Side Story 1: New Life |
The Material World, Fidektri Kingdom, Bel Diran. The Cold Spring Palace.
To be precise, the Cold Spring Palace wasn't a single palace but a sprawling complex of palatial buildings. It stood at the very center of Bel Diran, having served as the residence for every monarch since the founding of the Fidektri Kingdom. In the more distant past of the 18th Epoch, when the ancient Sicari Empire still reigned, it had been a vacation palace for the imperial family.
The year was turning from 1866 to 1867 of the 18th Epoch. Half a year had passed since the Savior's name had spread throughout the world.
Today, within this palace that had, after half a century, returned to the hands of the Middelton family, a new Middelton was about to be born.
Of course, this was not Jenkins’s child, but the child of his older brother, Newman Williams.
Newman's wedding had taken place a few months prior, and only those in the know were aware it had been a marriage hastened by pregnancy. Today was the due date. The fortunate mother-to-be had been brought to the Cold Spring Palace weeks ago to rest, and when her labor began, the obstetricians, long on standby, sprang into action.
A building on the east side of the Cold Spring Palace gardens, near the artificial rockery, had been temporarily designated as the birthing suite. Servants had already prepared hot water, blankets, and all the other necessary supplies.
For reasons of safety and sanitation, only the doctors and a few servants were permitted inside the building. Everyone else waited on the ground floor of the adjacent manor house to the right of the palace estate.
The wait was always an anxious affair, even for those who already knew the outcome.
Drifting white snowflakes mingled with ash as they settled upon the ground. The calamity was not yet over. Dark clouds veiled the sky, making for yet another dreadful day.
Inside the warm room, a fire roared in the hearth. Maids thoughtfully prepared tea and snacks for His Majesty the King and his future queens.
Still wearing her adorable fish-shaped hairpin, Chocolate stood on a stool with her arms crossed, facing the window and gazing at her own reflection in the glass. She was clearly imitating Jenkins's posture.
"Why is everyone so worried?" she asked. "Jenkins is here. Would he really let anything happen to the new human infant?"
Chocolate didn't understand the tense atmosphere that seemed to permeate the entire house.
Because it was winter, she wasn't wearing her usual black-and-white gauze skirt, but a heavier black-and-white princess dress. The puffy hem was adorned with lace trim, making the already cute girl look even more so.
As she spoke, the cat-girl grabbed the sealing pendant hanging from her neck and gave it a lick. It was, of course, terribly unhygienic, a habit Jenkins had tried to correct many times, but Chocolate always promised it would never give her a stomachache.
"It's difficult to explain, but this is the next generation of the Middeltons, after all," Miss Windsor offered, answering the cat's question. "Jenkins and the rest of us don't plan on bearing any divine children for the time being, so the one to inherit the kingdom will undoubtedly be Newman's or John's child. It's understandable to be a little nervous."
"Is that so?"
Chocolate asked, puzzled, then nodded.
"If it's for the sake of such a large country, then I can understand," she said. "Human authority is really something, isn't it? Hasn't Jenkins already used his power to make people accept him having more than one wife?"
Chocolate was mocking Jenkins for his greed, and Jenkins, seated on the sofa, certainly caught her meaning. But since everyone else was laughing, he couldn't very well retaliate against his own cat.
"In any case," Jenkins announced, "once Kris is born, everyone is to go and offer their blessings. Remember to think of something nice to say."
He had hardly changed at all in the past six months. Of course, there wasn't much that needed changing. Life in Bel Diran was as leisurely as it had been in Nolan. He had offloaded nearly all his political duties onto Jessica, J-Miss, and Miss Windsor. Combined with his prestige, which was at an all-time high, his days were now as blissfully idle as when he had worked at the antique shop.
The young women hadn't changed much either. Each had her own pursuits; they weren't simply living as ornaments in the Cold Spring Palace.
Alexia continued her research, often pulling Jenkins into late-night sessions to study dizzying mathematical problems. As for whether they spent the entire night *just* studying... only the two of them knew for sure.
Hathaway was helping the Church of Music establish a local chapter, and she occasionally practiced the violin with friends or attended concerts. Jenkins had given her free use of the Royal Opera House, and the last time he'd seen Miss Bernreuter, she had looked as if she wanted Hathaway to take her position.
Briny was focused on helping Jenkins organize the Flower Seller's Guild. She was deeply committed to the cause and adored working with the young girls. Within six months, the guild had spread to every major city in the kingdom and had even appeared in a few cities in Cheslan and Hamparvo—all thanks to the efforts of the blonde-haired young woman.
As for the three Jessicas, it went without saying that they had practically become the queens of the nation. Since they shared identical looks and figures, they would take turns attending important meetings. Jenkins was exceedingly pleased with this arrangement, and Queen Isabella was even more so. The old queen was now enjoying an incredibly comfortable "retirement," and her good mood seemed to have improved her health.
Sigrid was involved in diplomatic efforts between the Church of All Things and Nature and the elves. Although Jenkins belonged to the Legacy Sage Church, the elves preferred to establish relations with the Church of Nature first. The young nun was sometimes even busier than the Jessicas—after all, there was only one of her. Fortunately, the church had enough personnel to support her.
But no matter how busy she was, Sigrid was always able to rest at the Cold Spring Palace each night. The same couldn't be said for Dolores and Julia. Jenkins and the princess of the northern kingdom were not yet married, and Dolores, as the legitimate heir to the Hamparvo throne, could not stay in Bel Diran for extended periods.
To solve this, Jenkins had opened a spatial gate inside a wardrobe within the dressing room attached to the king's own bedchamber, making travel convenient for Dolores and Julia. Even so, Dolores could often only visit every few days. Julia, on the other hand, spent nearly every night there.
As for what her overnight stays entailed, only the shy yet bold head maid herself could say for sure.
"Jenkins really has a thing for wardrobes, doesn't he?"
Chocolate commented again. Jenkins watched his cat from the corner of his eye, deciding then and there that he would have to teach his recently disobedient pet a lesson.
"Meow?"
The girl in the dress suddenly let out a cat's cry.
"She's born! She's born! Ahh, human infants are so ugly!"
She had seen through the walls, directly into the birthing suite, and let out a gasp. Hathaway, standing beside her, looked exasperated.
"Newborns are never very pretty."
The red-haired young woman reminded her, gesturing for everyone to go and welcome the new life.
"But kittens are beautiful!"
The girl with the fish-shaped hairpin raised her amber eyes to Hathaway. The musician could only nod helplessly; she truly had no comeback for that.