The Song of Flowers - Chapter 2: The Heir of the Lord (6)

After a full week of travel, they finally arrived at the count’s territory in the Saul Kingdom. It was still early in the morning, and the gates hadn’t opened yet. With no other choice, the two of them knocked on a farmhouse door and rented space in a barn.

Exhausted, they collapsed onto a pile of straw and dozed off. Perhaps due to the relief of having arrived or the fatigue from their journey, Ron quickly fell into a deep sleep.

“Ron, wake up.”

Ron opened his eyes. The barn, once dim, was now bright. He sat up and wiped his face dry. Judging by the heavy feeling in his body, he hadn’t slept for long.

“The gates should be open by now,” he muttered.

“I’ve already been inside,” Julio replied.

“When did you go?”

“You were sleeping so deeply, I went on my own. We need to leave now. Something’s not right.”

“Did you already finish the job?”

Ron stretched as he stood up. This wasn’t unusual. It was rare for their entire mercenary group to work on a single assignment. Most of the time, they split up for different tasks, and even when they set a meeting point, the timing often didn’t align perfectly. Estimating the exact time it would take to complete a job was always difficult.

“Hurry up. Let’s go,” Julio pressed.

“What’s the rush?”

Mercenaries didn’t usually rush. They had plenty of time. Julio, especially, was far from industrious, so this urgency felt strange. Frowning, Ron narrowed his eyes in suspicion, then suddenly stood up.

“If you’re not going to tell me what’s going on, I’ll find out myself.”

Behind him, Julio mumbled under his breath, “This guy’s got the instincts of a hawk.”

“Ron, just listen to me this time.”

“I will, if you tell me what’s going on.”

Ron crossed his arms and stood in front of the barn’s exit, blocking the way. His stance made it clear: no explanation, no leaving.

‘If I could, I’d just knock him out and drag him with me,’ Julio thought, looking at Ron, who had grown far too strong to handle easily.

‘I remember when he was just a little kid, barely reaching my chest.’

Julio sighed deeply.

“Ron, you trust me, right? Not as much as Leon, of course, but you trust me, don’t you?”

“…I trust you.”

“Then trust me now, too. Just this once, follow my lead without asking questions.”

Ron met Julio’s serious gaze and asked, “Just tell me one thing. Is Leon okay?”

Julio nodded.

“All right.”

Without leaving a message for the farmer who had lent them the barn, the two of them quickly left the count’s territory.

They walked in silence, Ron following Julio’s lead. They walked for nearly half a day without a break, following a path that veered off from the main road into a quiet, rarely used route.

“I can’t go any farther. Let’s take a break,” Julio said, finally collapsing from exhaustion.

“Now explain. What’s going on?” Ron’s face had been growing more tense. His unease was increasing, and it was clear to him that Julio was running away from something.

Julio took a few moments to catch his breath and choose his words carefully.

“Just a little farther,” he began.

“Tell me now, or I’ll turn back,” Ron said, looking as though he would follow through with his threat immediately. Julio sighed heavily.

“Promise me you’ll listen until the end.”

“Fine.”

“Promise.”

“I said I will. I’ll listen without interrupting.”

Julio took a deep breath and then dropped the news.

“The others who went to the count’s territory… they’re all dead.”

Ron blinked, staring at Julio in disbelief. His violet eyes, which had been dazed, suddenly filled with emotion, trembling violently. As Ron made to stand up, Julio shouted.

“Listen to the rest!”

Ron glared at Julio, teeth clenched, but he stayed still, though his whole body shook with barely restrained fury.

“It felt off the moment I entered through the gates,” Julio began.

The soldiers guarding the gates had looked at him with suspicion. It wasn’t unusual for mercenaries to be met with caution, given that they wielded power but were often not under anyone’s direct control. But the level of interrogation had felt more like an interrogation.

So Julio had lied, saying he was visiting distant relatives and looking for work. After demonstrating some basic magic, they let him through, likely assuming he was just a wandering mage.

“I saw a notice posted along the way. It said that compensation would be given to the families of those who died in a recent territorial conflict. Our entire mercenary group was listed among the dead.”

Ron’s fists, resting on his thighs, trembled. No, his entire body was trembling.

“Our captain, all of them—every one of them was skilled. But they’re all dead. This isn’t just bad luck. We walked right into some kind of trap. When I grabbed a passerby to ask about it, they said the area around the site was still sealed off, and there were no survivors. They didn’t even want to talk about it.”

“Is it over?”

