I couldn't quite say much after that, because my throat went dry due to all that coughing. It was causing me a bit of trouble, but as soon as all ailments of the herb had been cleansed out, my couch stopped. At least Spectrum had told me so.
I wiped my face with a little more fabric and stood up on my feet. The mention about the empress becoming sick with the disease that circulated throughout the apocalypse. Honestly, I still had little to no knowledge about this so-called apocalypse. I walked towards the table to get my hands on the water pitcher, my bloody fingerprints being left behind across its handle.
I could see the concern on his face as he watched my trembling hands pour myself a glass of water. It had got me thinking he was quite a worrisome person. Even if a needle pricked my finger, he would be ready with a bandage–sort of person. But I liked it. Otherwise I would have broken down even more. Honestly because I was an overthinker and I didn't want to prove to myself that I was weak.
It was a mentality that I picked up after seeing Brittany and Ms. Avry die.
I think, I was in a sort of fear that if the empress died, I would lose myself again. Although, my mind was way forward then what I say about myself
"How did you come across that information about the empress?" I asked while turning towards him after placing the glass back onto the tray. My headache and fever still troubled me. Since Cindy didn't come back, it meant that today wasn't the day that Lewis had made his move. I was glad that at least if it were tomorrow or another day, I would have some time for myself to recover properly.
"Nada has a phone for herself. And she had my contact number. I was telling her about your whereabouts when she told me about the empress and the situation at the capital. She also told me that the Countess was personally thinking of coming over to visit you to tell you about it." He answered all in one breathe of air.
I knew the last part was made up. Elanor won't ever risk it twice.
"The situation at the capital?" I asked with a confused look on my face as I listened with half of my mind still awake. The only thing that I knew about the apocalypse was how it was still at its early stages and there hasn't been much people infected with it. Whether it was an infection or another part of an experiment–was what the Island people were discussing right now.
I had heard about the entire empire thinking about a meeting with the current working Imperial member. Which of course, I had remembered to change it from my name to another sibling's. However, I wasn't able to do a single paper other than the 'Named Heir' files. But also within those files, I had transfered my inheritance as well. I didn't want to continue being a burden to the others.
"Don't you know? That the apocalypse is only in the capital? And that all patients were found at the borders." He answered me after a short while. I couldn't quite believe my ears, but I still wanted to know more about it. So I gritted my teeth for a bit to let my headache subside and then spoke.
"What is it about this apocalypse and the patients? Is it a virus? A bacteria?"
"Nothing of that sort. However, if you were to hear what I have found out about it, you would think I probably made a mistake with my findings."
"What? Why?"
"Because rather than being caused by a contagious cell, the symptoms all rounded up–to me–that it was more like a chemical that had been injected or the person came into contact with."
"Chemical?!" My mind was somewhat blank, but there was still somethings that I could instantly suspect if I put into mind that it wasn't contagious and that the empress was affected. Added to it, the people only found at the borders were infected. "Wait so... It must either be radioactive or a mistake in manufacture if it were natural right?"
He seemed disappointed in me after hearing me say something like that. I squinted my left eye in question.
"What? Is it not anything that I had mentioned?"
"Yes, it wasn't anything that you had said. It wasn't radioactive or a mistake in manufacture, it wasn't even natural to began with. Do you know how some chemicals can dissolve your tissues instantly? Because they have some acidic components within them. However, there weren't any burnings."
"... So how were they able to tell that the patients were injected or came into contact with it? If there wasn't physical burning? If it isn't right than did I hear a false rumor?"
"But what if they added enough alkaline compound to slightly neautralise the acid, yet leaving enough acid to do the damage of destroying the muscles and tissues. The acid takes time to work, but by the time it is detectable, it has already spread across the body. The compound had been made that way to act as a hidden destruction, but seems harmless at first. Leaving the patients in a state were it is simply detectable with their actions or with muscular pain, but too early to actually kill them fully."
"Wait! I don't get it." I spoke while holding up a hand at him and pressing my thumb and index fingers between my eyes. Truth be told, his explanations were a bit different from what I had heard. He had spoken with much clearer precision that I could interpret to myself. "So what is the chemical name? Or has it not been found yet?"
"..." He let out a sigh while watching me having a hard time getting what he was saying. "The compound they had made the patients come into contact with was dimethylmercury. Although we Earthians know about it, these Nikoanian citizens aren't aware of it. So if you ask me that question again, I would say that the name has been found for the chemical, but only the people in this world don't know."
My eyes widened at the words, 'Dimethylmercury'. I had heard the famous story somewhere online back when I was into looking up for scientifically mysterious ways that people died. I didn't really find the topic of death interesting, but I loved to be uselessly aware of things that had caused people's death in histories.
(Likewise, the HMHS Brittanic tradegy fascinates me still to this date. Although it isn't a scientific way.)
To think that one day I would have great use of it, I was really happy yet shocked right away.
"But then... That is a matter even more concerning. There is no sorts of treatment for this chemical." I blatantly stated while placing a hand on my forehead and heading over to sit on the bed to avoid from becoming disoriented of the constant standing. I felt like–within the next second, I might just lose my voice or my eyes would give up. However, thanks to the over flowing power that I had, I couldn't quite fall asleep. It would force me to use up a little bit before the next rest.
