Chapter 99
The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 99
Translation: godsn
Echinacea poured out her questions.
"When did you start liking me? You and I haven't known each other for long. You said you recognized my talent since the birthday banquet. So... is it because of my talent with the sword that you like me?"
"No, it's not just that."
"Then what is it?"
"......"
"What exactly do I mean to you... That you'd go to such lengths, taking on such complicated and precarious schemes, just because you wanted to wait for me...?"
Her words trailed off. Eki bowed her head. She felt like crying a little. She didn't quite understand why she felt this way—her heart pounding with joy while simultaneously burning with anger and aching with sorrow.
"It's difficult to explain. Especially now that things have come to this."
A quiet reply came from above her head. Eki lifted her gaze to look at him. Yurien was watching her through slightly narrowed eyes, as if gazing at something distant and dazzling. Absentmindedly, he raised his hand and brushed his fingertips across her cheek—a light touch like caressing down feathers. Eki momentarily forgot to breathe.
"You are to me..."
His fingertips, having traced her cheek, accidentally grazed her lips. The contact snapped her back to awareness. Yurien flinched and withdrew his hand. His suspended fingers slowly curled away as they retreated. He quietly lowered his eyes.
Eki exhaled the breath she'd been holding. The tangled present, the uncertain future, and the unknowable past were all expelled with that breath, buried somewhere deep. On impulse, she spoke.
"I'll wait too."
"......?"
"I'll wait until you can explain what I mean to you."
If he truly meant it. Perhaps, just perhaps, if his feelings ran deep enough that he might accept her even after she revealed everything.
"Convince me. Then... I'll give you my answer too."
Her eyes meeting Yurien's were clear. Echinacea grasped the hem of her dress, slightly bent her knees in a curtsy, and said:
"Then, I'll see you tomorrow morning as your squire, Lord."
She turned and walked across the garden. Yurien remained standing, watching her retreating figure disappear among the pale green garden trees. He looked down at the hand that had touched her cheek as if bewitched, then brought it to his lips.
"An explanation..."
Would she ever guess just how mad he was for her? How his hand moved of its own accord despite his desperate restraint, how his face burned? Would she understand the desire with which he looked at her? That even as he spoke of waiting, improper thoughts kept invading his reason—that he wanted to claim her? That the reason he was maneuvering to depose his father and elder brother to make his half-brother emperor was all for her? What would she think of him if she knew?
A quiet sigh touched his fingertips. Yurien lowered his hand and turned to leave the terrace. Only the continuing minuet music, undisturbed by anyone, remained in the empty space.
Early the next morning, Eki visited Yurien's quarters.
A squire was supposed to be on standby around the time their lord would wake. Though what each knight required of their squire varied tremendously, this was the basic expectation.
Truthfully, this was practically Eki's first time performing proper squire duties. Right after becoming a squire, her poor health had led Yurien to grant her rest. Then he'd left on a long-term mission, and after returning, he'd been at the capital.
Yurien stayed in the captain's quarters of the knights' dormitory—the largest room on the third floor. The entire third floor consisted of spacious, luxurious suites prepared exclusively for Giosa Owners. Currently in the Azure Sky Knights, only two used this floor: Captain Yurien and Teresa. Baron, being married, lived in a mansion outside the order and only used the vice-captain's quarters when working late.
In front of Teresa's room stood an unfamiliar cadet. Since Teresa didn't have a squire, it seemed this was a temporary squire assigned by seniority. Eki passed by him with a light greeting. The cadet started at the sight of her dove-gray dress uniform, then belatedly recognized who she was and gave an awkward nod.
She hadn't been standing before Yurien's door long when a manservant and maid appeared pushing a cart. On it were a basin of lukewarm washing water, toiletries, and a tray with water and coffee. The maid entered Teresa's room while the manservant, on his way to Yurien's chamber, paused upon seeing Eki waiting by the door and bowed slightly in surprise.
"Good morning, Squire Echinacea Roaz. It's an honor to meet you."
"Good morning. Shall I take care of this?"
"No, miss. It's our duty to attend to the knights in the residence."
The manservant politely declined before entering Yurien's room. Eki glanced at the opening and closing door.
Truthfully, she'd wanted to do it herself. She was curious about what Yurien looked like while sleeping peacefully or just waking up—scenes she'd never witnessed even during their missions together. Unconsciously imagining Yurien in disarray, Eki suddenly caught herself and violently shook her head to clear such thoughts.
[What are you doing? Why suddenly shake your head?]
"Nothing."
[How dull. If no one's going to die, I'd at least like to see someone dying. Won't there be a murder or something?]
"First thing in the morning, really... Shut up, Val."
As she hissed the reprimand, movement came from within. The manservant emerged pushing the cart, followed shortly by Yurien. Not a single strand of hair was out of place in his immaculate uniform. Feeling an odd sense of disappointment, Eki saluted as Baraha had taught her.
