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chapter 2
It seems they came to see the meteor.
“No, hey, let go of this!”
Mirren finally raised her voice after struggling for a long time, trapped in the arms of the man.
Despite being injured, he was surprisingly strong.
“Hayden, Hayden…”
“I’m not Hayden or whatever, so let go!”
In a sudden reflex, Mirren slapped the man’s forehead.
As he fell backward and loosened his grip for a moment, she quickly slipped out of his hold.
She hurriedly checked the herbs she had in her hand.
Of course, the fragile herbs had already been completely crushed.
“Phew…”
She let out a long, exasperated breath, full of frustration.
She couldn’t really be angry at someone who seemed half-asleep.
Yes, she had been trying to hold it in.
“What’s this now?”
It was a low voice, as if coming from inside a cave.
The kind of voice full of authority, like Emperor Ryan’s.
“Are you a beggar?”
“What? Beggar? Did you just say that?”
“No, it’s just that your appearance… doesn’t look right.”
My appearance?
As she glanced down at herself, the man’s words suddenly seemed convincing. That only made her feel worse.
The desire to help the injured man completely disappeared, and Mirren turned to head down the mountain.
“Hey!”
“Hey? You know me?”
“No, I don’t. But help me a bit.”
When she turned her head, he was struggling to sit up, using his hands on the ground for support.
His long, white hair was soaked with blood.
“Why should I help someone I don’t even know?”
“I-I can’t, my body… won’t respond. I can’t even use magic!”
“If you go to the herbalist’s down there, the old man will help you. Ten silver coins, and he’ll fix you. Just go.”
“Ugh!”
Mirren, ready to leave quickly, failed again at the sound of his barely audible voice.
If she left him here, she would surely have restless dreams that night.
Tsk. She clicked her tongue briefly and knelt in front of him.
Though not a professional, she was a fairly well-known herbalist in the area and could provide light treatment.
She crushed a few herbs she had gathered along with sleeping herbs and applied them to his wounds.
It would have been better to grind them into powder, but there wasn’t enough time.
“This should be enough for you to get to the herbalist.”
Shaking off her hands, Mirren tried to leave once more.
But she couldn’t—he grabbed her hand tightly.
“Come with me.”
“Where?”
“To the herbalist. I don’t know the way.”
“Are you a child? This is really annoying.”
“And you saying that straight to my face is strange too.”
Mirren shrugged instead of replying and silently supported him to stand up.
If she hadn’t needed to deliver the herbs to the old herbalist anyway, she probably wouldn’t have accompanied him.
“Oh, Mirren, have you come?”
“Yes, sir. I brought the herbs you requested earlier.”
“Ah, I see. But what’s this load?”
As soon as she entered the main gate, Mirren dropped the man onto the bench without hesitation and glanced at the old herbalist’s gesture.
She said plainly,
“I found him on the way here.”
“Tsk, tsk… looks like a wizard.”
“A wizard?”
Now that she thought about it, the man had complained that he couldn’t even use magic.
Mirren looked at him in surprise as he lay there.
When their eyes met, the man frowned with violet eyes.
“What are you looking at?”
“Sir, do wizards usually have such awful personalities?”
“Hmm, most of them, yes.”
“What do you mean ‘most’? You were staring at me like a pervert!”
The old herbalist chuckled lightly, ignoring the man, and looked at Mirren.
“Then, Mirren, take him to the inner room, please.”
“Me?”
“He’s the load you brought, isn’t he?”
“Haah…”
Mirren squinted one eye and, in the end, helped him again.
Given the herbalist’s personality, if she left him there, he might not have received any care at all.
Thud.
When the man lay on the low wooden bed, he frowned.
Naturally, being thrown onto a hard surface was uncomfortable.
Still, he relaxed once lying down.
Judging by his half-closed eyes, it wouldn’t be surprising if he fell asleep soon.
“Hey.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
The man grimaced with pain every time he spoke.
Still, he continued talking, which suggested he had something important to say.
“Don’t go anywhere. Stay here.”
“Why?”
“I’ll… compensate you. So just stay.”
“How much compensation?”
“Generous enough!”
After thinking briefly, Mirren nodded.
She didn’t really care about compensation, but if she didn’t answer, it seemed like he wouldn’t rest peacefully.
As soon as he confirmed her nod, he drifted into sleep.
Soon, calm breathing filled the room.
Mirren got up without hesitation.
She had already had enough experience with money. Of course, not as a commoner like Mirren Wood.
“Sir, I’ll be leaving now.”
“Already? Why not have some tea before you go?”
“My father is waiting in the field!”
Raising her voice for the hard-of-hearing herbalist, she hurried outside.
