Mikhail, dressed in his formal uniform for the exhibition, straightened his collar with his index finger, cheeks faintly flushed.
“Really, he could’ve just said it plainly.”
Even without meaning to smile, the corners of his mouth lifted on their own. Ahem, ahem. Mikhail quickly pressed a finger to his lips to suppress it. He had tried his hardest not to smile foolishly like this until he received the 30 Tilon payment upon completing the commission.
The client, watching Mikhail, seemed to have already caught on to his feelings and simply nodded, saying, “Enjoy it while it lasts, enjoy it.”
Pfft. Mikhail muttered to himself, recalling the words.
“What’s so great about this time? You’re only three years older.”
His footsteps gradually picked up pace. He felt like he wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw Adrian’s face right now. To be honest, he understood how Adrian must’ve felt. No matter how they were now sharing the same room, Mikhail was still royalty. And since they hadn’t exactly been close until now, it made sense that Adrian had trouble making the first move.
Mikhail nodded to himself with that thought.
“So… that’s what it was.”
Now that he understood why Adrian had been acting so strangely, Mikhail’s expression brimmed with satisfaction. Soon, he arrived in front of the dorm room. As soon as he opened the door, Adrian’s voice greeted him.
“You’re back quick. How was the exhibition?”
He was still seated at his desk. It was obvious he’d been sitting there all day organizing his research.
“Eh, it was what you’d expect from an exhibition.”
Despite what he said, Mikhail lifted his head with an eager, expectant expression. He stole a glance at Adrian’s face. As always, Adrian rested his chin on his hand with that typically disinterested look. With that level of expression control, no wonder Mikhail hadn’t noticed anything.
Adrian raised an eyebrow at Mikhail’s odd stare.
“What? Something happen?”
Mikhail just looked at him, giving a silent, sheepish smile. Then he slowly shook his head side to side, resolving with an open heart to accept Adrian’s one-sided affection.
That night, Mikhail wrote a short letter and sent it straight to the royal capital. The contents were as follows:
Need weeds from the edge of the greenhouse at the palace. Don’t recall the exact location, but it had blue flower buds and was among large tropical trees. Please uproot and deliver to the Basamiel dormitory.
P.S. Even if it doesn’t match the weeds, make sure the flowerpot is top-grade!
***
It was a peaceful day in Basamiel. The students chatted away, lamenting the imminent end of the Serichane Festival and sharing highlights from the past events. Mikhail and Adrian arrived at the dining hall in response to a message from Kyle that morning.
Kyle was already seated and waved at them as soon as he saw them. “Over here!” he called out, then flagged down a staff member to order two cups of tea for them.
At the outdoor table connected to the dining hall, three steaming cups of tea and desserts were set in front of each person. Once everything was in place, Kyle jumped straight to the point with a cheerful voice.
“The Serichane Festival ends tomorrow, right? So I called you two for a preliminary survey as my research assistants.”
Seated opposite Kyle, Mikhail and Adrian both nodded. Come to think of it, it was about that time. Adrian nodded again.
“Ah, I see.”
Mikhail, sitting right next to him, tapped his shoes against the floor a few times, clearly annoyed. The timing was a bit tricky. If he wanted to get that flowerpot before they left, it would be cutting it close. Mikhail made up his mind to write another letter that evening.
“The survey will span five days total—two over the weekend and three weekdays. So pack what you’ll need for that time and meet in front of the main building on the morning of departure.”
“Got it.”
“I’ve rented a large wagon with a luggage compartment, so don’t worry if you bring a lot. Actually, what I really wanted to say is that you won’t need to pack much individually. Most of the stuff has already been arranged! Tents, bedding, even food for the trip—it’s all taken care of. Just bring clothes and personal items.”
Mikhail and Adrian nodded in sync.
***
“Your Highness, have you been well?”
“Why are you so late this time?”
He was usually so punctual—why choose now to be late? Mikhail leaned against the main building wall, a sulky expression on his face as he spoke. The royal courier, caught off guard, stammered nervously.
“…Huh? I—I’m late? I mean, I don’t think I—”
“You’re here now, so fine. Where is it?”
Mikhail cut him off without hesitation and moved to inspect the parcel the courier had brought. Flustered, the courier quickly handed it over.
“Here it is. But, uh… why do you need this all of a sudden?”
Even the royal courier couldn’t make sense of it—what the youngest prince of Rustavaran had requested this time was downright bizarre. He’d been ordered to uproot weeds from a corner of the royal greenhouse and bring them in a pot. It was not the kind of request one expected from a member of the royal family.
The flowerpot he’d just handed over was worth a commoner’s monthly wage—though that was because it had been crafted at a famous atelier.
What’s so special about these weeds? The courier tilted his head in confusion.
Until now, the prince had never rushed anything. But this time, he’d sent not one, but two letters. That meant it was something very important.
Prince Mikhail now held the pot in his arms, his eyes sparkling like he’d just been handed a treasure. It was then—
“Do you have any further business?”
A cold voice snapped the courier out of his thoughts.
“Ah, n-no. Of course not. Then… I’ll take my leave, Your Highness.”
“Very well. Return safely.”
With a brisk bow, Mikhail turned on his heel. His steps were cautious, careful not to damage the weeds in the flowerpot he carried in his arms. Thankfully, the pot had arrived just in time before the departure for the survey. Now, there was only one thing left to do.
His fingers tapped lightly against the pot as if to calm his nerves. Taking a deep breath—hoo—he opened the dormitory door.
Inside, Adrian was packing his bags for the upcoming expedition.
“Mikhail, where’d you run off to in the middle of packing?”
Adrian spoke while slipping items into his bag. Then, catching a glimpse of Mikhail still standing by the doorway… his gaze landed on the pot cradled in Mikhail’s arms—and stopped.
Realizing he was being stared at, Mikhail smiled faintly.
“I went to get this—”
Step, step. Adrian’s footsteps echoed heavily as he strode toward him. The intensity was far greater than Mikhail had expected, and just as his brows lifted in surprise—Adrian tore the flowerpot out of his arms.
“You—why do you have this?”
Something was off. Adrian’s voice sounded more angry than pleased. Stunned, Mikhail stared blankly as the pot was taken from him.
“Why did you dig this up?! And what the hell is with this overly fancy pot!”
Huh? Mikhail frowned, staring at Adrian who was now yelling unexpectedly. Without paying him any mind, Adrian carried the pot over to the window. Frowning, he slowly pulled the weed out of the soil, inspecting its base closely as he gently brushed away the dirt.
Mikhail remained frozen at the doorway. Then, slowly, he opened his mouth.
“…Back then, it looked like… you liked it.”
Whip. Adrian’s sharp glare shot toward him. Mikhail, eyes wide with innocent bewilderment, quickly added on.
“I thought it was the weed you liked… Guess I was wrong.”
“Mikhail.”
The coldness in his voice was unmistakable. Mikhail walked slowly toward the window, face drawn in a pout. In front of him, the weed lay exposed, its white roots visible above the soil—a pitiful sight. Just like Mikhail’s current mood.
“This plant’s roots—”
Adrian paused mid-sentence and let out a frustrated sigh.
“They must never be exposed to sunlight. The moment you dug this out, it was as good as dead. Why would you even pull this up? You’ve never shown the slightest interest in plants before.”
“Well…”
Mikhail’s voice was uncharacteristically deflated. It wasn’t like him, but the urge to confess in this kind of moment just made everything feel unfair.
“It looked like you liked it… So I wanted to give it to you.”
“…So why did you suddenly want to give this to me?”
Adrian gave Mikhail a look like this was giving him a headache.
“…Because I—”
