The Song of Flowers - Chapter 2: The Heir of the Lord (1)

Adele wasn’t even able to see Shima’s face, as it was deemed that the patient needed complete rest. Feeling utterly drained, Adele returned to the South Tower, skipping dinner and spending the night wide awake.

After finally dozing off for a brief moment at dawn, she woke up overwhelmed with despair. It felt as if a heavy boulder was pressing down on her chest. What happened yesterday was no dream.

Lying in bed, Adele stared out the window before getting up sluggishly. She opened the door and glanced down the hallway. There was no one in sight.

The South Tower was usually deserted. Except for Adele’s bedroom, the rooms were empty, with only occasional cleaning staff passing through for maintenance.

Adele ventured into the garden, heading deep into its lush, forest-like interior. She eventually reached an open area. Her eyes welled up with tears as soon as she saw the swing hanging from the high branches of a towering tree. Shima had made that swing for her, knowing how much Adele loved playing in the garden.

For the first time in a while, Adele sat on the swing. In recent years, she had spent more time reading or sipping tea rather than engaging in active play like swinging. Though her height hadn’t grown, she had aged. She wanted to convey that fact to those around her. Since her appearance didn’t change, she tried to act more mature.

Leaning her head against the swing’s rope, Adele wept quietly. The wind blew, and the entire forest seemed to sway gently in response.

Suddenly, a small, round orb of light emerged from the vine climbing up the swing’s rope. The light floated into the air and split into two. The two became four. The division continued rapidly.

From the weeds at her feet, the tiny wildflowers, and the leaves of the trees, similar orbs of light burst forth, as if in competition. Two, four, eight… In an instant, tiny golden lights surrounded Adele, filling the space around her.

Adele opened her eyes as she heard a song. It wasn’t a sound, but a sensation of music.

“What… is this?”

She reached out and touched one of the floating orbs. It spun wildly and bounced away. The sight was oddly amusing, and Adele wiped her tears, smiling softly.

“Are you comforting me?”

The wind blew in response, as if to answer her. The forest was comforting her.

Adele stepped down from the swing and leaned against a tree. Watching the brilliant lights around her, she felt slightly better.

Then, suddenly, all the lights vanished.

‘Someone is coming.’

A strong sense of foreboding washed over her. It was an inexplicable feeling. Adele’s expression stiffened.

‘Who could it be?’

The only person who would come to the garden was her grandmother. But it couldn’t be her.

Fear struck her. She no longer had anyone to protect her. For the first time, in the garden where she had always felt at peace, she was scared.

She looked around. She had wandered too far to run back to the tower. In her panic, unsure of what to do, vines began to grow at her feet.

The vines quickly wrapped around her body, but Adele, though startled, believed the forest wouldn’t harm her. Rather than struggling, she curled up and stayed still.

In no time, the vines fully enveloped her, spreading leaves across her form. From a distance, a tall man appeared. It was someone she knew.

‘Alan Coe…’

He was the older brother of her friend, Calvin. Unlike Calvin, who always seemed a bit careless, Alan was a highly skilled knight who stood out, even under the shadow of their father’s reputation. Though they weren’t close, Adele had run into him a few times while visiting her grandmother and exchanged brief pleasantries.

Unlike Calvin, Alan was always composed, both in expression and speech. When dealing with Adele, he was impeccably respectful, as if she were a member of the noble family he served.

As Alan turned toward where Adele was hiding, her heart sank. However, his gaze passed over her without any recognition. He didn’t seem to notice her presence at all.

Though Adele couldn’t see herself, it was clear to anyone who looked that she appeared as nothing more than part of the thick underbrush beneath the large tree.

“Oh. So, there was a place like this,” said another man who appeared after Alan. He had reddish-brown hair and whistled softly as he looked around. Adele had never seen him before.

“It’s secluded, no one can eavesdrop here. Perfect. Where are we, by the way?” he asked.

“The garden,” Alan replied.

“A garden? It doesn’t look like any garden I’ve seen.”

“The landscaper doesn’t maintain it,” Alan explained.

