A loud crow of a rooster resounded as three consecutive rings of the gong quickly followed, marking the start of the day.
It seems that I fell asleep for more than half a day as it took me until morning to reawaken when it was still daylight before.
With a sigh, I followed my body's reflexes and softly knocked on the wooden door of my room.
I then heard abrupt movements as what seems to be a guard placed by the door replied, "E-eldest Miss, your awake! Please wait a moment as I report this to the general."
"Please do." I replied as I unconsciously added a "Thank you." that startled the guard for a bit before went on to give his report.
I then sat back on the bed short of breath as my body feels heavy like it was hit by a truck, with my joints and muscles aching badly even by just little movements.
It was not before long after the guard left that Mother and Father hurriedly came over with quite an entourage, though is Mother still her graceful yet weak self with her steps supported through Father's help as they walk side-by-side. The woman, as well as the physician, whom I saw earlier before I blacked out, was within the said entourage.
"Yan'er, how are you feeling?" Mother asked me worriedly as she sat beside me on the bed and held my left hand in hers. Father, on the other hand, sat on a stool a servant placed by the bed as he took a sip of the tea another servant served.
"I'm alright, Mother, Father." I replied with a smile as I held Mother's hand in assurance.
"That's good." Mother said as she placed her other hand on her chest and sighed. "That, Yan'er..."
"What is it, Mother?" I asked to urge her to continue.
"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Mother asked.
"Dear, let Physician Wei see first if Yan'er still has any problem with her body." Father interrupted as he beckoned the physician on stand-by to come over.
The physician who checked on me before I blacked out, whom Father called as Physician Wei, excused himself as he placed a simple silk cloth on my hand Mother stretched for me and took my pulse.
"Eldest Miss has a strong, stable pulse, General Jié, Madam Jié. Eldest Miss just needs to rest and continue to tend to the Miss' wounds in a few days to be fully healed." Physician Wei replied respectfully after he had taken a few steps back.
[Damn, what skill.]
I can't help but marvel as he accurately diagnosed my situation. Though, of course, modern medicine is still more accurate in diagnosis with the wider knowledge range on sicknesses, it still makes me envious that he can take my pulse albeit through a silk cloth.
"Will there be any repercussions, Physician Wei?" Mother asked worriedly.
"That... We have done all we could madam. Sadly, the wound on the Miss' forehead will inevitably scar." Physician Wei said as he bowed in apology.
"Oh, dear." Mother said as she took a sharp breath.
Mother is probably worried as a scar or any mark on the body is frowned upon society in the current era.
Though it doesn't affect me much as my culture from the modern timeline dictates the opposite since it symbolizes bravery and strength instead.
I then heard a crack as I quickly looked towards the source. It seems that Father has broken the teacup he was holding in anger. A nearby maid quickly cleaned up the mess as another gave Father a new cup filled with tea.
For a moment, it was silent as the relieved mood from earlier suddenly plummeted.
"That..." I asked a few points softer than usual but it still attracted the attention of those present. "What happened?"
Mother, Father, and the rest wore dumbfounded expressions as I dropped the question I was itching to ask since earlier.
"Yan'er, you... don't remember?" Mother asked as she covered her mouth with her hands in shock. Father, on the other hand, abruptly stiffened as he quickly threw a glance at Physician Wei.
Physician Wei, then, went near me respectfully as he started to ask me a lot of questions. Afterwards, he went back to his original position with a complicated look on his face.
"This... It seems the Eldest Miss has lost some of her memories." Physician Wei stated.
"...Can this be cured?" Mother asked. Everyone, then, looked towards Physician Wei as we await his reply.
"There is no need to worry, General Jié, Madam Jié." Physician Wei answered. "There were similar cases with the Eldest Miss and those people was able to recover after some time. The Miss' memory will most probably return. It might help if the Miss' will encounter those that were forgotten to help the Miss remember."
With those words, Mother sighed in relief as Father was able to relax. I, too, was relieved to know that my memory can gradually be recovered as I badly need all the information I can get to know how I will live this life.
"Thank you for your service, Physician Wei." Mother said. "Nanny Yu, please give Physician Wei a bonus as thanks for his help thus far."
"It's my pleasure, Madam Jié. This one is very grateful for such praise." Physician Wei happily said as he went with the woman I saw earlier, whom Mother called as Nanny Yu, and went out of my room.
Not long after they left, a servant came to report. It seems to be urgent as he is still trying to catch his breath.
"General Jié, Madam Jié, the Crown Prince's head servant has come and has requested for the Eldest Miss to receive a message." He reported thus.
"He dared to send someone in here!" Father replied as he stood up and smashed yet another teacup.
Ah, I suddenly feel pity for the teacups in our household. No wonder our teacups were so simple and without design. I can also kind of imagine the wide smiles of merchants with just the teacup expenses of our household.
[Damn. Is this how being rich feels like?]
It's like those rich people in television dramas who smashes their phones when angry.
[Ahh, I want to try... even just once...] I can't help but think as I 'longingly' look at the shards of the teacup being cleaned up.
"Yan'er, you don't need to go if you don't want to. I'll talk with His Majesty, the Emperor, about this." Father said as he puffed angrily and brought me back from my thoughts.
"That's right, dear. After what happened, he doesn't deserve your attention." My elegant and calm Mother said in her rare moments of irritation.
Um... who?