A night in the gardens

"Are you done with your dinner, young lady?" asked Anette. "Shall I keep away the left-over dishes?"

"Yes, please do. Thank you." I said, drumming my fingers on the translucent study table, chin planted on my hand.

I forced myself to read the book in front of me but my mind was flying to different places. The talk with Lavi earlier made me want to rethink everything that has been happening. But it was hard, and my brain was going nowhere.

Along the cluttering of silverware, a mild pounding on the wooden bedroom door came through. Both I and my personal maid looked at each other before I gestured her to open the door. Who could it be at this hour?

My eyes were focused on Anette as she clicked the doorknob open. "Yes?" said my personal maid. "O-oh… young master, it's you."

Young master? Is Lavi back already? Possibly not, he uses the balcony to enter during the night. Then who?

"Is she still awake?"

Hearing the voice, I immediately stood up. The sound of a heavy chair that was pushed back rang out, but I ignored it. While rushing to the door, I stopped for a second to look at the newly-replaced body mirror to check if even a single hair strand was out of place.

Anette seemed to have pulled the door open a little wider to give way to the sudden visitor.

"Hey," I greeted as I arrived in front of the silver-haired boy who wore a tranquil expression. My personal maid merely bowed and went back to her interrupted work. But I could feel that she was partially paying attention at us. What a worrywart. "Uh- what's up?"

'What's up?', 'WHAT'S UP?!' Why did I even say that? There are much better ways to greet someome you haven't seen for a while! Like —'How have you been?', 'Have you been good?', 'How was the academy?' or a simple 'Good evening' would have been enough.

I held in the urge to pinch myself as I casted my most normal face. But then again, what exactly is a normal face?

"Nothing much, actually I came here to…" Sein's hand went to the back of his nape. Is he being shy? And why am I assuming such things? "Actually, I wanted to ask. Are you busy?"

"No." I might have replied too quickly. I cleared my throat and regained my composure. "No, I'm not doing anything."

Sein's face seemed to have lit up as he grinned cheerfully. "That's great." Then he looked away. "I was thinking… since the moon is bright out. Do you want to go to the lake with me?"

I blinked several times. "Alone?"

We had planned to go to the lake at one time and I was completely fine with it since it was during daytime. But thinking about going there at the dead of the night as young teenagers made my stomach churn, and my heart paced abnormally at the thought.

"Yes, just the both of us." His graphite eyes looked dead serious. "Would that be alright?"

I didn't know why I glanced to Anette's direction.

"I have something to tell you."

The words made me look back to him. Then I remembered his letter that had said that he wanted to ask a favor from me, along with the gift. Right, that gift, how could I have forgotten? I received such a grandiose birthday present from this boy. What was wrong with me, depriving Sein of an opportunity to talk?

"Sure, why not? Of course we can go there, I want to tell you something, too." I've wanted to thank him but he hasn't been around. "Just give me a few minutes to wear bandages."

We could have gone there directly, but no, I have this stupid illness that doesn't allow me to go out without looking like an idiot covered in white strips of cloth.

"Great," Sein said, looking sincerely happy. "I'll wait for you by the entrance."

***

As Anette helped me attach the bandages, it took her a lot of comforting and telling her not to worry. In the end, I barely convinced my personal maid by reminding her that we owed Sein for saving us from the gown choosing process that had seemed to last for an eternity. Although, I completely understand her concerns—in my past life, back in my country, if a young girl was merely seen alone together with a young boy, rumors would eventually fly out, and worse was that they'd be soon forced to marry by the girl's family. 'You have to take responsibility', they'd say. It was a very conservative culture.

It's not like I care about petty talks about me, what concerns me is the thought of being with an impossibly attractive boy by the lake, and during the night—when the moon shone beautifully and bright.

I whisked away the impure thoughts and directed my focus to the tall boy who was leaning to the enormous doorframe of the mansion. His black tunic that was ornamented by a golden chain that ran from his shoulder to his waist and his leather black trousers made him look like a character that came out of a storybook. The overall interior of the mansion and the lavish courtyard outside made the scene perfectly picturesque. It made me wish that I'd brought a camera with me.

"Let's go?" He asks as soon as he saw me.

I only smiled, and then gave out a nod.

We started to descend the steps and headed to the gardens. There were knights stationed out front but they did not seem to pay any mind—and if they did, a glance was all they gave.

"So…" I started to talk as we entered through the garden gates. The full moon made the atmosphere of the garden eerie but also aesthetic. "What was it like? Teaching at the academy?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" He scratched his head. "I only taught the little kids, though you can say it was more like babysitting. Most were sons and daughters of the school staff who wanted their kids to be within reach."

My eyebrows instantly went up. "You're good with little children?"

"Why? You're not?"

His chuckle sounded sweet along with the cold wind that rustled the rosebushes that surrounded us.

"No," I said, gaze ahead to the familiar opening. "They're alright. It's just more like they're the ones who don't like me-"

I stopped talking, realizing that I was pertaining about my previous life.

"Anyway, that gift you sent," This was my idiotic attempt to switch topics. "It was really unnecessary, but… thank you. The gown was really beautiful."

"Hmm…" Sein shrugged. I lifted my head as I turned to him and found a playful smile on his lips. "Will you still thank me once I tell you my reason for giving that gown to you?"

I stopped on my tracks. "What do you mean?"

Sein merely snickered, his back going farther away. I saw his hand accidentally graze a rose and I saw how its color drained as it started to wither instantly at even the slightest of his touch.

I continued to walk in an attempt to catch up to him. Yet something made me stop in front of the dying flower. "Poor little rose." I muttered to myself as I caressed its blackened petals.

Then the flower came back to life. The red of it had seeped back to give way to a lush rose that seemed to have blossomed during the early summer. The rose that was once almost lifeless, now vibrant and reborn.

I pulled back my bandaged hand and clutched it upon my chest. Suddenly, the air felt even colder and heavier. My vision was darkening. My spine quivered at what I had just seen. What was that?