“Even so, this looks like it’s been left alone for a hundred years. It’s practically a forest,” the red-haired man remarked, whistling again.

Alan looked around with a new perspective after hearing the comment.

‘Indeed, it didn’t use to be like this.’

Even though the landscaper hadn’t kept it perfectly manicured, it was still unmistakably a garden.

But at some point, the trees and plants had grown so wild that it was now beyond easy maintenance.

“We didn’t come here to talk about the garden,” Alan said. “I thought of this place because it’s secluded, but it does have an owner. We entered without permission, and I can’t stay long. Let’s get to the point.”

“Owner? Oh… you mean the young lady who was given the whole South Tower by the Lord?”

Adele pouted slightly.

‘It’s not like the South Tower was given to me.’

The South Tower was originally for guests. Occasionally, visitors to the Lord would stay there for a few days. But since it was mostly empty, it only seemed like Adele was using the entire tower herself.

“Eric, I heard you’re returning to the academy tonight,” Alan said, changing the subject.

“I have to. I’m behind on my lessons. I’ve already missed five days during the semester,” Eric replied with a shrug.

“Are you really planning to spend your entire life as a professor?” Alan asked.

Eric chuckled.

“You say the same thing every time we meet. Isn’t it time to give up?”

“I don’t mind you taking a break to clear your head, but this isn’t your path. Your father needs you, and so does the Levas family.”

As the two men conversed, Adele realized who the red-haired man was. She had heard from one of the maids that Luther Basil’s son had rejected his role as heir and become a professor at the academy.

The Basil family had long been one of the most distinguished houses in the East, loyal to the Levas family for generations. The son’s decision to turn down his role as heir to such a wealthy and influential house in favor of becoming a mere professor had become quite the subject of gossip.

“Why are you so sure of my path, when I’m not?” Eric replied with a slight grin. “In fact, now more than ever, I’m convinced I made the right choice.”

Eric shrugged again as he added, “Levas is finished. You know that too.”

Eric looked at his friend’s hard expression and thought a punch might be coming his way. But instead of throwing a punch, Alan calmly said, “I want to hear what’s going on.”

“Hear what?” Eric asked.

“The reason you’re here. Why did you come?”

“Hey, didn’t I just say I was happy to see you a few days ago? You sure change your tune fast,” Eric replied, half-joking.

“This is the first time you’ve returned since you left the East to become a professor.”

“Well, my father called for me…”

“And you even took time off during the semester? When I visited you last winter, you said you’d never come back. When did you start following the Lord’s orders so obediently? Spill it. What’s going on?”

Eric clicked his tongue. His friend was known for being annoyingly rigid, but his intuition in certain matters was sharp as a razor.

“Well, you’re going to find out soon enough anyway,” Eric said, giving up and deciding to explain.

“My father asked me to secretly find someone. He thought I’d be able to move discreetly since I’m an outsider. That old man… he’s always got some scheme up his sleeve. Now it makes sense why he didn’t put up a fight when I left home. He must have been planning to use me for this all along.”

“Who are you supposed to find?”

Even though Eric knew there was no one around, he glanced over his shoulder before lowering his voice.

“The successor of the Lord.”

There was a brief silence. Adele, who had unintentionally overheard something significant, held her breath.

“They say the late Lord’s son has an heir.”

“Paul? He had a child?” Alan asked in shock.

Paul had no children. After a decade of marriage, his wife had finally gotten pregnant, but she suffered from preeclampsia and tragically lost the baby. She too passed away, and Paul, devastated by her death, never remarried.

“No. Ethan.”

Alan had to search his memory for a moment to recall who Ethan was.

The Lord had two sons. Paul, who had recently died, was the younger. Ethan, the elder, had died years ago in a horseback riding accident.

It had been nearly twenty years. It was ancient history. Ethan had been in his early twenties when he died.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Not entirely, which is why my father hasn’t made it public yet. The Lord himself asked my father to keep it quiet and search. Since the child is suspected to have been born and raised on the continent, the search is going to be incredibly difficult.”

