Flowers of Worship
Chapter 25

༺❀༻

Leon once criticized Paul as ‘cute but useless’, but perhaps the high society’s view of Paul is roughly correct.

“He doesn’t seem to be good at studying. But the kid is really nice.”

Sophia emphasized. I looked at her wondering what she’s trying to imply. Sophie said as the water dripped from my hair.

“His highness the Grand Duke…doesn’t he need a servant?”

“Sophia,” I called Sophie with a disgusted look, but she didn’t back down.

“I thought about it, and I think Paul is a really good kid from start to finish. He’s nice and sassy…he’s not learning a lot or being smart, but his highness is also in the process of learning, so if they learn together… .”

“Sophie, his highness has already gone through the basic process of being thirteen. Paul can’t even come.”

It is questionable whether he can read and write the Grosslan standard language well, let alone the ancient language. He’s a nice and attractive kid, but other than that…he was not a talented person to keep by his highness the Grand Duke. Then I remembered the servants and maids I had attached.

Eden and his younger attendant not only achieved achievements beyond their age but also had an unusually strong will to learn. He was a servant who had an unobtrusive personality, a quiet and calm nature, and even prudence that was not like a child.

The maid, Rosemary, is ten years old. Three years younger than Eden. Although a little hot-tempered, she was a thoughtful and intelligent child. There was no problem with her status, and she had the dignity of being the count’s step-daughter. In fact, Rosemary’s troubles began when the Count thought of her cutely that his daughter became jealous. Rosemary was a beautiful and intelligent child, and the count had raised her well and wanted to make use of her. He also had a desire to marry her off to a good place, but when their father seemed to regard the cousin smarter than her, the Count’s daughter became enraged and took all her anger to Rosemary. The helpless orphan, Rosemary, had to put up with it silently; but she was not of such a character and she soon became a troublemaker in the count’s mansion. This was her background when she came to me.

Compared to these two, Paul was clearly below the level. Even at the age of ten, Rosemary knew how to embroider, arrange flowers, sing, and simply write and read her books. And above all else. Eden was weak due to hardships when he was young but other than that, he was achieving the highest achievement among the three. Putting Paul between these three was really absurd.

“My lord.”

Sophia rarely called me with a gloomy face. Alas. I looked at her face and swallowed her sobbing moans. When Sophie asks with a face like this, it becomes difficult for me not to listen.

“I won’t be fine if I die like this.” Sophie’s words didn’t sound so pure, but they had a very realistic resonance.

“My husband, Joyce, is a good person. But he gets a little lonely. He said that if I die, he won’t be able to bear the pain and he’ll find a new woman. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, though.”

In fact, everyone in the Knights, myself included, knew that Sophie had always felt sorry for her husband Joyce. Joyce was very lonely, but Sophie was a knight. Reluctantly, she wandered a lot, and Joyce had to remain in the castle. It would have been nice if Sophie had her knighthood title and complacent personality, but she didn’t have it either. She wanted to see more and to reach higher achievements as a knight. It was her dream, and Joyce couldn’t stop it.

“She must be a good woman for Joyce. I can be sure of that. But is she a good person for my children too? No one will know.”

“… … .”

“There are only one or two myths about a good stepmother, but there are thousands of stories about a bad stepmother and I need a little insurance.”

That sounds right. I understand the sentiment. However.

“You’re not the only one who needs insurance.”

I’ve already heard too many things to take a drowsy bath. I felt refreshed and wanted to get out of the hot water. As I got up from the bathtub, Sophie handed me the large towel next to her. I said while taking it and wiping my body.

“I can’t take care of everyone who needs insurance.”

It must have been a cold word for Sophie to hear. She was looking at me with a serious face different from usual. Her face looked sad and unpleasant, but she wasn’t angry. She cannot be treated as special. As I drew the line, she simply lowered her eyes and muttered, “Please excuse me.”

Throughout my return to Yenson, I thought about Sophie’s son, Paul. I can’t give you special treatment. I said that, but if the human heart had been cut like that, I wouldn’t have saved Eden in the first place. Not saving Eden was actually an easier way for me.

