Chapter 131: When the Flowers Bloom in Spring-3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131: When the Flowers Bloom in Spring-3
As is often the case with theory and reality, the calendar had declared winter’s end, but the chill refused to fade.
Like lovers loath to part, the freezing temperatures of winter lingered, wanting to stay by people's sides a little longer.
"My lady, is there anything else you require?"
A waiter in a neat uniform asked the woman.
They were on the restaurant's terrace, a space separated from the street by a small fence.
The woman took a sip of the wine the waiter had poured and nodded, seemingly satisfied.
The restaurant offered a wonderful atmosphere, delicious food, and pleasant music, yet this particular guest had not looked comfortable throughout her entire meal.
Once the waiter departed, the woman pulled a small notebook from her bag. The paper tucked inside the cover was tattered and worn.
[Eat a meal at El Fio, a famous restaurant in Lirson.]
The words were written in crude, uneven handwriting.
The woman took out a pen and crossed it out. It was a sign of completion.
Above the line she had just drawn, there were several other items crossed out in a similar fashion.
[Stay one night at the inn in Rowan Village.]
[See the Victory Tower.]
[Visit the Grandia Eleanor Cathedral.]
She didn't know how these tasks were supposed to help her learn the script, but the woman did not doubt them.
If the person who wrote these words told her he could make cheese out of stones, she would have believed him.
That was why the woman had been melancholy throughout her two-month journey.
Even when she saw beautiful scenery.
Even when she stayed in fine inns.
Even when she visited grand places.
Even when she ate delicious food.
It was because she hadn't found a single clue to decipher the unknown script.
The woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a single slip of paper.
On it was a phrase that meant: [When the flowers bloom in spring.]
And below it was her own handwriting, where she had attempted to parse the meaning.
"......"
Emma covered her own writing with her pen. The thought that none of this mattered had begun to take hold.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, leaning forward onto the table. "Master, I'm so sorry."
"Emma is a dummy. I couldn't find a single clue. I'm sorry."
She buried her face in her arms on the table and muttered in a dejected voice.
I should have studied harder.
Emma blamed herself for having only received a basic education.
As she sat there at the table, a gust of wind blew.
—Whoosh!
The sudden, strong wind snatched the note she had been holding.
"Ah!"
Feeling the slight buzz of the alcohol vanish instantly, Emma bolted upright.
The flying note cleared the fence and tumbled toward the street. It was something her Master had left for her.
Emma lifted her legs high and vaulted over the fence.
The wind blew again, and the note glided low along the road. Emma chased after it in a frantic rush.
The game of tag, which looked like a bit of a farce, ended when someone finally picked up the paper.
"Here you go."
A woman with an exotic appearance handed the note to Emma.
"Thank you. My lady," Emma said, stopping her pursuit to express her gratitude.
"When the flowers bloom in spring."
The woman spoke just as Emma was turning to leave after her thanks.
"Pardon?"
Emma spun back around. She had just heard the very phrase she engraved into her mind every single day.
"The writing on that note. It says, 'When the flowers bloom in spring,' doesn't it?"
The woman pointed a finger at the note Emma was clutching.
Emma’s hands began to tremble slightly at those words.
"C-C-Can you read this?"
Emma approached the woman, showing her the note once more.
The woman gave it a brief glance with an unreadable expression, then nodded.
"Yes. Of course."
Only then did Emma truly look at the woman standing before her.
If she had to describe her in one word, it would be 'black.'
From head to toe, she wore black clothing, and even her bob-cut hair was pitch black.
As for her features, she had an exotic face, resembling the people from the far eastern lands she had once seen in a newspaper.
"Um... please... just a moment. I am terribly sorry, but could you wait here for just a second?"
As the woman gave a slight nod, Emma dashed back toward the restaurant.
Emma’s heart was pounding.
Returning to the restaurant, she paid her bill and came right back out.
She ran back in a single breath and pulled a sheet of paper from her bag. It was a copy of the first page of the novel In-ho had written.
She had copied the first page, hoping she might be able to decipher it with any clues she found during her travels.
"??"
When Emma handed over the copy, the woman tilted her head curiously.
"C-Could you... by any chance... read the writing on this?"
Expectation shimmered in Emma’s excited eyes.
Under that strangely intense, obsession-filled gaze, the woman slowly scanned the paper in her hand.
Then, she opened her mouth.
"Summer passes, autumn goes. And so, winter comes."
As the woman read without a single hitch, Emma covered her mouth with her hands.
The sentences flowed continuously, and the meanings harmonized so perfectly that it was impossible to think she was making it up on the spot.
"After the cold winter, a new spring will come."
Summer passes, autumn goes. And so, winter comes.
After the cold winter, a new spring will come.
I think of us as seeds buried in the winter.
Like seeds that endure the chill of the freezing winter, biding their time beneath the earth.
Because we gain the hope to live through another tomorrow by weathering the harsh storms with our whole bodies.
Just as one cannot say that every seed will sprout, the same is likely true for us.
And while some have already sprouted, bloomed, and withered away...
There are those just now being buried in the earth, waiting for spring.
Emma.
I don't know how much time it took for you to read this.
"...Master?"
When her own name left the woman's lips, Emma’s eyes widened in shock.
"That's as far as it goes. Is there no more? It feels like there should be more content after this."
"T-There is! There is, but..."
"But?"
"The original... is back at the mansion."
The mansion was a full week's journey from here. Emma couldn't bring herself to ask a woman she had never met before to travel a week with her.
"W-Where do you live? If I bring the original from the mansion and find you... could you translate more for me?"
The woman stared blankly at Emma, who was looking at her with desperate eyes.
"I-I will compensate you. You just need to take some time to read the text. I will come to you myself. So please... I beg of you."
When the woman appeared to lose interest, Emma frantically grabbed her arm.
Emma was bowed so low she looked ready to drop to her knees at any moment.
"Hmm... I'm actually here on a sightseeing trip."
"I-Is that so? Then, where you originally live is..."
"It's far."
"Ah... please..."
Emma collapsed, her face a mask of despair.
She couldn't let this opportunity slip away so hollowly after finally finding it. Tears welled up in Emma’s eyes.
"Then let's do this."
Looking down at Emma, who was dripping tears onto the pavement, the woman spoke without a change in expression.
Emma lifted her head at the woman's words.
"I was just looking for my next travel destination. Could you guide me to where you live? And provide lodging, if possible."
"...What? Yes! I can! I definitely can. Thank you. Thank you so much."
At the news that she would come to the village, Emma bowed her head repeatedly, almost groveling.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much."
Tears streaming down her face, Emma continued to bow at the waist.
"Don't be like that. You're starting to make me feel burdened."
At the woman's words, Emma straightened up. She didn't want to do anything to upset her.
If the woman developed negative feelings toward her, the chance to decipher the manuscript would vanish into thin air.
"I look forward to working with you."
The woman extended her hand.
"My name is Emma, my lady."
Emma replied as she took the hand.
"I see. It's nice to meet you, Emma."
The woman smiled and gave her hand a light shake.
"My name is Lee Mina."
It was an exotic name.