#19
The Duke, who had suddenly visited his son’s room in the dead of night, entered the room and looked at the young master bathed in moonlight. The curtains that were always drawn when he slept were brightly pulled back tonight alone. It was Kara’s doing, saying the moonlight might be important.
The Duke looked at the young master who had fallen asleep in fever. Andelion Crusay. The only heir of this Duke’s family and the Duke’s son. However, nowhere in his gaze was there any emotion of feeling sorry for or worrying about his son.
The Duke’s hand, roughened by many battles, touched the young master’s head. Hair wet with sweat stuck to his fingers.
The Duke lifted the small child’s body all at once. Unlike his cold gaze, his touch was extremely gentle. As if he was worried the child might get hurt somewhere or bump into something – he looked like someone who was concerned.
As he carried the young master out of the room, Kara, who had been waiting in front, greeted him.
“Shall I come with you?”
“No. Stay here.”
The Duke spoke briefly and took step by step while holding the young master. The young master buried his face in the Duke’s embrace and breathed heavily with hot breath.
The Duke’s destination was a place where only the Duke was allowed to set foot. It was the center of the Duke’s garden.
When the guard standing watch at the garden entrance cleared the way, there was no one who could stop the Duke. The Duke, who had entered this place countless times, knew better than anyone how the garden was laid out.
The Duke entered the dark garden without a single light. Anyone else wouldn’t have been able to see an inch ahead, but he was different from ordinary people. He could see ahead as clearly as day even at night.
People think the Duke is the one who tends this garden. However, in truth, no one tends this garden. More precisely, the Duke had only helped plant the first seeds and transplant saplings in this garden, but had never managed it. Then who had maintained the garden so beautifully?
The garden, which was always neatly arranged without spending money on direct management, caught his eye. The Duke knew the one who made this possible. He didn’t know exactly how it was done, but he thought it was still the same as ever.
The Duke’s steps carrying the young master gradually became heavier. This was the last method the Duke had chosen. It might not work. Even so, this was the only thing he could do.
After passing between large trees, an open field covered with various flowers appeared. When the two stood in the flower garden, small lights suddenly began to appear in mid-air. The lights that appeared here and there soon filled the garden densely.
This was the third time the young master had come to this place. The second time, he had lost consciousness as soon as he entered the flower garden, and the first time…
The lush trees located in the center of the distant flower garden swayed roughly in the wind. It looked as if they were blaming the Duke.
“Yes, it’s my fault. I should have done better.”
The Duke muttered to himself as if answering an unheard voice. At the Duke’s voice, the young master who had been sleeping moaned softly and curled up his body. There wasn’t enough time. The Duke entered between the trees carrying the young master.
Between the trees, in the center, a large sword with a black blade was stuck in the ground. The handle was wrapped with gray cord, and a white gem was embedded in the part of the handle that connected to the blade.
The Duke sat in front of the sword while holding the young master. He couldn’t lay the young master on the ground. The weakened young master shouldn’t lie on the cold ground and become even sicker.
“It seems coming into the garden last time became a problem. Magic power is running wild inside his body.”
When the Duke said this, the black blade suddenly began to shine. Looking at this sight, the Duke sighed.
“I didn’t say it was because of you. You would have wanted to see Andelion too. Didn’t I say it? It’s my fault.”
Only then did the sword stop shining light toward the Duke. The lights that had been twinkling around slowly gathered toward the young master. The lights hovered around him as if wrapping him from head to toe. The lights that illuminated every small wound slowly touched the young master’s cheek and then fell away.
“Is it dangerous?”
When the light slowly touched the young master’s head, the black blade shone more weakly than before.
“You say it’s not? That’s a relief.”
Again displeased about something, the black blade shone fiercely. It was so strong that the Duke’s face turned ashen.
“Stop. The child might wake up.”
Saying this, the Duke slowly stroked the young master’s hair. The young master’s fever had dropped considerably compared to when they had just entered this garden. Only then did a faint smile spread across the Duke’s rigid face. One of the lights that had been hovering only around the young master approached the Duke and touched his face.
“Will this child continue to suffer like this?”
