The Book Of Flowers

Return Intruders

"Sir Vainzel's. Don't you want to eat?" Rosalia offers

All meat menu. All meat. This guy must be crazy to make me eat meat

He knows that I'm an elf?

"Thank you for the princess' offer, but I don't eat meat at all"

"Oh, I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable"

Huh... Just coming to this place has made me uncomfortable and uninspired...

"Vain's. Please cut this meat" Verdea asked

I received the knife he thrust at me and started cutting the beef on his plate into pieces

"I don't like food here" He said softly to my ear

"... I don't like being here" I connected, until she laughed at me

I just smiled and accidentally stroked his head like I was used to

Everyone who saw that only glanced a little while continuing to eat them

Rosalia also includes. He swallowed the food that was in his mouth awkwardly, then said

"You guys seem to be close, huh?"

"I'm sorry?" I asked back

"You've been acting like good friends even though you've only known each other for a week"

"... Why did you say that?" Verdea interrupted

Ah, he wants to talk directly to his family. Go on, Verdea

"... There aren't. It's just that the atmosphere is more pleasant when you see you smile more often now"

"... Yep... Then?"

"Hm..."

He put down his drinking glass and focused on the two of us

"As I said earlier, I'm curious about your servant"

"... You mean this weirdo brother?"

"Hey-y"

I immediately lowered my voice realizing that we were not in Thyme Castle

Verdea just smiled satisfied to see the upset face I showed. He then refocused on Rosalia

"Don't you know who he is?" Continue Verdea

"... I want to know more about him"

This girl is smart to avoid direct answers...

"Why?"

"Because I'm curious"

Verdea looked at me. He looks like he asked my consent to tell Rosalia about me

I shook my head slowly as a sign of disapproval

"He didn't want to tell you"

"... Too bad"

He sat down and turned his face to someone else

Meanwhile, Verdea began to take the meat I had cut with her hand and began to eat

"That kid's not very polite" Sofia whispered to Celeste

"Sister. Don't eat with your hands" Collin asked, until Verdea turned to him

"How do I eat why does my sister take care of it?"

"..."

Collin sat back with a sad expression. Verdea threw her face away, but I know that she feels a little sorry for doing that

The boy was not far from Verdea. They were both still innocent because they were small

But, the people who form his nature later that will be a problem. Looking at their three older brothers, I'm not sure Collin will grow up to be a good boy

I just hope Verdea doesn't grow up to be someone like them...

'Well!'

The sudden voice shocked me and unintentionally drew the attention of the entire room towards me

I just laughed awkwardly at my behavior just now and returned to my original position

'What is Ordelia?'

He's talking through telepathic magic right now. But, how could he force his way into my head?

'There's someone else near the castle!'

'uh? Who?'

'The kid we caught earlier did it again'

...

Just bother...

'Say him outside and wait for us to come home. This family event is still going on, so we need a reason to go'

'Go home soon. Ivor and Luna don't want to talk anymore'

'Get them to faint. Now please get out of my head!'

I could finally feel her telepathic connection breaking out of my head

"... Sir Vainzel! Sir Vainzel!" Artorius called my name

"Oh yeah, what's up!?" I shouted spontaneously

Verdea tried her hardest to hold back her laughter because she saw my behavior that had been busy with myself. My face spontaneously flushed because of this awkward atmosphere, of course because I was the middle point of it all

"Uh... You were listening to me?" Artorius asked later

"I'm sorry, my majesty, but I really am not..."

Please don't bother with that...

"... All right, I'll repeat. I heard that there's been some new waitresses there since you fired all the old servants. Is true?"

"The information is indeed noble. Forgive me for not informing your Majesty the king formally"

"I have no problem with that as long as you tell us about their whereabouts"

"Yes. Again I apologize"

He continued eating it and started talking again after swallowing the food in his mouth

"Then can you tell us who they are?"

"... You may. They were friends when I was in the kingdom of the elves"

"so. They're good friends, so far as to help you serve Verdea"

More precisely serve me. But I can't possibly tell them all that

"Thank you for your glorious praise"

He just nodded slowly and drank the wine in his glass

During the event, all Hortensia families (except Verdea) only exchanged information with each other

Politics, foreign relations and the solution of a problem. They're all talking about this dining table. But nothing they talked about caught both of us's attention

The only time we both talked to them was when they asked us to talk, and that was it. After that, they will focus on others near them and ignore us who start to stay quiet again

Coming to this place really didn't produce anything for us. Come only to show face, and afterwards be ignored

And that way, the Hortensia family event ends with us feeling dissatisfied. It's even getting late now

I don't know how they could keep talking about that unpleasant thing for hours

Verdea who was in my arms was now starting to fall asleep. I took her out of Lily's castle slowly towards the carriage that was going to take us home

But, just as I was in front of the carriage, Rosalia called out to me from behind

I looked up and waited for him to finish approaching me. He walked slowly, followed by a guard from behind. The bodyguard was the king's right-hand man, Edwin

"You guys are leaving?"

