Chapter 68

Manefertiti’s departure caught everyone off guard.

She left two letters: one for Narmer and one for High Priest Bogut. Before leaving, all of Manefertiti’s power—both overt and covert—had been transferred to Narmer.

Bogut stood on the city walls, his expression unreadable, gazing toward Egypt.

That day, when he had burst into Princess Manefertiti’s palace to declare his feelings, his crude and disrespectful behavior was driven only by a powerful premonition that she was leaving. He had stood behind her, watching silently for decades, never taking a step closer, never daring to touch.

Because of the historical ties between his family and the royalty, he had to swallow all his bitterness in silence. Even the days when he could only watch from afar were too beautiful; this brief time spent with her openly was like a beautiful dream. He fantasized it would last longer, just a bit longer, but unfortunately, it shattered too quickly to allow him his greed.

Narmer was overwhelmed with work all day. By the time he settled the most urgent and complex affairs, twilight was falling. Unsurprisingly, he found his mentor, Bogut, on the city walls; Bogut had been standing there all day.

Narmer didn’t understand why this hypocritical and ruthless royal sister would so easily hand over the Hittite throne—something she had seized without hesitation, willing to endure endless infamy for.

“Teacher, I don’t understand,” the young prince said. His voice was youthful, yet it had grown noticeably steadier.

Bogut didn’t move, continuing to stare into the empty black night. His silhouette was lonely. “Your Highness, imagine if you had ascended the throne five years ago. Would you have had the means and the courage to subdue those predatory nobles and restless rebels?”

After saying this, Bogut turned and left, leaving Narmer alone to think in the night wind.

Five years hadn’t been enough for Narmer to see the situation of the past clearly; he had been blinded by hatred. Prince Narmer’s political strategy, means, and intellect were far inferior to Princess Manefertiti’s. Bogut had stood on the wall all day without understanding how she dared to leave like this.

It wasn’t until Narmer came to ask him that he realized: Manefertiti had calculated everything. Prince Narmer was his only student, and the Prince relied on Bogut’s family… So that was it.

So that was it.

Once Bogut understood, he actually felt a sliver of secret joy. At the very least, he still had utility value to her.

At that moment, an ordinary merchant ship on the Mediterranean was attempting to pass through the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea, which separates Assyria and Egypt.

The waves were rising. In a secluded cabin, Manefertiti sat disguised as a merchant. She rested her head in her hand, staring down at a letter on the table. Her lips were pressed tight, but she could not hide her tender expression.

Placed beside her was a message tube marked with the Eye of Horus, adorned in the center with a golden gemstone—the unique emblem of the Queen of Egypt.

Heshi, I am no longer a Princess of the Hittites.

I am coming to find you.

Outside, the sound of water was continuous, like a hypnotic overture [Read on BaiLianTales]guiding the descent of the moon god. When the sun rose, it was a brand new day.

The sunlight was as intense as ever, but inside the Khonsu Temple, it was comfortably cool. By Edith’s command, all the palace’s stored ice was provided for the Khonsu Temple’s use.

Ye Zhiqing watched the workers coming and going—arranging ice, bringing food, and changing her bandages—and felt a bit of a headache. She couldn’t refuse Edith’s orders; rejecting them would only get these palace servants into trouble.

Deciding that “out of sight is out of mind,” she walked to the terrace, lowered the gauze curtains, and gazed at the lush greenery of the palace, lost in thought.

Ye Zhiqing had confirmed with “Edith” that those who kidnapped her were indeed Prince Inanhote’s men. However, was this “Edith” in the Theban palace the real one? Her behavior in front of outsiders was flawless, her majestic demeanor perfect. Yet, in front of Ye Zhiqing, she was excessively attentive.

She differed significantly from the Edith in her memory; many small details made Ye Zhiqing feel that the Edith in the palace was a different person. Or perhaps, they were two entirely different people.

Ye Zhiqing pursed her lips, staring at the fully bloomed blue lotuses below the terrace, failing to notice Edith quietly approaching behind her.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?” A sexy, low voice asked. It was hard to miss the tenderness in it.

Ye Zhiqing was visibly startled, shuddering before quickly standing up. “Your Majesty… I was just looking at the lotuses below.”

Seeing her reaction, a flash of darkness passed through Edith’s eyes. She approached naturally and intimately took Ye Zhiqing’s hand. “Your injuries are much better. The lotuses in the pool are at their most beautiful; shall we go see them together?”

Her voice was so tender it seemed to brim [bailiantales.com]with warmth. Ye Zhiqing looked up, dazing for a moment. The cold, handsome face was identical to her memory, so why were there so many points of doubt?

