My Secret Flower - Episode 30

“It wasn’t a pleasant conversation, but I’ll let it slide this time. I’m understanding, so I’ll let it go. Because I know it’s not an easy decision.”

“Thank you, Lishua.”

“If you’re thankful, treat me well from now on. That’s how you’ll make me forget today’s disappointment.”

“Of course. Absolutely. Without a doubt.”

His face shows a bright smile, hinting at relief. I can only imagine how worried he’s been, and the slight disappointment I felt just now quickly vanishes.

I worry about seeming like an easy woman. But if it’s him, it doesn’t matter, right? It’s not like it’s the first time.

“Then, tell me the rest of the story from earlier. Wasn’t it around the time the plague was spreading when you were staying in our kingdom?”

“That’s right. I saw you when the plague broke out and I had to leave the capital. You were in a carriage heading to the capital, looking anxious.”

At that time, I was staying at my family’s estate in the territory. Then, I received word that my mother was gravely ill and headed to the capital. He was trying to avoid the plague and happened to see me.

If he saw me before getting on the carriage I was in, I think it was a coincidence. If you can’t call that fate, what else can you call it?

“So? Did you follow me?”

“I’m ashamed to admit it but yes. I followed you, and a fight broke out with those who were chasing us. I did everything I could to catch up to the carriage you were in. To survive.”

That fact was even more surprising. To catch up to the carriage with that battered body. It breaks my heart to think that’s why he bled so much.

I want to scold him for being so reckless, but if he hadn’t pushed himself so hard back then, we wouldn’t be in this relationship now. And I wouldn’t have been able to get over the shock of my mother’s death so easily.

I roughly tossed the dagger I was holding onto the floor and hugged him tightly. Surprised by the sudden action, he raised the candlestick he was holding to avoid hurting me and embraced me with only one arm.

“Lishua, what if you get hurt…?”

“I won’t be shaken by anything anyone says from now on. No, I won’t give anyone a chance to slander you and me from now on. I’m sorry for making you feel insecure, Ash.”

It wasn’t that I doubted him. It was an apology for leaving him to endure all of this alone. I should have asked from the beginning. I wonder if what I thought was consideration made things even harder for him.

“I wasn’t insecure, so you don’t have to apologize. Shouldn’t I be the one apologizing? If I had told you everything before you became curious, this wouldn’t have happened.”

It’s funny that we’re apologizing for not speaking up first. How can I not love someone who understands me so well?

“If you’re sorry, give me a kiss. A deep one.”

I smiled brightly at him and puckered my lips, and he chuckled happily and gave me a sweet kiss. That alone makes me happy. Just feeling his warmth and facing him makes me feel like I have the whole world.

I only want one thing. An eternal vow of love and a lifetime of enjoying this sweet happiness.

We enjoyed a walk for a long time until the late hours of the night, savoring each other’s warmth as sleepiness washed over us. We couldn’t share a deep love because of my period, so we tried to soothe our disappointment with short kisses.

The next day, I overslept and went down to the dining hall with Evelyn for a slightly later breakfast than usual.

“Why did you wake up so late today? You slept with me last night.”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I took a walk.”

“With whom? Your darling?”

“Who else would I take a walk with besides Ash? …Don’t look at me like that. Nothing like what you’re thinking happened.”

I immediately shattered Evelyn’s lewd imagination, who was snickering mischievously, and scoffed as I walked down the stairs. Then, I saw the butler busily moving around in the mansion’s entrance hall and tilted my head in confusion.

“Is something going on outside?”

I approached the butler, who was giving instructions to a servant, and asked. The butler smiled lightly at me, as if it were nothing, and bowed.

“Are you just coming down, miss? It’s nothing much, but two guests are leaving now, so I was helping with the preparations.”

“…Who’s leaving? Pavilion?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t imagine why he would suddenly make such a decision after saying such strange things yesterday. Did he give up? I’d be grateful if he did, but his actions yesterday made it seem like he wouldn’t back down so easily.

I asked Evelyn with my eyes, but she just shrugged, as if she didn’t know anything either.

“Where is he now?”

“I called for a merchant carriage a little while ago, and they’re waiting for the carriage outside now.”

I immediately went out to the entrance hall and looked around. Ash, Pavilion, and Rainyd, who was standing with her arms crossed and looking sulky, came into view.

