Episode 24
I was still lost in the lingering emotion, blankly waving a hand toward my mother.
Goodbye, Mom.
You’re the best.
“Harzen, you brought her here?”
“Didn’t you say Cici should meet your mother at least once?”
“I did, but that was just an offhand remark…”
At Father’s words, Mother laughed a little sheepishly.
Only then did I finally piece together how this came about, and I nodded to myself.
Ah, so that’s it.
In the end, Father couldn’t ignore what Mother had said.
So he’s just… a regular, doting husband after all.
“Cici, come here.”
Mother reached an arm out toward me.
I slipped down from Father’s arms and slowly walked over to her.
“This is your grandmother.”
Mother took my hand and led me to the bedside.
I stared intently at the Empress, still lying as still as the dead.
Her face is still so pale.
If this is how she looks even after improving, just how dire was her condition before?
“Cici.”
Lost in thought, I heard Mother’s soft voice again.
“Would you cheer for her? So she can wake up soon?”
“Me?”
Cheer for her? What was I supposed to say?
Well… I guess I’d just try.
“Hello.”
After a few silent lip movements, I managed to get the words out.
“Um. They said we can’t go home until you wake up.”
“……”
“So please, you have to get better.”
Mother let out a quiet chuckle at my words.
Maybe my little speech had come off as rather bold.
That much is for bold little Cici to say.
But now it was time for the older-sounding side of me to speak.
I carefully placed my small hand over the Empress’s frail one.
“Thank you… for being kind to my mom.”
Even when I’d only read about her in the novel, I could tell she was gentle.
Though, yes—she had left Father lonely, and for that I held a faint grudge.
“But… Father says he doesn’t resent you anymore.”
“……”
“And Mother says she really cherishes you.”
Cherishes you enough to come all the way here, sweating and sitting at your side.
Both of them are trying so hard for you.
So…
“Please wake up soon.”
“……”
“Wake up and give both Father and Mother a hug.”
It’s okay now.
No—really, it was never not okay.
“Alright? You promise?”
I finished speaking and slowly lifted my hand away from hers.
And then, right at that moment—
“…Huh?”
The motionless fingers at the edge of her hand gave the faintest twitch.
I gasped and whipped my head toward Mother.
“Mom, Mom!”
“Yes, Cici.”
Mother too had noticed at once, and bent over to examine the Empress closely.
Moments later—
The Empress’s eyelashes trembled.
“…!”
Her eyelids began to open, revealing eyes unfocused and hazy.
Mother immediately bent closer, speaking gently.
“Do you hear me, Your Majesty? Do you recognize me?”
At her voice, the dull eyes flickered with the first signs of awareness.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the Empress blinked in answer.
I turned then toward Father, still standing stiffly by the doorway.
“Dad.”
He had said he wanted to show me to Grandmother, but I knew—
In this moment, the person Grandmother most longed to see was none other than him.
“Come here.”
At my words, Father hesitated… but then, slowly, he crossed the room.
I tugged gently at Mother’s hand, drawing her back with me.
She understood instantly what I wanted, and quietly stepped aside with me.
“…Mother.”
Finally, after long years of silence between them, Father spoke.
And at last—
Mother and son’s eyes met in the air.
“…Ah.”
The Empress let out a hoarse, broken sound, the very first since her awakening.
And with it, tears began to stream unchecked down her face.
“Ahh…”
Father bit down hard on his lip, grasping her hand tight.
“I came… a little late.”
Watching them, I turned to Mother.
Her gaze met mine.
I beamed at her, eyes curving in delight.
See, Mom?
I did well, didn’t I?
***
The Empress, who had seemed only to be waiting for death, had opened her eyes—if only for a little while.
The news instantly threw the Imperial Palace into an uproar.
Unfortunately, Grandfather hadn’t yet come; he was still stuck with his official duties, especially since I’d dragged him to see my lab earlier.
“Still, it’s been a long time since this place felt lively.”
Mother smiled, watching the suddenly busy handmaidens rush about.
“Until now, I couldn’t tell whether I’d come to the palace… or a funeral hall.”
“Hehe.”
Truly, a bit of noise and life is so much better.
I grinned, shrugging my shoulders.
It was just a hunch, but—
I’m sure Grandmother woke up because of me.
After all, who could resist the cheer of such an adorable granddaughter?
“When she wakes up again, I’ll introduce myself properly!”
I pumped Mother’s hand up and down, declaring it with resolve.
Earlier, she hadn’t even really known who I was.
So next time, I would greet her formally.
And I had a feeling she’d absolutely love me.
What if I ended up becoming the palace’s most beloved darling?
Well, so what?
Either way, I’d still be saving Mother.
But being doted on while saving her… and being scolded while saving her… were worlds apart.
I was lost in my cheerful thoughts when—
“Eh-ehhhchoo!”
A sudden tickle in my nose exploded into a sneeze.
Ehchoo?
Ehchoo!
Just a sneeze?
This was the Empress’s palace.
There was no way an assassin would suddenly appear here, right?
“Pff-choo!”
But my wishful thinking was short-lived.
The sneezes came again, and again, without stopping.
“Ehchhhhu! Khhhtchhuuuh!”
Oh no.
I couldn’t mistake this.
This was Sneeze Powder!
“Cici? Are you sick?”
Mother looked down at me in worry, seeing my endless sneezing.
I had no time to explain, just scanning the room frantically.
If the powder had triggered, it meant someone here bore killing intent toward Mother.
Who?
I’d been so focused on talking with her, I hadn’t noticed who had entered.
And since the sneezing wouldn’t stop, the culprit had to still be here.
Here? Really?
Inside the chamber, besides me, Mother, Father, and Grandmother—there were only handmaidens.
Which meant… one of the handmaidens was the would-be killer.
But there are too many of them.
Unless I separated them one by one, I couldn’t pinpoint the culprit.
And worse—
“Mom—! Hhhchhhuuuhhh! Hhhhehhchooo!”
I’d just realized the dreadful flaw of Sneeze Powder.
The sneezing made it impossible to speak!
Did I make a mistake when I invented this?
In the original story, the sneezing hadn’t been this severe…
“Why is she coughing so badly all of a sudden?”
Mother crouched, pressing her hand against my forehead, frowning.
I shook my head violently, gasping between sneezes.
No, I’m not sick!
“Jus’— hhhtchhhhew! Sneeehhhhze! Powhhderhhchhhhuuuhhh!”
It was all I could manage.
The problem wasn’t me—it was that someone here wanted Mother dead!
“For now, we should take Cici out of here.”
Father’s face had hardened, his voice low and tense.
My face, bright red from the strain, shook side to side furiously.
“Ahhhhhhhhtchhhhuuuuu! Nnnohhhtchhhhuuuhhh!”
Ugh! This was driving me crazy!