“It’s not over yet!” Julio shouted.

“What kind of noble compensates dead mercenaries? It’s a trap, Ron! They’re trying to lure in anyone who might dig deeper. They want to erase everyone tied to this. Whatever it is, something dirty is going on!”

“…There might be survivors,” Ron muttered, still clinging to hope.

“They wouldn’t let them live.”

Ron lunged at Julio, grabbing him by the collar.

“You said everything was fine.”

Ron pulled Julio closer, his voice a desperate shout.

“You said Leon would be okay!”

Julio swallowed hard. This was the first time he’d seen Ron’s eyes up close like this. He had always thought the two brothers’ violet eyes were unusual. Now, as fury swirled in Ron’s eyes, a strange energy seemed to pulse within them. A shiver ran down Julio’s spine.

As a mage, Julio could feel it—something bizarre was hidden within Ron’s eyes.

“…I had to say that, or you never would’ve left.”

“You knew!” Ron shoved Julio away roughly, releasing his grip. Julio fell back, coughing as his throat, which had been pressed hard, finally got some relief.

Ron stood up, glaring down at Julio, before turning to walk away.

“If you go, you’ll die!” Julio shouted after him.

“…I’m already dead,” Ron replied coldly.

Death didn’t scare him. What he feared more than anything was losing his only brother, his only family. Leon was the only reason Ron had to live. Without him, Ron would be no more than an empty shell.

As Ron began retracing his steps, Julio shouted at his back.

“Don’t go! It’s Leon’s dying wish!”

Ron froze. Slowly, he turned around. His face was colder and more frightening than any expression Julio had ever seen. For a moment, Julio feared that Ron might actually kill him if he said the wrong thing.

“…A long time ago, Leon told me something. If he ever died, there was something he wanted me to tell you. It was ages ago. I smacked him on the head at the time, telling him not to say such unlucky things.”

“…”

Ron’s cold, hardened expression began to crumble ever so slightly. As Julio saw the tremor in Ron’s eyes, he felt an odd sense of relief.

Recalling Leon’s words and the serious expression he’d worn at the time, Julio spoke with the same solemnity, reliving the memory as vividly as he could.

“It’s not your fault. So live. Live for my share, too.”

Ron stood there, speechless for a long time.

“I already gave Julio my last message,” Leon had said in their final conversation, as if he had anticipated his end.

“…He said the same thing when we first met,” Ron muttered absently. “He didn’t know anything…”

Their first meeting had left a strong impression. A boy, tanned dark from running around the mountains, had grinned, flashing white teeth. Standing next to his robust arm, Ron had felt embarrassed by how thin and pale his own arm looked.

It’s not your fault. With just those simple words, the boy had saved Ron. That one sentence continued to rule over Ron’s heart with undeniable force.

‘The first time they met? Weren’t they real brothers?’ Julio wondered, but he set the thought aside for now. He needed to keep Ron from breaking down completely, so he pressed on.

“I’m sure of it—Leon would never want you to die a meaningless death. You know that better than I do.”

Ron’s legs gave out, and he fell to his knees. A hollow laugh escaped him.

“Live, huh?”

He felt like he was going mad. Maybe it would be better if he did lose his mind.

“…He’s telling me to live?”

A world without Leon? It couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening. If there were a god, Ron had long since stopped believing, but even then, no deity could be so cruel.

“Aaah…”

A long, drawn-out groan escaped Ron, more like a scream than a sigh. His fingertips tingled as if they’d turned to ice, as though the blood had drained from his body. He bent forward, propping himself up on his trembling hands, his head bowed to the ground. He pounded the dirt with his fists—once, twice, again and again. His hands struck the earth until his skin broke, and blood mixed with the dirt beneath him.

“Aaaaaaaaah!”

It was a guttural, agonizing scream, as if his very soul were being torn apart.

Julio could do nothing but watch. He didn’t try to stop him. Maybe letting it all out would help, he thought. With eyes growing hot with unshed tears, he muttered curses under his breath and stared at the sky. The damn thing was clear, mocking them with its bright, unblemished blue.

***

Morning. The weather was nice again today.

The sky didn’t fall, despite Adele’s world crumbling. The sun still rose in the morning, and the evening sunset was as beautiful as ever.

“How can Miss’s hair be so soft? And it’s so shiny, too. Every time I brush your hair, I’m so surprised by how silky it is. Compared to yours, my hair is like broom straw.”

Mel kept talking nonstop while brushing Adele’s hair.

