Glass Slipper Strange Tales 09 | Who Told Such a Story? | Kazemakase Literature Club 《The Taste of Premonition》

That night, the signs began somewhat earlier than expected. We, the royal pharmacists, were waiting in the room prepared in the medical office (which also served as the records room) with slightly tense expressions.

The room was located in the deepest part of the palace, and while it was a corner that usually drifted with a calm atmosphere, today it was dominated by a taut air. Although I had been appointed chief pharmacist, I had never been involved in such a situation before. Furthermore, when it came to a member of the royal family, it was only natural that I would feel the pressure.

I must be a composed assistant. And I must be an accurate recorder. I braced myself with that thought, and—I thought vaguely of myself with a large belly, and the soft gaze beside me. The swaddling clothes should be a pale coral pink. The name is... That future scene tickled my consciousness sweetly, like the taste of a premonition lingering faintly at the back of my tongue.

◇

...And so, I cannot leave the storytelling to this girl, who is spouting monologues while I cannot tell if she is nervous or completely relaxed. For this momentous occasion, I need her to focus, as is only natural. I strictly ordered my old husband not to show his face today. As for my granddaughter, she surely has no such leeway either.

—In other words, the exclusive broadcasting rights for today belong to me.

No, I want to do something for them. But in reality, I can only pray for the happiness of my bloodline. —I think. Yet I am not.

Outside the door, footsteps are pacing back and forth. My grandson, Prince Keizarion, has a stiff and rhythmic gait when he is nervous. Furthermore, I can even feel the presence of my son, His Majesty the King, standing up and sitting down. I know it without looking. Since it is his first time, the men must be restless as well.

I worry that the 'clack-clack-clack' rhythm might distract the person herself, so I cast a gentle glance toward her face. I will not utter the naive nonsense that our hearts are always together even if we are not by each other's side. I declare, she is not in a state to be thinking about such things right now.

When it was my son's time... I started to think, but I shut my mouth. Even if I can remember, I cannot touch it. That pain, that fear, that joy, and the warmth I held for the first time—none of it is in my hands anymore.

The room was furnished in white and kept clean, and the lights were a slightly warmer hue than usual. It is truly convenient that modern LED lighting fixtures can change the temperature of a space depending on one's state of mind.

“Mi-Kino, your hands are shaking.”

When the waves calmed down a little, Princess Mina said in a quiet tone. She is a strong girl. Even at a time like this, she is unconsciously trying to put everyone at ease.

“I am not shaking. This is an involuntary muscle movement.”

Well, in the world, that is called shaking. After the tension in the room loosened just a little, the waves began to grow larger again.

She is desperately trying to regulate her breathing as if to match the regular waves. The progress is smooth. Medically, there are no problems. But—observation is a truly troublesome thing.

“Mi-Kino, take a deep breath. It will be a problem if you collapse.”

Whose voice was that, anyway?

“I am fine. I am the chief pharmacist.”

The basis for that is somewhat unclear. A hand reached out and gripped Mi-Kino's hand tightly. That hand was strong, yet it was trembling slightly.

At that moment, from the back of the room, I heard the breath of life.

One cry, two cries, three cries—gradually growing stronger, as if testing the vast world little by little. It was something I do not possess now. Yet, the moment that voice shook the world, a premonition of the future spread deep within my chilled chest. It was as clear as the morning air, and it tasted just a little bit sweet.

Queen Maki's groans. The murmurs of the apothecaries. The prince's roar, overcome with emotion. The King rushing in. Looking back, that person was the same. But, I want them to be quiet.

The temperature of the princess's palm.

And the voice of a new life, loudly asserting its own existence.

“...Mi-Kino. Please, record it.”

The princess's voice after accomplishing the deed was surprisingly quiet.

Mi-Kino took a deep breath and picked up the record board.

“On the sixth day of the month when Dianthus and Marinor were wed, in the Royal Calendar, at 3:12 AM—the first princess of the House of Dianthus was born.”

...After those words spread through the room, the air suddenly relaxed. It was then that I finally regained the lead in the storytelling.

Mi-Kino had prepared a hundred names, and the princess's name was decided unanimously by everyone, from ancestral spirits to spirits to parents and siblings.

First Princess Rangimina Dianthus.

She has inherited my name properly, too. The first one I've ever had, my—

◇

My—little sister-in-law. Or is it cousin?

I finished my job of “holding onto Auntie's hand,” and I was just so incredibly moved.

Yes, did you think she was our daughter? Who told such a story?

—Too bad, due to the “○×▼” matter, she was the daughter of Uncle and Auntie.

But, she looks a lot like me. —Is it too much to say she has a little over half my blood from both sides?

“Princess, you must not add them up. It is equivalent to one-eighth from your aunt.”

Mi-ki, I have at least that much knowledge myself, you know (blushes).

At my age, staying up late takes its toll. Especially at times like these, I really feel my decline. ...By the way, my granddaughter-in-law, you really ought to have a bit more sentiment.

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