Before she realized it, Ye Zhiqing had been led by Edith to the Nephthys Temple. The temple was vast and simple; upon entering, there was a long corridor decorated with vibrant murals on both sides.

Passing through the corridor, a vast expanse of blooming blue lotuses met her eyes. The roof of the temple was enclosed, decorated with gemstones and dark wall tiles that made the starry sky seem within reach.

Since being rescued, Ye Zhiqing had been recuperating in the Khonsu Temple, cut off from the outside world. Seeing this sight, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy, appearing much more spirited than when she was bedridden.

The lotus pond was a giant circle, divided into four sections by two narrow stone paths. In the center stood a statue of the goddess Nephthys, with brilliant light converging above her. Looking from afar, it was easy to fall under the illusion of seeing a real deity.

Nephthys, with a house and basket on her head, presided over death and rivers. Yet, what was hidden in the dim shadows was this beautiful scenery. Ye Zhiqing habitually looked toward the inner walls. The murals were lively, and she scrutinized them under the flickering light.

Edith followed silently behind her, her expression faint. Seeing Ye Zhiqing’s attention turn to the murals, she seemed to have expected it. In the shadows where Ye Zhiqing couldn’t see, a strange smile flashed across Edith’s face.

Ye Zhiqing looked closely; the murals depicted the world after death as the Egyptians believed it—peaceful and beautiful. A Barque of the Dead connected the start and end of the mural, transitioning the world of the dead into the world of the living.

Ye Zhiqing was puzzled. This seemed eerie no matter how she looked at it. Usually, the deceased board the barque to enter the afterlife, but here it was reversed.

“Your Majesty, how do you explain this section?” Ye Zhiqing turned back, her eyes meeting Edith’s.

Edith’s gaze was faint and gentle, yet held a concentrated deep affection. Despite her doubts about this Edith’s identity, Ye Zhiqing couldn’t withstand such [bailiantales.com]a look. Her cheeks felt hot, and she let out an uneasy cough. Seeing no answer, she emphasized again: “Your Majesty, how do you explain this?”

Sensing her unease, Edith shifted her gaze and stepped closer, lightly putting an arm around Ye Zhiqing’s waist. Ye Zhiqing instinctively wanted to pull away, but in the next second, a familiar fragrance reached her nose, stopping her.

The hand on her waist shifted slightly, and a satisfied look spread across Edith’s face, causing the atmosphere to lighten. Her unhurried voice was almost magical, quickly soothing Ye Zhiqing’s discomfort.

“Life and death are ordered; the cycle never ends. To most, the dead enter the underworld. But Zhiqing, have you considered—from the perspective of those in the underworld, which side would they consider the world of the living and which the world of the dead?”

“If those in the underworld think like the living, then the underworld is the ‘world of the living’ to them,” Ye Zhiqing guessed boldly.

Edith smiled and nodded, confirming the guess.

Isn’t this a parallel world? Ye Zhiqing could hardly hide her surprise. Was this Ancient Egyptian dynasty, which didn’t exist in 21st-century history, also a space-time in a parallel world?

If that discovery was surprising, Edith’s next words were shocking.

“Zhiqing, have you ever thought that if there were other hidden small space-times besides this world, and a person exactly like you existed in that space-time… wouldn’t that be interesting?”

Her lips curved up, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Ye Zhiqing turned around; the two, already standing close, were now only inches apart. Ye Zhiqing stood still, staring into Edith’s eyes for a long time. They were calm and rippleless—so candid that Ye Zhiqing began to doubt her own suspicions.

But those words would never have come from the Edith she knew.

Since the person before her had brought her here and said these things, she clearly didn’t intend to hide. What was her purpose?

“Your Majesty… or perhaps I should call you by another name. Who exactly are you?”

Her gaze was like a torch. Ye Zhiqing asked directly; through their time together, her intuition told her this person would not harm her. If it was an act, she was simply too immersed in it.

Facing the interrogation, “Edith” only smiled faintly, the calm in her eyes undisturbed.

“I am not the Edith in your memory, yet I am Edith,” she said candidly, without a hint of deception.

Ye Zhiqing, as if possessed, reached out and touched her face, tracing from the temple slowly down, grinding her fingertips against the skin inch by inch. The sensation was real—it wasn’t a mask or anything of the sort. Could there really be people in the world who look exactly the same? Even twins couldn’t be so identical in every detail.

“Edith” understood her confusion. She took Ye Zhiqing’s hand; her palm was warm and cool. She frowned imperceptibly.

“Let’s go back. Your injuries aren’t healed yet. As for the answer you want, Zhiqing, I just gave it to you.”