5
The guards were at a loss and struggled because of the unreasonable prince who was being stubborn. Our prince had completely forgotten what I said today about not throwing tantrums. If he had properly understood those words, he wouldn’t have shouted to the servants in the first place that Persis would stay one more night.
Having gotten his way to stay one more night, Persis had nothing to fear. What would there be for this young prince to be afraid of? He probably had never been seriously scolded.
Persis had no proper guardian. The Empress died as soon as she gave birth to Persis, and the Emperor was too busy with state affairs to care for this child. His only older brother wasn’t much different in age and their relationship wasn’t very good. Though he couldn’t feel parental affection, he had various servants who would act as his hands and feet.
He would have lived as he pleased, receiving plenty of affection and attention from them. For a prince raised like that, throwing a tantrum at the ducal guards was nothing at all.
“Want to go in!”
Not even knowing what he was saying, Persis spoke to the guard with a bright face. The guard sent me desperate looks from behind. I lightly ignored him as he pleaded for help somehow. I would rather encourage Persis than stop him here.
The timing was also very appropriate. By now, the Duke would have left the ducal residence for business. If not right now when he was far away, I couldn’t use Persis as a means either.
“Really, it’s not allowed.”
“Want to go in!”
No matter what the guard said, Persis’s voice wouldn’t change. Finally, the guard gritted his teeth and quietly moved his body to the side. Finally having a path forward, Persis looked back at me with an excited face.
He seemed to want to hear praise for doing well. If I comforted him here, everyone would know that I had created this situation. I couldn’t let that happen, so I stepped forward and instead of praise, I took Persis’s hand.
When I firmly grasped his small hand, Persis’s face brightened radiantly. He seemed satisfied with just this much.
“Young Master.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be back quickly.”
Kara called to me with a worried voice while standing next to the guard. Since Persis wanted to go in with me, I could enter the garden, but Kara was different. It wasn’t a place where servants of the ducal family could enter at will.
If even Kara couldn’t go, there was no way palace servants could.
“It’s not allowed.”
“His Highness is going. We cannot not go.”
The guard blocked the palace servants who were trying to follow Persis and me inside. The servant’s face turned red as he looked at the guard standing firmly as if he absolutely could not step aside. His pride must have been hurt. After all, palace servants had higher status than family guards.
“Don’t worry. There’s nothing inside that would harm His Highness.”
“How can we trust that! What if he gets lost inside!”
“Then His Grace the Duke will find him.”
“What? So you’re saying His Highness could be trapped inside that garden until His Grace comes?”
I wouldn’t let that happen. We mustn’t encounter the Duke in the garden. I just wanted the news that we had entered the garden to be conveyed later. I didn’t want to see the Duke looking at us with terrifying eyes in that maze-like garden.
As soon as we entered the garden, I had to memorize the path. It would be difficult at first, but once I got a little used to it, it would be manageable. If it really didn’t work, I could make stone decorations here and there in between.
“It’s okay!”
It was Persis who stopped the angry servant, speaking boldly while raising our clasped hands high. Shaking our interlocked hands, Persis spoke to the worried servant.
“Ana is here! It’s okay!”
“Your Highness.”
These were the servants who had rushed to the ducal residence as soon as morning came because they couldn’t break Persis’s stubbornness. Moreover, hadn’t he said he would stay one more night? They couldn’t stop Persis who said he would go into the garden alone with me.
“Are you really sure it will be okay?”
“Yeah! I’ll be back!”
Answering the servant who worried until the end with a bright tone, Persis pulled me into the garden.
As soon as we passed the entrance where the guard had been blocking, large trees immediately greeted us. The densely packed trees formed walls, and small gaps where trees didn’t grow became paths that branched out in various directions.
“Where should we go?”
“Wherever Your Highness wants.”
“Then there!”
As soon as I spoke, Persis quickly pointed to the right. So we turned right first. I properly remembered this so I could find our way out later.
Was it because of the dense trees? Every time we walked down the path, a refreshing scent entered my nose. If I closed my eyes like this, I felt like I would become intoxicated by the fragrance and fall asleep. I somehow shook off the drowsy feeling and tried hard to remember the paths we had walked.
