The Promised Flower (3)

Oh, how wrong they both were From the moment he met Lyn, Rhys knew of his feelings. It was the same for Lyn too wasn't it?

Rhys is sure that from the moment Lyn met Kazuya, she was already in love with him.

Growing by making mistakes? What about those people who continue to fail and fail without succeeding even once, won't they be filled with an even more profound regret? How can they learn for it? What's different between getting your facts straight and assuming? How can one thing be defined as being right, anyway? Who decides it? If it messes people up, why does it exist? Is there a reason behind everything? If there is, then can someone explain to him his present situation? Is there a meaning to his actions? Can anybody explain his actions? Because in his eyes. His present actions are only selfish.

Do people really fight for something like that? A way to define their actions? There are those who are pretty chilled back and laid back about everything. Those without a single worry in the world. People who, even if they make a mistake, won't fight for a reason to define their actions but instead, take action. Action replacing words.

Change for the better? But what is that? What's considered better? Isn't it different for most people? How can someone define it? It simply makes little sense. Even now he's questioning every single thing. Perhaps that's the reason Lyn felt the need to remain close to him. Because he's fragile all by himself. If it weren't for Lyn, he would have broken a long time ago.

When he spent more and more time with her and confirmed his feelings, Rhys had found himself backed to a corner. Was he broken? He felt so many emotions he didn't before. Feelings of jealousy, anger, pain, happiness. Emotions he had locked up and sealed away. He was a cursed individual, a doll. He shouldn't have anything remotely precious.

After meeting Lyn, what he locked up spilled out. It really felt like he broke then. His thoughts broke off when he spotted Lyn's figure on the balcony. How did she get upsta— Rhys shook his head, it's fine? She needs fresh air, as much as he wanted to shield her from the dangers of the world. He cannot shackle her.

...

"Why did you get up if you had a fever?" Rhys scolded.

That was the first time in a long time where he used his powers in such a brazen manner. But it couldn't be helped; he saw Lyn lose her balance so quickly. She would have fallen, and the damage would have been severe.

"I'm sorry," Lyn muttered, "I just wanted to get some fresh air."

Rhys paused; he supposed this was his fault. Locking her up in the rooms downstairs where there are no windows or anything. It's natural she would become uneasy. "There are rooms upstairs, you can stay up here if it makes you more comfortable," he should have just left her upstairs, but Rhys felt an eerie presence and closed everything again.

Lyn weakly shook her head, "It's okay; it's nice down here."

Is she just saying that to make him feel better?

"Say, Rhys, why were you jogging?"

"I felt restless."

"Because of me?"

He looked away, "If you know, then don't ask," Rhys muttered.

She laughed.

Lyn has changed, hasn't she? She's become a lot stronger and sharper than the past. Honestly, he did go to see her just once - it was only once a year ago. Rhys just wanted to see how she was doing. He could no longer hold himself back and went to see her. He came at the perfect time, Kazuya was away on a business trip then. At first, he was astonished, he knew she would become a beauty, but he didn't think she would become this beautiful.

"Rhys, when will I see Kazuya again?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Don't you know where he is?"

Rhys looked down, she's way too sharp, "Even if you meet him now, he will only tell you to go back," Rhys muttered. Honestly, he doesn't know of Kazuya's exact location. Nobody ever does. Whenever he goes anywhere, it takes a long time before anybody finds him again.

"I received a letter; he told me to go meet him in the Snow Kingdom."

Letter?

So that's the thing she was hugging to sleep last night. A deep sigh passed his lips. Rhys felt irritated, but he knew he could do nothing about it.

"Will you go?"

"He told me to wait, but I don't know how long, I want to see him now," Lyn said.

'Why is she acting like this now,' Rhys thought? Is it because of the fever? Is that why she is suddenly acting strange? Well whatever it is, Rhys knew he wouldn't be able to avoid talking about this, "If he's asking to meet with you, then that confirms he isn't sick of you. If he's asking you to wait, that means he wants to clear the dangers first before you find him."

"But he told me to save him."

His sweat fell at that comment, that stupid guy. Why does he have to predict that he will get in trouble? Rhys didn't respond, and Lyn said nothing. Maybe she finally decided to go to sleep. Just as he thought that though, a faint voice spoke up, "Say, Rhys,"

"What?" Why doesn't she sleep?

"What's your relationship with Ayah?"

Rhys deeply sighed, why did she have to ask the most troublesome question for? "What do you think about it?"

"During the academy days. I heard you two were a couple. People stopped picking on Ayah for a while because of that rumor," Lyn explained. A couple? Him and that woman? Hah, "Rhys?"

"We weren't in a relationship, at least on the surface anyway."

"So, you were in a fake relationship?"

"In exchange for protecting you, I went along with her whims," Rhys explained.

"So it was a fake relationship."

He could see some gears turning in her head, and he exhaled deeply. He reached over and flicked her forehead, "It's not the sweet sounding fake relationship like you and Kazuya had. Besides, you two differed from the rest," he trailed off. That's right. Lyn and Kazuya differed from those who start a fake relationship for a business-related matter. The two were already close, no they were already in love with each other.

"Un, I think so too."

"Did you know back then that Kazuya liked you?"

"Well," Lyn paused before she nodded, "I figured it was something like that. Honestly, I can't say so for sure, since it would make me look arrogant. However, Kazuya never once lied to me. Back then, he told me everything, even if it meant exposing your plans."

Rhys raised his eyebrows, "He told you everything?"

Lyn nodded, "Ah-huh,"

"Should you admit that to me?"

Laughter passed her lips, "But you're the ambassador and between the Mist Kingdom and the Sound Kingdom. The Mist Kingdom is more like you're home now, right?"

How on earth does she know about that? Lyn's gaze softened, "Kazuya told me. Kazuya seems to notice these things about people, even after spending only a short time with them," Rhys did not focus on the girl's words but his gaze fell on her expression. No matter what, even back then she never made that face for him. This is the expression she made for Kazuya and Kazuya alone. That's why Rhys always knew what they had was shallow in comparison.

Rhys felt a growing irritation and looked away. How did this end up with them talking about Kazuya?