Chapter 54
The flowers were in full bloom, filling the flowerbed with vibrant colors.
The flowerbed was about 1 meter wide and 2 meters long—small if one put it that way, yet large if seen differently. The bricks outlining the flowerbed looked clean, suggesting it had been constructed recently. The soil was dark and soft, appearing rich and well-tended.
Dewdrops clung to the flowers as if they had just been watered.
There were yellow flowers, red flowers, white flowers, and even purple ones.
Different kinds of flowers gathered in clusters, decorating the flowerbed in a dazzling array of colors.
“Do you like it?”
A brusque voice came from behind.
Startled, Haon turned around.
Prince Xi was standing by a pillar near the Fifth Palace building, leaning against it with his arms crossed.
Haon bowed hastily.
“Did you call for me for something?”
Prince Xi didn’t answer but, keeping his arms crossed, gestured toward the flowerbed.
“I asked if you liked it.”
“Oh… this… a flowerbed?”
Haon pointed at the flowers, speaking her impression despite not understanding his intention.
“It’s beautiful.”
As she spoke without much thought, curiosity arose.
“Have you taken up a new hobby?”
This time, Prince Xi looked at her as if to ask, “What are you talking about?”
“I mean growing flowers. You didn’t have that hobby before. I’ve heard gardening can be healing. It must be better than practicing swordsmanship every day.”
Haon nodded.
Prince Xi let out a faint chuckle at her response.
“It’s yours.”
“Mine?”
Prince Xi approached the flowerbed, pointing at one corner of its edge.
In stylish script, Haon’s name was engraved on the brick.
“Huh? Why… here?”
“It’s a gift for you.”
“A gift?”
Haon looked at him in surprise. Prince Xi spoke evenly.
“With this, you don’t have to worry about the flowers flying away, right?”
He glanced around the flowerbed and added,
“Well, there are so many that even if one falls, you don’t have to risk yourself unnecessarily.”
He nodded in satisfaction.
“Don’t pick them; just take care of them here.”
Prince Xi, uncharacteristically verbose, had spoken at length. Yet Haon did not react. Even after waiting a moment, her lack of response made him raise one eyebrow.
“You don’t like it?”
He furrowed his brow slightly as he asked.
Haon parted her lips but no sound came out. Her gaze remained fixed on the flowerbed, unmoving.
Her mind was in a similar daze. She could hear his voice, but the meaning was hard to grasp. A hazy, alien sensation blocked her comprehension.
‘What did I just hear?’
Unbelievable.
Prince Xi? To her? About a flowerbed?
Why?
Because of what happened at the city wall guard training ground?
“Because of those stupid flowers!”
She remembered him yelling in anger before.
Could it be… worry?
He had been concerned about her doing something reckless over a single flower, had scolded her, awkwardly parted ways, and now—here he was—offering a gift as an olive branch?
Truly?
Really?
‘I… I’m going crazy!’
She couldn’t help but exclaim, disbelief overwhelming her.
Her thoughts were chaotic.
“Thought you liked flowers, didn’t you?”
With no response, Prince Xi muttered bluntly, though disappointment was clear. His voice had dropped noticeably, by about half a tone, and Haon caught it immediately.
“No! That’s not it!”
She rushed to explain, voice pitch cracking. But she hardly cared. She waved her hands frantically.
“I like them so much! I don’t know how to say it, so I just froze!”
She poured out her words in a flurry.
To calm the visibly sulking prince, she tried her hardest to explain.
“I never expected you to give me a gift like this, not even in the slightest! So… so…”
Suddenly, tears filled her eyes.
“You left yesterday without a word, just dropped everything and walked away, and I didn’t know what to do…”
Big, heavy tears slid down her cheeks, pooling at her chin and falling in droplets.
Prince Xi raised his hand in surprise, unsure how to react.
“Why are you crying all of a sudden?”
“I’m crying because I’m happy.”
Haon sniffled, wiping her tears frantically.
“I didn’t expect to be called today… or to receive a flowerbed like this. I thought it was all over…”
Overcome with emotion, her words tumbled out incoherently.
Prince Xi, unsure what to do, finally took out a handkerchief from his sleeve.
“Use this.”
Haon accepted the handkerchief.
He added casually,
“I switched to a cotton one, just as you said. Much better.”
Haon flinched again, remembering. She had forgotten mentioning it, back when they first met. Yet Prince Xi remembered.
She pressed the handkerchief to her face.
“Geez… Prince…”
What should she do with this man?
This man who listened to every word, every reaction, and acted precisely on it. Thought, listened, and acted—simple in words, yet rare in reality.
How many could truly think of anything else in front of such a man?
Her heart ached. His confident, decisive steps left her small heart unable to withstand it. Stopping him was impossible, and she had no intention of trying.
To keep Prince Xi in her heart—Haon had no choice but to succumb.
“So… this is all… because of you, Prince.”
She murmured, not caring if he heard.
Her hand reached out, now gripping his collar. In a strange twist, she had grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer while lifting onto her toes, tilting her head up.
Prince Xi didn’t understand what was happening, but Haon leaned forward toward her clear goal.
As his red lips neared hers, she closed her eyes. A soft warmth met her lips.
Slightly soft, slightly warm. His lips didn’t flinch; they remained still.
No ringing bells, no fantastical music.
Only silence.
All other sensations disappeared.
Only his lips, their warmth, and his presence existed.
Immersed in it, it felt as though the world could end and it would not matter.
Haon and Prince Xi shared their first kiss.
After a moment, she slowly lowered her heels. Still holding his collar, she opened her eyes. His clear blue eyes were fixed on her.
Had he kept his eyes open the whole time? Or had he been frozen by her sudden action?
“What… is this…”
He moved his lips slowly, without shifting his gaze.
“A kiss?”
‘Ah.’
Haon woke as if from a dream. Overwhelmed by emotion, she had acted impulsively.
The first thing she did was release the collar she had grabbed. The well-ironed shirt was now wrinkled. She laughed, trying to smooth it out.
“This isn’t unusual, right? Just a light… thank-you kiss?”
She offered a weak excuse. In the West, kisses as greetings were common. Surely it was the same here…
Yet his cold blue eyes clearly conveyed something harsher than words.
“Where I come from, it means that! Is it not the same here?”
Her frantic babbling continued.
Prince Xi’s gaze remained icy.
“A thank-you kiss, huh? You do this to anyone you’re grateful to?”
“Well… not just anyone…”
“Not just anyone, huh?”
“Then… you and I…”
Think, Haon!
“Because we’re partners working on an important case?”
The correct answer?
She said it firmly, looking at him.
His gaze didn’t change. If anything, it grew colder. Ice arrows could almost shoot from those eyes.
Finally, he sighed.
“Fine. What story could I even have with you?”
He placed his palm on top of her head, not really patting it, then removed it and turned away.
“Take good care of the flowerbed. No one comes here often anyway, so feel free to use it.”
Did his voice sound devoid of energy, or was it her imagination?
Haon called after him.
“Prince Xi! I have something important to tell you.”
She could not afford to delay any longer. It was already too late in a sense. She had to speak before it was truly over.