I thought of the early winter wind. Why did I save Eden? Was he pitiful? Perhaps it’s of my father’s sins? Maybe it is. But when I think of Eden, I always think of his face. Two eyes embedded in a beautiful face. I remembered those desperate eyes that wanted to establish their existence. So maybe I’ve been nice to him. And he finally tried to return the sword to me. That was the final blow, and then I risked Hastred and me to save him.

Actually, it’s a bit silly to say that I saved him. I wasn’t the only one who saved him. What saved him was the combination of his ancestry, his quick reflexes, his self-bending wisdom, the wealth he left behind, the strong expression of his blood in him, and above all the political situation. It was just that someone had to come alive and work to save him, and that was me.

Maybe it was his fate rather than me saving him. Then it is also Paul’s fate that I care about him.

After countless attempts to justify my special treatment in this way, I returned to Yenson.

“What?”

My young fiance, whom I saw for the first time in two years, was wandering through death.

“Since when?!” When I asked while taking off my armor roughly, the answer came back, saying, “It was four days ago.” Four days ago. I guess I didn’t get a report because I was on the move. After taking off the armor and changing clothes, I immediately checked Eden’s condition. He was gasping for breath while saying nonsense that the proper expression of wandering through the death was really appropriate.

“Cili, Cili.” He was calling me and I could feel everyone in the room looking at me. Calling me with his heated skin, he was still beautiful, but he looked as if he was nearing his death.

“Orssen?” A sharp voice erupted from my mouth. Orssen, who is counted as one of the hands in Yenson’s name, shrugged his shoulders.

“He’s a very weak boy.”

“What do you mean? Wasn’t he the one who had no problems with his health until I left for Yenson?”

“People who are ill in nature get sick so suddenly. Moreover, it is unfortunate to inform you that he is tortured with poison… .”

“… … .”

“Ha, haha he will get better soon. If you give me a little time… .”

Seeing Orssen smile awkwardly, I replied, “Yes,” hesitantly. Then Rosemary quickly came to my side and asked, “My lord, would you like a cup of tea?” She had a face that seemed to have something to say. Rosemary saw Thane behind her and he blinked his eyes quickly too.

“You must have been running day and night, but have a cup of tea.”

Rosemary folded her arms cutely. She could be an average maid, but she was a 10-year-old Rosemary, so it was possible. After doing so, Rosemary pulled me out of Eden’s bedroom.

She really poured me her rose tea. In my study, Thane stood in front of me and rolled his eyes while she poured her rose tea. I looked at him silently, and then he looked straight at me.

“It’s strange.” I took a sip of rose tea while Thane spoke. It smelled good. An elegant and fragrant scent that makes you feel like you have returned from the battlefield.

“What is strange?”

“Mr. Orssen.” I nodded faintly and urged Thane to continue speaking. In fact, I was also thinking that Orssen, whom I had not seen in a long time, was a bit strange.

“The Grand Duke has been sick for four days, and he has been bleeding all the time.”

He’s been dying for four days? Of course, many doctors know and respect that blood poisoning is used to treat disease. But blood poisoning for four days?

“Why is he sick?”

“I do not know. Because Mr. Orssen just said that he was weak.”

I don’t know much about medicine, but is it okay to give blood poisoning to a weak person for four days? I don’t think it would be good for a healthy person to bleed for four days. Is it okay because it’s bad blood?

An unpleasant feeling swept through my ears.

“Thane, bring Sophie.”

At my words, Thane went out of the study cautiously with quick steps. Rosemary opened her mouth with her worried eyes as she filled my empty cup with her tea.

“My lord, Mr. Orssen is very strange. He keeps talking about blood poison.”

I thought it was strange too.

The story of poison was not so easy. This is because it is a weakness for Grand Duke Eden. The fact that Eden, who was also a Crown Prince, has blood poison, means that he’s been through a lot of bad things; that is to say, he didn’t have such a feat compared to his noble birth. Orssen, who deals with nobles, is a person who knows this all too well, but I was puzzled by him casually talking about blood poison in front of everyone.

━─━────༺༻────━─━