Eileenburg (18)
After October, the weather grew increasingly cool. Aileen celebrated her thirty-ninth birthday, and Mi had been living in Aileen Castle for three years. In those three years, Mi had grown increasingly attached to Aileen Castle. Here, not only was there Aileen, whom she cherished above all else, but it was also the best natural sanctuary. Mi would always drape witch's threads over Aileen, experiencing a new kind of joy and growth. Together, they were like two curious children, free from the pressures and worries of life. They could pick up a fallen leaf and study it for a long time; they would quietly squat before a flower, waiting for life to unfold; they would gather lotus seeds together; collect fallen blossoms from cedar trees, eventually brewing a clear cedar wine that filled the entire cellar. Time had no meaning in Aileen Castle; there was only boundless joy and wonder. Mi felt herself growing; she had never been so happy. She was like a newborn child, forgetting Earth, forgetting herself. When Aileen called her Mi, she would hesitate briefly, lost in thought. She almost mistook Aileen for her; Mi was like a woman from a past life. Now she was Aileen. Witches didn't have their own lives; they were always experiencing the lives of others.
"Mi, Mi, look, it's snowing!" A sudden cold snap brought sleet to Sun City—very fine snowflakes. Ailian, who had never seen snow before, insisted on calling it snow. Ailian held up her palm, watching the round snowflakes melt into tiny water droplets. The air felt even warmer than yesterday. Ailian stood in the garden, admiring the transparent ice crystals on the withered leaves. She widened her eyes in surprise: "It's not cold when it snows!"
Mi watched as Ailian crouched down and picked up one transparent ice crystal after another from the ground, quickly filling her palm with a handful of ice beads to show her. Mi, wrapped in a wool blanket and huddled in the greenhouse, asked, "Aren't you cold?"
"It's not cold, it's cool." Ailian pinched two beads and put them in her mouth. The ice crystals quickly melted in the water. "It's water, this is water." Ailian was as if she had discovered a new world.
“Miss Mi, a gentleman named Fried has come to visit. He says he has a letter for you.” The butler, wearing a hat, appeared at the garden entrance.
"Who is Fried?" Ailian tossed the ice bead in her palm back to the ground, glancing at Mi with a puzzled look. For over three years, Mi hadn't had any visitors; Ailian had devoted herself entirely to experiencing this world. Occasionally, she would take Mi to the palace to visit Beatrice, who was arguably Mi's only connection to Sun City.
“Fried?” Mi stood up, retrieving the witch's threads from Eileen. Mi's memories began to resurface. She followed the butler to the reception room, the image of that small, thin boy reappearing before her eyes. Fried was the liaison she had hired. And then? Where did he go? Mi shook her head. She had been with Eileen for too long; she seemed to have forgotten many things.
"Good day, sir." A young man turned around, vaguely resembling the Fried man in Mi's memory. He was more robust, with darker skin, and taller. His brand-new shirt had a slightly loose fit; Fried had grown into a fine young man.
"Why are you back?" Mi sat down. The young man in front of him was full of vigor and was no longer the clever and cunning little street urchin he used to be. Ailian followed behind, looking at Fried with curiosity.
"Good day, sir." Fried stood up again and bowed, his smile carrying a hint of curiosity and restraint. This reminded Mi of the first time she met Fried, when he was quite bold. Xiao Wei brought tea to everyone and then stood aside. The small reception room, with the butler and Xiao Bai following behind Xiao Wei, suddenly felt cramped and crowded.
"You two chat." Ailian didn't sit down. She led the housekeeper and Xiaowei out, thoughtfully leaving the guest room to Mi and Fried.
"When did you come back?" Mi remembered that Fried had gone to Lincheng 17. Fried now looked like he had seen blood, and his whole body was full of sharpness.
“I came back last month.” Fried found a chair and sat down. His posture was somewhat unrestrained and unconventional, which reminded Mi of someone.
"What are you coming back for?" Mi noticed that she wasn't very good at communicating with people anymore, and her speech was as stiff as Ailian's.
