she still has such a vast country before her, and her younger brother and sister are still young; Isabel is still overseas. If she lets go and neglects her duties, the country she fought so hard to attain, her ideals, will all vanish into nothingness. That is certainly not what Fisher would want to see.
“Wuwuwuwu.”
Dizzily, she covers her face, unsure if it is panting or sobbing, letting out a slight, fragile whimper. But after a long time, only her hoarse voice and trembling shoulders convey her current emotions. All the maids present lower their heads sadly, some empathizing and reluctant to speak.
Heaven has bestowed upon humanity the ability to empathize, granting them splendid imagination and unparalleled solidarity.
During the time spent accompanying Elizabeth day and night, these close maids certainly understand what Fisher, who has always been placed on her desk, signifies to this empress. The feeling of losing him forever must be heart-wrenching, and that is one of the few things Elizabeth truly cares about. How could it not leave her in despair?
After a long time, Elizabeth’s raspy voice finally emerges from her disheveled golden hair, prompting the maids below to show some signs of joy,
“… Bring me lunch.”
“Certainly, Your Majesty, please enjoy.”
Just as that maid is about to step forward, another maid, looking anxious, hurriedly enters, attracting everyone’s attention. The maid who was about to serve the food shoots a reproachful glare at this clumsy intruder, fearing that the empress might lose her precious appetite again due to this sudden interruption.
The intruding maid is panting, seemingly having run a long way,
“Um, Your Majesty, the councilman Trandal from the western district requests an audience with you.”
Elizabeth’s golden hair falls forward; her brain, which has not replenished energy for a long time, struggles to function, and she takes a while to recall who this person is. It is the maid next to her, who is transcribing her words, the one Elizabeth trusts most, who speaks up,
“Your Majesty, this councilman is a New Party member who is neither high nor low in status; he is simply a frivolous playboy. However, there is one thing—he had a good relationship with Fisher during his time at the Royal Academy. It is said they rented a room together back then.”
Elizabeth’s golden eye twitches slightly. She sneers and says,
“If he wanted to leverage his connection with Fisher, he should have come sooner. What does he want now? If he dares to use Fisher to make demands of me, I’ll twist his head off and feed it to my dogs.”
The maid hearing Elizabeth’s murderous words immediately raised her hands but, still panting, the words she intended to say choked in her throat, causing her to cough.
“Cough, cough! No, Your Majesty, he’s not here to make demands… He said he has news about Fisher and wants to take you to a place to tell you.”
Upon hearing this, Elizabeth, leaning against the headboard, feels her entire body stiffen as her joints slowly shift, tilting her head up to look at the maid delivering the message with her glowing golden eyes, which now gleam with a strong sense of pressure,
“He said… what?”
“Your carriage! Your carriage!”
The winter in Nali is blanketed in snow, and the tightly shut Golden Palace unexpectedly opens its grand doors today. Several fine white horses pull a golden carriage gently out of the palace. In present-day Nali, only one person can ride such a carriage, and that is the esteemed empress.
The signal of the empress going out is exceedingly obvious, causing many spies sent by the ministers to keep watch at the Golden Palace entrance to change their expressions dramatically. They turn to report back to their superiors, believing that soon, news of the empress’s grave illness will be completely dispelled, but that can only happen after Elizabeth reappears before her ministers.
At this moment, Trandal, wearing a heavy black coat in front of the Golden Palace, still styles his golden slicked-back hair. Since Fisher left Nali, his complexion seems to have improved significantly, no longer looking as haggard as before. With the Pink Pavilion being raided and closed, he likely no longer has the chance to rescue those unfortunate ladies.
He waits outside on horseback. Upon seeing the golden carriage pulled by white horses slowly make its way out, his expression changes instantly; he eagerly pulls his horse to the side of the road, waiting for the carriage to stop beside him so he can respectfully dismount to bow,
“Your Majesty.”
Just as he made his move, the curtain of the carriage doesn’t open. Instead, an extremely indifferent female voice comes from inside,
“Take me directly to the destination you mentioned. If I find out you’re deceiving me, heads will roll tonight.”
Trandal’s forehead breaks into a cold sweat. It seems this empress has not mentioned what kind of reward might lie ahead if it turns out to be true. Nevertheless, if it’s false, he imagines he’ll be reunited with his already deceased ancestors tonight, which prompts him to awkwardly point to the distant road, saying:
“I wouldn’t dare, Your Majesty! I genuinely received news about Fisher. The place we are going to is not far from the city. I will take you there. Move out!”
Having said that, Trandal spurs his horse and leaves, heading in a certain direction within the city.
