“Yes, Your Majesty,” the attendant saluted and followed Prince Albert.
“It’s unbelievable!” Wilhelmina Minna said to Cynthia, “Duke Sellerberg is only fifty-five, and he always looked healthy.”
“I believe he will be fine, Your Majesty,” Cynthia comforted her. “Will you go meet the Alfaht envoy?”
“Yes, right away.” Wilhelmina Minna took two deep breaths, adjusted her emotions, and walked towards the audience chamber.
Seeing her son rush into the waiting room, Duchess Sellerberg quickly stood up. “Oh, Albert…”
Albert embraced his mother. “How is Dad?”
“In the operating room. The doctor said a blood vessel burst. It’s terrifying.”
“He’ll be fine, Mom,” Albert assured her. “He’s always been healthy; he’ll get through this.”
The Duchess asked, “Does the Queen know?”
“She’ll come later. The Alfaht envoy has arrived.”
After a long wait, the operating room door opened, and the doctor came out.
“Duchess, Your Highness,” the doctor said, seeming relatively relaxed, “The Duke is fine.”
Duchess Sellerberg let out a huge sigh of relief.
“You brought him in very quickly, and the surgery was successful. He will stay in intensive care for observation. If there are no problems, he can be discharged soon.”
In the intensive care unit, Duke Sellerberg was unconscious with a respirator, appearing much older. His wife’s loving fingers gently combed through his hair and pulled the blanket over him. The monitor showed his condition was stable.
Albert took his mother, still in shock, to the suite to rest, then pulled up a chair and sat by his father’s bed.
The hospital room curtains were closed, with only the lamp by the window illuminating a small area. The dimly lit room was quiet, with the sound of nurses pushing carts outside.
His father lay unconscious in the hospital bed, no longer the dignified elder or the commanding general. He was just an ordinary old man.
His father was only fifty-five, but sometimes appeared older. Albert had thought that after marrying Wilhelmina Minna, his father could enjoy retirement without worries, but illness had struck instead.
Albert sighed softly, supporting his forehead with his hands, sinking into thought.
How long had it been since he went horseback riding, fishing, or had good conversations with his father? Focused on his own family after marriage, he had unknowingly neglected his parents.
