The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 81

Translation: godsn

Her face had been relaxed and cheerful. That expression stiffened the moment she noticed him. She was avoiding him.

Yurien became acutely aware of that fact once again. After sending Alice away and being left alone with him, Echinacea didn't even lift her head. A cold stone rolled in one corner of his chest. Yet his entire being burned with joy at seeing her after several days.

"Echinacea?"

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't hear you."

It was bittersweet. The jumble of emotions he'd been feeling tilted entirely toward pain when she missed even his words. Was she so unwilling to listen that she wouldn't hear him standing right before her? Truly, it seemed there wasn't even a thread of possibility left. A bone-deep realization settled over him.

Suppressing his inner thoughts, he continued speaking. The conversation between them kept missing its mark. At the mention of disputes between clubs, he suddenly recalled the report about Bread von Poum that his informant had submitted earlier. He'd need to review and handle that upon returning.

"If you have any orders for me, I can begin my squire duties immediately."

"No, nothing of the sort. Take sufficient rest. I apologize for taking your time."

Yurien spoke as businesslike as possible and quickly ended the conversation. Now he just needed to leave, yet his feet wouldn't move. Until the very end, she kept her head bowed.

Does she hate even looking at my face? I thought things were gradually improving between us, so why...? Because she realized I have memories too? Because I carelessly embraced her right after emerging from the Node? I might have acted strangely since I wasn't in my right mind then.

Or perhaps my question during the appointment ceremony offended her? It couldn't be about the engagement since she wouldn't care much about that. Various possibilities rose and faded in his mind. His gaze lingered on her forehead area. He wanted to meet her eyes.

[You've already said your greetings, what more are you doing here? You've decided to give up anyway - lingering longer will only leave regrets. Even the Magic Sword's master seems uncomfortable with your presence. Let's go.]

The Holy Sword spoke as if urging him. If he turned away like this, he would soon depart on a long-term mission, and upon returning, he'd be engaged. That would mean completely giving up on her. He didn't want that. Beast-like emotions rampaged through him, clawing at his gut. The scream of that beast escaped as words:

"Echinacea. Do you dislike facing me?"

Of course she would, so answering must be uncomfortable for her. It was a question that would only needlessly bother her. He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth.

"I don't dislike it. It's not that I dislike you..."

Echinacea lifted her head. Amidst everything, he was overjoyed that she finally faced him, and her face after days apart was so beautiful he couldn't look away. She seemed to have lost some weight - had her illness been that severe? Where else could she possibly lose weight from? He desperately hoped she wouldn't push herself further. These worries flashed through his mind in an instant.

Because of this, he was slightly delayed in processing her unexpected answer. "It's not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that I dislike you"- could that be true? Or was it merely polite words befitting a Lord addressing her superior? He could feel his eyelids trembling on their own. If she doesn't dislike me, doesn't that mean there's possibility?

"If you don't dislike it... then why won't you... look at me?"

He pitied himself for desperately grasping at possibilities in such insignificant words. Do I really not want to give up this badly? Yurien mocked himself as he looked at her. He expected her to avert her gaze, stiffen her face, or show signs of discomfort. But none of his predictions came true.

Echinacea's face turned bright red. Yurien had never seen her like this before. Flushed, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she spoke:

"Because you're too beautiful."

"......"

[...Huh?]

Every thought and pain he'd harbored until now vanished cleanly with that single sentence. With his mind completely blank, Yurien stared at her dumbfounded.

Her face, still flushed red as she looked at him, suddenly jolted in surprise before she averted her gaze. Her expression crumpled, as if she didn't know what to do with herself. She looked like she wanted to snatch back her words and disappear on the spot. She even seemed on the verge of tears. She was embarrassed. It was unbearably adorable.

That series of reactions proved he hadn't misheard. With a dazed mind, Yurien replayed her words in his head.

'She wasn't avoiding me because she disliked me... but because she thought I was... pretty?'

Which meant she didn't dislike him. It also meant she liked his face enough to be embarrassed by it. Suddenly, the world seemed to brighten. Something soft, warm, and ticklish swelled inside his chest, spreading through his entire body. He felt almost weightless.

She didn't hate him. She didn't dislike him. He couldn't hold back his laughter. Yurien laughed aloud. Echinacea's face turned even redder because of it, but even that was so endearing he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from lifting.

Could a mood that had been trudging through hell really ascend to the heights of heaven this easily? He couldn't contain his joy. It wasn't him controlling his emotions—it was her. Once again, he realized the center of his world had shifted—not to himself, but to another, to her.

'I can't give up.'

Beyond his laughter, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Yurien hardened his resolve. He couldn't give up. There was no way he could give up. It was impossible to return to who he was before knowing her—he had already changed too much. He wanted her. If she didn't dislike him, then he couldn't be the one to let her go first.

Once he realized he couldn't give up, his decision was made. If looking at him wasn't painful for her, then he would approach her more actively. He wanted to stand by her side. He wanted to be the one who made her happy. And if he wanted it, shouldn't he strive to make it happen?