First was right. First was right.
“Ana, sleepy?”
“No. I’m not sleepy.”
“Really? Should we rest here?”
I shook my head without answering. How long had we been inside that we would already rest? I had to see everything we could see before going back.
How long had we walked? Finally, the giant walls of trees that had been blocking our view began to disappear. The moment we passed one tree, we could see a large flower garden stretching far into the distance. In the middle of it, other trees were spread wide like walls.
There was probably another maze created inside there.
“Wow!!”
Persis let out the exclamation I hadn’t been able to voice and slowly entered inside. The garden untouched by human hands was full of various flowers. Various flowers were harmoniously blending together while showing off their own unique charms.
The path through the flower garden looked like it had been made by people walking through it many times. Since there wouldn’t have been time for someone to come in and do construction, the Duke was the only one who had walked this path. What was his reason for going in along this path?
That secret was inside this garden. The source of power that might put that person and Persis in danger in the future was probably right there. To confirm that, I had no choice but to go see for myself.
I was about to urge Persis, who was enjoying looking at the flowers, to go inside. Since the Duke would return soon, it was dangerous to look around leisurely.
Then a certain scent that had been tickling my nose became a little stronger. My body suddenly trembled and staggered. Was it because of the flower fragrance? No. It was a little cooler and similar to the refreshing scent I had been smelling since entering the garden.
When I smelled it carefully, I could feel the sweetness hidden within it. Was it indeed a fragrance from flowers? No. My gaze was directed toward the depths of the garden.
‘Andelion.’
Something among the tangled tree branches called to me. This was the first time I had felt like this since becoming Andelion. It felt like my whole body was being controlled by someone’s power.
“Ana?”
“Hngh.”
I couldn’t endure it for a moment and collapsed on the spot. My chest hurt as if it was being torn apart. This was the first emotion I had felt with this body. Unable to bear the stabbing pain, tears streamed down my face. These were tears that hadn’t burst once since I recalled my previous life.
“Ana!”
I could hear Persis’s panicked voice. I should say I was okay, but no words came out. Just as I was about to collapse in the flower garden, large hands supported my body.
When warm body temperature enveloped me, my eyes naturally closed. Even though I didn’t know who the owner of the warmth was, my body instinctively entrusted everything to the person holding me. It was as if someone was saying this person would be okay.
Persis called to me desperately from far away. When I listened carefully, there was moisture in his voice. How can someone who must support this country have so many tears? Don’t cry. I wanted to say that and wipe them away, but I couldn’t answer.
My body sank downward like water-soaked cotton. Everything became distant, and the moment I could no longer feel even the warmth supporting my body, I could smell the scent remaining at my nose tip a little more intensely.
I know this scent. I don’t know why I know it. But I’ve smelled it somewhere. When, at what time did I smell it? In my previous life, or when I lived as Andelion without recalling my previous life? I don’t know. I just thought it felt so nostalgic.
‘Andelion.’
Someone calls me. As if I was so beloved. That voice that disappeared like a passing breeze was so far away that it made me cry. I want to hold on, but I can’t. I want to reach out, but I can’t. Like that, I became distant from the scent that had been tormenting me.
***
The Duke’s expression is quite sharp. When he hardened his expression, it was a face that automatically made your legs weak and unconsciously made you bow your head. I thought I had adapted well to that face, but I guess I was mistaken.
Facing the Duke who was making a terrifying expression, I felt like my body might tremble without realizing it.
“You went into a place you shouldn’t have entered.”
The three characters ‘I’m doomed’ were running around in my head.
“Well, His Highness wanted to go.”
“You didn’t need to go.”
“He said he wanted to go together.”
“You knew you shouldn’t enter the garden.”
His stern words continued to strike me. It could have been something a young son might do, unable to resist curiosity. But apparently it was absolutely unacceptable to him.
That garden contained the Duke’s secret that must not be discovered by anyone. It meant my prediction was correct, but it also meant the Duke would guard the garden more thoroughly from now on. I should have confirmed everything when I used the Persis card this time, but I couldn’t understand why I had suddenly lost consciousness.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
