novelNo matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (4)
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Chapter 99: Chapter 99 No matter what you call a flower, its color never changes (4)
"I've had a dream since I was a very young boy. I wanted to give the common people plenty of opportunities to enhance their lives and empower them to change their cruel fate. The current legislation on hiring talents I'm working on is only part of the great plan that I've been thinking about... It's true that I have burdened you in the meantime, but you know they targeted me in the end. Can't you think your sacrifice on that day was for this great cause of mine?"
"You said you wanted to change the miserable lives of the common people, but you promoted me, a commoner, to avoid danger. It could end with a simple scandal, but in the worst case, I could be the enemy's target. How can you talk about a sacrifice for a great cause in this situation? There is no good life when it is sacrificed. There is no good life even if it is sacrificed for someone, for the empire and for the era we live in, let alone the kind of sacrifice forced by others."
The prince shut up at her reply. But his eyes trembled.
"...Your Majesty, I don't have any desire to use my power to get a high position or achieve something, let alone any commitment to devote my power for others. I don't have any particular sense of mission. In conclusion, there is nothing you and I have in common as far as your wishes are concerned. No matter how you express your wishes, you won't persuade me."
She spoke as sincerely as possible. Holding four cut roses in her hand, she looked at his face. His chocolate curly hair looked almost blond because of the light beaming from the glass ceiling of the flower garden.
"... Can't you take my side? Let me also take your side and help you, so you can achieve your love and all other things that you want. I promise that I can make your wishes come true, no matter what."
"Your Majesty, all I want is just lead a normal life. You already know that."
"Don't you think you need my help if you want to stand next to Sir Schroder proudly? I mean, for your love."
When he said that, she dropped the roses she held in his hand.
Love.
When she recited, she felt something heartbroken because she recalled a man's face.
"My love is...It's still small and vague, but not weak enough to need your help."
When she said that, she felt refreshed, but at the same time felt heartbroken. Standing with her back against him, she recited the word again in her mouth.
"..."
He had a disappointed expression at her decisive reply. He knew well that he couldn't force her. He could satisfy his imminent needs but that would mean he would have to make Sir Schroder his enemy once and for all.
"At first, I was interested in your status. Then, at one point, I felt interested in you as a woman. I could see it all in my eyes. I read in your face that you repressed your emotions and wanted to hide your heart, which was somehow very similar to mine. Even now you seem to have a lot of secrets." Isaac grinned at her.
She shrugged at his words that she seemed to have lots of secrets.
"...I think you will certainly be of great help to what I am trying to do. But I think it's far more difficult to persuade you than to pass the bill. But I want to clear your misunderstanding. The reason I promoted you at the ball wasn't because I wanted to pass the bill, nor because the lives of the royal families were more valuable than those of the common people. What I'm saying may sound selfish to you, but I just did so to protect my family. Even if you think I'm talking big, that's true."
"Okay, let me think that way. Anyway, I'm going to put you in the clear, " she said confidently, with her chin up. He frowned at that.
"Hey, you can't talk to me, the crown prince, like that even if you think I'm talking big."
There was the noise of someone making a fuss heard when he was grumbling to her.
Obviously, the noise was coming from the flower shop. As soon as they turned their eyes toward the door leading to the flower shop, it opened suddenly.
"Your Majesty!"
Stepping into the garden with a hardened look, Lard stared at Isaac sharply.
He was expressing his pure anger.
"It seemed you didn't take my warning. It was a very heavy warning."
He approached and stood before the two, looming over the prince.
"Sir Schroder, calm down. I just wanted to talk to Wendy."
Prince Isaac looked embarrassed. This time he couldn't repeat something like 'you're not as loyal as I thought. ' If he said that, it looked like Lard would really pull out his sword in rebellion. He grabbed Wendy's wrist, staring at him intently.
"Don't visit here again, Your Majesty. I'll go see you tomorrow morning. Let's put off our dialogue until tomorrow."
"Hey, you and I have nothing to discuss tomorrow. Besides, my schedule is tightly booked tomorrow morning."
Without hearing him out, Lard took Wendy to walk away. She felt Lard was casting a dreadful glare at the prince. A bunch of roses in her hand fell on the floor because of his sudden pulling. The prince shouted in desperation, looking back at the two trying to get out of the flower garden.
"Hey! What are you doing? Where are you going?!"
Lard stopped walking and turned around quickly, staring at the prince. She felt that a terrible energy was emanating from his eyes. Even the prince's attendants came into the shop, looked at Lard, wary of him.
When she shook her wrist and signalled to Lard with a worried look, he took his gaze from the prince. The two soon left the flower garden.
"It's me who is really startled today. Why is he staring at me so fiercely? This is really unfair."
The prince mumbled with a straight face. When he was about to leave the flower garden, grumbling all along, he found a vine on one side of the garden and approached.
"...What a waste of power!" He picked up a ripe grape.
"She said there was no good life when it's sacrificed..."
Isaac recalled what she said, putting one dark red grape into his mouth. Its sweet juice filled his mouth, but his face wasn't bright.
Meanwhile, the two people who left the prince behind in the flower garden, walked out of the flower shop.
Pascal, who looked at them in embarrassment, stuttered that she didn't have to worry about the flower shop, but she ignored it.
The door of the flower shop closed with a thump.
Still fuming, Lard walked with a hardened look. Walking silently with him, she opened her mouth carefully when her wrist held by him felt a dull pain.
"It looks like you are hot tempered."
He stopped walking at her criticism and looked at her.
"Am I?"
"As you are pulling me like you drag Balos, I can't stand it, " she said, looking at her wrist.
Noticing her wrist, he let go of it quickly. The spot on her wrist held by him was already pale.
"I'm sorry... I didn't know that." She smiled slightly at his apology.
"...By the way, where are you going?
He looked noticeably embarrassed at her question. She leaned over and stared at his face.
"You don't even know where you're going now?"
He didn't answer.
"If you don't mind, shall we walk?" She said with a relaxed voice. He nodded.
"I tied Balos at the stables over there. Let's go there."
The two walked toward the stables run by the tavern on the road. She laughed bashfully, taking off the apron that she hadn't untied as she was absent-minded.
"Did you come after discovering the prince came to see me?"
She folded the apron and held it. Looking at her stroking the folded apron, he replied, touching his wrinkled shirt.
"I stopped by Cheddar Palace because I had something to report to the prince, but I found out that he went out to meet you."
"...He suggested working with me. I refused firmly, but I can't guarantee that he will give up easily."
"... Let me persuade him out of it. Don't worry too much."
Lost in thought, he spoke. When they approached the stables, a mix of the haystack and the horse dung smelled strongly. Balos neighed as if it noticed its master coming from afar.
"Can I spend some time with Balos as I've come here?" Wendy said, with her eyes fixed on Balos. Obviously, she felt the strong urge to ride him.
"Sure, no problem."
As he already expected, Lard agreed, leading Balros.
Balos recognized Wendy and snorted in excitement, but he pulled the reins firmly without allowing Balos to feel the joy of meeting her again. Mounting the horse, helped by him, she reached out to him with an excited expression.
"I want to ride Balos. Is that okay?"
Narrowing his eyes at her suggestion, he said hesitantly, "Well, if you can promise me that you won't go to Devita Boulevard... "
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