“My master was transferred to the Snow Region, and I came back with him.” Fried sat up straight and took out a wooden plaque, the one Mi had given him last time. He returned the plaque to Mi: “We’ve set up a liaison station in Sun City.”
"Is your master Liz?" Mee asked, looking at Fried's somewhat familiar expression.
“Sir, you still remember my master!” Fried wasn’t too surprised. He scratched his head. “You really are just like my master said.” Fried took out several letters from his pocket and handed them to Mi. There were letters for Yana, Qiu, and Petrus.
Mi put the letter aside: "Tell me about your life these past years." Before Fried could speak, Eileen came in and invited everyone to lunch. After lunch, Fried was invited to the main hall of Eileen Castle. He looked around curiously and quietly moved to Mi's side, whispering, "Sir, this is a true long-lived species."
Fried was quite well-informed. Ailian and Mi sat on the sofa listening to Fried recount his experiences over the years. When he first arrived in Lincheng 17, he wasn't able to immediately meet Lord Qiu, but he persevered. He studied in Lincheng for three years, with two months of internship each year. He participated in the construction of Lincheng 17 and also traveled with Lincheng 17's caravan to Maicheng. In his final year, he studied martial arts with Liz, guarded the border post 17, and also participated in the war against the Shali people. Fried waved his arm and laughed, saying, "I got a minor injury."
"Your master has been transferred to the snowy region, what about you?"
“Master didn’t take me with him,” Fried said, drooping his head. After a while, he raised his head again and smiled slyly. “Sir, you gave my third sister so many gold coins, so I have to serve you.”
"Are you clinging to me now?" Mi also missed the quick-witted Fried; without him, she knew nothing about Sun City. Eileen only liked playing inside Eileen Castle. She turned to Eileen: "Is there any work I can do for him?"
“Yes, Ellenburg is short a coachman.” Ellenburg’s old coachman, Hyde, died six months ago, and the others don’t know how to drive. Fried’s story is interesting, and Ellen wants him to stay: “We haven’t visited Beatrice in a long time.”
Mi recalled her last visit to King Derek's Palace, where she had met King Derek, that gloomy man who had been scrutinizing her with disdain and incomprehension. It was a bright summer morning after Juneteenth. Beatrice was now a young woman, and the packages she had entrusted to Mi years ago had all been delivered to the palace by Elaine. In the Derek Gallery, King Derek looked at the figure in the garden and asked, "Is that Elaine's music teacher?"
"Yes." Beth remained by the king's side; the king had not found anyone more understanding and sensible than Beth.
"She sings better than you, how could she possibly outshine you?" The king looked at the figures in the garden. "Go and tell them to come up and sit down."
"The Queen has summoned her." Beth knelt down. "She can't sing, nor has she ever performed in Sun City; she can only write two songs."
"What?" Derek looked at Beth. "She can't see you?"
"I'll go right away." Beth obediently withdrew. The king had always wanted a long-lived child of Elaine's, and he kept questioning anyone who appeared around Elaine. This Mehta was old and ugly; the king wouldn't show it in front of Elaine, but he would definitely be angry after Elaine left. Beth sent someone to fetch Mehta. She didn't want to bear the king's anger alone. Mehta was the king's new favorite, a particularly sensible and charming woman.
"Mom, do you live in Ellen Castle now?" Beatrice asked, linking her arm with Mi's. She knew that Ellen was a long-lived species and admired Mi immensely.
"Would you like to stay at Eileen Castle for a couple of days?" Eileen invited Petrus with a smile. "If you'd like to go, I'll speak to the King."
“Oh, no need.” Petrus quickly refused, not wanting to attract the king’s attention again. Ever since Lily left her, the king had been summoning her frequently for a while, saying nothing but staring at her with cold eyes. Every time Petrus was summoned by the king, she would have several nightmares afterward.
"Love Lane Castle is always ready to welcome you." Love Lane crouched down, and Bertram quickly returned the greeting. Love Lane knew the situation with the Citadel and the neighboring city, and she also doted on the lovely Bertram like a daughter. Love Lane's way of showing love was—whatever you want, I'll give you.
