pappabearbooks 064. Are you sick?
064. Are you sick?
One evening.
Elizabeth was enjoying a dinner with the noblewomen when the Grand Duke summoned his servants again. Andrei, who hadn't left, was also called over by Peter to join this audacious spying activity.
The servants moved the props used for rehearsing the puppet show, such as armchairs, footstools, and benches, to the wall with peepholes, temporarily setting up a semi-circular "theater" so that everyone could enjoy the "beautiful scenery" together.
"Look at them, wine, roast chicken, they eat so well every day!" Peter whispered to the servants.
A short while later, Peter saw Shuvalov walk in through the peephole.
"Look at him, at a time like this, Shuvalov is still bothering his aunt. Who knows if they're having an affair! Haha!"
The servants were already used to Peter's rambling remarks and could only chuckle quietly along with him.
Seeing that Shuvalov whispered something in his aunt's ear, and then his aunt got up and left, Peter didn't think much of it and lay down on the armchair, feeling bored.
"Keep an eye on things, and call me when your aunt comes back."
Peter was soon greeted by his aunt, but not through the peephole; she appeared from outside the room.
Elizabeth suddenly burst in.
"Peter!"
Elizabeth's appearance terrified everyone. The servants knelt on the ground in panic, trembling. Peter was equally shocked. Wearing his pajamas, he rushed to Elizabeth and kissed her hand.
"Snapped!"
Elizabeth slapped her nephew across the face.
"Speak! How dare you do such a thing! You have completely forgotten the kindness I showed you!"
Peter was so frightened he couldn't speak.
"My father—Peter the Great—once had an ungrateful son, my brother, whom my father punished by stripping him of his right to the throne!"
"Anna (the Queen) has imprisoned anyone who has shown disrespect to her in a castle!"
"My nephew is practically an arrogant and rude little man. Doesn't he need some discipline?"
Elizabeth's words terrified Peter, turning him pale and making his smallpox-ravaged face look even more horrifying.
Peter tried to argue, but Elizabeth told him to shut up.
"Take them out! Punish them severely!"
Under Elizabeth's orders, Shuvalov had the secret police take the servants away, and one can imagine what their fate would be—Elizabeth absolutely could not allow the scandal of her being spied on to spread.
"Your Majesty! He..."
Following Shuvalov's gaze, Elizabeth looked at Andrei Chernyshev, who was equally trembling with fear.
The other party is a nobleman whose family has considerable influence in the court. His cousin was recently sent out by him, and now he has to consider the unnecessary consequences of killing him as well.
"Go back and lock yourself up!" Elizabeth finally declared.
Andrei felt as if he had been granted a pardon and left without pausing for a moment.
Ekaterina rushed over upon hearing the news, and Elizabeth glanced at her, asking, "What are you doing here at this hour?"
Catherine already knew what had happened, but she still risked coming: "Your Majesty, Peter was just confused for a moment. Please don't take it to heart. I came because we are husband and wife, and I can't abandon him."
"What a seemingly devoted couple, yet you've failed to prove your love to us, otherwise I wouldn't be left without a child!"
Even though she was more composed and mature than before, Catherine was still nervous when faced with the furious Empress of Russia.
Fortunately, Elizabeth knew she wasn't involved, and after giving Peter a good scolding, she left.
"Your Highness, I must admit, the Empress acted just like a real mother today."
After Elizabeth left, Mrs. Bruegel came to Catherine's side.
Unsure of Bruze's intentions, Ekaterina did not respond.
But just as the other party said, Elizabeth miraculously spared her today. According to Elizabeth's usual personality, she would have been verbally abused by now.
1748 October.
Catherine's brother fell seriously ill again.
Andrei was placed in solitary confinement.
2 month.
Catherine sent money to her mother and brother through Sergei.
Andrei was placed in solitary confinement.
3 month.
Catherine agreed to reach out to the courtiers who had distanced themselves from her when Peter contracted smallpox.
Andrei was placed in solitary confinement.
4 month.
Catherine's six-year-old sister died.
Andrei was placed in solitary confinement.
5 month.
Upon learning that her mother owed a considerable amount of money, Ekaterina took on the debt.
Andrei was placed in solitary confinement.
6 month.
Naryshkin's wedding.
Andrei has come out.
"What? He's out? I don't understand. Why was that guy locked up for more than five months, and he's out as soon as I get married? Am I some big shot in Russia? Does getting married require a nationwide celebration?" Naryshkin said sullenly.
"It's not a celebration for all, it's a general amnesty," Sergei corrected.
Naryshkin was incredibly frustrated: "At a time like this, you're still telling me this."
"Today is your wedding day, cheer up." Sergei patted him on the shoulder.
"You haven't given me a gift yet."
"It's with the butler. Remember to open it during your wedding night; I guarantee you'll like it. Also, I'll give you an extra gift in a few days... Hmm... how about making Andrei disappear from St. Petersburg?"
Naryshkin nodded repeatedly: "He truly is my good brother!"
Celebrations, banquets, balls...
After a complicated, lively, and lengthy process, it was finally time for the wedding night. Naryshkin, holding the gift Sergei had given him—a wooden box—entered the bridal chamber.
"What's so light? Sergei wouldn't have put a piece of paper in there, would he? Maybe it's a love letter he wrote to me; he loves to disgust people!"
As Naryshkin muttered to himself, he opened the door, and his bride, who could now be called "wife," looked over curiously.
Naryshkin looked at the things inside; they were thin, strips, some black, some flesh-colored, some pink, and some scarlet…
"What are these? They feel thinner than curtains," Naryshkin said, puzzled.
"Thinner than the stockings I usually wear," his wife said, equally puzzled.
"That's how it should be!"
Naryshkin studied it for a moment, his eyes lit up, and he put it on his head.
"No, that's not right!"
The wife suddenly realized something and quickly stopped her husband, who had already put half of the headband on, and instead put the two thin, black, thread-like things on her long, straight legs.
"How was it?" The wife stood up and gave the other person a smug smile.
Naryshkin's eyes were practically glued to the screen: "Good, good, good..."
Then the wife had another inspiration. She took off the black, thread-like garment from her right leg and put on a scarlet one, so that one leg was black and the other was scarlet.
"How about this?"
Naryshkin could no longer contain himself. With a low growl, he pounced on his wife and carried her to the bed.
7 month.
Sergei hadn't seen Naryshkin for many days, and when he finally saw him, he was quite taken aback.
"Are you sick? Your lips are so pale!"
Naryshkin replied listlessly, "It's all because of the gifts you gave me! It's like I suddenly had two wives, like day and night alternating, it just won't stop!"