"It has. Prince Verdea has even started to fall asleep by now"

"Please take good care of my sister" He said later

"By pleasure, princess"

He smiled at me, then saluted us and drove us back to Thyme Castle in a carriage

...

...

...

"What makes you interested in him princess?" Ask Edwin to Rosalia

"... Just easy. He can be very useful for my plans to get what I want"

"But he can't possibly take over, can you? Her loyalty is already strong in your sister's"

"I don't need his loyalty, and it doesn't matter if he wants to be my servant or not....

The important thing is, how well I can control it"

Rosalia gave a small smile thinking of something in her head, while Edwin just nodded in agitation

Then, they re-enter Lily's castle to end the night after a family meal that didn't produce much of anything

"By the way, where is that guy?"

Edwin simply responded to Rosalia's question by shrugging, a sign of not knowing

......................

- - Thyme Castle --

"Thank you"

I drove the horseman who was carrying our carriage away and he waved back as he darted away. I let out a long sigh after that person was already completely out of sight

A difficult day...

Just as I wanted to enter the gate, Ordelia and Luna stood there welcoming my presence

Given what happened in this place, I asked Luna to explain everything as soon as possible

"What about the intruder's son?"

"He's tied up in a backyard tree. He seemed to be thirsty after yelling right now"

The boy screamed? He realized that this place was far from anything, even though it included the Hortensia palace area?

"All right, let me take care of him. Ordelia, I leave Verdea to you"

I slowly gave the sleeping Verdea to Ordelia so that she would not wake up, until the child was fully in her arms

He then left and took Verdea into his room. Meanwhile, Luna and I started walking quickly to the backyard to take care of the intruder

...

...

...

"Well, wow, wah~ Look who this is..."

The boy raised his head with a look of annoyance when he heard my voice

"Hello again, son"

"... Untie me...!"

"Not until you explain why you're here"

...

For whatever reason, he suddenly laughed. Weird kid

"You think I'll explain!?" He said later

"... Actuallyno. We are also completely unwilling to use force to obtain that information" I replied

"Then, what's the point of tying me up here?"

"For your Rosalia lady, she didn't get the information she wanted"

"!!!"

He flinched at me hearing my response. Looks like I hit the target

His irritated face was getting worse and more and he looked like he wanted to kill me now

"... Why?" I asked

"I hate you..."

"... Why?"

"I'm..."

He was silent not talking. He lowered his face to the ground with the look of someone who had already lost without trying to argue again

"What should we do with this child?" Luna interrupted

"... Let her go" I decided

"Huh!? You're kidding, aren't you!?"

The boy raised his head in confusion with what I said, as I knelt on his knees before him and began to speak again

"I don't care what you've been through under that woman. But, if you once again threaten the safety of my master, I will not let you go as I am now. You're nothing to me at the moment"

I flicked my finger once. The roots of the tree that bound him instantly loosened and re-entered the ground, releasing the child completely

But, rather than blurting out directly, she looked at me without blinking a single bit for a moment

"Who are you?" Ask

"Vainzel's. Prince Verdea's bodyguard"

He was silent without commenting and snorting. That's not the answer he wanted

"..."

"..."

"... What else are you waiting for? My legs are tired"

"A-ah... I just thought you wanted to talk again"

"Nothing! Go!"

He looked at me strangely and then got up from where he was sitting. But he realized that I had already kicked him out, so he had no purpose to stay any longer in this place

He climbed up the tree he was tied to and jumped on another tree. He did just that, until he was finally able to safely leave the Thyme castle area

...

...

...

"Yes... As long as he doesn't bother anymore, I don't matter"

I coughed my head that did not itch at all, just because I was confused what else to do after this

"Why don't we hold that person accountable for trying?" Luna gave an opinion

Luna clawed at his waist and it seemed like she disagreed with my decision

"It won't do any good. Rosalia was not the type of person who kept useless items anymore"

Hearing my words, Luna lowered her hands in surprise. He was surprised because I said it, as if it was something trivial

But that's the truth. For the royal family, useless dogs should be removed

Luna became worried, so her gaze rose to look at the moon on this bright night

"... That human... It's so cruel, huh...?"

L'm... I don't have the right answer for that

"... I don't know...

The point is now I'm going to sleep first"

I got up and walked in followed by Luna behind me not too long after she turned her head towards the boy's path

"Yes, just go. I'll be on guard"

"Thank you, good friend~"

"Go to sleep there and don't wake up"