The Song of Flowers - Chapter 5: The Only Ones for Each Other (5)

Finally, Adele picked up the spoon and began eating the now-lukewarm soup. As the food entered her empty stomach, hunger stirred, and the familiar taste of milk soup, her favorite, made her realize just how hungry she was.

When she had finished, Adele stared down at the empty bowl.

Tears began to fall again, splashing into the bowl.

“…It was delicious.”

“Should I bring you more?” Ron asked as Adele finished her soup.

Adele shook her head and looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Why does it taste so good?” she asked softly, her voice filled with self-reproach.

Ron understood her question immediately. He had felt the same before—the deep sense of guilt that came with simply existing, eating, and sleeping while carrying the weight of loss. When he lost his brother, it felt like the world should have stopped, but life moved on. He still ate, still slept, and somehow, he survived.

Without thinking, Ron reached out and gently cupped Adele’s cheek, wiping away her tears with his thumb. He saw himself in her sorrow—the loss, the fear of being alone, and the despair of never seeing a loved one again.

It was an impulsive action. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, offering a rare moment of comfort. Adele didn’t resist, allowing herself to lean into his embrace.

He’s not soft, she thought. His chest was firm and broad, unlike the gentle, comforting warmth of her grandmother’s arms.

He smells nice, Adele noticed. The cool, fresh scent reminded her of crisp autumn air. Her grandmother had always smelled like sweet, soft flowers, and Paul had carried the scent of wood. But Ron had his own fragrance.

He really is part of Grandma’s family, Adele thought, the anxiety in her chest slowly settling as she rested in his arms.

Ron held her carefully, his grip gentle despite her small size. He had intended to comfort her, but instead, he found himself feeling comforted by her presence. Ever since losing his brother, a cold wind had blown through his heart, leaving him adrift, searching for a way to fill the void. The warmth of the fragile figure in his arms soothed something deep within him.

“Adele, the lord’s last words were about you,” Ron said after a moment.

Adele pulled back slightly, startled.

“You were the most important person to her,” he continued.

“No, that’s not true. Grandma didn’t mean it like that,” Adele protested, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Ron smiled lightly at her reaction. “It’s only natural,” he said.

Adele looked up at him, trying to read his expression. He was Shima’s grandson, the one she had searched for but hadn’t found until it was almost too late. Adele wondered if he was hurt, knowing that, in her final moments, Shima had cared more for someone else. Did it bother him?

“Do you really think it’s natural?” she asked carefully.

“You were the one by her side,” Ron said simply. “That’s why.”

“But Grandma was so happy to find you. We had dinner together, and…” Adele’s voice trailed off, and her face paled as a dreadful thought crossed her mind. “It might be my fault. Maybe she overexerted herself because of me…”

“It’s not your fault,” Ron said firmly, lifting her chin so she would look at him. “Don’t blame yourself for something that’s uncertain. For her, those moments were probably some of her best memories.”

“…Okay,” Adele whispered, feeling a mixture of emotions. His words weren’t particularly warm or gentle, but she could tell he was trying to comfort her. His violet eyes, which had seemed so cold when they first met, now felt softer somehow.

“Do you think I took her place?” Ron asked suddenly, his voice quiet.

“No!” Adele shook her head immediately. “I never thought that.”

“Then why don’t you like me?”

“I don’t… dislike you,” Adele said hesitantly.

“Good,” he replied, lightly patting her head.

“Make sure you eat your meals. I’ll be checking on you,” he added as he stood up.

“Wait!” Adele called out, scrambling to stop him. “The Great Sage of the White Tower… has she left?”

“Not yet. Why?” Ron asked, turning back to her.

“Can I see her?” Adele asked, her eyes hopeful.

“I’ll pass along the message,” Ron said casually, though something in the back of his mind nagged at him. The conversation he had with Deborah about Adele lingered, and he felt the need to probe further.

“Why do you want to see her?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“I have something I need to ask her… Do I have to tell you what it is?” Adele asked, now feeling unsure.

“Unless it’s something important, it might be difficult to get her to meet with you. She’s a busy person,” Ron said, though in reality, Deborah had told him she would stay until the funeral was over. He was testing Adele’s resolve.

After hesitating for a moment, Adele finally answered. “I remembered something. I want to ask her about it… about the day she brought me to Levas Castle. She might know where I came from or who my real parents are.”

Ron paused for a moment, thinking carefully. Finally, he nodded. “I understand. I’ll let her know.”

That afternoon, Deborah came to Adele’s room. Adele immediately stood and bowed deeply.

“Thank you. I had forgotten your kindness,” Adele said, her voice filled with sincerity.

“Such polite greetings,” Deborah said with a sad smile. “Your grandmother also thanked me for bringing you here.”

Adele’s eyes filled with tears at the mention of her grandmother. Seeing her distress, Deborah pulled her into a comforting embrace. She stroked Adele’s back gently as the young girl wept into her shoulder. Tears welled up in Deborah’s eyes as well, and she allowed them to fall as she held Adele.

The bond between the two, once distant, grew stronger as they shared their grief.

“I remembered the day I first met you,” Adele said after she had calmed down. “You asked me my name. I remember that. I came from the continent, right? Do you know anything about my parents? Was there any family?”

Deborah had already heard from Ron that Adele had recalled parts of her past. He had also asked her not to reveal the full truth to Adele.

