The Toy in the Summer Palace - Chapter 28

The hand gripping the gun brimmed with renewed energy. He quickly reconsidered, briefly contemplating shooting the cat, before refocusing on the sudden disturbance.

In this unforeseen circumstance, Iskandar’s eyebrow arched with surprise.

His gaze swiftly landed on the fallen woman, her face obscured as she lay face down. Yet, her golden hair cascaded, resembling the clarity of the sun. As soon as he recognized the color, an intuition surged through Iskandar.

The woman didn’t rise immediately, leaving him to wonder if she had fainted. As the sound of approaching footsteps reached the maid, she finally acknowledged the presence and leaped up from her spot.

Her bluish eyes locked onto Iskandar, as vividly blue as the sky itself. His intuition had not led him astray.

Iskandar knew the owner of those crystal-clear, glass bead-like eyes. Memories came flooding back, much like the blue waters escaping from her gaze.

Yet, the woman before him was undeniably different from the girl in his recollection.

Could it be her?

Iskandar regarded the maid with a rare sense of wonder. The woman, now sitting up, appeared momentarily lost in thought. Even beneath the ash-covered maid’s uniform, which had been smudged with charcoal black, the curves were soft, and her legs peeking out from the raised skirt were smooth.

His profound gaze, trailing down to her feet, returned to the maid’s face. For a moment, it felt as though he could hear the voice of his late mother.

I’m sure you’ll be a great beauty when you grow up.

The queen’s prediction, known for its keen eye for formal beauty, proved to be spot-on.

Iskandar approached the maid, letting out a long, almost groan-like exhale. The maid hurriedly rose to her feet, as if she had just regained her composure. Yet, there was a newfound grace about her, quite distinct from her childhood days. It was the same height as before, but now, the top of her head barely reached his shoulders.

As he drew nearer, a warm fragrance wafted through the thick grassy aroma. A sweet, ripe plum-like scent, no longer fresh but alluring, teased his senses.

His gaze, initially fixed on the maid’s eyes, traveled down her slender shoulders and returned through her slightly more ample chest and shapely legs. Iskandar, experiencing an unfamiliar sense of wonder, confirmed the maturation of the girl he once knew as a child.

Just as a boy matures into a man, so does a girl evolve into a woman.

Senita Findel had become a woman, just as Iskandar de Malezik had become a man.

*

“E-emp…”

Senita closed her mouth.

Emperor, that’s actually not the right expression either.

Senita quickly found the right name.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty,” the words stumbled out, accompanied by an odd sensation. This couldn’t be happening. It was as if she had reverted to her 10-year-old self, her speech habits from that time resurfacing.

What on earth is going on here? 

She was in disarray due to the unexpected encounter. But why was the Emperor here? Senita rolled her eyes and bit her lip. She had been told that today was meant for cleaning the hunting villa, so had she made a mistake?

Perhaps she had been mistaken. As she recalled the accident and her possible error, her heart began to race with fear.

A servant’s duty was to remain as inconspicuous as possible in the presence of their master. She worried about the consequences of this situation, both for herself and the other servants of the summer palace.

Senita clutched her skirt tightly with her tired, pale hands. Her white apron was smudged with ash, a result of her encounter with an ash-covered cat under the fireplace. She was startled and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, finding charcoal black on it. Her hair, hastily tied up due to her busy schedule, had come loose and was in disarray.

Why does this have to happen to me…?

Senita felt like crying. She was frightened by the unexpected encounter, yet simultaneously elated. At the same time, she felt deeply embarrassed by her disheveled appearance.

What happens now?

Senita extended her hands to steady her trembling heart. Amidst all this, she couldn’t help but wonder,

Does he recognize me?

She was intensely curious but lacked the courage to initiate the question, considering their shared history. It didn’t seem appropriate.

“How did you know?”

“What?”

Just as she wished for him to say something, she heard a low voice above her head. Senita looked up.

Their eyes locked. Those eyes, gleaming like gold and capable of outshining the sun, were just as she remembered. Senita endured his piercing gaze with joy. She could still recall his directive to look at him, the command that had made her lift her gaze when she had lowered it.

“How did you know I’m the Emperor? Have you seen me before?”

What did he mean, had she seen him? Of course, she had. Many times, even though it was in the distant past.

She wondered if he didn’t remember her, which was why he hadn’t sought her out. She already knew this, had endured it for a long time, but it still made her feel queasy. Those days were exceptionally precious to her, and it seemed the significance of their shared memories was different for him.

“I, I mean…”

Senita let her words trail off.

What should I do? Should I tell him that I played the role of a playmate in the past so he could recognize me even if I was an adult?

“Well, I serve in the palace, so I ought to know…”

In the end, Senita chose to offer a somewhat evasive response. It wasn’t entirely false or unusual. Iskandar didn’t press for further questions but instead inquired about something else.

“What about you? Are you a maid?”

“Oh…”

Senita hesitated, her response slow and uncertain. He truly didn’t recognize her. She realized it the moment she saw him. He felt very distant in front of her, and perhaps this was the appropriate distance.

“Answer me.”

“Oh, yes, yes. That’s right. I… I serve in the palace.”

Senita hurriedly affirmed, her hands trembling without her realizing it.

Iskandar then smirked.

Ah.

Senita looked up at him in a moment of silence. The man who was no longer a boy was strikingly beautiful, almost ethereal. Like an ancient god.

The magnificent god spoke.

“I know.”

He moved closer and placed his hand on Senita’s shoulder. As Iskandar encircled her as if he might pull her into his embrace at any moment, he bent down and whispered softly in her ear.

“Hello, Senita.”

*

“What? Why do you look so delighted?”

As Lorenzo entered the servant’s hall, Senita was wrapping up her tea time with her fellow colleagues.

Tea time was a cherished interlude during the afternoon’s work. It was the moment when the servants took turns to catch their breath.

As Lorenzo made his entrance, the maids who were sitting with Senita departed, citing their need for additional rest. This break had become a necessity due to the exhaustion caused by the festivities that had continued until dawn. Ramona, a maid who got along well with Senita, yawned and joked, “I better make room for you.” Senita didn’t mind; it was a customary jest.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, and tell me quickly. What has you in such high spirits?”

“Why do you act like I shouldn’t be in a good mood?”

“Let me in on it if something good happened; we’ll celebrate together.”

Seated on one side of the long wooden table, Lorenzo probed persistently.

Senita had seemed in a rather low mood when he encountered her in the woods this morning. However, her demeanor had significantly brightened over the course of half a day. Lorenzo was curious and concerned about what had brought about such a remarkable change in her mood.

“What about your work? It’s still break time.”

No, even her response was vibrant. Lorenzo rested his chin on his hand, watching Senita with a quizzical look. The aroma of her tea brushed the tip of his nose.

“What is it? Why all the secrecy?”

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