"Echinacea."

"Y-yes! I'm sorry, Lord. I must have lost my mind for a moment..."

"No, it doesn't matter. More importantly..."

If he left for a long-term mission, he wouldn't be able to stay by her side. By the time he returned, the circumstances surrounding him would strangle him. He had to confirm the possibility before then. The possibility that she might choose him. Even with just that possibility, he could do anything.

If he wasn't by her side, he couldn't even make an effort. But he couldn't just abandon the Saintess to die, so canceling the mission entirely was out of the question. However, if she accompanied him on this mission, she would undoubtedly realize she had memories of his erased past.

Yurien hesitated for a moment.

'......Right, let's start with that. Didn't I originally assume she knew my memories anyway?'

He wasn't planning to reveal his memories right away. Slowly. He would take it slowly, so as not to reopen her wounds. There were sins he needed to confess, too. The thought brought the familiar, gut-wrenching pain, as if a blade were carving into him. But his desire for her outweighed that pain.

Yurien asked her to accompany him on the mission.

"Again, you don't need to feel burdened."

As he waited for her answer, he was unbearably tense. Had he gotten too carried away? Her not disliking him and her enjoying being with him were two entirely different matters. Even as he told himself he would have to accept it if she refused, his throat went dry.

"N-no, I'll go. It's only natural for a squire to accompany their lord on a mission, isn't it?"

Surprisingly, she agreed easily. As his squire, accompanying him was only natural. Deciding to take her as his squire had truly been the right choice. He could feel a giddy smile spreading across his lips.

"Thank you."

Yurien didn't hold back that smile. Instead, he smiled even brighter, giving it his all. Because she seemed to like his face. And because he hoped, even just a little, that it might make her like him more.

It was worth smiling. Echinacea stared at him as if entranced. Her softened expression looked impossibly beautiful. If just her relaxed face made him feel this good, how would it feel if she smiled at him in happiness?

"I'll be waiting, Echinacea."

Afraid she might change her mind, he quickly took his leave.

[So you've decided not to give up after all?]

The Holy Sword clicked its tongue and muttered. Yurien responded as he walked back to the captain's office.

"I can't give up."

[...I knew it. Other humans change their minds just fine, but every single one who becomes my wielder has to be stubborn as a mule. What a futile hope.]

He let the Holy Sword's grumbling go in one ear and out the other. Upon reaching the office, he took out an envelope he'd stored in the drawer. Inside was compiled evidence of what Bread von Poum had planned to do to Echinacea under the pretense of an "apology."

Several cadets from the Noblesse Club, including Bread, had rented an abandoned mansion on the outskirts of Agenka around that time. There was also evidence they'd made transactions on the black market. They'd purchased some kind of drug, but identifying it had been difficult—delaying the report as they'd diverted samples for analysis.

'Anesthetic.'

Multiple male cadets. A secretly rented mansion on the outskirts. Anesthetics bought from the black market. A request to meet Echinacea Roaz in person to apologize. Put together, it painted a disgustingly clear picture of a trap. The paper crumpled in his grip. For a moment, his vision turned crimson before slowly returning to normal.

Yurien took a deep breath to regain his composure before reading the rest. Ian Pelletro's name didn't appear in the investigation.

'He must have egged them on and slipped away.'

That was usually how Ian Pelletro operated—mostly provocation and instigation that left little evidence. Yet there'd been enough letters and documents left at the Pelletro estate to build this much of a case.

He'd likely orchestrated this too. A sudden urge to gather whatever remained of his bones and crush them to dust surged through Yurien. He had to take another deep breath.

'There's no way she'd fall for such an obvious trap. She didn't even go in the first place.'

Echinacea had ignored Bread's request. Moreover, Ian had seen Yurien, Captain of the Azure Sky Knights, hearing about this "apology." That likely forced them to postpone their plans. Later, Ian Pelletro—who'd been egging Bread on and connecting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him to Echinacea—died during a monster subjugation. That seemed to have completely derailed their scheme.

The report stated that even after all preparations were complete, Bread's group showed no further activity, and the mansion's rental period expired. However, the drugs were still in their possession.

Yurien set down the partially read report, interlaced his fingers, and rested his forehead against them as he steadied his breathing. They'd made plans but hadn't acted—and even if they had, she would've been fine.

Still, if by some chance she'd gotten caught up in it... The image of Echinacea swinging her sword in that poisoned state at the merchant's mansion surfaced, nearly shattering his self-control. Blue veins stood out on his neck.

[I understand how you feel, but don't think about killing them. Their crime doesn't warrant death.]

"So as long as I don't kill them?"

His icy retort carried a chilling aura. The Holy Sword fell silent for a moment before replying awkwardly.

[It's not right to take out your anger over an attempt that never even happened.]

So he should just let those bastards who dared plot this against her walk free? Yurien glared at the patterns on his palm with frigid eyes.

"Is that your personal judgment, or your judgment as Langiosa?"