# Chapter 24
“I’d like Your Highness to choose.”
Asher responded to the attendant’s words as if he had been waiting for this. However, Luke gestured to Asher, indicating that he should choose. After contemplating for a moment, Asher approached where two boxes were placed.
Though notorious for his bad luck, it seemed impossible that Asher could pick the treasure chest, but he composed himself and picked up a box.
“…”
Contrary to his expectations, the box contained only a single note. Feeling this was another failure, Asher couldn’t hide his disappointment. However, as he slowly unfolded the note, it contained instructions to enter through the door on the right.
At first, he didn’t understand what it meant, but then he noticed two doors behind the attendant.
“Congratulations. You can receive your reward by entering through the right door as written on the note.”
At the word “congratulations,” Asher looked puzzled. Blinking as if to confirm it was really true, he looked at Luke with disbelief.
“It seems we won.”
Luke grinned at Asher’s voice, which clearly conveyed his trembling excitement.
“Shall we go in, then?”
Luke extended his hand toward Asher. Though it had been a short time, the moments spent with Luke felt especially meaningful to Asher. At a distance where holding hands seemed natural, Asher placed his hand over Luke’s gloved one as they entered through the open door.
*
As they opened the door handle and entered, they saw a tent. Asher pulled aside the tent and stepped inside.
Numerous fireflies flew over an artificial garden. Is this what it would feel like to witness the Milky Way with one’s own eyes? Asher walked forward, unable to close his mouth.
“…Wow.”
The ground was covered with marsh marigolds. The flowers formed waves of yellow, and the artificial garden was filled with bright light. Luke just stared at Asher, who couldn’t take his eyes off the garden.
“Asher.”
“They’re marsh marigolds. The flower language of marsh marigolds is eternal happiness…”
“…”
“I think the treasure box wanted to show us this.”
Marsh marigolds, known for being precious medicinal herbs, carried the meaning of eternal happiness. But they also meant sad memories. Somehow, Asher smiled faintly at the flower language that resembled himself.
“I think I understand why they said to come with someone you want to be happy.”
The hidden meaning of the fireflies was happiness. As Asher gazed intently at the flowers in this garden full of happiness, Luke gently gripped his shoulder.
“This doesn’t seem to be the end.”
“Pardon?”
“I noticed something at the center earlier. Shall we go take a look?”
Though distracted by the flowers and fireflies, Asher hadn’t properly observed the surroundings, but he supposed other visitors would have been no different. Asher quietly followed Luke, who had keenly spotted something else.
“I think this is the real gift from the treasure box.”
Asher looked down at the ground with a puzzled expression. Being a place where many had come and gone, the stone was half-covered with soil. Asher brushed away the dirt from the stone shaped like a firefly, his eyes filled with anticipation.
“Should I really press it?”
Asher asked Luke with a somewhat worried expression. Instead of answering, Luke gave him a look suggesting he should open it.
“But how did you know, Your Highness?”
“It’s a habit. I naturally check whether there are any dangerous materials on the ground or if the path is safe.”
Asher responded with an “Ah…” and pressed the protruding part of the stone. Unlike the other stone parts, this one made a clicking sound. Slowly opening the lid, he saw a small box inside.
“Oh…”
It seemed somewhat similar to the box Luke had given him before. Though certainly not the same, Asher carefully picked up the box and held it out to Luke.
“Since Your Highness discovered it, you should be the owner of this gift.”
“I’m fine.”
“But…”
“If I hadn’t opened it, we wouldn’t have found that box either. So it’s right for you to open it.”
Luke gently pushed away Asher’s outstretched hand, gesturing for him to open it. Still, as it was called a treasure box, Asher hesitated slightly before opening the lid.
“They’re cufflinks…”
Inside the box, two pairs of cufflinks rested on soft cotton. The four-leaf clover-shaped cufflinks, said to bring good luck, had one leaf densely studded with adorable small silver cubic zirconia.
“…There are two pairs.”
“Do you like them?”
“You didn’t prepare this, did you, Your Highness?”
“Why would you think I prepared it?”
“Well… I just feel like you did…”
Though he was just saying his intuition suggested it, Asher spoke slowly, carefully observing Luke’s expression.
Luke’s red eyes gazed at him more gently. Without giving any clear answer, his gaze focused solely on Asher, who was holding the box.
What is this feeling…? At the emotion of affection that could be felt just by facing each other, Asher averted his gaze and looked down at the cufflinks.
“I think we should each have one pair.”
“Indeed.”
“I’d like to put them on Your Highness first… would you allow me?”
“Of course.”
He extended his hand toward Asher with an affirmative answer. Was it just a coincidence? Asher felt strange looking at the uncuffed links on his wrist.
“Your Highness…”
With a small murmur, Asher attached the cufflinks to Luke’s wrist. The cufflinks set against his light sky-blue shirt reflected softly in the light from the path. Just looking at it made him feel happy, so Asher smiled brightly and said to him:
“As I’ve said before, I want Your Highness to be happy. Now and in the future…”
There was something Asher had always heard from his parents before the possession. They said that if you continuously express your wish to someone, that wish would certainly come true with good fortune in the near future. That’s why Asher still believed in those words.
“I’ll put the other pair on you.”
“Huh?”
Not expecting Luke to put them on him, only foolish words escaped Asher’s lips. He stared blankly at the hands fastening the cufflinks, blinking his large eyes.
“I also want you to be happy.”
“…”
“Of course, by my side.”
His voice, like gentle waves, filled Asher’s heart. It felt so good that his heart ached, and he almost felt tears welling up. But knowing that excessive desire can be poisonous, Asher clenched his fist where Luke couldn’t see and swallowed his emotions.
“Thank you…”
At that moment, a pair of fireflies flew between Asher and Luke. Watching the fireflies that seemed to be dancing, Asher smiled bitterly.
He promised himself he would remember this as a happy memory too.
*
When Asher quietly entered the house after the festival ended, the Duke was sitting on the sofa waiting for him. It seemed he had been waiting all this time without sleeping.
“Welcome home.”
“…You haven’t gone to bed yet?”
“I waited because I have something to tell you. Sit down.”
Whatever he wanted to say, the Duke didn’t look pleased. Asher sat across from him without letting go of his tension, watching the Duke’s expression.
“What did you talk about with the Duke?”
“We didn’t discuss anything in particular.”
“Nothing about the engagement either?”
The Duke’s eyes sharpened at Asher’s words. Luke had mentioned the engagement as the Duke suggested, but they hadn’t had a conversation deep enough to be considered meaningful. Asher paused for a moment before slowly parting his lips.
“We didn’t exchange any special conversation that would satisfy Father.”
“You fool. You should have at least stayed out all night!”
“If I had really stayed out all night, it would have damaged the Ducal Family’s image. Considering our already poor reputation, shouldn’t we try to restore our image now?”
The Duke’s knuckles reddened as he clenched his fist, watching Asher who was responding articulately. He looked like someone who wanted to hit him right now.
“So you picked up children from the street to restore our image?”
“That’s not it.”
“You foolish boy. Do you know who the child you brought is? Surely, the Duke doesn’t know where the child resides?!”
The Duke gradually raised his voice before finally slamming the table with a ‘bang.’ He hit it so hard that the harsh sound filled the spacious living room.
“…Father?”
Asher looked at him with uncomprehending eyes, not understanding why bringing the child home warranted such anger.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
