The Rose Will Soon Bloom (3)

The sky was murky for the whole of yesterday, and it rained today.

Calian woke up early in the morning due to the sound of the raindrops gently beating against the windowpanes. When Yan came into Calian's room to give him his morning greetings, Calian, leaning back against the bed frame, waved at Yan.

"Did you sleep well?"

That was the same words Yan said every morning, so Yan greeted Calian awkwardly.

"Yes. Did you sleep well too?"

Calian nodded and stretched out his hand. He wanted tea. Yan, keeping a straight face, handed Calian his morning tea. Calian supped the tea. Then suddenly, he took his mouth away from the teacip.

'It's different.'

It was just a nuance, but still a difference. If his attention hadn't been sharp, he wouldn't have felt the difference.

He soon found out the difference, which wasn't hard to find. Silica had increased the poison.

Calian put his lips on the teacup again and smiled.

''Oh, Silica…"

Silica seemed to have lost his mind since the nobles' reactions to Calian was too good.

So, was it going to be that he would drink it while pretending to not know it this time too?

After thinking for a split second, Calian drank all the tea and gave Yan the empty cup. If the dosage wasn't increased to an amount that Calian would die, it would be alright until Tuesday.

Yan, not knowing this, sent the maids back after they were done preparing breakfast. Then, Calian said.

"Two people will come on Wednesday. They are half-elves so don't be surprised."

Yan happily said.

"Are they your personal bodyguards?"

"Yes, the elder brother is Kirie, the younger sister is Hina. But I couldn't get a profile check on them. I don't even know their last names. That's why I want to ask you for a favor."

Yan, having realized what Calian meant, smiled. In order to work in the palace, one needed to go through a profile check, but the two couldn't do that. Therefore, Calian was asking Yan to stand witness for that their identies were clean.

However, Yan shook his head.

"In that case, it would be more preferable to have Sir Manasil stand as witness. If Sir Manasil says those were people he brought from Liebern, there would be no problem at all, even if they don't have last names. If people take problem the fact that they are from a different place, my family will also stand witness. In that way, nobody will be able to say anything."

Calian looked at Yan in a different way than before.

"You looked like somebody with a lot of power just now."

A smiling Yan bashfully cleared his throat. Then, he fixed Calian's shirt pin which was out of place, and moved a few steps back and asked.

"I heard elves use another kind of power to heal. Do they also have the power to do that?"

Calian patted his chest a few times and said.

"Even though they have the power to heal, it won't be much of an help to me. I also have never heard that before."

"I guess so."

Suddenly, lightning struck from the sky. The rain was pounding heavier. Calian, looking out the window, said.

"I only have hunting on my agenda today, right?"

"Yes, there is a hunting tournament after breakfast…"

Yan, having said that, also looked outside.

I presume that it will be canceled anyways.

Calian was a bit sad to hear that. He hadn't been seen to the royals other than the first date of the festival. He planned to meet them before too much time passed, but that plan was clearly off the menu.

Calian, in defeat of the situation, said.

"Go visit the master today. When you go doesn't matter."

"Yes sir. What would you like me to tell him?"

"Please tell him to ask the king to delay the meeting on Tuesday for about 10 minutes."

Although Calian's intentions were not clear to Yan, Yan didn't ask for an explanation.

"Yes. I will promptly go right after breakfast."

Calian responded by nodding and didn't say much more. He got ready for breakfast and set out for the dining room.

Frantz was nowhere to be seen. Calian heard how after the festival, he didn't come to breakfast.

It was better off, Calian thought. From today until Tuesday, Frantz shouldn't mess up breakfast.

Calian, looking at the rain drizzling on the windowpanes, heard Randel getting up after he was done with his breakfast.

Calian, still looking outside, spoke.

"The roses will soon bloom."

That was definitely a first.

It was a first that there was a normal talk going on at breakfast. What was also a first was how Calian spoke to Randel first.

Therefore, Randel stopped and turned around. He looked at Calian. Sensing that, Calian now looked at Randel.

It somehow felt as if Calian looked at Randel's eyes for the first time. It was a different feeling than when the two met each other at the rose garden.

The pair of eyes that looked as if it was looking not at you, but at the soul. Those blue eyes.

Calian thought he knew why Randel was staring at him like that, smiled, and opened his mouth again.

"I took a walk yesterday, saw the roses, and thought of how you cared for them. There's no other meaning to my words than that."

Well, of course, those words weren't completely without reason.

It was to garner attention. That way, on Tuesday, Calian could be of help to Randel.

There wasn't much of a response from Randel.

"… alright."

Like he had done at the rose garden, only short conversations were exchanged.

Calian could hear Yan breathing. When Calian looked back, Yan looked like as if he was in shock. Yan then talked to Calian when he was leaving the dining hall.

"Roses…?"

Calian replied as if he was innocent.

"What about roses?"

"You've talked to Randel for the first time in 14 years! And you talked about how roses will bloom. Why would you talk about such a meaningless thing?"

"Meaningless…?"

Calian's face straightened. Yan hurriedly covered his mouth. Calian's eyes moved to Yan.

"You're getting more and more defiant of me these days."

"Sorry."

Calian thought as to why Yan was doing this.

Then, he suddenly coughed.

–Cough!

At that sound, Yan's sad face turned into one with concern.

"Your honor…"

Calian replied as if he was alright.

"I slept with the window open last night. Didn't know it would rain…"

It was a lie. At the pungent scent coming up his throat, Calian closed his eyes.