The Toy in the Summer Palace - Chapter 29

Senita was someone who couldn’t conceal her emotions, and Lorenzo, who had observed her over many years, was particularly attuned to her moods. He had always paid closer attention to her than anyone else, making it even more challenging to miss the changes evident on her innocent face.

“Your eyes can’t hide a thing.”

In truth, she couldn’t deceive anyone. Her transparency only added to her charm.

A teacup was placed before Lorenzo as he pondered her change.

“Something good must have happened?”

“Well…”

“Is it better than my gift?”

Lorenzo retrieved a cloth-wrapped bundle from his bag and unveiled it, revealing plums and peaches from the forest that emitted a fresh fragrance.

“Oh my, what’s all this?”

“I worked hard today.”

“How did you manage to get these? Weren’t they in the detached orchard?”

When Senita, eyeing the fruits, inquired, Lorenzo gave a nonchalant shrug.

“Oh, it was just a recent task to harvest them.”

After the aristocrats who pretended to be farmers in the detached houses by the water had their fill, picking only five or six fruits each, the rest of the work fell to the servants. Still, Lorenzo beamed, pleased to have the chance to enjoy them.

“I thought of you immediately. You like these more because I oversee their care.”

“Well, you do take excellent care of me.”

“I’m merely providing them for you. You know that, right?”

“Of course, I do. You know I appreciate it, don’t you?”

“Tell me why you’re so happy if you’re grateful.”

“Are you trying to buy my secrets with plums and peaches?”

“If I could.”

Senita, her face lighting up with a smile, picked up a plum. The enticing scent of fresh fruit stimulated her appetite. Senita wiped the fruit’s surface with her sleeve and took a bite. The well-ripened flesh was sweet.

“Since you ate it, you should pay for it.”

Lorenzo glanced at her while sipping his tea. Senita hummed in response, finishing off all the plum flesh. She left only the seeds and casually wiped her moist hands on her apron. Then, with a determined and somewhat mischievous expression, she spoke.

“I’ll tell you my secret, especially because you’re so curious. But don’t be shocked when you hear it. And don’t tell anyone, okay?”

Tea time was over, so there were no others in the hall. However, Senita leaned forward and rested her arms on the table, as if to prevent any sound from escaping. Lorenzo leaned in closer as well, straining to hear every word.

Senita covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, sharing her secret.

“…The emperor remembered me!”

As if she had revealed something of the utmost importance.

*

The summer night ball led to the usual place of revelry filled with alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling. The hall was even more crowded than usual because Iskandar was in attendance. Beneath a row of glittering chandeliers, everyone tried to engage him in conversation, eager for even a brief glance.

After engaging in a few rounds with some fortunate individuals, Iskandar eventually seated himself at a table in the card room. All those who had the privilege of playing cards with the Emperor tonight wore beaming smiles.

The betting game proceeded smoothly. No one intentionally lost to the Emperor, as the stakes were not insignificant. The Emperor detested such insincere games, and he had already claimed numerous victories.

Once again, the Emperor secured several wins.

But the game could only be played for so long. Everyone knew that the Emperor, who enjoyed these diversions, would only remain here briefly.

“That’s enough.”

So, when Iskandar declared this, a sense of disappointment and surprise swept through the room.

“Already?”

“Please stay with us a bit longer.”

“It’s too easy if you’re not here, Your Majesty!”

The men, aware that they didn’t have to worry about their lives in this setting, clung to him with pleas and jests. Iskandar offered them a brief smile and made his way to a sofa by the balcony.

Beyond the open window, a garden bathed in the candlelight created a distinctly summery atmosphere. The scene appeared almost dreamlike.

Gael approached Iskandar, who gazed into the night, and presented him with a drink. He knew what Iskandar required without needing to ask or linger on the matter.

“It doesn’t seem very enjoyable today.”

He raised his glass. The chilled liquor was perfectly refreshing, and its taste matched the evening.