In the Duke’s low voice was dissolved a very faint pain. It was an emotion that wouldn’t be noticed unless listened to carefully. As if comforting the Duke, a few more lights touched him. The sword also took on a gentler light than before.
Only then did the Duke smile slightly.
“You mean no?”
Then, as if answering the Duke’s words, the light shone a bit stronger.
“That’s a relief. Yes, as he gets older, he’ll gradually get better.”
The Duke earnestly and sincerely hoped while not taking his eyes off the child.
Then the young master’s eyes, which had been closed, slowly opened. His unfocused eyes looked at the Duke in front of him. The startled Duke opened his eyes wide and held his breath. He seemed anxious about what the child might say.
The young master looked at the Duke and then slowly turned to the side. The black sword could be seen reflected in the child’s eyes. Should he cover those eyes even now? The Duke clenched his hands that had been heading toward the child and fell into worry.
The lights floating in mid-air were etched above the child’s eyes. Each time he blinked, the lights only increased and never decreased. Between the shining lights, the black sword was stuck in the ground. There was no way the young master couldn’t see that sword.
The Duke didn’t know what to say and waited for the child to speak with his mouth closed. Since his condition had improved somewhat, he might ask where this was and what that sword was.
Tears began to well up in the young master’s eyes as he quietly looked at the sword. The tears pooled in his eyes instantly fell downward, and the young child’s face contorted.
“Waaahhh!!”
At the young master’s loud crying voice, the Duke was flustered and adjusted his hold on the young master. He hugged him more tightly and rubbed his back, but once the young master’s tears started, they wouldn’t stop.
This was a child who had never properly cried since he started talking. This was the first time he’d seen him cry like other children his age. The child continued crying while reaching his hand toward the sword. It felt like he was calling someone who was there.
“*sob* ahh, ahhh!!”
At the heartbreakingly sad crying, the Duke hugged the young master with all his strength. The small child grasped the Duke’s clothes tightly with the hand he had stretched out to grab the sword. The young master trembled all over and shed tears, so pitiful about something. The lights flying around quickly gathered around the child, but it was useless for stopping his crying.
The young master, gasping for breath and shaking his shoulders, continued to cry and cry and cry, releasing all the moisture inside him.
“Don’t cry. It’s okay.”
“*sob* ugh, ugh, ahhh!!”
The scream-like crying wouldn’t stop. The flustered Duke stroked the young master’s hair, then kissed the child’s cheeks and forehead and wiped his tear-filled eyes. Though the unaccustomed physical affection should have felt unfamiliar, the young master didn’t mind and entrusted his body to the Duke’s touch.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Okay? So stop crying.”
The young master, who had been crying continuously, sniffled and trembled, then slowly closed his eyes. Only then, seeing the young master who had fallen asleep again, the Duke let out a long sigh. The light wouldn’t leave the young master’s face where his tears had dried.
The sword that had been still briefly brightened and then darkened again.
“I said it’s my fault. Everything is my mistake.”
The Duke approached closer to the sword while holding the young master. Then he grabbed the sword’s handle with one hand and leaned his face against the blade with his eyes closed.
“I’ll come again with the child next time. It might take longer, but please wait a little.”
The sword glinted briefly as if reproaching him. The Duke smiled at such a sword and turned around while holding the young master.
The lights illuminated the path for the Duke and young master until they left the garden. As if they would continue watching so they wouldn’t lose their way, the lights didn’t distance themselves but hovered near them.
* * *
I had a strange dream.
I seemed to have met something very dear and cried bitterly. I don’t know why I did that. Tears just came and I couldn’t help but cry. I couldn’t tell what I had desperately wanted to reach at the end, but I was glad to have seen something, even briefly.
Did I see friends or family from my previous life in the dream? There wasn’t anyone I particularly missed. My parents had passed away when I was young, and there weren’t many people I could call friends. I don’t know why I missed them so much.
I ate the rice porridge Kara brought while blankly recalling that time. It was food without any seasoning, but in my current state, this was all I could swallow.
I slowly ate the rice porridge while looking at Kara standing beside me. Even after my condition improved, Kara didn’t leave my side. She seemed to think that if she left even briefly, I might get worse again.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
