Hope everyone had a great weekend. So I’m told “divine envoy” sounds more official so I’ll be using that instead of “divine messenger”.
“No, I’m not.”
Seto’s voice was urgent, as if unable to accept being judged by the Mother Goddess as a bad child. The lower half of his face, uncovered by the mask, showed a tense and clear jawline, and he nervously reached out to lightly tug at Xin Hexue’s outer robe.
But the knuckles were obviously tense with strength, as if with a little more force, the thin outer robe would be torn in his hand like a transparent cicada wing.
Xin Hexue pulled the hem of his robe back from his hand.
The young man regarded as the divine envoy, when without emotional fluctuation, was calm and aloof, like a handful of snow on the highest peak of the Sinai Peninsula, the place closest to the sky.
But Cynopolis, the center of Anubis’s worship, was located in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula, so he was the one closest to the Mother Goddess.
Seto lowered his head and came to this conclusion as a matter of course.
The young man’s hand, warmed from bathing, brushed against the side of his jaw.
There were still a few cat scratch marks left from the day. Because the scratches had not been treated properly, after a whole day of wind and sand in the desert, the cuts were now faintly red, swollen, and inflamed.
“Does it hurt?”
Xin Hexue lowered his gaze and asked.
“It doesn’t.”
Seto seemed a little puzzled, not understanding why Xin Hexue would ask this, but still answered honestly.
He tilted his head slightly, letting his jaw and the cold jackal mask rest in Xin Hexue’s palm, looking like a black-furred dog leaning against its master’s side affectionately.
Xin Hexue led him out of the bath, back indoors to sit down, and told the servant to bring medicinal ointment and a basin of salt water.
Seto obediently lowered his head to wash the wound with salt water.
Xin Hexue raised his hand, holding Seto’s head in position. “Alright, don’t move.”
With his fingertips, he picked up a small amount of the herbal ointment from the clay jar. The greasy substance quickly melted between the rubbing of his fingertips.
Xin Hexue’s nostrils moved slightly as he sniffed gently, catching the scent of plants. This herbal ointment was made from papyrus, and most likely also contained natural resin.
The roots and stems of papyrus were often used on this land to make medicinal herbs for reducing inflammation, clearing heat, and lubrication.
“If there were kudzu root and coptis, it would be even better.”
Xin Hexue murmured, but unfortunately, these were traditional Chinese medicinal herbs which, even if introduced through trade, lacked the right environment to grow.
He washed his hands, then used a small wooden spatula to scoop the ointment and spread it evenly over Seto’s wound.
Fortunately, he knew he was not an ordinary cat. His claws did not contain Bartonella henselae and would not cause cat scratch disease.
The alabaster oil lamp burned quietly in the night, illuminating Xin Hexue’s side profile and weakening part of the faint coldness in his temperament and instead bringing out complete gentleness.
The north-facing shutters were open, and the fresh sea breeze from the Mediterranean to the north blew cleanly into the room, brushing down the soft silver-white strands of hair on Xin Hexue’s shoulder.
“Nephthys.” Seto felt the cool ointment applied to the side of his jaw. As if unable to understand, he tilted his head, and the two black pointed ears on his head, like short daggers, also tilted to the side. “Why?”
The injuries he had received since childhood had never been less severe than this. He had even, due to a lack of battle experience in his early years, been bitten through the waist and abdomen by the long, sharp fangs of a lion. But in the end, he had dug out that lion’s heart with a dagger.
Several large wooden barrels of salt water had been poured over his head from above, soaking the torn flesh of his abdomen until it was a bloody mess. The pain would make him even more alert, and then he would be locked back in the cage.
That was the trial of being the incarnation of Anubis in the mortal world.
His father had said so.
Xin Hexue glanced at his wound and said, “No reason.”
This wound would heal even if it was not treated. He had simply taken the opportunity to gain two points of love value.
But there were two things he still did not understand.
“Why do you call me Nephthys?”
Xin Hexue did not think there was anything in his appearance that resembled Nephthys. As long as Seto’s mind was normal, he should be able to tell that he was male.
So, it was impossible for him to give birth to a child a head taller than himself.
“…Nephthys is just Nephthys.” Seto lowered his head, the mask hiding his expression. “She is… Mother.”
