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Everyone standing there was left speechless. Not a single breath could be heard.
Empress Meikellen's eyes, which had widened in shock at what she saw, slowly shifted as if searching for something.
Etern had never seen her mother's eyes so closely before. She was startled to realize how similar they looked to her own.
"...Is it really you?"
Finally, the Empress spoke.
Her voice was rough and cracked, as if she hadn't used it for a long time.
As she let out a small cough, Wintier suddenly shouted as if he had been burned.
"What are you all doing? Bring water and help the Empress sit up!"
Even before he finished speaking, Dora had already rushed forward, carefully supporting Meikellen's body.
She placed several soft cushions behind her back for support, then accepted the water bowl and spoon from the maid.
"I will do it. Hand it over."
Wintier interrupted abruptly, causing Dora's eyes to widen in surprise.
Momentarily dazed, she stepped aside, allowing him to take over.
Wintier gently tipped the spoon against Meikellen's dry lips, letting the water trickle into her mouth with great care.
"We should step out for a moment."
At Ziggkart's whisper, Etern blinked and stared at him, confused.
Ziggkart let out a small sigh and took her hand.
"Let's give His Majesty and Her Majesty some privacy."
"No."
Etern jerked her hand away.
In that moment, she realized she was acting exactly like a stubborn child, yet she refused to back down.
"She's my mother. I've never even heard her voice before. I'm not leaving. I'm staying here…"
"Etern?"
A voice called from behind her.
Etern turned her head so quickly that tears spilled from her eyes.
"My baby, my daughter… Come here. Come to your mother."
Empress Meikellen leaned forward, arms open wide.
She looked so frail, as if she might collapse right off the bed.
Seeing her mother in such a precarious state, Etern rushed forward.
"You've grown so much…"
Wrapped in her mother's embrace, Etern let her tears fall like scattered pearls.
She didn't know what words, what language, could possibly describe the emotions surging through her.
So, she said nothing at all.
The Emperor, Wintier, pulled the mother and daughter into his arms, as if he would never let them go again.
Ziggkart glanced at Dora, who was sniffling along with the other maids, and then quietly stepped out of the Empress's chambers.
The moment he did, a figure that had been standing still like a statue outside the door moved to follow him.
"Lord Ziggkart, this is Her Majesty the Empress's palace. You cannot wander around as you please."
"I know. I wasn't planning to wander around, I was giving them space. You can't even tell that much, soldier?"
The man's stern expression briefly twisted as if irritated, but then, his lips twitched as if he were suppressing a smile.
"My name is Lance Tash, Lord Ziggkart."
"I know. And you know that I know. I just like calling you 'soldier.' It sounds more commanding."
"Do you wish to be a soldier?"
"I did, once. When I was very young."
Lance had to bite back his laughter again. Watching this eight-year-old boy talk like an old man was amusing and oddly endearing.
At first, Lance had been uncertain whether he was assigned to guard or keep watch over Ziggkart, but over time, he had developed a quiet fondness for the boy.
Though Ziggkart's maturity was sometimes concerning, his fairness, discipline, and unwavering commitment to his promises left a deep impression.
Just the other day, Ziggkart had promised to share his snacks with a young servant who was fetching water.
It had been an offhand remark, one that most would have forgotten. But the very next day, when the servant arrived, Ziggkart had handed him a neatly wrapped pie, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
That simple act of kindness lingered in Lance's mind.
If all the nobles were like the princess and this young lord, life would be much easier for people like us.
"Tell me about your family."
Ziggkart asked suddenly.
Lance was caught off guard. It was the first time Ziggkart had initiated such a personal conversation.
It felt almost like a wary cat finally deciding to approach.
"My mother is a strong woman. My father passed away when my younger brother was still a child… She raised the four of us on her own until she met my stepfather."
"You have a lot of siblings."
"There's one more, a youngest sibling. They're still in school, studying hard. My two older brothers have moved away, and my older sister left for a time but returned to live with our parents and the youngest."
"You must be a close-knit family."
"Yes, we are."
At Lance's response, Ziggkart fell silent.
His gaze had drifted toward the closed doors of Empress Meikellen's chambers.
Lance spoke again, breaking the silence.
"The Grand Duke of Randster must be an incredible man. I would never have been able to send my young son so far away alone."
"That doesn't sound like a compliment."
Ziggkart's teasing remark made Lance's face flush red.
"My apologies if I offended you, young lord. I truly meant..."
"I know your intention."
Ziggkart cut him off with a smirk.
"I heard that the princess herself selected you as her personal guard."
"Yes, young lord."
Lance's tone was still formal and stiff, but he couldn't hide the pride on his face.
Ziggkart found the soldier's honesty and lack of pretense rather interesting. He murmured to himself thoughtfully.
"At eight years old, you should still be a child, but you seem to have quite the eye for people."
It was as if he was subtly insisting that he wasn't just a child.
Time passed. Ziggkart paced the same spot nearly twenty times before, at last, the doors to the Empress's chambers creaked open.
A small head peeked out.
"Young lord."
Etern's voice was still thick with emotion, clearly hoarse from crying.
Her face was flushed as if she had been running at full speed, and her eyes were swollen from tears.
Realizing how ridiculous she must look, Etern hesitantly tried to cover her face.
But Ziggkart didn't laugh.
Instead, with a composed and elegant demeanor, he stepped forward toward Empress Meikellen.
"It is a great honor to meet the Empress of Sidernell. Your Majesty, I am Ziggkart, son of the Grand Duke of Randster."
His movements were refined and flawless, yet Emperor Wintier let out a quiet scoff.
However, Meikellen merely smiled gently and extended her hand toward Ziggkart.
"Raise your head, young lord. I heard that you were the one who woke me from my long slumber. I regret that I did not recognize you earlier. I never imagined you would be so young."
"Please speak comfortably, Your Majesty. I am the same age as the princess, and it would not be appropriate for you to address me with such formality."
"You certainly speak like a grown man."
Meikellen chuckled softly.
"But if that is what you prefer, I shall speak to you as if you were my own son."
Even in the overwhelming emotion of reuniting with her mother, Etern felt a shiver run down her spine at those words.
As her son?
She knew it was just a figure of speech, but even the thought of such a scenario was enough to unsettle her.
Ziggkart, having received the Empress's permission, carefully took her wrist.
At that moment, Emperor Wintier, who had been watching intently, suddenly interrupted.
"What do you intend to do? The Empress is still weak and exhausted. Do not act rashly and startle her."
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