When asked what she wished for with her three wishes, Rita replied,
“I wished for all the functions of this country to work properly so that it may enjoy endless glory.”
Her response was unusually verbose, unlike her typical manner. Before Satin could even ask what she meant, Edward interjected,
“Isn’t that too subjective?”
Rita looked at Edward with wide, triangular eyes. Edward shrugged and continued,
“What do you mean by ‘functions’? If you’re talking about what the country should do for its citizens, that’s not something you can achieve through prayer, is it? Shouldn’t the people in charge work hard to solve these issues?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“And what do you mean by ‘glory’? Winning a war is glorious, but you wouldn’t want a war, would you?”
“No, not that.”
As Rita readily agreed, Edward annoyingly added,
“I think it’s more rational to make specific wishes. You might not get another chance, and if you’re vague, you might not get what you want.”
“I’m sure God understands that much.”
“Well, our God doesn’t give opportunities to those who don’t seek them themselves. Rita, you might have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“Hey, do you always have to talk like that?”
When Rita raised her voice, Edward quickly apologized, almost too politely.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness.”
“No, not the title, just call me Rita.”
Rita muttered softly, then confessed,
“I was really angry when I went to Cloverland. The government offices were a mess, and so was the Bureau of Order. There was nothing I could do about it right away.”
“Cloverland does have some issues.”
“I thought maybe if I prayed, things would get better. Not just in Cloverland, but everywhere else too.”
“I understand that.”
Rita and Edward exchanged opinions about Cloverland’s future. Satin, a resident of Cloverland, scratched the back of his neck, not particularly interested in the conversation.
Somehow, the discussion between the two had turned into a debate, though the original question had come from Satin. Nevertheless, Satin didn’t feel left out and looked away. He had only asked because he had nothing else to say.
‘Am I relaxed? I’m feeling a bit hungry.’
The time spent in the Chamber of Whispers wasn’t very long. They had planned to have lunch with the High Priest, but there was still some time left. The group decided to take a short break.
‘It feels like we’re on a picnic.’
The Grand Temple has three gardens. The outermost garden is very large and opens to the public during events. Although called a garden, it resembles a grassy plaza.
The innermost garden is the smallest but contains a sacred tree hundreds of years old, making it the most revered. It is occasionally used for appointing high-ranking priests or discussing important temple matters.
The garden where Satin’s group is currently located is the middle one. Since it was created without a specific purpose, it is the most garden-like of the three. The ornamental trees are meticulously maintained, and various flowers that Satin doesn’t recognize are beautifully arranged.
Sitting in such a beautiful garden and enjoying tea and snacks brought a sense of tranquility.
“Would you like some more?”
Cain asked, noticing Satin’s empty plate as he was admiring the garden.
When did I finish everything?
Satin felt a bit embarrassed and wiped his mouth.
“No, I’m good.”
His hand was covered in crumbs. Feeling awkward, Satin sipped his tea to hide his discomfort. Whatever kind of tea it was, it had a delightful aroma.
Cain briefly gazed at Satin’s face before pushing his own plate forward. There were still some snacks left on Cain’s plate. Understanding the gesture, Satin quickly waved his hand in refusal.
“I’m really fine.”
“You don’t have to eat them if you don’t want to.”
“I’m seriously okay…”
Satin hesitated before slowly reaching out his hand. Cain smiled as he heard the crunching sound of the snacks.
Once Satin had somewhat satisfied his hunger, Rita asked,
“Now, tell us. Why did you do that yesterday?”
Correction: It wasn’t a question. It was a demand to hear an explanation that was due.
Satin was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his composure, having anticipated this situation.
“I’m sorry for messing up our planned schedule yesterday.”
“I’m not looking for an apology. Why did you suddenly do that? Do you know how surprised we were?”
As Satin humbly bowed his head, Rita started to lecture him but then veered off topic.
“You made a rope out of bedsheets, right? I did that when I was fifteen. I made the rope but escaped through a different route. I was so clever with my plan.”
“Let’s save the story of Rita’s rebellious teenage years for another time.”
“Oh, right. So, why did you do it?”
