Chapter 10: Nine

 

King Cetheri and his most trusted aides rushed to the royal safe on the third floor. “What’s the preliminary report, guards?” 

“Y-your Highness!” The two trembling guards saluted the King hastily and showed the way into the safe. “W…we lost the Decernimus Crown, the Sovereign's Orb and the Holy Sceptre! They were mostly likely stolen in the confusion caused by Her Highness fainting in front of the audience; the two guards responsible for receiving the Crown Jewels were distracted and then viciously attacked by an unnamed gentleman, we hear.” 

“You people lost the three most important objects for the coronation—” King Cetheri didn’t even have the energy to feel angry towards the poor frightened guards; he shook his head gravely and stormed out of the safe. 

“What should we do now, Your Majesty?” Prime Minister Averie chased after the departing King and whispered in a concerned voice. “Her Highness has fallen ill, and now the Crown Jewels—” 

“Don’t…” King Cetheri heaved a sigh of resignation and gave him a direct order. “Don’t ever let word of the lost Crown Jewels leak out of this palace; I’ll arrange for a replacement set to be made in secret. As for Princess Anastasia, let the royal physician treat her for now. Do not spread the news of her illness until I instruct you to do so. Understood, Prime Minister?” 

Averie acknowledged His Majesty’s order with a sweeping bow. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Meanwhile, the royal physician Albert, in his long medical career, had never felt this much stress and pressure weighing on him until now. 

Not only was Her Highness suffering from some inexplicable malaise, two palace guards were now sprawled on the floor beside the main hall—alive, but barely breathing. Taking a swift look at the two groaning men, he ordered the assistant to bandage their severe wounds with gauze immediately. 

“Contact the hospital now!” Albert snapped at the guard who reported the bad news. “Tell the head surgeon to get ready for two emergency operations, and you—” he pointed at a frightened maid “—get two stretchers and prepare a carriage!” 

“Doctor, his lungs is filling up with blood!” the assistant shouted frantically. “What do I do?”

“Suck it out! Quick!” 

“Y-yes, right away!” 

One of the injured guards coughed up viscous dark-red blood as he clutched tightly at his bleeding chest. “T…th-the g-gentleman, he—” 

“Don’t speak a word unless you wish to die,” Albert said in a grave tone after spitting out blood from his mouth. “Your lung has been punctured, so I’m going to administer morphine now to relieve the pain.” 

Beside him, his assistant had finished treating the other guard and a pair of servants hurriedly lifted the unconscious man onto a waiting stretcher.

“Doctor, both of them have the same injury—they were stabbed directly in their chest area from the front. I tried to drain as much blood from his lungs as possible, but the situation looks grim,” the assistant whispered worriedly to Albert. “I doubt this is the work of an amateur.”

Albert directed two other servants to move the guard onto the remaining stretcher and wiped his brow. “Whoever attacked these two men knew where to precisely insert their blade in between the ribs to target the lungs and remove the blade in a split second, preventing them from screaming for help.”

The assistant choked back a gasp. “T-then...”

He nodded his head solemnly. “If the disappearance of the Crown Jewels had went unnoticed a minute later, I’m positive they would have died from excessive blood loss.”

“Doctor...c-could the Crown Jewels theft and Her Highness’ condition be related?”

Albert rubbed his temple with a frustrated grunt. “This empire is in greater peril than I had imagined...”

That night, the atmosphere in the palace was exceptionally tense and quiet. 

 

---

 

Two days later

—the 4th of Solis.

 

---

 

In a cottage inn on the outskirts of the empire, aptly named「The Cottage 」, two individuals were arguing fiercely on the second floor where the master bedroom was situated. 

“Stop squirming about, you fuckhead!” Xavier yelled while he held the cotton ball drenched in vodka in a pair of forceps. “Before I stuff this ball up your arse!” 

“Mudak! Svolach!” Theo cried out a string of profanities in his native tongue as the cotton ball brushed against his bleeding crack. 

“Good Lord, it’s really stuck all the way inside. No wonder you couldn’t shit for the past two days…” Xavier snapped on a pair of latex gloves and bravely stuck his index finger into the trembling hole. 

Immediately Theo let out a hoarse moan. “Ah—” 

“Don’t make weird noises, you bastard.” Xavier felt the object lodged inside and inserted another finger to pull it out. “On the count of three.” 

