Sanuki no Suke’s Diary (25)

 

     After all the wet nurses had departed, I remained by the body alongside Fujiwara Koreko, a maid of honor with whom I shared a particularly close bond. We stayed there, lost to the passage of time. Koreko wept bitterly, repeating through her tears, "Of all those who served, it is this deep karmic connection that allowed me to remain by his side until the very end." Her words only deepened my own overwhelming grief, making it almost unbearable to remain.

     Suddenly, a frantic voice called out from my chambers: "Come quickly! Kenshi has fainted!" I was hurried away from the body to find Kenshi looking like a corpse herself, her breath so faint it was barely perceptible. As dusk fell, a crowd gathered to lift her into a carriage and take her home.

     The room where the Emperor lay had fallen eerily still. The transformation was hard to believe; the chaotic commotion of recent days, once so deafening that one could hardly hear a word, had vanished—silent now, as if a fire had been suddenly extinguished. Not a sound remained.

     Though Ieko’s chamber was separated from mine by only a single wall, I could still hear the muffled weeping of those within, echoing the cries of the day. Then, I heard Ieko’s voice crying out:

     "Ah, at this hour, I used to worry about how quickly we should lower the lattices, but now there is no longer any need to say a word. How has it come to this? Please, help me... just summon me to where His Majesty is. I beg of you, please!"