“Are you leaving now?”

I asked as I approached the three of them, and their gazes all turned to me. Ash shook his head with a slightly tired face, as if he didn’t want to deal with them anymore, and Pavilion chuckled and answered my question.

“Weren’t you hoping we’d get lost quickly? Why, are you perhaps feeling a little sad now that we’re leaving?”

It’s that expression again. He’s smiling, but there’s a hint of annoyance somewhere. I can feel that unpleasantness directed at me, and it makes me feel strange.

So, I responded with a bright smile, not wanting to lose.

“Of course not. He’s Ash’s only family, and I would have felt uneasy if I didn’t see him off, so I would have been worried for nothing. We won’t be seeing each other again anyway.”

The smile slowly disappeared from Pavilion’s face, and one of his eyes twitched. I hope he knows it’s the price for poking at me first.

“Well, we’ll see if we really won’t be seeing each other again.”

“They say the person who says ‘we’ll see’ is the most uninteresting person in the world. And don’t you know that can be punished as aristocratic intimidation?”

He looked at me with a very dumbfounded expression as I pretended to be innocent and replied primly. Then, he let out a hollow laugh and tried to calm his slowly rising anger by taking deep breaths. He tried to regain his composure and roughly swept his hair back with a rough gesture.

He’s definitely more hot-tempered than Ash. It’s pathetic how he started it first and then got angry when things didn’t go his way.

“Let’s stop. It’s not fun. I was just about to leave because it seems like there’s no reason to stay any longer. And to get rid of a bothersome burden.”

He gestured with his chin at Rainyd, and Rainyd frowned and swung her fist at Pavilion’s side with all her might, but it didn’t do much damage. Pavilion scoffed, treating it like a cat’s paw, and grabbed Rainyd’s hand and bit her wrist hard, as if to say, “You try it too.”

Of course, Rainyd couldn’t scream in pain and struggled to get out, then gently stroked her wrist with the bite mark and glared at Pavilion with teary eyes.

‘Seeing that, it seems like the two of them really don’t get along.’

They’re really strange siblings. Seeing them, I was reminded of how comfortable and peaceful my life has been.

“Are you going back to faithfully fulfill your duties?”

“Why are you asking that? Are you worried I’ll come back to harass my brother again?”

“The people’s taxes are their blood and sweat. If we, who live off that blood money, don’t do our jobs properly, who will protect them?”

It was a message I wanted to indirectly convey not only to Pavilion but to everyone there. Ash leaving his duties to his brother could be seen as irresponsible in a way. In terms of public duty, it wasn’t something that could be said to be good.

But it’s just good for me because it’s a big help to our territory.

“I hope you will work hard with a heart that cherishes and loves your hometown. As much as your brother risked his life to protect it.”

That was the only thing I could say in the end. The rest would be up to them. Even if Ash had a cold heart and turned his back on his family, he wouldn’t be able to ignore them completely. That’s how people’s hearts are.

Just then, the merchant carriage that the butler had called arrived inside the estate. Rainyd, who found the black carriage, realized that the words about leaving weren’t a joke and ran to Ash, clinging to him like a cicada. She looked a little pitiful.

‘Ash must be almost like a father to her. She must be attached to him.’

But Ash didn’t show as much regret as Rainyd and just patted her on the shoulder.

“Go and listen to Pavilion and behave yourself. If we have the chance, we’ll see each other again someday. It’s not like we’re separating forever.”

Rainyd’s eyes, looking up at Ash, looked as pathetic as a kitten shivering in the rain. The words “You can just stay here if you don’t want to go” almost came out, but the words she had said to me came to mind and went back down.

She told me to be careful because her brother was a vicious beast, but she was acting like a cat flirting with a beast. I felt a little annoyed for no reason.

“Let’s go, Rainyd.”

In the end, Pavilion pulled Rainyd away from Ash, but Rainyd clung to Ash’s clothes until the end. Then, Pavilion picked Rainyd up and slung her over his left shoulder like a piece of luggage.

‘Even so, he’s treating a grown woman too roughly.’

Just when I thought that the second brother was too inconsiderate to his sister, Pavilion turned his head and looked at me as if he had thought of something, winking with a meaningful smile.

“We’ll have to meet again soon, whether you like it or not. Until then, I hope you are safe and sound.”

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