“A-deen, dva, tree—!” Theo screamed in sheer agony as Xavier yanked the bloody broken branch out and threw it into an empty bucket. Without hesitation, he jammed the cotton ball into the hole to stem the flow of blood and removed his gloves. 

“Let it sit there for the day, we’ll see if it gets better.” Xavier threw the soiled gloves into the bucket and wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead. “If not, I’m afraid you won’t live to see the next day.” 

“...” Theo was in such great pain that he physically couldn’t utter a word, so he simply showed Xavier the middle finger and hobbled over to the bed. 

“By the way, the boss’ men came to pick up the coronation regalia yesterday night,” Xavier said as he cleaned the mess on the wooden floorboards. “I placed your share in the bedside dresser—500 gold doubloons.” 

“T…the doctor’s fee will…t-take away half of that in an instant…” Theo struggled to speak. “S-shouldn’t…have signed up for this…” 

“Us mercenaries only live once, right?” he replied with a wry smile. “How’s your first experience getting fingered by a guy?” 

“...” 

“What do you plan to do now?” Xavier changed the subject upon seeing the look of hatred on Theo’s face. “500 doubloons ought to last you for a year, give or take.” 

“H-help me…send half to Mama…at the post office…” Theo pointed at the bedside dresser. “Y…you know the address, r-right?” 

“What a filial son you are,” Xavier muttered. “You haven’t gone back to your hometown in aeons, how do you know if your mother is still alive?” 

“...babushkas don’t die that easily.” His eyes glazed over. “B-besides, there’s also…my sister…” 

Xavier stared at him silently for a moment. “Then, what about yourself?” 

Theo glanced away, a sombre look on his face slick with perspiration. “...r-rest…until I recover…n-no choice.” He paused for a moment and mumbled, “is it really alright for us to stay…s-so close to the capital? Won’t the entire e-empire be hunting us down now?” 

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“Are you sure you wanna be sleeping out in the open in your current condition?” He choked back a laugh and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been looking out for any news about what transpired in the palace two days ago, and…nothing. Not a single mention about the coronation announcement, Her Highness or the Crown Jewels. I have a feeling that old man Cetheri is trying to preserve the image of the empire rather than catch two lowly thieves.” 

“I-I see…” Theo suddenly shot to his feet and dashed for the toilet. 

“Hmm? What’s wrong with you—fuck!” Xavier pinched his nose and reached out to slam the toilet door shut. “Oi, don’t destroy Granny’s toilet bowl, got it?!”

 

---

 

While Theo was stuck in the toilet grimacing in agony, Xavier donned his top hat smartly and hailed a merchant’s carriage to take him to the post office in the capital. 

Since it was the headquarters of the Aetherium Royal Post Service, the post office looked rather like a noble’s mansion to him when he arrived at its imposing wrought-iron gates. The long brick-and-stone two storey building was surrounded by an impressively huge red brick-walled garden full of blooming honeysuckles and lush green vines. Above its majestic cedar wood front doors was the empire’s crest along with the letters ‘R.P.S.’, displayed proudly for every visitor to marvel at while entering its compounds. 

Making sure the package containing exactly two hundred and fifty doubloons was securely tucked in his coat pocket, Xavier strolled along the paved stone path towards the entrance. The doorkeeper bowed and opened the doors for him, and he tipped his top hat in gratitude. 

“Good morning, Sir. How may I assist you today?” A young female attendant rushed over to his side once he stepped over the threshold. “Are you looking to send a letter domestically? Or abroad?” 

If he had dressed in his usual garb, Xavier was certain that he wouldn’t be receiving such prompt and quality service from the post office. He had specifically chosen a gentleman’s outfit, complete with a walking cane and top hat, to ensure that the post office would prioritise serving him first. Chuckling internally, he flashed the attendant a thin smile and nodded his head curtly. 

“I would like to send a package abroad.” 

“Then, please follow me to the special reception, Sir.”  

In the attendant eyes, Xavier looked to be an important businessman who had a busy schedule ahead of him, so the girl was eager to get into his good graces. She briskly walked past the front reception and showed him the private room where the post office usually conducts dealings with the nobility. 

She quickly closed the door after Xavier had entered the room and gestured towards the ornate wooden table in the center. “Please take a seat, Sir.” 

