Finally, finally.
She was able to see Sabina in person.
'How long have I been waiting'
Aria's heart pounded at the thought of meeting her soon.
[What would be the best gift?]
She held out her card, her cheeks dyed red like a watercolor painting.
Betty's hand tickled as she wanted to hug Aria tightly.
"A flower?"
[What flower?]
"She tends to like all kinds of flowers, but she also likes the flowers that bloom on the trees the most."
A flower that blooms on a tree. Especially in the summer, it is rare.
'I think I saw it out the window yesterday.'
Aria immediately ran and looked up at the tree in which the buds were in full bloom.
The bright red flower buds on each branch looked like burning flames on top.
Finally, finally.
She was able to see Sabina in person.
'How long have I been waiting'
Aria's heart pounded at the thought of meeting her soon.
[What would be the best gift?]
She held out her card, her cheeks dyed red like a watercolor painting.
Betty's hand tickled as she wanted to hug Aria tightly.
"A flower?"
[What flower?]
"She tends to like all kinds of flowers, but she also likes the flowers that bloom on the trees the most."
A flower that blooms on a tree. Especially in the summer, it is rare.
'I think I saw it out the window yesterday.'
Aria immediately ran and looked up at the tree in which the buds were in full bloom.
The bright red flower buds on each branch looked like burning flames on top.
'Fire Tree!'
This fascinating and colorful flowering tree has a name just as it looks. But it was too high to pick the flowers, so she couldn't reach them.
'Should I call the carrier pigeon?'
That was when she thought so.
With a rustling sound from above, the flower buds fell down. Aria widened her eyes and reflexively gathered her hands together to catch the falling flower buds.
It was as if a fire had erupted in Aria's palm.
"What, was it you?"
Aria slowly raised her head at the sound of the voice coming.
It was Lloyd.
He was standing on a tall tree, stepping on the branches, and climbing gently.
"Hmm."
Lloyd looked at the branches for a moment, pondering. Then, he clasped the most splendid and coveted buds of a branch in one fell swoop.
It's like picking up some loot.
"….."
It sounded like the screams of the tree could be heard.
The boy jumped off the tree as if he had accomplished his goal. Aria was startled and made a strange gesture as if to accept him, then grabbed his wrist.
"Hey, it's dangerous."
Perhaps Lloyd was not a human, but a cat pretending to be human.
He had a surprisingly smooth landing.
"Is your body okay now?"
Aria nodded her head and opened her mouth.
– I heard that Lloyd was sick.
"Me? Am I sick?"
Then, the boy made a face as if he had never heard that before.
What?
Wasn't he so sick that he couldn't get out of his room and he couldn't deal with it directly when the gutter rats infiltrated?
-Carlin said growing pains.
"Growing pain… Ahh."
It seemed to be late, but he realized what she was talking about.
"Well, that's not entirely wrong."
But when she saw the reaction, it didn't seem like he was talking about real growing pains. For some reason, Carlin's reaction was also very questionable. It seemed he was lying.
Aria wished Silver had bitten the shaman's butt properly.
"Are you going now? I've got this, so you can go right away."
To bring the branches.
'It's a little.'
If Sabina cares about the fire tree, it doesn't seem to be a very good choice. Aria was silent for a moment, and then she took the branches from Lloyd's hand.
– Take this.
And she moved the flower buds she had kept in her hands into his palms.
What looked full in both her hands was barely enough to fill the palm of his hand.
"What?"
Lloyd frowned again.
However, he did not criticize or rebel against her actions. Instead he grumbled a little.
"Pruning branches is the surest way to prove to mother that flowers have bloomed."
Because it's not loot.
"What are you trying to prove?'
Aria rummaged through her bag and pulled out a card.
[Because the flowers are pretty.]
"Ha, that card again."
Lloyd put a flower in his hand into Aria's mouth.
"….."
With a flower in her mouth, she looked up at him with a questioning gaze. She couldn't immediately figure out what he was doing.
"Seeing you play with flowers like that, I wondered if you could even eat flowers.
She doesn't like it because she wants to eat it.
'You don't think I'm a real rabbit, do you.'
Aria was bewildered, then spit out the flower she had bitten. And she put the flower behind his ear while Lloyd looked away for a moment.