Am I supposed to lie to her? Deborah had thought.

The Great Sage herself hoped Adele wouldn’t remember, Ron had said.

But Adele has already remembered something… she had replied.

Only part of it. There’s no need to push her to remember more. It’s not a truth that will benefit her. If the lord were still alive, she would have come to the same conclusion.

Though Deborah didn’t like lying, she agreed that some truths were better left forgotten, especially given the horrific nature of Adele’s past.

“Adele, I don’t know who your parents are,” Deborah said softly. “When I found you, you were alone. You weren’t speaking, so I couldn’t just leave you there. I brought you here because I couldn’t ignore you.”

“I see… Then why do I have this illness?” Adele asked, her voice quiet.

“I don’t know,” Deborah admitted.

“Do you at least remember where I lived?” Adele pressed.

“It was a long time ago,” Deborah replied, her tone gentle but evasive. “It wasn’t a proper village—just a group of people living in the mountains. I’m not sure anyone still lives there now.”

“I see…” Adele said, her hope fading.

After Deborah left, Adele sat in silence, reflecting on their conversation.

The Great Sage is hiding something from me, she thought.

Something happened back then. She knows, I’m sure of it. Why won’t she tell me?

Frustrated, Adele realized there was nothing she could do at the moment. She thought of Ron. Perhaps, when the opportunity arose, she would speak to him about it. He might be the only one who could help her uncover the truth.

***

On the last day, the ceremony began early in the morning.

Adele, wearing a black hat and veil that covered her face, was the only young participant. She stood quietly at the edge, but her short stature inevitably made her stand out.

“How did you get here?”

Stella approached, lowering her voice with a sharp tone. Though Adele’s face was hidden by the veil, Stella’s displeased gaze was clearly visible.

“I was given permission to attend.”

“You’re hilarious. Who do you think you are, coming here? There are rules for everything. You’ve just broken one.”

Adele stared at Stella. Because of their height difference, she had to look up. It was something Adele couldn’t help, but Stella’s condescending gaze made her seem as though she were in a superior position.

Adele found Stella’s talk of rules amusing.

“Return my necklace that you borrowed.”

“Wh-what? Why are you bringing that up now…?”

“And you’ve gained weight. Your stomach’s sticking out.”

There was no need to respond logically to someone who was being spiteful for no reason. Stella probably assumed that because Adele had just lost her grandmother and was feeling down, a single comment would leave her too crushed to respond.

‘Do you think I’ll let that happen?’

It was true that Adele had felt afraid after losing the person she relied on. But she had no intention of showing that to Stella.

When Adele scoffed and turned her head away, Stella, feeling defensive, wrapped her arms around her stomach and bit her lip. Adele had hit on a sensitive issue.

Recently, it had become more common for people to avoid lavish gatherings. Since there hadn’t been any parties for a while, Stella had let her guard down and indulged to relieve her stress. Like her father, she had a body type that gained weight easily. That morning, she had been shocked when she tried on the black dress she had worn at Paul’s funeral months ago, only to find it embarrassingly tight.

“You…”

Stella trembled as she started to say something, but she paused when the atmosphere shifted. The most important participants for today’s ceremony had arrived. Stella quickly went back to where her family was gathered.

‘Family…’

Watching the Malone family, a brief flash of envy passed through Adele’s eyes. No matter how much Stella and Chase fought with each other, Adele couldn’t help but find even that enviable.

She sighed softly and turned her head. Leading the heads of the seven families was a man with blue hair.

‘Wow…’

Dressed in mourning black and wearing white gloves, he looked truly stunning.

Adele wasn’t usually one to notice other people’s appearances because she disliked being scrutinized herself. For the first time, she really took in his presence among the group. She had never had the chance to see him like this before.

Adele quickly closed her mouth, which had slightly fallen open. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and for a brief moment, she forgot why she was there.

‘I’m sorry, Grandmother.’

“Adele.”

As she was bowing her head, silently apologizing to her grandmother, she was startled and snapped her head up. He was looking directly at her. Adele felt the eyes of everyone around her suddenly focus on her.

“Y-yes?”

She was thankful her face was hidden by the veil. Her expression must have looked quite foolish.

“Come here. You should stand next to me.”

As Adele moved forward, she instinctively glanced in Stella’s direction. Stella’s expression, filled with shock and fury, briefly met her gaze.

‘Am I really this awful?’

She felt good.

Adele stood by his side throughout the entire ceremony, as if she truly were her grandmother’s real granddaughter. No one raised any objections.

The ceremony ended in the afternoon. As she watched the coffin being laid to rest in the Levas family’s private cemetery, Adele shed tears.

‘Goodbye… Grandmother.’

Perhaps it was because she had spent the entire half-day observing the rituals that offered solace and farewell to the deceased, but Adele finally felt able to say goodbye to her grandmother.

As soon as the ceremony ended, people began gathering in small groups. The heads of the families clustered around Ron. Adele watched as he occasionally nodded while listening to the others. He seemed so distant.

‘So, he’s the lord now…’

The position that her grandmother had once held was now his. And it didn’t feel strange at all, as if the position had always been his from the beginning.

‘What will I do now?’

The only place Adele had to return to was the southern tower. There was no one waiting for her, and no one had told her how long she was allowed to stay there.

Adele frowned as she saw Stella approaching her.

Stella immediately started to accuse her.