Episode 7
Following Dane’s guidance, Joshua and Benjamin entered Rosent Castle. Seeing the inside again after four years, they looked around with nostalgia.
While Dane frequently checked his pocket watch due to the delay caused by Benjamin organizing the gifts, the two boys displayed a stark contrast in their demeanor, appearing quite relaxed.
The walls bathed in a warm reddish hue, different from Forn Castle, and the vases adorning each hallway brought back memories of the time they ignored Lorey’s scolding and knocked one over as children.
Joshua, gazing out the window, tilted his head as he noticed a white silhouette stepping down from a carriage.
It was different from the one that arrived every year. Instead of the usual pale pink carriage, it was a snow-white one decorated with lilies.
That was the carriage of the Lord of Fowip.
“Edmund…?”
The Flower Mage and Lord of Fowip—Edmund. Joshua unconsciously said his name, and Benjamin, hearing him, turned to follow Joshua’s gaze out the window.
Each step Edmund took caused flowers to bloom beneath his feet, his golden eyes glowing as a loud noise echoed not far away.
“Young Lady! Young Lady!”
There was only one person in this castle addressed that way—Sophia Benny.
The moment Joshua heard the voice, he dashed out, and Benjamin, calling after him, chased him down.
Taking only the path where the voice calling “Young Lady” repeated like a parrot, Joshua finally came upon Sophia, collapsed and unconscious.
Next to her, a servant tearfully and clumsily tried to lift her in his arms.
“Josh, go get Serita. To Sophia’s room.”
“Got it.”
Unlike the panicked servant, Benjamin assessed the situation calmly. After sending Joshua off, he approached Sophia.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. She was looking out the window and suddenly collapsed…”
“She’s in a conspicuous spot. Let’s move her to her room first.”
The lord was present in the castle. They couldn’t risk Sophia’s presence being exposed due to unnecessary commotion. Benjamin took off his outer coat and draped it over Sophia before lifting her into his arms.
He flinched at how light she was but feigned calmness as he led the way to her room.
Jules, hurriedly picking up the flower crown, followed Benjamin while checking Sophia’s complexion. She seemed peacefully asleep, which was somewhat relieving, though it didn’t make the situation any less serious.
“Where’s Lorey?”
After laying Sophia down on the bed, Benjamin asked for Lorey.
She was the one who knew Sophia’s condition best and could provide the comfort the girl needed.
But Jules, who had gone looking for Lorey at Benjamin’s command, returned with bad news.
“Lady Merkle isn’t feeling well. She collapsed from dizziness but is up again now…”
“…”
“Should I bring her anyway?”
“No. That won’t be necessary.”
Benjamin wasn’t heartless enough to drag a sick woman from her rest.
He looked down at Sophia, who was breathing steadily in her sleep, and asked the question he originally intended for Lorey.
“How was she this morning?”
“She seemed fine. Her temperature was normal, and she showed no signs of illness…”
“Where had she gone?”
“She had been in the garden. We brought her back inside, and shortly after that, she collapsed.”
If it was the garden Sophia had gone to, it must have been the one managed by Deflyn. He was a kind person, unlikely to do anything harmful to Sophia. Then…
Benjamin’s eyes landed on the flower crown in Jules’s hands. The flowers and leaves were completely wilted, as if it should be thrown away.
“What is that?”
“She was wearing it in the garden… it was perfectly fine until she collapsed.”
“So it wilted after she fainted?”
“Yes…”
That was odd. Flowers that were vibrant just moments ago suddenly wilting?
As Benjamin frowned and reached for the flower crown, the door opened and Joshua returned with a physician.
It was Serita Billon, the castle’s resident doctor. She had rushed over and, breathing heavily, pushed her disheveled glasses back up.
Her green eyes reflected confusion.
“I heard Master Benjamin was ill…”
“Obviously a lie. There’s no way we’d spread news about Sophia with guests around.”
Joshua said this matter-of-factly as he led Serita to Sophia’s side.
To prevent the guests from learning about Sophia’s presence through gossiping servants, Joshua had lied and said Benjamin was the one who had fallen ill.