Unintentionally, Rita’s rambling gave Satin some time to think. Thanks to this, Satin could respond relatively naturally.
“I was scared of changing.”
This answer was not the truth. Cain, pretending to know nothing, stared at the garden to support Satin’s lie. Satin added more detail to his fabrication.
“I thought the recovered memories might change me.”
Instead of giving a long explanation, Satin smiled awkwardly, and Rita nodded as if she understood. Edward looked at Satin’s face for a moment before shrugging.
“You don’t seem very different now.”
“…I don’t think so either.”
This was also a lie. You can’t tell if there’s a duckling or a gosling inside an egg until it hatches. Although they look similar, it might not matter.
The topic of yesterday’s commotion ended quickly. Since it was resolved well, Rita decided there was no need to discuss it further and immediately asked another question.
“What did you wish for?”
“Oh, the wish.”
He had asked for his memories back, but could that even be considered a wish? If so, it would overlap with Cain’s wish. Cain would have no idea what Satin wished for.
Satin casually brushed it off.
“I didn’t wish for anything since I don’t have any particular desires.”
“What? You wasted this opportunity?”
Rita’s eyes widened in surprise. Even Edward looked astonished. Unlike them, Cain nodded calmly, as if he had expected this.
‘Does he think of me as some kind of sage?’
Satin felt embarrassed by Cain’s reaction but didn’t show it.
“I’m already content with how things are, and I’ve regained my memories.”
“Well, if that’s the case… Still, it feels like a waste.”
Rita seemed disappointed, even though it wasn’t her wish. Edward teased, “You’re not thinking of asking for the wish to be transferred to you, are you?” Thanks to Edward, Satin didn’t have to explain in detail why he didn’t make a wish.
Now, Satin understood most, if not all, of his past. He was content with his current situation and didn’t feel the need to change anything.
There were still some unresolved issues, but they weren’t the kind that could be fixed with a wish.
‘That’s just how relationships are.’
When he returned to Cloverland with Cain, things would likely be peaceful for a while. Cain would earn money through decent, honest work, and Satin would stay at Cain’s house to ease his worries, tending to the garden and chatting with neighbors.
‘How long will that last?’
Satin didn’t believe this peace would last forever; it was a certainty, not just a vague feeling.
Cain had wanted Satin to regain his memories. This meant that just being with a memory-less Satin wasn’t enough for him. Now that Satin had regained his memories, Cain would surely have expectations.
‘Even if he doesn’t realize it himself.’
Filling in the blanks revealed the underlying flow—the direction of Cain’s heart.
As Satin glanced over, Cain also looked at him. Cain narrowed his eyes and asked,
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“What about you? Are you content with how things are now?”
Satin casually probed, but Cain just tilted his head, seemingly unaware of his own desires now that his clear goal had been achieved.
Satin decided not to stir up any emotions in Cain and turned his head away. Fortunately, he spotted something interesting in the well-maintained garden.
He noticed a plant he recognized: ginseng. It had leaves divided into five leaflets and small, red berries hanging in clusters.
“Is that plant used for ornamental purposes here?” Satin asked, feeling a bit puzzled himself.
‘Ginseng isn’t particularly attractive enough to be considered ornamental…’
Satin stretched his neck to get a better look at the flower bed. Perhaps it was the gardener’s skill, but despite several ginseng plants growing together, it didn’t look like a ginseng field; it blended in as part of an ordinary flower bed.
‘I guess it depends on how you grow it.’
As Satin nodded to himself, Edward glanced at the flower bed and replied,
“Ah, that’s not for ornamental purposes; it’s for pest control.”
“Pest control?”
Satin had never heard of ginseng being used to repel insects. He widened his eyes in surprise, and Edward explained,
“It’s a toxic plant, so having it around keeps bugs away. Just one plant can be very useful.”
“…Toxic?”
“Yes, even animals tend to avoid it. In the past, people would intentionally plant it around their fields, but nowadays, it’s considered too dangerous to do so.”
If it’s a toxic plant that repels insects and animals…
‘Wouldn’t it be dangerous for humans too?’
So he feed the old man poison
Damn, killed the bastard with his own hands unknowingly