Feeling her touch his ear, the boy glanced back.
– Is there something?
Aria smacked her lips quickly. Then he seemed to ignore it.
As if he could never have imagined that she would dare to play a prank on him.
'If you're used to pranks, you'll know right away. Haven't you ever played a prank before?'
He was surprisingly naive
'The first kiss, the first joke.'
As Aria was admiring him inside.
"Pfft."
Suddenly, she heard a suppressed laugh and turned her head.
The red-haired boy who had been silently following Lloyd's back was desperately covering his mouth.
His shoulders tremble.
'The name, was it Cloud?'
He was never introduced, but Aria had seen him occasionally. He was presumed to be Lloyd's aide and escort.
Although too young to escort the Grand Duke's successor, seeing him with a sword around his waist, he must be a knight.
'He looked the same age as Lloyd, or at most one or two years older.'
At that age, if he was in a position to assist the Young Master, he would surely be a great man.
'But it's the first name I've seen him since coming here.'
That meant that he was one of those who died in the incident. It felt as if she had guessed the tragedy of another genius boy in advance.
When Aria stared blankly, he coughed and lifted his head.
"Are you crazy?"
Lloyd asked sarcastically.
"You seem to know how to laugh."
"I'm sorry."
The knight clenched his teeth and answered. He couldn't even make eye contact with Lloyd, who had a flower on his head, and was puzzled.
Cloud was in trouble and asked Aria for help.
Lloyd noticed that gaze and looked at Aria and Cloud alternately, his expression got even worse.
"Your eyes are unpleasant. Turn around."
"Yes? But I haven't gotten to the point where I can turn around and escort...…."
As the atmosphere became more reddish, Cloud neatly resigned.
"Well, it's kind of training. I'll do my best."
And he really turned his back on the command and started walking.
Even when obstacles appeared in front of him, he dodged it very skillfully.
'What kind of skill is that.'
Aria couldn't help but glance at Cloud.
Anyone would.
But Lloyd didn't like the fact that her gaze was fixed on Cloud.
Lloyd grabbed Aria's wrist as he had always done it, and dragged her, but then stopped.
[Because Lloyd is kind.]
It was because that word came to mind.
Since birth, Lloyd never once looked back on his actions.
He knew that he was far from sociable, but he wasn't particularly conscious of it, and he didn't correct it. If necessary, he puts it aside and puts it away if it bothers him.
He ran towards his goal, looking ahead. Because he was in a place to do that.
"….."
But why....
Why was he being swayed by such nonsense?
'It seems that all the kind people are dead.'
Lloyd looked down at his own palm, and thought.
'What are you doing?'
Aria stopped abruptly and tilted her head to see the boy staring at her as if she was an enemy.
'I have to go quickly.'
She has to go and see Sabina.
Like Lloyd, she stood.
Aria grabbed Lloyd's hand. She squeezed it between her fingers, lest he shove it away, and grabbed it tightly.
Before when her fever had risen, he felt as cold as an ice cube. It was neither cold nor hot now.
Their body temperature was similar.
'It feels good to hold hands.
Like an unripe early summer day.
As Aria had expected, Lloyd tried to shake her hand away. But it was so tight that he couldn't shake it off.
"Me. It hurts."
Aria looked up at him half-heartedly without answering.
"I think it's going to crush."
But she grabbed his hand tightly and spoke with the shape of her mouth.
-Then it's okay to crush it.
"Ha, how could you say something like that? You know how many times I told you to take care of your body…"
– Because it's Lloyd.
"….."
Lloyd was speechless and couldn't say anything for a moment. His eyes swayed vigorously in agitation. It was as if his throat was strangled by the gaze of a calm lake that came upon him.
– So, can I hold your hand now?
Aria was not a weird person enjoying the pain. Since she returned, she never put up with anyone who touched her.
But Lloyd was fine.
Because it's Lloyd.
'Is there any other reason?
Aria took the lead and walked first.
As she pulled Lloyd's arm, he was dragged by her hand.
"Ha...."
A deep sigh was heard behind her back.
He said he was going to crush her hand as he was going to shake her off.
Lloyd followed Aria's narrow stride silently.