Adele, who had been expressionless, gave a weak smile. These days, Mel was the only person who could make her smile.

About two months ago, the maid who used to attend to Adele was replaced. When Sonya, who had served her for quite a while, suddenly quit without even saying goodbye, Adele felt sad. Even though they weren’t particularly close, she hadn’t treated her poorly. She wondered if she had done something wrong.

Later, she learned the truth. Sonya had been bullied by Stella’s spitefulness and could no longer endure it, which led to her resignation. Sonya, being a quiet person who focused on her work, had endured it alone until she could bear it no longer.

It had been six months since the head of the Levas family fell into a coma. All Adele could do was pray for her grandmother, so she remained confined in the southern tower, unaware of the events unfolding outside.

Hardly anyone expected the comatose lord to wake up. Six months had passed, and the fact that she was still alive was a miracle. With this, the attitudes of people changed. Adele’s only relative and the person now powerful enough to form a council of elders, Malone Brody, was no longer treated as a nuisance. People started gathering around him.

Stella had successfully held her twentieth birthday coming-of-age party. Though others had also come of age, Stella and Chase were the stars of the event. Calvin had quietly warned Adele, saying, “I wonder if they’ll try to harm you again.”

Adele felt uneasy, but no one dared to intrude into the southern tower. So she quickly dismissed her worries. She should have been more vigilant. She didn’t realize that people could torment her without ever meeting her directly.

Stella had become arrogant, acting as though she were the mistress of the estate. Being young, her desires were unrestrained.

People gathered around Stella, whispering and currying favor. These were servants who claimed to be her close associates. In order to please Stella, they quickly noticed her annoyance with Adele and acted accordingly.

Since they couldn’t directly touch Adele, they harassed the maid who attended her. A few of them conspired and quietly bullied Sonya, eventually driving her away.

Adele hadn’t known any of this. It was only after the new maid, Mel, told her that she found out. Mel had a very lively personality and was quite talkative. In the midst of her constant chatter, she accidentally mentioned Sonya’s situation. Adele pressed her for details and uncovered the whole story.

Upon learning everything, Adele’s heart ached. Sonya had never shared any of her troubles with Adele. Adele had failed to be someone Sonya could rely on.

Realizing how narrow her perspective had been, Adele reflected on herself. She had assumed her days with her grandmother would last forever. She hadn’t looked at other things or paid attention to other people.

She hadn’t realized that she should have cared for and looked after those who had long supported her. She vowed never to make the same mistake again.

“Yesterday, I was summoned by Aunt Matilda and got a serious scolding. I wanted some warm milk at night, so I put a bowl on the stove and completely forgot about it. The bowl got scorched, and Aunt Matilda was furious. She may be old, but she still has plenty of energy.”

Adele tried to suppress her laughter. Mel was a so-called “parachute” hire, placed in the household thanks to Matilda, the head housekeeper. Everyone in the estate knew because Mel openly called her ‘Aunt’ instead of hiding the fact.

“She was probably just worried about a fire, Mel. Be careful. You could really cause a big problem.”

“Don’t worry. I might make small mistakes, but I never make a serious one.”

When Adele learned that Mel was the housekeeper’s niece, she understood how much effort Matilda had put into selecting a new maid. By hiring her niece, Matilda likely ensured that no other servants would dare to bully her.

‘Everyone around me is so kind.’

It wasn’t just her grandmother. Adele now realized how much protection she had received from so many people.

“Mel, I think you’re right. I should go see Steward Basil.”

“That’s a great idea.”

Mel’s face brightened.

“If you stay quiet, she’ll never return it.”

Stella still came to borrow jewelry from Adele. At first, she returned them, but lately, she had been making excuses to delay giving them back. Stella had already taken three sets of necklaces and earrings.

Mel was outraged, acting as if her own belongings had been stolen. Adele, not wanting to engage with Stella, had been waiting for her to return the items on her own, but she could no longer ignore the situation.

‘Mel is right. I have to protect what’s mine.’

Even though the jewelry was a gift from her grandmother and quite valuable, Adele wasn’t sure she had full ownership. But one thing was clear—it certainly wasn’t Stella’s.

Basil, the steward, was currently acting as lord of the estate with full authority. He was the only one who could pressure Stella.

‘Steward Basil will help me.’

He wasn’t the type to be swayed by trends, and Adele knew how much her grandmother trusted him. She trusted her grandmother’s judgment in people.

For the first time in a while, Adele made her way to the Central Tower. As she walked down the hallway, she stopped when she saw someone appear from around the corner.