He hung his cane on his arm and gracefully settled down on the visitor’s seat, adjusting the tails of his coat neatly behind him. After she had taken her seat, he cleared his throat with a light cough and took out a thick package from his coat. The hefty weight of the package was immediately apparent from the loud thud created when it was placed on the table, causing her to smile inwardly. If the gentleman could afford the exorbitant price of sending such a package out of the empire, surely he would be gracious enough to tip her handsomely too. 

“Inside the package is two hundred and fifty doubloons exact,” Xavier said in a low voice. “I want them to reach their destination as securely and quickly as possible.” 

“Who is the intended recipient, Sir?” 

“A Madame Elizaveta in the Königreich Kievsta.” He wrote down the address of Theo’s old home on a slip of paper and passed it to the attendant together with the package.  

“The Königreich?” She was mildly surprised upon hearing the destination—it was an entire ocean away from the continent which the empire sat on, and the lowest estimate it would take for the package to reach there by ship was certain to be over half a year. “Noted, Sir. Please allow me to weigh the package before quoting your price.” 

While she adjusted the weighing scale, a sudden thought flashed in his mind. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, Miss, does this post office offer cheque mailing services?” 

“Yes, we do mail cheques, but it’s only limited to within the empire’s borders. Are you looking to mail a cheque? I can help to write one in your name.” 

He nodded his head. “Please write the cheque to Monsieur Benedict for two hundred doubloons, and send it to the town of Sirap in Alsace-Lotharingia.Also known as the Reichsland.” 

“Would you like to write a note to the payee?” 

“Yes,” he added after a short pause. “Typewritten, please.” 

The attendant was quick to set up the mechanical typewriter on the table, loading a fresh sheet of paper in between the brass feed rollers before turning the knob deftly. She nodded her head at him, indicating for him to start his dictation. 

“To Master, this is your student, Xavier.” His lips moved silently for a moment as he thought of what to say next. “How have you been, Master? I come to you bearing some unbelievable news: I discarded my identity and became a baroness for a day.”

Her fingers twitched slightly, and with an incredulous stare, the attendant faithfully typed everything out word for word. “B-baroness, is that right, Sir?”

“Indeed, you are correct.”

“P-please continue with your next paragraph, Sir.”

Xavier scratched his chin in thought. “Then, I went into the royal palace and met up with Her Highness Princess Anastasia. Due to the sudden circumstances, she allowed me to hug her legs while I was squeezed under her dressing table.”

“...Sir?” She stopped typing and stared at him mouth agape. 

“Ah, for the final line, please type: Finally, Master, I am proud to inform you that I have successfully stolen the Crown Jewels of Aetherium right under the royal family’s noses. This payment of two hundred doubloons is part of my reward, and I hope to share my great joy with you. Regards, Xavier, period.”

“S-Sir, I-I-I can’t type that! It will be a better idea for you to type the note y-yourself.” She pushed the typewritter to him and bowed hurriedly. “My sincere a-apologies...”

 

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The visit to the post office had left Xavier with a hundred gold doubloons less in his pocket after he exited the front doors.

“Damn that useless girl, she’s definitely overcharging me for Theo’s package and the cheque,” he muttered as he dug his hands deep into his airy pockets. “Man, I wonder what I should buy as lunch…” 

A tram pulled by a pair of black stallions rattled loudly past himThis is how a tram in Victorian London looked like: ; he absent-mindedly glanced at the advertisement boards hanging off the sides of the tram while crossing the road.

L.B. Hawes & Co’s Splendid Daguerreotype Miniatures — Take beautiful portraits for only a Silver apiece!

Travel across the Greater Aetherium Empire in Style & Comfort on the brand-new Orient Express [Tickets All Year Round]

Try our Amazing Cocaine Laxative Syrup, Now Available at all Greg's Drugstores 

“Should I buy one for Theo, I wonder?” Xavier smirked, then shook his head to stop himself from getting distracted. As he was busy looking at the selection of cafes and restaurants along the main street, someone suddenly bumped into him. The impact caused him to nearly lose his balance and trip forward; while the other party let out a surprised yelp and dropped her basket on the ground by accident. 

“Hey, watch where you’re going—” His eyes met with a familiar pair of bright blue eyes. “M-Maria?” 

“Eh? Big brother Xavier?” Maria blinked and gawked at him for a moment. “Why are you dressed like that??” 

 

 

 

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