Alan fell deep in thought. Eric had shown up unexpectedly four days ago, just before the news of Paul’s death and the Lord’s collapse had spread. When Alan had asked if Eric was finally coming back for good, Eric had dodged the question with a strange smile.

“You’ve known about this for days,” Alan said, piecing it together.

“Sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner,” Eric admitted.

“Then the Lord… she’s been hiding it all along.”

Eric nodded, picking up on Alan’s unspoken question.

“She’s not the type to collapse just because she heard her son had died.”

Eric had no intention of serving Lady Shima as his liege, but he did acknowledge her as a formidable woman.

The reason Eric had left home wasn’t just to pursue his dream of becoming a professor, contrary to popular belief. He had left because he believed that under Shima’s leadership, he couldn’t achieve his vision for the East.

Shima’s policies prioritized stability in the region. While other great houses had expanded into the continent over the past few decades, the East remained isolated and stagnant.

It was a safe approach, of course. The Levas family was wealthy, and the East was stable. But to Eric, the stagnation of the East was boring. He longed for adventure. He wanted the East to venture out onto the continent like the other great houses had done.

Recently, Paul had shown interest in the continent, and Eric had been planning to meet with him soon. But hearing of Paul’s death had left him feeling utterly deflated.

“Even if we find him… I don’t know. Maybe this is just the end of the Levas family’s glory.”

“Don’t speak so recklessly,” Alan said, his voice stern.

“Let’s say we do find him. How do we even know what kind of person he is? Do you think he’s been properly educated? What if he’s a horrible person, or even a worthless scoundrel?”

Despite seeing his friend’s expression grow darker and more menacing, Eric pressed on.

“Can you still serve him, no matter who he is?”

“Of course. A vassal’s role is to make up for whatever shortcomings their lord may have,” Alan replied firmly.

Eric shook his head.

“The knights on the continent don’t hold to such rigid ideas these days.”

“They’re the ones who are wrong, then.”

“Sure, sure. You go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

“How do you plan to find him?” Alan asked.

“I have a few ideas. I know some capable people who specialize in that sort of thing.”

“I’ll help too,” Alan said, resolute.

Eric smirked, knowing Alan’s response was predictable.

“Of course you should help, but not now. If you disappear suddenly, people will start asking questions.”

“So, what do you suggest?” Alan asked.

“They’ll have to send someone to wrap up Paul’s affairs on the continent. That’s when I can arrange for you to go.”

“We’ll discuss the details later. I have to go now.”

The East was currently under a state of emergency. Security around the castle had been heightened to the maximum level, and law enforcement across the entire region had been reinforced. The head of security was Lord Coe, with Alan acting as his deputy. Typically, the deputy is the one running around, handling the most urgent matters.

“If you get the chance, come to the academy. My office is a better place for secret conversations than anywhere around here.”

“It’ll be tough in the next month or two,” Alan replied.

“That’s fine. It’s not like we’ll find the Lord’s heir in a couple of months anyway.”

As the two walked away, their figures slowly disappeared from sight. Once they were gone, the vines wrapping around Adele loosened and receded.

While lost in thought, Adele realized her body was already free.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling as she glanced around. A gentle breeze caressed her cheek in response, as if acknowledging her gratitude. Even though something inexplicable had just happened, she wasn’t frightened or alarmed.

“I’m sorry… for not hearing you before.”

The trees and plants had been trying to speak to her all this time. Only now had she finally started to hear their voice. It felt so natural that she didn’t find it strange.

Adele stood up and began walking back to the tower. After overhearing the conversation between the two men, the heaviness in her chest felt slightly lighter.

‘There’s a lot happening that I don’t know about,’ she thought. Her grandmother wasn’t helplessly unconscious after all.

‘Ethan…’

She had never met him, but she knew that her grandmother had a son who had passed away.

‘I once thought I was his daughter,’ Adele recalled with a bitter smile.

Whether it was a grandson or granddaughter, somewhere out there in the world, the real heir existed. Not a fake like herself.

‘It’s a relief,’ she thought. Yet, she couldn’t feel completely happy. Instead, she was filled with an inexplicable sense of loss, leaving her feeling melancholy.

***