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13. The Girl’s Heart
“Ah….”
Seeing the child smiling brightly, the tension in my body melted away. The child, watering the fully bloomed roses, looked far better than I had expected. I exhaled deeply, feeling my chest relax, and spoke to Marquis Ezak, who was watching the child.
“The child looks well. It seems her condition isn’t as bad as I thought.”
“She has recovered quite a lot, so most of the time, she’s just like she used to be. It’s just that sometimes she has seizures or acts unconsciously… so there are still some unstable moments.”
“I see….”
Marquis Ezak’s gaze wavered slightly as he watched the child with a faint smile. His face, filled with concern, clearly showed how much he worried for her.
It was understandable—he had known the child well and had been by her side throughout her recovery. He would know her condition better than anyone else.
I watched the child focus on watering the flowers for a moment, then turned to ask him:
“Other than the seizures or unconscious actions, has there been anything unusual?”
“Apart from those behaviors, nothing in particular. Though… there is one somewhat peculiar thing.”
“Peculiar?”
“Yes. After she recovered to some extent, she started growing flowers again—but only roses.”
“Only roses?”
That was indeed unusual. Children who sold flowers for a living usually grew a variety of flowers to maximize profit. But she was growing only roses.
Looking around the greenhouse, I confirmed it—there were no flowers besides roses. When I first bought flowers from her, her basket had contained various kinds of flowers, not just roses. But now, the only flowers she was cultivating were roses.
‘Come to think of it, even the bouquet I received before… was all roses.’
It seemed the child had an unusual attachment to roses. Could this be a side effect of the accident? But why? I asked Marquis Ezak again, curiosity mixing with a strange feeling.
“Do you know why?”
“It’s just speculation, but the child’s deceased sibling used to grow roses well. Both children loved roses in particular. That might be the reason, I think.”
“I see… That makes sense. Even when I first bought flowers, the roses were in the best condition. Especially the blue roses, which were said to be difficult to grow—her sibling had grown them well.”
Among the many colorful roses, there had been a single blue rose with the most vivid color and the richest fragrance. I had never forgotten it. Even now, it was carefully pressed and displayed in my room.
I remembered the child excitedly showing off the blue rose her sibling had grown. Her face had been full of affection for a sibling capable of things she couldn’t do herself. She clearly admired and loved her sibling deeply.
For a child like that, an obsession with roses might be natural. Her undying love for her sibling seemed to manifest in her actions.
‘I understand, but… it’s also so tragic.’
Perhaps the child would never truly let go of her sibling’s memory. Considering her unstable condition, letting her grow only roses might be the safest approach for now, but thinking about her future, it might not be ideal.
If she loved roses purely, it would be one thing. But being bound by memories of her deceased sibling might mean her attachment was not entirely healthy.
Seeing her smile brightly didn’t entirely put my mind at ease. Marquis Ezak, noticing my concerned expression, raised his voice.
“Yes, the blue roses! The child is now carefully growing the blue roses her sibling once cultivated. The results have been far better than expected, and we recently made a deal under favorable conditions.”
“Oh, I know about that. Baron Evit purchased them from the child, right?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“I have some personal connection with the baron. I’m helping him open a new branch of his café in the capital.”
“I see. Oh, then perhaps you’ve heard about the foreign investor who appeared for the baron…”
Seeing her hesitate, I thought for a moment. Since she referred to him as a “foreign investor,” the rumor had probably spread somewhat. Well, the branch expansion deal had been finalized some time ago.
Construction of the capital branch was proceeding steadily, and a little buzz was necessary for promotion. Revealing that I was the investor would come later, but it seemed safe to inform those present.
Marquis Ezak, Marquis Gracel, and Baron Bien were trustworthy—none of them were the type to gossip recklessly.
Speaking quietly to the three, I said:
“Yes. I’m investing as a noble while also running some public welfare projects. To avoid rumors, I’d like to keep my identity secret for now.”
“We’ll keep it secret.”
“Understood.”
