Chapter 23
Yupi had arrived in front of the hospital room first.
“Oh my, Miss? Where have you been?”
“I met Clara sister just in front of here.”
“I see. And what’s this?”
Yupi took the box Lilia was holding and asked.
“Uncle Osdel sent this to Father, but I don’t know what it is. Should we open it?”
When Yupi opened the box, there was a plant with dark navy-blue flowers.
It was beautiful, but the scent was quite strong.
Yupi sniffed it lightly and said,
“Wait a moment, Miss. I haven’t seen this before. Should we ask the gardener what it is?”
“The gardener?”
“Yes, she’s my companion lately.”
Hearing the word gardener, Lilia thought about the dull hospital room.
‘If there’s a brightly colored flower, the room will feel brighter.’
She didn’t want the room to be bare while waiting for Clasid to wake.
“Ah, then I want to go too. I’ll pick some flowers from the garden. Kiki, will you stay here?”
“Psst!”
Kiki still seemed sleepy, lying down in the basket.
“Okay, sleep for a little while.”
As soon as they went down to the garden, Lilia’s eyes caught some cute flowers.
“Wow, so pretty.”
There were white flowers with yellow centers, like chrysanthemums, filling the flowerbed.
Lilia carefully picked chamomile with her small hands when someone spoke to her.
“Chamomile is famous for calming the mind. Its flower meaning is comfort and the strength to overcome adversity. Shall I help keep it fresh?”
Looking up, Lilia was surprised. It was a beautiful blonde woman who looked a lot like her grandmother.
“G-Grandmother?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Lilia shook her head quickly.
Looking again, she saw the woman only had a similar atmosphere, not the same person.
She wasn’t even an elf.
“Saint Melissa, I’m here again!”
Oh, a saint?
Why was a saint here and not at the temple?
Suppressing that question, it seemed the two women were quite close.
“Please call me the gardener now, not a saint. Yupi. But you just came—what happened?”
“Ah! I wanted to ask Melissa about this flower. Can we put it in Clasid’s room?”
“Ah, let me see. Hmm, this is a Peranium flower. It’s not suitable for a hospital room.”
“Oh, really?”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
Lilia leaned in, curious.
“The scent is strong, and Peranium has two flower meanings. The first is ‘asking about someone’s wellbeing.’ But the second…”
Melissa paused.
“What does it mean?”
“The second meaning is for losers. It’s not a good one.”
Hearing that, Lilia clenched her small fists.
Did Osdel send this to mock Clasid as a loser?
Whatever the reason, it was definitely an unpleasant gift.
“I don’t know if he knew the meaning, but it’s a tasteless gift.”
“He wouldn’t send it without knowing. Ah, I shouldn’t have accepted it…!”
Lilia bit her lip and spoke firmly.
“This bad flower gift has made a little grudge against him. Haha.”
Melissa laughed freely.
Her smile was so charming it made Lilia feel calmer.
A former saint now working as a gardener had quite an impressive history.
‘There must be a story behind this.’
As Lilia wondered with curious eyes, Melissa also looked down at her with curiosity.
“May I ask the name of this cute little lady?”
“Oh, she’s Lilia, the third-generation child I serve. She’s Clasid’s daughter.”
After Yupi introduced her, Melissa immediately understood.
“Ah… so she is Clasid’s daughter. I didn’t know because I haven’t been working in Roberk long.”
“It’s fine, pretty gardener.”
Lilia opened her mouth wide and admired her silently.
Not as much as her grandmother, but Melissa was pretty and gave off a clear, warm energy.
“I’m happy to meet you. I’m Melissa from the Soriel Temple.”
Wait, Soriel Temple… that sounded familiar.
It was the temple where Tiana, the heroine of The Otherworld Saint, was persecuted.
Melissa had been the saint there?
Lilia felt a sudden intuition.
‘Maybe she knows Tiana, or is related somehow!’
Saints in temples are very important.
Except for the Pope and high-ranking priests, only they can use holy power fully.
It’s a lifelong position with certain privileges, rarely left once accepted.
Sometimes, a saint might leave after marrying a noble, but it was rare.
So Melissa leaving such a position must have a reason.
‘But I can’t ask suddenly. I need to become friends first.’
While Lilia thought about this, Melissa asked,
“Is this your first time seeing a saint? Are you curious?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. How did you know?”
“I just guessed.”
“But that’s not all.”
Lilia looked at Melissa and met her eyes.
“I know a lot of wizards, but I was wondering how to get close to a saint!”
Melissa laughed and came a little closer.
“The best way is to be honest like you. My heart even skipped a beat. Shall we be friends?”
She smiled brightly and held out her hand.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Though there was a height difference, they shook hands firmly.
It was good that Lilia’s guess was right.
For someone cheerful and open like Melissa, being direct was the best approach.
“Wait a moment, I’ll make sure the chamomile stays fresh.”
“Yes, please.”
Lilia smiled quietly.
Watching Yupi place the chamomile in a glass vase, Lilia said,
“I’ll be with Father for a while. I want to pray for his recovery.”
“Understood. I’ll just open the window and wait outside. Take all the time you need.”
Children who pass the aptitude test not only receive official rewards but also praise and recognition from their parents.
Sometimes, parents even held small parties.
So it was natural that six-year-old Lilia felt emotional.
Yupi quietly wiped tears while opening the window and left the room.
The hospital room became calm.
Sunlight came through the window, making the room much brighter.
With the chamomile, the atmosphere felt lively.
Lilia naturally looked at Clasid’s face.
“You’re handsome today too, even though you’re sick, Father.”
Perhaps “statue” really did refer to Clasid.
She never got tired of looking at him.
Lilia approached her father and gently rested her head against him.
She reached out with her small hand and held his thumb tightly.
As always, he didn’t move at all.
His breathing was thin but steady, and his pulse could be felt.
His pale color had lightened, and he had a little life in him.
Lilia closed her eyes and whispered,
“Father… I finally passed the aptitude test and gained great power. But… why aren’t you waking up yet?
