"Yes, yes, they're responsible," Milady began, only to find her own voice trembling.
She was startled by the panic and weakness that slipped out, and she instinctively cut herself off, pressing her lips together tightly. She had never been this flustered before. Not even as a child, when the mechanism she'd borrowed from the clan suddenly vanished.
Hailan pulled over a chair and sat down beside her.
On the simple cot, Yidan lay motionless. Her complexion was even more frighteningly ashen than before, and her lips had turned a dark purple. Even with a hand on her mother's chest, Milady could barely feel it rise and fall.
When Hailan realized Yidan was having trouble breathing, she'd fitted her with a small mechanism that forcibly expanded her throat to allow air to flow more smoothly into her trachea. Even so, Milady had to focus intently to detect the faint, shallow wisp of air—so weak it felt as if it would vanish at any moment—struggling to pass between her mother's nose and chest.
"Maybe she's just exhausted from the decontamination," Milady murmured, feeling as if she were praying.
"It's possible. The pollution had nothing to do with Yidan to begin with. These families... Ugh, as above, so below," Hailan said, looking at her friend. Her voice was taut, as if squeezed from her throat.
That sudden phrase, however, was enough for Milady to understand what she meant.
The several families that comprised the Sea Wave Concerto were not on equal footing.
Everyone knew it. The reason these so-called old families of the "Alkana Overture"—clans like the Tower family, who had once been glorious but had long since declined—were now able to squeeze their way back into the Sea Wave Concerto and even obtain commercial rights in Haidu was all thanks to the Judgement Family giving the nod.
The Judgement Family, the uncrowned kings of Haidu, had always ruled the city alone. For the past century, every single Sea City Commander had been a member of the Judgement Family.
In the last decade, however, their smooth and steadfast rule had finally been overshadowed by the increasingly severe crystal pollution. With every meter the crystal-contaminated zones advanced, the resulting public outcry and endless problems acted like a violent undercurrent, rocking the Judgement Family, who were like a small boat on the surface.
Facing public outrage they could no longer suppress, the Judgement Family simply revived the historical "Sea Wave Concerto" model. The premise was simple: once the declining old families selected their Clan Leaders through the "Prosperity Renewal Trials," these leaders were welcomed into the Sea Wave Concerto. They would gain status, commercial rights, and a voice in politics, but in exchange, they were also assigned a large swath of the polluted territory.
The High Tower Clan Leader—along with several other clan leaders—then divided the decontamination zones into many smaller areas and assigned them to low-ranking family members, keeping their own hands clean. It was a perfect example of "as above, so below."
"I don't care about them. Decontamination is dangerous and exhausting. Once Mom gets better, I'll never let her do this again," Milady said in a low voice. "Worst case, we'll move to Chang'an, or find some island village out at sea... I'm old enough now. I can make the decisions."
She steadied her quavering breath.
"Yes, that's a good idea," Hailan nodded. She seemed to be trying to put Milady at ease with small talk. After a moment's thought, she asked, "You're seventeen this year, aren't you? In one more year, you'll be old enough to qualify for the trials."
Milady stared at her mother, her reply absentminded. "I am. But they won't ask me to join their team. I'm not obedient enough."
"Will the current Clan Leader be competing again next time?"
"No, he's getting old. His son will go next year."
It was as if Milady's mouth were speaking on its own, her mind adrift and disconnected. "It doesn't matter anyway. No matter how many trials Haidu holds, the title of Clan Leader always ends up with their family. I couldn't care less."
Hailan nodded again. She was running out of things to talk about.
"When autumn comes, we can—"
"Why isn't the family doctor here yet?" Something inside Milady suddenly snapped. The small talk was suddenly unbearable. "How long has it been?"
Hailan looked up at the clock, paused, and said, "The clock might be slow."
She looked down at her friend on the cot and added, "There's... a lot of traffic at this hour. Don't you worry. I'll give her a little more brandy."
A sudden, cold clarity washed over Milady, and she shot to her feet.