Mi sat in her chair watching Ailian and Betty hold hands, completely disregarding their aristocratic image, squatting on the ground and making a fuss about the insects crawling in the grass. The two little heads were pressed together watching the ants moving house: "Mommy said that when the ants move house, it means it's going to rain."
"Yes, Mi is right. I'll ask Xiaowei to get the umbrella." Ailian watched as more and more ants crawled out of their nest.
"Are you going back?" Bertram asked sadly. It had been a long time since Mi had come to visit her after entering Ellen Castle. Later, the Queen summoned Lord Ellen, and her mother always accompanied Lord Ellen to visit her. Now they could see each other every two months.
Before Ailian could answer, Beth had already come over: "Good day, Miss Ailian, Miss Beatrice, Miss Mi, good day."
Ailian quickly dropped the ant-infested branch in her hand and, together with Beatrice, returned the greeting to Beth: "Good day, Miss Beth."
“Your Majesty, please come in for tea.” Beth turned slightly and gestured an invitation.
“Oh, okay.” Ailian nodded gently and followed behind Beth. Beatrice looked at Mi with some worry. Mi was also a little confused by the invitation. She patted Beatrice reassuringly and secretly added two more wrinkles and an age spot to her face. Legend has it that the king preferred young, beautiful and voluptuous women.
The king looked at Mi with some disappointment. Was this woman Eleanor's destined one? Her back was already hunched, and her skin was as loose as an old witch's. He couldn't find a woman older and uglier than Mi in the entire palace. Had she not yet consumed the longevity seed? Consuming the longevity seed would instantly restore youth and vitality to ordinary people, allowing them to maintain a youthful appearance until death. King Derek looked to be only in his early thirties. Even though his son had begun adventuring with the Adventurers' Guild, Derek remained young and handsome. Although headaches and insomnia plagued him, all signs of aging seemed irrelevant to him.
"Aileen, it's been a long time," the king said with a smile to Aileen, who was curtsying.
"Your Majesty, may you have a good day." Ailian finished her greeting and stood up, standing to one side like a wooden statue.
"Your Majesty, may you enjoy your day." Beatrice and Mi also curtsied in return.
“Sit down, everyone, please sit down.” Beth tried to liven things up, having the maids pour tea and serve snacks, and even sang a couple of lines of Elaine’s new song. Beatrice joined in with a couple of lines, creating an atmosphere that was both awkward and harmonious. Soon, King Derek lost interest and waved for Elaine and her entourage to leave.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, signaling an impending downpour. Eileen and Mi hurriedly bid farewell to Beatrice and boarded the carriage at Eileen Castle. The heavy rain pounded on the carriage roof, plunging the entire city of Suncity into darkness, shrouded in a curtain of rain. Mi, looking out at the torrential downpour, said, "Let the driver take shelter from the rain."
The carriage stopped at the foot of the walls of Derek Palace, and the king asked Beth through the rain, "What's so special about that rice?"
“Long-lived people have always liked commoners,” Beth said calmly. “Miss Ellen has never met anyone like her before, which is why she was attracted to her.”
Derek nodded. Longevity seeds always showed extraordinary kindness and patience towards commoners, even being willing to give them away to those of lowly status. This rice still couldn't move Elaine's heart; Elaine had two longevity seeds, but hadn't given her a single one. Perhaps he should try a different approach. King Derek thought of having Mrs. Aldrich find a handsome commoner, an older man, old enough to be Elaine's father.
Longevity seeds are excellent, but they have a drawback: anyone can only consume one. The first seed is a life-saving elixir, the second a deadly poison, causing immediate death by bleeding from all seven orifices. Derek, undeterred, experimented three times, wasting a total of six longevity seeds, and the Adventurers' Guild no longer supported his experiments. King Derek has now assembled a group of doctors who are researching how to separate the longevity seeds for medicinal use, but Lady Aldrich doesn't have any, and the Adventurers' Guild doesn't support the experiment. The king is forced to turn to Ellen.
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