Chapter 83
“The Wish I Made That Day”
“Commander.”
“Serdin?”
Roitz, who had been closing his eyes, hurried over to me. The petals that had piled on his shoulders scattered as he ran.
“Are you feeling a bit better?”
“Yes.”
“Your head doesn’t hurt?”
“I’m not that weak.”
“This isn’t about weakness or not.”
Roitz smiled and held a handkerchief toward my mouth. I understood and wiped my lips, then quietly put it in my pocket.
At that moment, what had happened earlier flashed through my mind.
‘Don’t try to put your feet in both places and get everything…’
‘Serdin, what are you talking about? This is a misunderstanding…’
‘No misunderstanding. Stop being greedy, and just go completely to that person!’
Right, earlier I had whined a lot.
I had told him to choose between work and love.
I had almost grabbed him by the collar angrily, and then I fell asleep in the carriage like he was my personal pillow.
‘Hmm, quite shameless.’
But since Roitz shamelessly kept making me work, this much was fine.
‘Better sober up quickly.’
I smelled the sharp scent of alcohol on my breath and inhaled the cool night air.
Taking a deep breath, I saw the petals of the Berishi trees falling down again.
“Wow.”
The scene of Berishi flowers falling was so beautiful it was called “summer snow.”
Because it looked like snow was falling.
Watching it, I suddenly remembered the day a few years ago when I saw the first snow with him.
‘If you make a wish with the first snow, it will come true.’
That’s what Enia had said, so I had called Roitz out and we saw the first snow together.
‘Strictly speaking, this is also first snow.’
I reached out my hand.
‘Will I catch it?’
At that moment, a Berishi petal landed right in my hand.
What, I really caught it. My eyes lit up at the rare experience.
“Wow, Commander. I caught this! Look.”
I showed it to him immediately. He glanced at my hand and picked up a petal, joking.
“Snow that doesn’t melt.”
“Should I make a wish?”
Roitz nodded. I felt excited.
Maybe it was the cool breeze, or standing under this flower snow.
I gripped the petal tightly and leaned against the tree.
“Come to think of it, Commander, did the wish you made back then come true?”
“Back then?”
He reached out and caught a petal, then handed it to me. I reached out and asked:
“A few years ago, when we made a wish with the first snow.”
“Ah.”
“What did you wish for?”
Through the flower snow, Roitz stepped closer to me. Then he stared at me.
“I’m thinking if it’s good to say it.”
“If it already came true, you can say it. If it hasn’t, don’t say it. If you say it, it loses power.”
“It came true.”
“Really?”
It came true? What could it be?
Back then, we agreed to make wishes for each other.
‘Did he wish for me to pass the Imperial Knight test quickly? At that time, he was desperate to recruit me.’
It wouldn’t have been something like me becoming rich. He said it came true, but I’m still not rich.
Standing beside me, Roitz pressed a petal into my hand.
“I’ll be honest. It’s just a fact.”
“I never asked for lies.”
“I wished that you would become rich.”
“……”
I opened my mouth in shock.
‘He said it already came true…’
So is this all the wealth I’ll ever get in life?
Roitz burst out laughing. I realized then he was joking, and I frowned at him.
You shouldn’t joke about money.
After laughing a while, he looked at my face.
“I was joking, Serdin. Did you really believe me?”
“No, of course not.”
I glared at him while he still suppressed laughter. Then I noticed how close we were.
“…What did you really wish for?”
Our shoulders almost touched.
At that moment, his gaze from the side grew even closer.
Not just his gaze—his voice, his scent, everything that told me who he was became closer.
Tilting his head toward me, Roitz said:
“I wished to see the first snow with you again. Even years later.”
“……”
I blinked, then turned my eyes back to the Berishi tree.
Maybe because of the flower snow, that wish—though simple—felt like it was for me.
‘Please wish that I will succeed in anything.’
Years ago, when I told him that, I meant money or success.
But Roitz’s wish had nothing to do with those things. Still, it felt that way.
White petals kept falling on my head.
I shook my head, but some still clung to my hair.
Watching me, Roitz reached out.
“You’ve become a snowman, Serdin.”
He teased as he picked petals from my hair.
For some reason, my chest tightened.
“I told you, if I get used to this, I’ll get spoiled.”
I had said the same thing years ago when he brushed dirt from my hair after training.
I grabbed his hand and pulled it away.
He thought about my words for a while.
Then he chuckled and rubbed his face with his palm.
“…What?”
“You said you’d get spoiled, not me?”
“Of course.”
“Then get spoiled.”
“Huh?”
“Get used to it. Get spoiled. That’s fine.”
I realized I was still holding his hand after pulling it away.
I hurriedly let go and hid my hand behind me.
It wasn’t strange—we had spent a lot of time together, often brushing against each other.
But still, it felt strange now.
“I’ll always be here, Serdin. If you get used to it, if you get spoiled, I’ll do everything for you.”
“……”
I didn’t know why, but his words sounded special.
No one had ever told me they’d always be here. I never imagined someone would.
I didn’t want him to see my face, so I bowed my head.
“What did you wish for?”
His teasing voice came over my bowed head.
“What do you mean.”
“That day, when we saw the first snow together.”
Back then, I had wished for Roitz to be unhurt and happy.
Unlike the dark and ruined story, I wished he would find the happiest path.
The Necroquad, the source of his pain, was gone. The next happiness would be meeting someone who truly made him happy.
“I… still have half left to come true.”
“Half came true?”
“When it all comes true, I’ll tell you.”
“Good. I hope it does.”
“Maybe soon.”
Roitz didn’t press, just nodded calmly and leaned on the tree.
That day, we kept standing under the summer snow.
Every time petals piled on my head, he plucked them off and teased me.
I laughed, hiding strange feelings behind the smile.
And in my head, I thought of ways for him to fall in love with Lucike.
So Roitz, who was unnaturally obsessed with only work, could be happy.
Even though I didn’t truly understand what I was trying to do.
‘Make a situation that looks like coincidence, where two people can’t help but be together. Like a locked room.’
For days, I searched for the best place to carry out Reisher’s advice.
‘It has to be a place where Roitz and Lucike can go without it being awkward… but still somewhere indoors where they can talk.’
Not somewhere unpleasant like a sewer or bathroom.
After carefully checking around the Knight Order grounds and the temple, I finally found the best place.
The greenhouse behind the cathedral.
‘I like going to the greenhouse. It’s nice for resting alone.’
That’s what Lucike had once told me she liked.
And since Roitz liked flowers too, he would like the greenhouse.
‘This is the perfect place!’
But then I thought—does liking flowers mean he often goes to greenhouses?
I decided to get someone’s help.
