Author’s Note: Earl is on the scene… What’s with Jinjiang, making us flip the page with just 4,000 words, dear readers, remember to ‘flip down’! The last sentence is ‘He was even ready to sacrifice himself!’
Chapter 47: The Selfish Earthling
Those eyes, gleaming in the dark night, were filled with an overwhelming emotion that suffocated. Not wanting to ponder the complexity in those eyes, nor to think of that person, all one sought was to hold onto the person beside, grasping the happiness in hand. Mao Anan took Mier’s hand, gripping it tightly with both of hers, “Let’s not talk about this. How are you?” Mier knew what she was asking, trying to change the subject, but Mao Anan relentlessly pursued, and the more Mier didn’t speak, the more anxious Mao Anan became, finally, in her urgency, she began to strip Mier’s clothes to check herself. “Alright, I’ll tell,” Mier surrendered, worried, “There’s another one.” Mao Anan rolled up Mier’s sleeve, noticing that the original spots had deepened in color, and tiny black dots were faintly visible deep in the skin. It seemed that within just a few days away, his body was already covered in these spots. “Have you seen a doctor?” Mier shook his head, his words evasive, “I’ve been fighting these past few days; the military doctors are all at the front line.” Mao Anan dragged Mier, “Come on, let’s go see one now.” Mier suddenly exerted force, pulling Mao Anan into his embrace, gently nuzzling the top of her head. Mao Anan struggled, “Mier, don’t be stubborn, let’s go see the doctor, be good.” “I don’t want to go,” Mier’s voice sounded very down, “I’m afraid I’ll be sentenced to death…” Mao Anan quickly covered Mier’s mouth, “What are you talking about? Having spots just makes you uglier, not dead or anything, pfft!” Mier removed Mao Anan’s hand, placing it on his chest, “I really worry about what you’d do without me, but now I’m relieved; Father loves you so much, he will definitely take good care of you.” Mao Anan put her hands on her hips, jumping in anger, “If you say such depressing things again, I’ll go… chat with Casa!” “Okay, I won’t say it.” “Good.” Mao Anan leaned against Mier’s chest, playing with the buttons on his white uniform, softly saying, “Even if you get ugly, I won’t mind. A black cat or a white cat, as long as it’s you.” Mier smiled gently, but his eyes held a shadow of sadness.
That night, the Earl family had dinner together, but Mao Anan, claiming to feel unwell, did not attend. The dining etiquette among the nobles was extremely strict, especially for the royal family, who were role models for the public. The clinking of cutlery against plates was almost the only sound. Earl was naturally quiet, Mier seemed preoccupied, focusing solely on the food in his plate, and Queen Kelly, facing her ‘son’, struggled to find a suitable topic. The dining room was eerily silent. Mier absentmindedly put food into his mouth, and Queen Kelly, with a smile, placed some tender meat onto Mier’s plate, “Eat more; you look unwell.” “Thank you, Mother.” Mier thanked her with impeccable manners. Queen Kelly smiled warmly, “We’re family; no need for formalities.” Mier put down his cutlery, nodded to Queen Kelly, hesitated, then asked, “Mother, you and I are both clones; our memories come from others’ accounts or videos. Do you think we’ve truly lived?” Earl looked up, his gaze deep and still. Queen Kelly glanced softly at the expressionless Earl, then said gently, “Following the set trajectory ensures we don’t collide with other ships. Others’ lives are my life.” “But I can’t think like you,” Mier said, his mood low, murmuring, “I can’t accept that she sees someone else through me; the more I love her, the less I can bear it. I’m so sad…” Queen Kelly comforted the disheartened prince, “Child, you are him.” Mier shook his head in sorrow, his pure white hair falling listlessly over his shoulders, looking unkempt due to neglect, “I’m not. If I change, I’m not him anymore.” Earl suddenly asked, “Why would you change? What’s the problem?” “I’m sorry, Father, Mother, for being so rude on our first dinner together. I’ll excuse myself.” Mier bit his lip, bowed, apologized, and left the dining room. Earl looked at Queen Kelly, who continued eating, seemingly unaware of the probing looks.
When Mier returned, he found Mao Anan watching TV with a large bowl of simple mixed rice. Mier knelt down, hugging Mao Anan’s legs, “The food is too simple; I’ll have someone prepare something more nutritious for you.” “No need,” Mao Anan said, “I wanted to eat mixed rice. How was your dinner with your parents?” Mier forced a smile, “It was pleasant.” Mao Anan held Mier’s face, examining it closely, “No, you’re not happy at all. You might be smiling, but your eyes tell me you’re very fragile right now. Come, lean on my shoulder, cry if you want to; I won’t tell anyone.” Mier gave a bitter smile, hugged Mao Anan, and sighed softly, “If only I were him…” “What did you say?” Mao Anan didn’t hear clearly, “Who is ‘him’?” “Nothing.”
Here is the English of the provided Chinese text:
“Tomorrow, you must go see a doctor,” Millie tried to sound cheerful. “Okay,” she agreed. The next day, Maomao escorted Millie to the lab where they found the most authoritative doctor in Austin to examine Millie. Despite Millie insisting she had no symptoms except for some spots on her skin, the doctor diligently checked her from head to toe and even took five blood samples. When Prince Lirben heard about Millie’s condition, he came with Queen Kelly to visit. “How is Millie’s condition? Is it serious?” Prince Lirben asked the doctor with concern. The doctor replied that Prince Millie’s condition was still uncertain; only skin lesions had been found, and any organic changes would require further testing to confirm. Millie interjected, “Really, it’s nothing, just worried my parents.” “I hope it’s nothing,” Lirben’s gaze shifted from Millie to Maomao, “Otherwise, she would cry for a long time.” Millie said firmly, “For her, I must live healthily.” Maomao held Millie’s hand, their fingers intertwined.
Lirben, busy with state affairs, stayed only briefly before leaving. Queen Kelly dismissed her attendants, signaling Millie to send Maomao away as she had something to say. “Mao, I’m a bit hungry; could you get some pastries for me?” Millie asked, “The kind with the creamy taste.” “Sure,” Maomao, obediently wrapped in her cloak, left. Millie invited Queen Kelly to sit, and suddenly, Queen Kelly lifted her skirt, exposing her legs, which was impolite even between mother and son. Millie was embarrassed, then shocked to see the same spots on Kelly’s fair legs! The spots, like coal dust, marred the beautiful white skin, startling to behold. “How come you have them too…” Millie exclaimed. Queen Kelly lowered her skirt, sat elegantly, and arranged her wavy hair, “Perhaps it’s a side effect, but I think it’s not just a skin condition. Sometimes, a fruit might look fine on the outside with just a few spots, but its core could be rotten.” Millie broke out in a cold sweat, “What… do you mean?” Queen Kelly glanced at Millie, stood up to leave, and patted Millie’s shoulder as she departed, “Prepare for the worst. You know, no matter the means, a clone’s life isn’t long.” Millie stood there, feeling as if plunged into an icy abyss.