"Ar Sebat-tiem."
"...Echinacea."
Yurien paused to study her briefly. This felt profoundly different from when Ian Pelletro had waited at his door. Though pleased to face her, the idea of her standing outside his door like some attendant didn't sit well with him.
If he was to meet her upon waking, he'd rather open his eyes beside her in the same bed. Flustered by the unbidden thought, he turned his head away. It was truly fortunate Langiosa couldn't read its master's mind.
"My lord?"
"...Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"Let's dine together."
Yurien typically made do with sandwiches for breakfast, but today he'd deliberately ordered a proper meal. Throughout breakfast, he subtly observed which dishes she favored most.
After the meal came tea. Yurien broke the silence while sipping his.
"Echinacea, after the festival, I'll be departing on another mission. Will you accompany me?"
"As my lord's squire, of course I must attend you."
"If you do accompany me, you may need to act as an undisclosed Master."
Eki blinked. The Azure Sky Knights had Masters to spare. That he specifically needed her to act as an "undisclosed" Master meant—
"What kind of mission is it?"
"There are people who must be extracted in absolute secrecy. This operation cannot become known externally. I'd planned to go alone, but..."
He hesitated briefly before continuing carefully,
"...I didn't want to keep it from you."
Eki's hands froze around her teacup. She set it down carefully and looked at him.
"Is that because I'm your squire?"
"Who could I trust if not my squire? But beyond that... there's another reason I don't want you misunderstanding."
There was also the shameful reason that he simply wanted to be with her as much as possible. Eki tilted her head.
"Misunderstanding what?"
"It concerns my engagement to Lady Diassant. I want you to understand my promise to wait wasn't empty words—to know what meaning lies behind the engagement that will soon be announced."
Eki had never doubted Yurien when he said the engagement was a ruse. Yet his words—that he wanted her by his side for this mission related to the false engagement—strangely stirred her heart. As she stood speechless, Yurien continued speaking.
"Even if you refuse to accompany me on this mission, I will still share its details with you. So..."
"I will accompany you, Lord."
"...Thank you."
When Eki answered quickly, Yurien smiled shyly. His eyes sparkled with joy, the corners of his lips deepening, and as he lowered his eyelids with a flutter of emotion, there was no other way to describe that expression but bashful. This man... he just keeps smiling more beautifully as time goes on. Or is it because I like him that he seems increasingly lovely? Her emotions were spiraling out of control. Eki drained her teacup to hide the trembling in her hands.
"Then, take this and go to Lady Rosalin Diassant."
Yurien pulled out an envelope and slid it toward her.
"The lady will explain the mission details to you. Your task today is to gather and organize the specifics of the mission from her. We'll plan our next steps based on the information you bring back."
"Understood, Lord."
Eki tucked the envelope away and stood. Yurien, who had been staring at it intently, murmured softly,
"I'll make sure your wait isn't long."
Eki froze mid-motion.
Her impulsive words yesterday—that she would wait for him—had been just that: impulsive. Her resolve to pretend his confession never happened had crumbled far too easily the moment she faced him again. She hadn't even been able to refuse. All because he had looked so sad.
So what should I do now? She had tossed and turned until dawn, agonizing over it. And at the end of that struggle...
"...I'll prepare my answer as well."
Emotion, desire, and hope were paralyzing everything. And trailing behind them was a fear that refused to fade. Eki smiled as if she might cry, then turned away.
Rosalin Diassant's quarters were under heavy guard.
Her room was located on the sixth floor of the tower at the far right wing of the knights' headquarters. The hallway leading to it was patrolled in shifts by two royal guards who had accompanied her from the capital and two junior knights of the Azure Sky. The rooms near the entrance housed Rosalin's personal maids and the remaining royal guards.
Nicole, staying in the room directly below, had cast alert spells on every window and balcony of the lady's chamber. He renewed the magic every morning.
"It's practically a maximum-security prison, don't you think?"
Rosalin dismissed all her maids the moment Eki arrived, leaving just the two of them, and began preparing tea herself. Eki sat at the tea table, watching Rosalin's back as she rummaged through small ivory tea caddies. Her red hair and green eyes resembled Nicole's, but Rosalin's were so vivid it would be unfair to call them the same color.
"It does seem a bit excessive."
"But justifiably so. They've already caught six people, I hear."
"Assassins?"
"Assassins, spies... If it's this bad inside the Azure Sky Knights' headquarters, imagine how thrilling it must be outside! Feels like I've become quite the celebrity."
Rosalin let out a short laugh, then pulled out a tea caddy from the back.
"Lepang-san Black Tea, how does that sound?"
"You have quite the rare tea. Thank you."
"I brought it especially for a special guest. This is the first time I'm opening it today."
"Oh my, what an honor."
Eki wasn't particularly interested in tea, but as a lady of refinement, she was familiar with famous and expensive varieties. The black tea Rosalin mentioned was one of them.
Rosalin...