“…”
Xin Hexue frowned.
In his silence, Seto seemed to recall something and asked a little nervously, “When this wound… heals, will there be no scar? I want to keep the mark Nephthys gave me.”
Xin Hexue paused. “How do you know that white cat…”
Before he could finish his question, Seto had already guessed and answered first, “The scent.”
Seto said, “Nephthys has a unique scent.”
It was a very light and faint fragrance, with a slight bitterness of plants, somewhat close to sandalwood, but Seto could not tell exactly what it was as he had never encountered anything similar.
He could only rely on his instincts and keen sense of smell to immediately find Nephthys when the wind carried that scent to him.
Xin Hexue had not expected it to be because of the overly sharp nose of a dog.
Seto lowered his gaze and repeated, “I want to keep the mark Nephthys gave me.”
Xin Hexue was worried he would pick off the ointment and the scab, and blocked Seto’s movement. “Don’t move.”
Seeing that Seto was unwilling to give up, Xin Hexue said lightly, “If you don’t behave, there will be no reward.”
Reward.
Seto’s fingers clenched tightly into his own palms, with such force that his nails almost dug into the flesh, until his hands were covered in blood.
He wanted it so much…
Reward.
Nephthys…
Could Nephthys whip him?
Seto suddenly wanted to bite his fingers. He gradually became restless, like an anxious dog. He wanted to curl back into that bronze cage with those dead lions.
But he could not.
His royal brother and the attendant who taught him manners had once said that he needed to behave like a normal person in order to walk out of the cage. If he were locked back in the cage, he would not be able to see Nephthys again.
Seto decided, at this moment, to first abandon the strange lion dreams of his youth. His memories were like that heart dug out with a dagger, gradually withering and ceasing to beat.
He loosened the hand that had been pinched with deep marks, stood up from where he was, and walked into Xin Hexue’s bedroom.
When the young man followed him and stood by the door frame, Seto crouched down. He knelt on the linen carpet on the floor, the solid and strong leg muscles extending beyond the waist cloth.
Seto turned his head and asked, “Can I sleep here tonight?”
Right next to the linen carpet was Xin Hexue’s bed.
He seemed to completely treat this place as his home and even measured it. “I can curl up to sleep.”
The linen carpet was actually very large, but for a tall and slender adult male, it still seemed limited. Seto would have to bend his waist and truly be like a dog curling up under the master’s bed for the whole night.
Seto touched the brand-new linen carpet. Because it was supplied for noble officials, the material was extremely fine, embroidered with patterns of lions and goats.
“This way, if you get up at night, you won’t step on a cold carpet.” He lifted his head, golden-brown eyes showing through the narrow slit of the mask, meeting Xin Hexue’s gaze earnestly. “My body is warm.”
Xin Hexue had never met such a person before.
Xin Hexue: [Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with him?]
K: […]
K: [While outside, please make sure to protect yourself, Host.]
Xin Hexue: [^^]
Seto looked at him, hoping to gain approval.
Xin Hexue only stood by the door frame and moved aside. “Get out.”
The young royal remained in the room, his thin lips gradually pressed into a stubborn straight line.
The firelight shone on the divine envoy’s now indifferent brows and eyes. “Anubis, don’t make me angry.”
[Seto–Anubis love value +5]
………
The night before, Xin Hexue had told Rahotep to order the quarry guards to release the two slaves who had been arrested for arson.
Among them was Nub, and the slave who had only survived after he had fed him holy water.
Because it was the will of the divine envoy, the Pharaoh of Upper Egypt granted special pardon to the two slaves for the crime of setting fire in the quarry and ordered the guards to take them to the southern border of Aswan, releasing them back to Nubia.
But the next morning, while Xin Hexue was dining, a servant came in from outside the courtyard to ask, “Divine envoy, that slave from before is outside the courtyard, he wishes to see you.”
Xin Hexue: “Let him in.”
More than half of the grain porridge in his bowl had already been eaten, so he put down the wooden spoon and used a cloth to wipe the corner of his lips.
Nub entered from outside the courtyard. He seemed to have been waiting there for a long time, or had been asking the servants to pass on his words for a while. The sun of the Nile flood season was scorching, enough to dampen the hair at his temples with sweat even in the morning.
His knees touched the ground as he bowed to Xin Hexue.