The news of the empress’s outing already spread as the carriage came out. Although the Golden Palace did not prepare to block the roads with urgency, many pedestrians and vehicles on the road automatically parted ways upon sighting the golden carriage. Therefore, the journey was not long. Elizabeth had a bit of food in the carriage, though it is uncertain whether it was the food or the now undecided information about Fisher that provided her with some spirits.
“Your Majesty, we’ve arrived.”
Before long, the carriage gradually came to a halt, and Trandal’s voice came from outside. Elizabeth straightened her clothes, donned a black veiled hat to cover her currently somewhat sickly appearance.
She declined the assistance of the maid next to her and got out of the carriage in a full set of black fur clothing. The golden knights following closely behind her surrounded the area tightly. As she turned to look, she was met with a three-story little house that appeared quite ordinary in the city of Nali. However, it might be a bit special because its owner is a senior lady named Martha, and the only tenant here was none other than Fisher Benavides.
“Fisher’s house… What are we doing here?”
Long ago, after Fisher fled Nali and Elizabeth searched fruitlessly, she ordered people to come here and take almost all of Fisher’s belongings to the Golden Palace. It turned out she didn’t discover anything, treating it as part of her collection to place in her bedroom in remembrance. Now, Trandal has brought her here again.
Trandal respectfully bends down, and seeing the golden knight behind her smile awkwardly, he says,
“Your Majesty, just follow me.”
Elizabeth remained silent; however, the golden knight behind her stepped forward, preparing to draw his sword, causing Trandal to sit abruptly in the snow, scared.
“Don’t, don’t, don’t kill me! This really is the place. I’m not deceiving Your Majesty!”
Seeing this, Elizabeth raised her hand, signaling the knight behind her to stop. She took a glance at the little house before her. Perhaps due to missing Fisher too much, she suddenly wished to see the place he once lived.
“Alright, lead the way. You only need to take me with a maid and a knight. The rest should wait downstairs.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing Elizabeth’s permission, Trandal quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and got up from the ground. Only then did he begin to admire Fisher, who managed to maneuver around Elizabeth for so many years— that’s not something just anyone could do.
“This way, Your Majesty.”
He knocked on the door, and after a long wait, it slowly opened, revealing the careful elderly woman inside. Who could be other than Lady Martha?
But since Fisher left, her dyed black hair seems to have turned completely white. Seeing the scene outside the door, she trembles in fear but, out of reflex, performs a salute to the figure entirely cloaked in black, Elizabeth.
“Ah, Your Majesty, how come you…”
“Martha.”
Unexpectedly, Elizabeth returns a salute, causing Lady Martha to become even more uneasy. She worries about Fisher being found or perhaps that they might mean to harm her. She seems to have heard that Fisher is currently being hunted by the Golden Palace, a piece of news that has kept her awake for several nights.
Fortunately, Trandal has often visited Martha since Fisher’s departure, taking care of her and preventing her from falling apart.
“Lady Martha, Her Majesty wishes to see the room where Fisher stayed before. You haven’t placed anything new in there, have you?”
“Nothing! Absolutely nothing. I’m still waiting for the day when Fisher can come back.”
As she spoke, Lady Martha realized she had spoken too much, quickly covering her mouth and ceasing to say anything more, but fortunately, Elizabeth still did not show any response.
“That’s good, that’s good. Your Majesty, please follow me. I will take you to Fisher’s previous room.”
Trandal went in first, while Elizabeth did not move. Instead, it was the knight who had drawn his sword earlier who stepped inside first. Elizabeth then followed closely behind, bringing a maid upstairs.
Trandal opened the room in advance but didn’t go in. Just as the knight was about to enter to search, he was stopped by Elizabeth. Her golden eyes swept over Trandal, and then she entered Fisher’s previous living quarters.
The furnishings in here have remained unchanged, preserved to resemble the way Fisher lived before by the meticulous Lady Martha. The room’s simple decor reflects Fisher’s personality; he has never spent excessively on his own life. Probably the most valuable items in this entire room are the magic materials left unused by the window and the books on the bookshelf.
Elizabeth absentmindedly scanned every inch of this small room until her gaze fell on the table placed by the window, where he usually worked and researched. She could even envision how he would write here.
If it were summer, the window would definitely be open; he liked to have fresh air while studying, particularly enjoying the sounds of bustling traffic and people’s conversations outside. Of course, rainy days were best, for he loved the smell of fresh air afterward and liked to listen to the symphony of raindrops hitting bricks. If it were winter, he would close the window, occasionally writing on the condensation that formed on the glass, observing the pristine white snow and the glowing lights of countless homes outside.
Because those were all habits of his that Elizabeth had memorized while she was by his side. When he was in deep thought or research, he would use a cigarette, but this habit disappeared when she was around, as every time she saw him do that, she would subtly cough, prompting him to recognize the cue and pause, merely kneading his hands instead.
