Wren was born to a small family which was both good and bad luck. On one hand, his family was poor and they didn't have many relatives to rely on but on the other, the love that was offered to him was more than enough to make up for what they lacked.
Aside from his parents, he had a younger sister. She was only a few years younger than him but he changed a lot when she was born because that was when he started thinking about protecting what mattered to him.
Being young meant there was nothing he could do apart from helping around the house so he wished to grow up, longing for a day when his parents wouldn't have to work recklessly anymore and a day when his sister could chase after her dreams.
...
Well, that didn't happen.
Wren wasn't the only person who suffered. On that night when he was only eleven, there were many others who went through pain. Still- no matter how cruel it was- he couldn't help but wish it had been someone else who died that day in place of his father.
"Is he your son?" They came to his house the next day to offer compensation. Did it matter? The compensation they offered was so half-hearted that he would rather not take it. His mother and sister were grateful but he was angry. Could they tell?
"Young man, what's wrong with you?" That man's face was burned into his memory. There was a dark shadow across the room and an old vase in the corner of his eye.
"Don't talk to me." He rudely looked away from the minister but his mother wasn't there to chide him for being disrespectful.
"Hmm...you seem to have a strong will. Do you want to know what happened to your father?"
Wren's eyes widened and he looked up with curiosity he couldn't contain. That's how he heard the story for the first time. It was the story of a missing child- the son of the Lord who governed their land- and his father who had been caught up in the mess.
"Do you want to see that child?" The minister's tone was sickening because it sounded saccharine yet sinister. He still agreed in the end.
They went to the Lord's residence together. It was a large estate.
The giant main building was made almost entirely of wood and there were flowers in bloom everywhere. The sun was shining so brightly and the sweat dripping down his face was another reminder of the heat.
There, he saw him for the first time.
He was sitting outside the mansion, smiling without a care in the world as he ate fruit a servant offered up to him. There was not a trace of regret in his eyes even though the incident had only happened a few days ago.
"Azil." A woman warmly called out to him and joined him in the garden as Wren watched and learned for the first time that the world would never share in his grief. They didn't care.
"Do you want to work for me?" The minister looked at him with a careful expression, judging the many feelings he couldn't put into words.
"If you work for me, I'll provide more support to your family. In return give me your loyalty and when the day comes, you'll be able to get your revenge."
Revenge? On who? He had such questions in his mind but they disappeared immediately like frost under a lamp. More than acceptance, all he wanted was to get rid of the strange knot in his heart.
"I'll do it."
It had been many years since that day but it was still fresh in his mind. When he heard that Azil had been poisoned, he didn't feel much happiness. However, hearing that he had come back to life like a ghost filled him with rage. Can the dead be restored so easily? If so, then why was it him who got a second chance? Why was he given everything?
Thinking back, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. Wren had spent many years travelling and working for a demanding person with little empathy. During those harsh days, he had wondered several times if he would actually be given anything in return for his service because they spent more and more time doing other things and getting involved in affairs which had nothing to do with his original intentions. He had endured for his mother and sister but he was getting sick of it. Then the news came- that's when they finally headed back.
Although Wren was only a servant for the time being, he was allowed to play an active role. His master was a new addition to the court so it would take some time before he was given permission to do anything significant. Until then, he would wait and-
"It's Anice! Are you maintaining the gardens today?"
The person outside his door had taken to bothering him. Anice or whoever she was kept finding excuses to hang around him under the pretense of helping. At first, he thought she had some ulterior motives but she had helped him to the point where he was wondering if she was just a fool.
"I am." He replied gruffly, hoping she would just go away.
"I can help. I used to look after the plants with the young master."
And she had another habit of always mentioning that guy. He didn't know why she admired him so much because everyday she would bring up some old story about him and get on his nerves. He supposed it was because they were childhood friends.
"I don't need your help." He opened the door and left the room, ignoring her trailing after him. It was irritating how she was following him without saying a word and as uncomfortable as it was, it reminded Wren of when he would fight with his sister and she would do the same.
He turned his gaze to his surroundings in hopes that it would distract him. The garden was infuriatingly close to his room so it was always the first thing he saw. An incidental gust of wind made the leaves rustle and he could hear the sound of birds chirping in the distance.
Suddenly, he froze. It wasn't even that time of the year yet but-
There were flowers everywhere.