Chapter 125: If Those Years Go By (Part One)
“What are you laughing at?”
“Am I laughing? No way…”
“You are.”
“I just think it’s kind of amusing, you know, kidnapping the queen…”
“I’m busy; you’ll just slow me down.”
“Oh come on, so many things have wrapped up. It’s time to take a break, you’re not a robot…”
“A robot?”
“Well… I wouldn’t say you’re far off from one. Sometimes, if you just look at that face of yours, people might believe you’re a lifelike doll or something. Oops, gotta stop that train of thought right here…”
“……”
…………
The wheels of the war chariot clattered along, chasing the sunlight down one dirt path after another, with strange conversations bouncing between the two, gradually leaving the radiant glow behind.
As dusk approached, the chariot stopped by a lakeside in the countryside.
The post-rain lake glimmered, calm and clear like a mirror. Under the dim sunlight, gentle ripples danced, creating a multitude of shimmering spots.
Layers of scales shimmered in the wind, and in the distance, the mist-covered Ahama Mountains resembled a fairyland. Between the mountainous ridges, untouched snow could still be seen, while birds flew over the lake, heading toward the hills, flapping toward the hidden sunset.
On the edge of the lake, a few wooden cabins looked like they had been abandoned for ages, with crumbling walls and roofs covered in moss. The chariot came to a slow halt nearby, and the black-haired girl jumped out with excitement, half-pushing, half-pulling the regal, golden-haired queen down.
“Oh dear, it’s getting dark. I can’t see the flowers on the mountain; we’re a tad late.”
The two made their way toward the lakeshore. It didn’t take long for the girl to burst into a run, kicking off her shoes, rolling up her sleeves and pant legs, and splashing into the lake, where the water reached her ankles. She kicked her feet back and forth, turning around with a smile, “It’s so cool and refreshing! Only in Ethanbel can you find a lake that doesn’t freeze in the middle of winter.”
She waved at Her Majesty the Queen, signaling her to join in the water play, but of course, the queen wouldn’t stoop to such childish antics.
Standing a good distance away from the lake, Her Majesty didn’t move any closer. Her face, not as gloomy as before, was turned toward the mountains across the lake. She gazed at the sunset creeping behind the peaks, seemingly lost in thought.
Before long, the girl splashed back, her bare feet making squishing sounds in the mud, all wet and dirty. She had a streak of muck smeared across her face, and her hair swung loosely behind her as she called out, “First thing we do after kidnapping the queen is to eat!”
Victoria was snapped back by her shout, and she blinked in surprise as she saw the girl was holding two flopping fish.
“Your Grace, may I kindly ask—please don’t hop around… could you help me gather some twigs for a fire?”
Without waiting for an answer, the girl dashed toward the wooden cabin, sitting down on the pebble path in front of the door, grabbing the fish heads and banging them against the stones, urging, “Hurry up! I’m starving…”
Her Majesty the Queen glanced down at her dress, noticing that the lavish hem was already muddy from the long length.
She hiked up her skirt, knotted it above her knees, transforming the long gown into a short one, and began looking around. Spotting a few withered trees a bit away from the lakeshore, she wandered over and bent down to pick up some dry branches.
After gathering the sticks and arranging them into a pile, she enclosed them with some larger pebbles. Although she had never done this, it wasn’t entirely beyond her comprehension. She retrieved a firestarter from the chariot and, refusing the maid’s offer for help, had her keep the chariot further away, not allowing interruptions.
However, the esteemed Queen of Ethanbel suddenly stumbled clumsily with her fire-starting skills, striking the flint several times but failing to ignite the dry hay. Instead, the flying sparks burned several holes into her precious gown, a sight that didn’t go unnoticed by the girl, who pointed and erupted into loud laughter, “Hahaha!”
For the next hour, Her Majesty said not a word to the girl.
Eventually, fire was indeed lit, though it took nearly twenty minutes—yet the queen insisted on doing it alone. The two fish were finally roasted until they were gone. While they had no spices, the girl had brought some salt, making the meal somewhat enjoyable despite its simplicity.
Of course, the girl had prepared for this “kidnapping” ahead of time. While it wasn’t overly detailed, she had packed salt, blankets, insect repellent, and other supplies. Most importantly, she had brought a bottle of wine.
The wine was from the Vilo Garden cellar. When she grabbed it, the girl, recalling her conversation with Rect about the finest wines and which were Viki’s favorites, had originally planned to select two bottles but ultimately settled on just one.
Although she wasn’t fond of the queen drinking alcohol, she figured tonight could be an exception. After a long week, Her Majesty deserved to relax.
After enjoying some grilled fish, they tidied up the stone steps in front of the wooden cabin and sat down. The girl, having forgotten to bring cups, simply opened the wine bottle and took a swig straight from it.
This was probably the first time in Her Majesty’s life she ever drank red wine straight from the bottle. In Ethanbel, it was a terribly crude gesture, yet tonight, sipping from the bottle, she didn’t say a word. She let the gentle breeze play with her hair while gazing up at the night sky, her expression showing just a hint of relaxation, perhaps even a touch of enjoyment.
“Let me try some!”
The girl couldn’t resist taking a sip too, only to feel a little lightheaded afterward and realize it could be considered an indirect kiss. But in the atmosphere, it seemed neither of them cared about that.
“Wow, look! There are so many stars tonight!”
The girl’s face quickly turned rosy as she unconsciously leaned her head on Victoria’s shoulder, gazing at the star-filled sky, murmuring, “I haven’t properly seen a night sky like this in ages.”
Her Majesty observed the girl’s stunning profile, inhaling the faint scent of lilacs wafting from her hair, and remained silent for a moment.
“How did you find this place?” she finally asked.
“Just passed by the other day,” the girl replied.
“Passed by?” The queen frowned.
“Passed by.”
“……”
After a brief pause, under the queen’s golden gaze, the girl raised her hands in surrender: “Okay, okay! I was getting something from the canyon and happened to see this place on my way back!”
Sitting up straight, she reached into her chest pocket, a flash of white light, and pulled out a wooden music box, tossing it casually to Her Majesty: “Here, this.”
Victoria caught it, twisting the key, and after two seconds, a clear, melodious tune drifted out—delicate and beautiful.
“What’s the piece?”
The queen asked, and the girl nonchalantly replied, “The Song of the Clumsy Firestarter.”
She felt a bit giddy but was definitely relaxed tonight, so she lifted the bottle for another sip.
Then she found herself facing the queen’s impassive expression.
“Just kidding!”
The girl quickly said, “The name doesn’t matter; what matters is that it sounds good!”
“I’ve heard you play this piece back in Chielis City. Aside from that, there’s nothing in the entire Western Continent with this style.”
As Her Majesty inspected the music box, she said, “The craftsmanship is exquisite. It’s clear you’ve learned a bit of skill, not professional but very thoughtful. The human face is well-carved, and the posture is just right… a very special gift, no doubt from a meticulous lady.”
Seemingly casually, she followed up, “Who gave it to you?”
Well, well!
After all this back and forth, this was the main point!
Watching her seriously examine the music box, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.