“My lord…” Nub’s voice was somewhat dry and hoarse, as if worn down like the gravel in the quarry. “Please allow me to follow you to Thebes. I want to stay by your side, as your attendant and servant.”
Xin Hexue signaled him to rise, looking at the slave standing there cautiously. “Don’t you want to return to Nubia? I already pleaded with Rahotep for you. You and your companion are both pardoned and can return to your homeland.”
Nub shook his head stubbornly. “I want to follow you.”
“As for Ankh, he asked me to thank you on his behalf. He has already set out on the long road back to Nubia. From now on, he will always pray for you, wishing that the grace of the gods forever protects you, that the Nile forever nourishes you, bringing endless abundance and glory.”
Nub repeated Ankh’s words on his behalf, although he had already simplified much of the hymn of praise Ankh had composed for Xin Hexue before delivering it.
Xin Hexue’s gaze swept over him.
Nub straightened his back even more, making his whole bearing seem sharper, the muscles on his body silently tensing. “You can test me and see if I have the ability to stay by your side and protect you.”
“No need.” Xin Hexue had him sit at the dining table and curved his eyes. “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I can’t finish this alone, can you help me?”
There was only a faint, gentle smile on the young man’s face. His features were beautiful and quiet, a beauty completely different from that of the Nile’s people.
The skin behind Nub’s ears felt hot, and he stammered, “Y-yes.”
He sat down across from Xin Hexue nervously.
The environment of Aswan was harsh, but the supervisor had done his best to provide the divine envoy with fine food.
On the wooden table was a basket of finely ground wheat bread, a jar of honey and a plate of figs, small clay jars of dairy and grain porridge, pigeon stew simmered with spices and onions, freshly picked grapes glistening with dew, and fennel tea steaming in white mist.
Xin Hexue: “Eat.”
Nub nodded vigorously.
………
At noon, the Pharaoh’s boat would depart from Aswan, sailing along the Nile back to the capital Thebes.
If they only stopped briefly at riverside cities to replenish supplies along the way, they could return within seven days.
After finishing breakfast, Xin Hexue was dressed and prepared by the attendants.
His long silver-white hair was braided by a skillful maid, intertwined with golden ribbons, and woven into several strands, finally hanging down his back, the ends bound with an amber-gold ring.
His chest was dazzlingly white, skin delicate and smooth, with only two points of rosy pink breaking the expanse of white.
Further down, his belt was inlaid with turquoise, the pleated waistcloth layered finely, reaching above the knees, its edges embroidered with golden threads depicting lotuses and the Nile.
But such fine attire would not be worn outside.
Under the shade of the veranda, Xin Hexue withdrew the arm he had just stretched out. From the brief touch of sunlight, the delicate skin was already tinged with red, bringing a faint stinging and itchy sensation.
The maid cried out in alarm, but Xin Hexue stopped her from calling for herbal ointment. “It’s alright, it will heal quickly. Please bring me the robe I changed out of last night.”
Xin Hexue once again draped himself in the heavy-looking white robe, the hood covering his head and face completely, so that not even a single strand of hair was exposed to the light. Only in this way could he avoid being burned by the sun.
Although his body temperature was cooler than most people’s, wearing such a robe in this region was bound to be hot. Fortunately, the fabric was extremely fine linen thread, which was light and breathable. As long as he did not exert himself with strenuous movements like running, he would not feel too uncomfortable from the heat.
Before Xin Hexue stepped out the door, Nub suddenly said, “Wait.”
The young man paused and turned his head to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
Nub crouched down, holding a pair of finely woven straw sandals in his hands, and put them on Xin Hexue.
Bare feet were common here, and the people of the Nile measured the desert with the skin of their soles.
But Nub recalled the scene he had seen last night…
The young man’s feet had paused beside him, the skin on the insteps almost transparent, with fine blue veins like the tributaries of the Nile, and his toenails like the pale pink stamens of oleander flowers.
“Your feet are not suited to tread on the scorching sands.”
Nub said.
………
“You want to keep him?”
Rahotep’s tone carried a slight surprise, his violet eyes glancing past Xin Hexue to sweep over the Nubian slave.
The other person’s features felt vaguely familiar, and he slowly furrowed his brows.
“Then let him duel with Seto.”