She seems to remember everything as if those days before parting happened just yesterday, never far away.
“Your Majesty, please check behind that desk carefully. Pull it out a little.”
Trandal’s voice came again from outside, with no one else inside besides Elizabeth.
Hearing this, Elizabeth went to the side of the desk, refusing the knight’s offer to help. The golden color in her eyes flickered as she single-handedly pulled the heavy desk back a distance.
Following Trandal’s advice, she looked into the tiny space between the desk and the wall, but saw nothing.
Just as Elizabeth thought Trandal was playing tricks on her, she suddenly felt a very faint magical fluctuation within that space.
Her brows furrowed; she reached in to confirm several times before confirming there was indeed a low-level spatial magic behind the desk.
After studying it for a while, she ultimately determined that it seemed to be a nested spatial magic.
The outer layer was a low-level, almost negligible spatial magic; within that spatial magic lay the actual high-level magic, which had its magical fluctuations concealed due to being hidden within the outer layer.
From this intricately clever design, one could simply glimpse Fisher’s astonishing magical talent, while this little ruse seemed to have easily fooled those Elizabeth sent to search the room, even though she previously sent a magician to eliminate the possibility of hidden magical compartments. The only things discovered then were a strange mask relic and a map of the Cardu Sorceress Tower.
So, what exactly is hidden within this high-level magic that Fisher has concealed so deeply?
Elizabeth stretched out her hand to touch the outer layer of magic, and the hidden high-level magic transferred waves of energy. Inside, there was also a high-level space magic that was engraved on a pen hidden within the previous layer of spatial magic.
Holding that pen, Elizabeth retreated and sat on the side bed. She took a deep breath and slowly activated the magic on the pen.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz.”
To Elizabeth’s surprise, when the space magic on that pen was activated, it did not reveal any extremely precious treasures or relics. Instead, two neatly organized stacks of envelopes emerged.
As soon as Elizabeth laid eyes on the envelopes, her pupils instinctively constricted slightly, as if she had seen something shockingly unbelievable.
Before her were two piles of envelopes; the left pile was made entirely of golden letter paper, with traces of crimson wax seals that had been broken. Such a precious way of sending letters is clearly not Fisher’s style; those were the letters she had once sent him.
Elizabeth’s fingers trembled slightly as she picked up the thick stack of envelopes, with the last letter wishing him a happy birthday still standing out remarkably, followed by the rest in order:
“Happy Birthday,” “Spring Greetings,” “Winter Greetings,” “Autumn Greetings,” “Godlin Festival Greetings.”
“Happy Birthday,” “I have returned safely to Nali,” “Everything is well,” “Invitation to a gathering,” “Invitation to a tea party.”
“Happy Birthday, Fisher,” “I have been assigned duties by my father; I will leave Nali soon. Can I have one last chance to see you and provide an explanation?”
“Fisher, don’t ignore me,” “I’m waiting for you in the library. You must come,” “Please let me explain, Fisher, I beg you.”
“Happy Birthday, Fisher!” “I heard there’s a mechanical exhibition this weekend. How about we go together?” “I bought two dresses, one is floral, the other pure white; which one do you think is better?” “Congratulations on being the champion of the Griffin race! The promise I made to you still stands~” “Formal invitation to my eighteenth birthday.”
“Hello, I am Elizabeth Godlin from the Military Institute. I would like to discuss some academic matters with you. Please reply upon receiving this,” “Regarding the borrowing of cards in the library, I have special permission from the headmaster. Feel free to use it if you don’t mind,” “I heard you are interested in magic; I happen to have a tea party with Headmaster Heilson this weekend; if you don’t mind, you can come for tea,” “Sorry to have only just realized that last week was your birthday; I hope you don’t mind my late blessings.”
Elizabeth stared blankly at those well-preserved golden envelopes. From their initial meeting until now, every letter she had sent to Fisher was here, hidden within the magic in the room, no longer to be discovered by anyone. It is precisely the things on these letters that contain proof of all their once-shared love.
In addition to this stack of golden envelopes, there was another set of much simpler white envelopes. Elizabeth’s eyes turned slightly pink as she eagerly picked up those letters, recognizing at first glance that those white envelopes were used by Fisher.
However, the letters he sent to herself had all been kept in the Golden Palace. What, then, are these letters doing here?
“To Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess, I am very surprised to receive your letter. I’m aware of the academic issues you mentioned, and I see no reason to doubt your original questions, therefore…”
The subsequent words were misspelled, as it seemed Fisher had only discovered this upon later review and then scrapped all remaining content.