Though slightly surprised, the three quickly nodded in agreement. Seeing Marquis Ezak and Marquis Gracel respond and Baron Bien nod, I felt reassured. Then Marquis Gracel asked:
“But why use such an unusual foreign name as your alias?”
“There’s no particular reason. It was just the name that came to mind at the time.”
“I see. I understand your wish to hide your identity, but it may not be very effective. A sudden foreign investor would naturally attract attention.”
“That’s true. I considered that, but since I plan to reveal my identity eventually, it doesn’t matter. In fact, gaining attention now might be beneficial for future promotion.”
The name “Anas One” had a unique ring, sparking curiosity. It was not a bad thing, as it would naturally promote my business. Since I intended to reveal my identity eventually, it didn’t matter if people discovered it a bit sooner.
Shrugging lightly, I said so, and he nodded.
“Indeed, you’re aiming for greater publicity by attracting attention. The impact when your identity is revealed will certainly be considerable. I suppose my advice was unnecessary.”
“No, I understand you were concerned. Thank you, Marquis Gracel.”
It wasn’t unnecessary—he was speaking out of care. I shook my head and smiled softly.
“Anyway, about the blue roses—Baron Evit had recently brought a sample for the new café menu made from high-quality roses. It was a tea made from blue roses.”
“That was from the child’s blue roses?”
“Yes. I asked about the familiar color and fragrance and learned that he purchased it from her. I also learned about her condition from the baron.”
“I see.”
“I haven’t tried the tea he made yet… but once the capital branch opens and the new menu is officially available, I plan to try it. I hope the child can try it too.”
“That would be wonderful. I’m sure the child would be delighted.”
Marquis Ezak nodded in agreement. Watching the child gently handle a handful of blue roses in the greenhouse, we both smiled.
No matter her condition, she had cultivated the flowers diligently. I wanted her to see that what she grew could survive and continue even as time passed. If it could offer even a small comfort for her memory of her sibling, that would be enough.
We watched the child in the greenhouse for some time. Before we realized it, it was almost lunchtime.
“Time has passed so quickly. What about the child’s lunch?”
“I’ll take care of it. You all can eat first. I’ll join her.”
“Understood.”
Ezak went alone to the greenhouse to prepare the child’s meal while the rest of us—myself, Lucius, Marquis Gracel, and Baron Bien—headed to eat.
Just as she entered the greenhouse, a sharp voice rang out.
“No!”
“…!”
Startled by the excited voice, I quietly approached the greenhouse entrance and peeked inside. The child was struggling with a young boy.
The boy, with black hair and freckles, was holding a freshly plucked blue rose. Seeing this, the child shouted at him, clearly upset.
“No! Stop! You can’t!”
“Rina! Calm down, calm down!”
“No! Stop!”
The child lunged at the boy in anger, and Marquis Ezak hurriedly intervened. Cradling her, he tried to calm her down, but she remained agitated. The boy holding the rose flinched and stepped back.
“What… what’s your problem? It’s just a flower! You’re crazy!”
“Rek! Don’t speak like that to a friend! You plucked it without permission. Apologize to Rina at once.”
Ezak scolded the boy sternly while comforting the child in his arms. Frowning, the boy threw down the flower and ran off, shouting in frustration.
“It’s still wrong, but why are you blaming me? What’s with this flower? Hmph…!”
“Rek!”
The girl watched the boy leave, tears in her eyes, but she couldn’t follow. Still enraged, she bit her lip and turned away.
“No! My flower… our flower…!”
“Rina! Calm down. It’s okay… it’s okay…”
Seeing the trampled rose on the floor, her agitation intensified. The boy had stepped on the blue rose as he ran, crushing it. Her eyes trembled violently.
“No… it’s gone… Ah, no! Stop!”
“Ugh… Rina!”
Though Marquis Ezak tried to hold her, her fury was too strong. When she swung her arms, he was struck in the face and staggered. The child, still holding onto him, grabbed the fallen flowers and bolted out of the greenhouse.
“Wait…!”
“Tiana!”
Seeing her run with the torn rose and tears streaming down her face, I instinctively ran after her. Lucius called urgently for me to stop, but I didn’t, chasing after the child.