"It is... However, there is a solution to this."
"Don't even think about telling me about that." I spoke with a calm voice despite it sounding a bit harsh as it came out of my mouth. "I think... I want to hear more about the apocalypse. I want to know about the symptoms and how long it has been around for up until now."
He let out a deep breathe and came to sit next to me on the bed.
"I know you are a bit stressed about this. You are in luck since it hasn't even been two days since the empress showed the first symptom. She is pretty strong for herself–this only happened because she had caught this problem while she was in a frail state. Within time she should be able to fight it back and recover eventually." He placed a hand at my shoulder, I didn't mind since I was busy with other thoughts.
"..."
He stared at my face for a long time with a hint of desperation.
"The symptoms starts off with a little bit of difficulty in task, then slowly progresses into blindness, maybe a slight difficulty hearing or becoming permanently deaf. In worse cases, there is possiblity that the person would slur or lose speech completely. This is shown as a mental disorder for now, and it isn't much of a problem until the person lets go of all response. That is the point of no return honestly. Luckily, the empress only happened to be suffering muscle soreness."
"Then... That is a relief." I spoke while looking at my own hands. I had been momentarily dragged out of my thoughts for a while second and now I was thinking of possiblities again. However, in the midst, I knew he was lying about the point of 'no return'. Dimethyl mercury is a very potent chemical. Its effects starts at the point of no return.
"Why is it that you are worried about her health and death?" He asked while retracting his hand from my shoulder.
"Solely because if she were to suddenly dissapear, I fear my brothers won't be able to defend themselves from a major political enemy." I replied. It was true, because the way I had found the entire empire weak when I had first took my responsibilities to save it, I could feel it would collapse as soon as an attack was made.
To think that the main attacks were all placed right after I had entered my role in the palace. Because the bigger attack was the Count's use as a proxy. However, it looks like they had become aware about my presense that was stopping them from pursue their attacks all at once. Just when I thought that they had stopped, they start with a much direct hit and I was wondering, what sort of reason led them to investigating the family in secret?
But more importantly, how was my presence revealed at all? Was it because of my death? Did that get them suspicious?
I was honestly willing to protect the empire from the shadows right when I had reawakened, however, I didn't want to do this quickly. Looks like I was brought back for a particular reason after all. That led Silence to believing it was worth sacrificing her own life if only I came to know about the situation. What made me worried even more however–
My actions always somehow ended up having an advantage and a disadvantage. My advantage for luring him here was for my easy and non-suspicious escape, since people at the borders already knew about me from the last time. Well, sort of. And the disadvantage is that within two days, just anything big and bad could happen. I had accidentally lured out the most strongest and reliable member of the family. Someone who had the capability to keep his family safe.
I gritted my teeth in the thought while still looking at my hands as if I was writing my issues onto them with my eyes. However, what I couldn't quite believe just yet was, why wasn't Lewis making his move yet? If he were in a state of hurry, he would have just seen and rushed back. If the empress fell sick two days ago, then, could it be that he made a trip back almost instantly? I definitely remember hearing from a ghost that he had arrived in this Island.
Maybe he is just tired from the journey or sick from worry. Who knows. I was just meaning to use him for my escape back into the capital. If I were disguised as one of his guards, I would be suspected less.
I thought about the possibilities rather thoroughly. Of how the much the enemies were ready to plant a next attack onto the empire during the time that Lewis was away from home.
I was now starting to understand why I was taken in and what sort of problems I was expected to solve when the empress had told me about it. I just couldn't believe that I had made such a dumb mistake and planned my escape since the very start. I felt dumbfolded with receiving more sense about the sort of problem I was having to face after all those things.
"Ha!"
A sound escaped my mouth as I suddenly started to smile with furrowed brows. Beside me, Helio was starting to get scared for me. Given how I always presented him with surprising near-death situations all the time, I think he just started to get hyper alert with me. I will be honest, I think I was at a breaking point too.
I couldn't prove it enough, but I had enough suspicions on the particular enemy that I was pointing my finger at, mentally. That person must have hired another proxy to inject the empress with a dose of dimethylmercury. It was possible that she could have been sleeping when that was done, because she was in a frail state. I had left her fully healthy. So how is it possible that she would be weak during a time like this? She could have been sick, and if she were, she would have been constantly resting.
"I should have known better." The situation was laughable. I had really started to feel the guilt of my mistakes more deeply. It made me want to tear apart the entire room because I keep failing whenever I think I am going to succeed. I left such a huge obvious blindside.
"Those bastards injected her while she was probably sleeping. Ugh!"
I shouted out of defeat.
I wasn't a kind of person to accept a lose this easily. However, something was not right with me when I left the palace. It kept bothering me again and again. My brain was functioning how I didn't want it to. I didn't care about the empress dying... I wanted to protect Lewis and Henry the most. But I was so dumb, I just made a way for the enemy to barge in and strangle them.
Suddenly, a hand wrapped around my shoulders while I was still in a state of shock and high temper. By the time I knew it, I was leaning against his shoulder.
"You know Aefia? Sometimes its alright to cry before you decide to carry the burden of an entire nation up your shoulders again."