Serita sighed and quickly tied her blonde hair into a loose bun before examining Sophia.
“Hmm…?”
After checking Sophia for a while, Serita made a confused noise.
Benjamin, growing uneasy, pressed her.
“What is it?”
“She’s too…”
“Too?”
“Too… perfectly fine.”
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion at her words. They didn’t make sense. Jules, who had witnessed Sophia collapse, especially couldn’t understand.
“That can’t be! She suddenly collapsed!”
“She’s breathing steadily, has no fever, and no injuries… she’s just asleep.”
Serita, still not grasping the full story, answered with uncertainty.
Too fine. It was hard to believe she had even fainted.
Blaming fatigue, Serita then asked Jules a question.
“Does she have trouble sleeping at night? Bad dreams, perhaps?”
The question was simple but important—part of a special directive given to Serita by Bled.
“Report anything related to ‘dreams’ to the Lord.”
And aside from the order, she was personally worried. What if young Sophia also began to suffer from nightmares like Joshua and Benjamin had?
You can’t afford to make a child drink alcohol or seek drugs just to sleep.
“She gets nine hours of sleep every night. If anything, she sleeps in too much—she never has trouble sleeping.”
“What about dreams?”
“She doesn’t seem to have nightmares. She always wakes up feeling refreshed.”
Thank goodness. Serita exhaled in quiet relief.
“Please monitor her condition for a while and report to me. I’ll prescribe Rofom—make sure she takes it consistently.”
Rofom was a general vitamin supplement. That was all Serita could offer.
After a few more words with Jules, Serita gazed down at the peacefully sleeping Sophia.
What kind of dream was she having now? Hopefully a pleasant one.
Thinking she shouldn’t disturb her further, Serita backed off a bit—only to be handed the withered flower crown by Benjamin.
Was he telling her to throw it away? She accepted it, but Benjamin spoke up.
“The flowers were fine before. They wilted the moment Sophia collapsed.”
“They wilted?”
Serita furrowed her brow, turning the crown in her hands and examining it from all angles. As she focused intently, frowning deeper, she muttered:
“…I’m sorry. I have no way of explaining this. Even if I’m a skilled physician, something like this… is like magic…”
She trailed off awkwardly, having just called herself “skilled” while Joshua gave her a look that clearly said, Seriously?
But her own word caught her attention.
Magic. That would explain it.
But Serita wasn’t a mage and had never studied magic. She was completely unqualified in that area.
Only one person came to mind who might help, though the thought brought unease.
“There is someone who could examine this flower crown.”
“Who?”
As Serita hesitated repeatedly, Benjamin grew curious and asked.
“He’s a mage who’s also a physician. Famous—Peyton Sel Meria.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of him.”
The name rang familiar to Joshua. A healing mage known for his remarkable skill and sought after by many.
Since he had also practiced as a physician, he might be the only one who could explain both Sophia’s sudden collapse and the flower crown’s mysterious condition.
“He’s competent, right? I heard he’s really good.”
“Yes, he’s very capable. But… he’s… a bit lacking as a person…”
Benjamin and Joshua looked puzzled.
Of course they wouldn’t understand. Peyton had a public image of being a brilliant genius.
But Serita knew the truth. She’d attended the same academy and experienced his multi-dimensional personality firsthand.
“I’m honestly not sure if he’ll be any help.”
“I don’t care who it is. We need to figure this out before it happens again.”
Benjamin was determined not to let Sophia suffer again for unknown reasons.
Even after he pressed her, Serita couldn’t respond right away. He was starting to grow wary of her hesitation when she finally nodded.
“Alright. I’ll contact him.”
“Good. And don’t tell anyone about this. Tell Sophia she fainted from fatigue.”
Sophia was still a child. If she knew she collapsed for no clear reason, how frightened would she be? He didn’t want her worrying or overthinking something so heavy.
A flower crown. Flowers. The Flower Mage. The moment Sophia collapsed.
Could any puzzle pieces fit together more perfectly?