“Shall we switch to a different game?”

Iskandar shook his head in response to Gael’s inquiry.

“No, I can’t seem to focus.”

His expression was as serene as a summer night’s air.

On this particular night, the Emperor appeared particularly content. Thanks to this, several aristocrats who occupied the other table in the card room were fortunate enough to engage in brief conversations with him. There was no sarcasm, no fear. All that remained was a radiant smile and a sense of lightness. Those who secretly observed couldn’t help but entertain an unfaithful notion that the Emperor’s ultimate power must emanate from his very being.

By the time Iskandar stepped out onto the balcony, Gael approached, opening a pack of cigars and offering them to him. He selected one, trimmed the end, lit it, and returned the pack to Gael.

Iskandar settled into a chair, taking a contemplative drag from the cigar. Soon, tendrils of smoke drifted into the garden of the summer palace.

The sound of a fountain, illuminated by lanterns, pierced the night, harmonizing with the noises of card games in the room and the melodies from the nearby party.

It had been quite a while since such commotion had occurred at the summer palace. Considering the period of his rule, it was an indulgence none of the palace’s servants had ever experienced.

And she, Senita, must be feeling the same way.

Thoughts naturally flowed toward that name.

For the vacationers, the debauchery was just an excuse, but for Iskandar, it was a chance to think about the child he had encountered earlier in the day.

With time, a child grows. This was true for people, as it was for flowers and dogs.

She had thought her memories of that time were hazy, but their encounter had acted as a trigger, bringing those days back into focus.

As he had looked into those large, blue eyes, Iskandar remembered a time when he had felt unfamiliar emotions such as sympathy and hesitation. He recalled the moments he had spent enjoying and caring for the child. There had been times when he had been overwhelmed by impulses he didn’t understand, and he had realized that he was capable of things he couldn’t comprehend. He had been young, just 14, still immature.

Exhaling a long stream of smoke, Iskandar sifted through the ashes of the past.

What had he wanted with the girl back then?

The 24-year-old Iskandar tried to fathom the thoughts of the younger Iskandar, but it was a challenging task. A decade is a long time, and humans change more than they often realize.

What about now?

A smile crept onto his face, and he stubbed the cigar out in the ashtray on the negotiation table, extinguishing the ember.

His dark golden eyes retained the memory of that day. Iskandar, no longer a boy, contemplated the woman who had once been a lowly girl.

Even in her disheveled state, with her hair tousled and her face streaked with dirt, her bright eyes shone like stars, and her cheeks blushed like plums in the height of summer.

At the time, Iskandar had been somewhat taken aback. It felt strange to be surprised by the natural progression of a child growing into a woman, but he had been.

That’s why he had instructed Gael to check if she was hurt and to ensure her safety as he sent her back.

She had always been an unusual girl, surpassing those above her in some way. She had provided him with peculiar inspiration, and he had thought he had forgotten it all.

A newfound, intriguing interest in a maid was quite unexpected. At least when he had decided to go to Martiera and move on, he had not imagined this moment.

Some futures are unpredictable, appearing suddenly like a shooting star. Some might call it fate or divine arrangement, but Iskandar wasn’t so sure.

Under the summer sun, its warm light saturating the air, Iskandar found himself feeling incredibly wearied by the predictable pleasures of alcohol, tobacco, games, music, acrobatics, dance, hunting, sports, and women. Suppressing his desire to sweep them all aside, he contemplated a predetermined answer.

Summer was still stretching out before him. He needed something more interesting, something to infuse life into this tiresome summer vacation.

A deep smile played on Iskandar’s lips as he realized that the cause and effect might have been reversed.

The following afternoon, when the summer sun blazed brightly, he summoned Gael.

“Gael.”

The servant who had accompanied him during those days promptly responded to the emperor’s summons.

“The maid from yesterday.”

Iskandar, reclining on a couch draped in blue silk, beckoned for her.

“Bring her to me.”

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