This was a response to the letter she had once written to seek to know him. The academic issue was just a pretext; ultimately, Fisher truly researched materials from the Military Institute and meticulously provided a response.
When Elizabeth received the reply initially, it was an impeccably crafted letter with meticulously formal wording, leaving no room for criticism. But here, Elizabeth saw several “garbage letters.”
“To Elizabeth, I have received the permission card you sent me. Thank you very much for your generosity. I hope to meet you in the library this weekend.”
This time, there were no misspellings; but perhaps that big boy thought it was too direct and embarrassing to say he hoped to see Elizabeth in the library, so he scrapped this letter instead.
Hmm, the letter she had received back then had not included this line. It turns out he wanted to see her back then; what a pity—if he had written it like this, they would have been together for several more months!
“To my dear Elizabeth, I think the white dress looks better. From an aesthetic viewpoint, floral dresses are more colorful, but you are already beautiful enough without needing clothing to enhance your charm. A simple white color is the most appropriate. Historically, Cardu reveres the abstinent black.”
This letter was written too formally; although they were already confirmed as in a romantic relationship, maintaining such rigor would make him appear less romantic, right? It seems Fisher was well aware of this issue, so he scrapped this letter too. Overall, by the time Elizabeth received it, his response had notably softened. He said,
“I apologize, I feel that no matter what you wear, you look perfect due to your beauty. If I must compare which one is better, please wear it to school next week, and let me see with my own eyes.”
Elizabeth clenched the various versions of the letters Fisher had finally confirmed and sent. In a moment, her nose tinged, and she could hardly contain her tears as she lowered her head.
The knight outside awkwardly retreated downstairs, leaving only the maid quietly watching at the door. Outside, Trandal was unaware of what had transpired inside but vaguely heard the sound of suppressing sobs.
The subsequent letters were few, as after her eighteenth birthday, they parted ways. Fisher no longer revised his letters as meticulously as before, carefully ensuring they were perfect before sending them out.
Yet even then, there are still a few such “scrap letters”, and they date back less than half a year ago.
“To Elizabeth, I have received your birthday blessings; thank you for your letter. I’m sorry that I no longer refer to you as ‘Your Highness’—I’m not sure if that pleases or displeases you, but nonetheless, I have not addressed your name this way for a long time. Writing it down on paper feels like a long-lost reunion.”
“Since we parted ways, I’ve traveled to Shivali, Cardu, and recently down to the Southern Continent. I’ve experienced many things, somewhat grown and changed, and developed some new perspectives on certain matters. Especially regarding my past departure, I now suddenly realize how immature and unwise my leaving was. If at that time I could…”
He wrote here, but then there were huge blocks of revisions, despite being twenty-eight years old and having separated for so long, it seemed he still hesitated just like her.
This very recent letter ultimately also remained unsent, leaving the letters on Elizabeth’s desk still as courteous and lifeless as they were after their parting.
However, at the end of this letter, which was never sent and had vast portions crossed out, only one line had not been obscured by Fisher:
“Regardless, in any case, let us meet again.”
The paper was gradually crumpled. Looking at such handwriting, Elizabeth only now realized that six months prior, before she had thrust their relationship into chaos, they had once come so close and held such beautiful possibilities.
But now…
“Trandal… Who told you the location of these letters?”
“That…”
The maid at the door, seeing Elizabeth ask someone outside, finally stepped aside, allowing the somewhat sheepish Trandal to walk out.
“It was Fisher.”
Elizabeth froze momentarily, turning her head in disbelief, muttering,
“What… what did you say?”
“I-I’m not joking! It was the message he sent. This guy hid the love letters between you and him so deeply that God knows there’s a record of your romance here besides him… No, I mean, Your Majesty, it was Fisher who sent me here.”
“He’s alive! Where is he? Why… why hasn’t he come to see me? What happened after he conflicted with the Sorceress Research Society that night?”
“I don’t know! He didn’t say, and I also don’t know what happened before.”
Inside the room, Elizabeth’s golden eyes looked at Trandal, who raised his hands in surrender. After confirming that he wasn’t lying, she sat back down on the bed, staring blankly for a long time without speaking.
“But, Your Majesty… He had his reasons for asking me to show you these letters. He seems to be facing some difficulties now that you can’t help with.”
“He just said he hasn’t forgotten his promise with you and that he will return to Nali one day.”
Elizabeth gradually lifted her head. In that extended, all-day-lasting fear and anxiety, through Trandal’s words, she seemed to finally await the response from the person she had been yearning for day and night.
Fisher, just as he wrote in that unwritten letter, directly spoke to her,
“Regardless, in any case, let us meet again.”
Please support by voting, tipping, and showing encouragement. It is very important to me!
Thank you immensely for your support!
(End of this chapter)