Before leaving, she glanced at the room with the man, but felt no guilt.
Three hours later.
“Hey, old man.”
“What? What did you say?”
“Where did that rabbit-like girl go?!”
“Hmm, rabbits aren’t for eating.”
“Damn it.”
Hegel Karner roughly ruffled his own hair.
By the time he got his bearings, the woman was already gone.
The idea of giving her compensation had been an excuse. He was just annoyed that she disappeared without keeping her promise.
Grinding his teeth, Hegel asked the herbalist something else.
“Sir, is there a well-known herbalist around here?”
“Herbalist? You mean Mirren?”
“Mirren?”
“Yes, the fair-looking girl who brought you here.”
Hegel smiled wryly at the unbelievable coincidence.
Of course, other wizards who saw it might panic, thinking he was about to do something crazy again.
“Mirren, are you already going to sleep?”
“Mom, don’t wake me this time! I want to rest a bit on the weekend.”
“All right, all right!”
Mirren placed her hands neatly on her stomach and closed her eyes.
After that, she didn’t move at all. She looked almost as if she were dead.
“……”
Her heavy body felt incredibly unfamiliar.
She was unusually unwell today.
Thinking so, she got up from her bed.
“Your Highness! Have you awakened?”
“Maria, what time is it?”
“Almost evening.”
“You woke up on time.”
She had a dinner appointment with Ryan yesterday.
That was why she deliberately skipped dinner and went to sleep.
Anyone would want to live with a healthy body.
For that reason, Mirren had long minimized her time as Empress Mirren.
But now, with so little time left, she could do this much for him.
“But what is all this…?”
“Didn’t you know? His Majesty instructed that dinner be prepared in the garden.”
Warm clothes and stones imbued with heat magic were scattered around Mirren’s room.
It wasn’t particularly cold, but perhaps they were prepared in case the wind caused discomfort.
Or rather, dining outside…
It was something she hadn’t expected at all.
Until now, Mirren had lived quietly as empress, almost invisible.
She didn’t want to be a burden to him.
If she was going to die soon anyway, going quietly seemed helpful.
“It’s been a while since you two have dined together. The servants are busy. Your Highness, I will assist with your dressing.”
“Oh, right. Yes…”
Dressing wasn’t anything complicated. Just putting on multiple layers to stay warm outside.
But Maria picked the clothes carefully, as if it were a crucial process.
Even though the only people who would see her were Ryan and the low-ranking servants.
“Can’t I just throw something on?”
“This was ordered by His Majesty. It’s cold, so dress carefully.”
“…Such fuss.”
Suddenly, Mirren understood Maria’s attitude.
Until yesterday, she had just dressed adequately, nothing more.
Finally, she even changed her socks to high-quality ones.
Looking down at her toes, she thought,
“Nice to have money.”
She had been wearing only worn-out socks until now.
She hadn’t exactly ignored using her wealth to help others; she just knew that money alone doesn’t bring happiness.
“Mirren!”
“Ryan? Why are you here so early? Are your duties finished?”
Ryan arrived in a rush, reaching Mirren in no time.
He was panting from running so fast.
“Do you think my duties are the problem? I wanted to have dinner with you.”
“It wasn’t that important.”
“To me, it’s the most important thing.”
Ryan carefully took one of Mirren’s hands and led her outside.
He kept slowing his pace so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed.
Many servants followed them down the corridor. Ryan whispered to Mirren.
“By the way, you really woke up early today.”
“I had an appointment.”
“You usually wake up late or just barely.”
Mirren didn’t answer. It was better to say nothing.
She couldn’t explain that she had minimized her time for a healthy life.
So she had to change the subject calmly.
“Why are we having dinner in the garden?”
“Today is a banquet.”
“A banquet…?”
“Since the empire’s founding day is coming soon.”
Now she remembered. Being the daughter of farmers, it wasn’t particularly significant.
“Are other nobles coming too?”
“No, they’re all in the main hall. I just stepped out first.”
Normally, Mirren would have gone to the banquet as well.
But being an unwell empress, she had long stopped attending official events.
Mirren stared at Ryan quietly.
He said the banquet wasn’t interesting, but it must be more important and fun than dinner with her.
Yet he had rushed so urgently to her.
“They say a meteor will fall tonight. I wanted to watch it with you.”
Ryan, smiling shyly like a boy, walked with Mirren.
Suddenly, a rustling came from the bushes in the garden.
Sensitive to sounds, Mirren stopped walking.
“…Ah.”
Hiding in the bushes were two people, kissing passionately. Mirren froze.
At that moment, Ryan covered her eyes from behind. His whisper tickled her ear.
“They came to see the meteor too, I guess.”
