HMC 15

~Chapter 15~

“That’s all for today’s lesson.”

Cain stood up. His heart felt too heavy to continue.

Rosedale glanced at him while closing her book and then quietly spoke.

“Did you lose family too, Cain?”

“…My older brother died in the war.”

Cain replied without meeting her eyes.

“That must’ve been painful, Cain.”

“Still, I’m lucky I had time to properly grieve.”

Wounds heal over time with tears.

But some people never get the chance to mourn—like Lukas, still standing on the battlefield inside his heart. With the weight of millions of lives and centuries of history on his shoulders, he never had the time to grieve.

“So that’s why you’re still standing in that war.”

Rosedale’s chest ached at the thought.

“Anyway, since I’m the emperor’s aide, I can’t carry on my family name. So my sister’s husband, Anteo, took our name instead.”

Cain smoothly changed the topic. Rosedale, catching on, went along with it.

“Why didn’t your sister inherit it?”

“Because the Iverian law doesn’t allow women to lead families.”

“What? That’s weird.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

Cain laughed for the first time despite Rosedale’s informal attitude.

“His Majesty does want to change that, but it’s hard to push reform so soon after the war. He’s waiting for the right time.”

“Hmm.”

Rosedale leaned on the table, smiling mysteriously, which made Cain frown.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Just… It’s surprising. I expect Lukas to care about things like that, but you?”

“I am a young reformist official, you know.”

Cain chuckled and placed a hand on his chest in mock pride, but then paused as if remembering something.

“Ah, His Majesty also asked me to tell you he’d like to have dinner together tonight.”

“Really? Okay!”

Rosedale’s ears perked up excitedly. Cain sighed and left the room quickly—is she a bunny or what?

Alone, Rosedale leaned back in her chair, smile fading.

Until now, she had never truly understood human grief.

When fairies die, they simply return to nature. You can’t see them anymore—but you can still feel them in the wind, in the sun, in the earth.

So even if she understood death intellectually, she never felt the emotional weight of it.

But since becoming Lukas’s friend, she wanted to. She wanted to understand him. To share in his sorrow.

And tonight, she wanted to hug him—to comfort him like a precious gem held close to her heart.

Later That Evening…

Rosedale still hadn’t gotten the chance to hug Lukas.

“Your Majesty. Are you even listening to me?”

Her voice echoed across the massive dining hall where thirty people could easily sit. Servants lined the walls, and the gleaming silverware lit the room like daytime.

Lukas and Rosedale sat at opposite ends of the long table, proper and formal, like two magnets with the same poles repelling each other.

He was graceful—his every move picture-perfect. But it was almost too perfect, like he was frozen in a painting.

“We are sitting a bit far apart, huh?”

Lukas finally spoke, letting out a sigh that echoed more than Rosedale’s words.

He waved his fingers at the servants.

“Place all the food on the table and leave us.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

They obeyed, filling the table until no surface was visible. Dishes overflowed.

When the last servant left and the door closed with a thud, Lukas casually gathered his plate and walked over to sit next to Rosedale.

“Is it good?”

His warm smile caught her off guard. She’d seen it yesterday, but somehow it felt like ages ago.

“I arranged dinner here because it’s your first in the palace. Maybe I went a little overboard.”

“It’s fine. I was uncomfortable at first, but now I’m okay.”

“Good. I made sure to include dishes you’d like.”

“I noticed. Even crème brûlée’s here.”

The now-empty bowls of crème brûlée stacked in a corner made Lukas laugh.

“When did you eat all those? You looked upset but still cleared your plate.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Of course not.”

Lukas leaned over and gently wiped cream from her lips with his thumb, emerald eyes fixed on her.

Rosedale met his gaze fearlessly, her pure eyes not blinking once. That made Lukas’s smile deepen.

“The head chef will be pleased you enjoyed it.”

“The palace chef is amazing. The same dish tasted even better than yesterday.”

“Naturally. The chef was handpicked by the late emperor…”

Lukas hesitated when mentioning his father but quickly covered it with a calm smile.

Watching him, Rosedale suddenly looked around the room.

“…?”

Lukas tilted his head curiously.

Rosedale’s eyes scanned the room quickly—Good, no one’s here.

“Rozi, what are you—!”

He couldn’t finish. She had jumped up and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Holding him close, she whispered gently:

“I can’t hug the emperor like this when others are around.”

I’ve wanted to hug you all day.

She didn’t know what it meant to lose parents or siblings. But she knew it brought humans great pain. And she saw that pain buried in Lukas’s eyes.

“I’m glad I met you, Lukas. Your smile is like a forest after the rain.”

Like the earthy smell of early morning, the sunlight through dewy leaves, and distant fairy songs.

His smile reminded her of walking barefoot in that peaceful forest—free of rules or judgment.

“So I want you to keep smiling.”

“Huh? Where is this coming from?”

He was confused, but smiled faintly.

She hugged him tighter, resting her head on his shoulder.

“If you need permission to be happy… I’ll give it to you. I’ll give you all of mine too.”

“The right to be happy.”

That phrase froze his hand in midair. It was a thought buried deep in his heart.

But Rosedale didn’t let go. Instead, she pulled him closer, sharing her heartbeat with his.

“Not forced smiles—but real ones. I hope every day is filled with overwhelming love.”

“…”

“I promise. I’ll make sure you can be truly happy.”

“…Rozi, you’re such a strange person.”

He chuckled softly, leaning his face against her shoulder.

“Who hugs a man out of nowhere like this?”

“I do.”

She answered plainly.

He chuckled again—a little sigh-like laugh.

Was she failing to comfort him?

As she sighed quietly, his voice finally came, small and tender.

“…Thank you.”

It burst from him like popcorn heated by emotion—gentle but unstoppable, a glimpse of feeling he couldn’t contain.

She held him as he rested for a bit—then he slowly pulled away.

She missed the warmth instantly, like a mother bird whose chick had flown from the nest.

“You didn’t cry?”

Rosedale half-smiled at him.

“Didn’t you say you wanted me to smile?”

“To smile well, you need to cry well too. Get the pain out first.”

“Do you cry easily?”

Lukas smiled gently, brushing her hair.

“Not really.”

Maybe he was dodging the topic, but Rosedale didn’t press. His lightened expression was enough.

She would open his heart slowly. Heal his pain gently. And then… she’d deal with the golden arrow problem next.

“Ah, so Rozi doesn’t cry easily, huh.”

Lukas’s tone stretched teasingly.

“What’s with that look of disbelief?”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Well… I’ve seen some things.”

“…”

He grinned cheekily.

Rosedale just puffed air through her nose. After all, she had cried over food before.

Lukas leaned closer.

Their noses nearly touched. Rosedale’s pupils widened in surprise.

He grinned slyly, and whispered in her ear, his breath like a cool citrus breeze:

“Rozi. You know what?”