Chapter 22
“The Gift of a Seed”
Since then, Rosedale couldn’t help but worry.
“Even after what Liamson told me, I still don’t get it.”
Human emotions were just too complicated.
“From what I can tell, Todd acts like he can’t stand Phillippe… but that bird said it’s love?”
It made no sense. Now Phillippe wouldn’t even look at Todd, and Todd couldn’t say a word to her.
Anytime he tried to approach, she’d spin around and storm off. Once, the door she slammed fluttered like paper—it had literally lost its function from her magic.
Todd, once loud and arrogant, now looked completely defeated.
The guy who’d sneer, “You’re poor, huh? Never had this?” while handing out expensive snacks…
The jerk who’d say, “Why are you carrying heavy stuff like a guy?”—then carry it for her…
That Todd was gone.
“Ugh, the atmosphere is seriously tense, right?”
One member whispered while eyeing the two distant figures: Todd and Phillippe.
They were gathered around working, minus those two.
“Todd was always flaky, so who cares. But Phillippe’s our ace. Without her focus, we’re dead.”
“Honestly, watching Todd shrink in front of her is almost pitiful. What’s wrong with me?”
“How long do we have to walk on eggshells around them? Lady Rosedale, can’t you just glue them together with magic?”
“Even magic can’t solve human emotions.”
Rosedale sighed. She wished it could.
“Even if Todd apologizes, Phillippe wouldn’t accept it.”
“Would she even listen?”
Liamson nodded.
“Phillippe’s probably built up a lot of resentment by now.”
“If only we knew why Todd picked on her so much—maybe we could help them reconcile.”
Everyone sighed together like they had rehearsed it.
Suddenly, a calm, clear voice floated in from the open door—like the sound of a lakeside breeze.
“What’s the matter?”
It was a soft, sunny voice—like spring sunlight. Rosedale instantly perked up.
“Your Majesty!”
Everyone jumped out of their chairs in shock. Lukas had entered the room.
“W-What brings you here, Your Majesty?”
“Work. I came to check your progress.”
He gave Rosedale a gentle smile.
Their eyes met—and the space between them seemed to fill with a sweet, private glow.
“T-The Sun of the Empire…”
“No need for formalities.”
Lukas cut them off, sitting down next to Rosedale. She quickly sat beside him, and after exchanging glances, the others cautiously returned to their seats.
“So… what were you all so seriously discussing?”
“Um…”
It wasn’t about work, so no one knew what to say—except Rosedale, who didn’t hesitate.
“Two of our members are in a cold war.”
She sighed, remembering her mission from Eros. That made it even more stressful.
Once she spoke, the others followed suit.
“It’s those two over there, Your Majesty. It’s like walking on ice.”
“It’s affecting our work, but we don’t know how to fix it.”
“What happened?”
Lukas looked intrigued as he turned to Rosedale.
She explained everything. The others filled in details about Todd and Phillippe’s rocky history.
Even Liamson, usually reserved, joined the gossip. They were clearly desperate for help.
“It’s simple, really.”
Lukas smiled, almost laughing.
“Simple?! Really?!”
Rosedale’s eyes sparkled.
“That Todd guy—he’s in love with Phillippe.”
“…Huh?”
Everyone stared blankly.
Even Rosedale, who had heard this from the bird, was surprised that Lukas confirmed it.
“So it’s true? Todd actually loves her? Humans are so confusing.”
Rosedale tilted her head.
“But… if he likes her, why bully her? Shouldn’t he be nice to her?”
“He wants her attention. So he picks on her and acts out.”
Lukas smiled warmly as he answered.
“Ah! Now that you say that…”
One member spoke up.
“I used to do that too as a kid—bother the girl I liked just to get noticed.”
“Yeah! If she yelled at me, at least she was looking at me.”
“Todd’s still stuck in preschool love mode!”
Everyone gave Todd a pitiful look. He was still pacing nearby, sneaking glances at Phillippe.
Rosedale gaped.
“So that’s what Lord Eros meant… Todd would grow by meeting Phillippe.”
Watching real humans in person was so much more complicated than reading about them.
But maybe that’s why she liked observing them. Their emotions brought something warm and unpredictable into her once-simple world.
“Each person loves in their own way,” Lukas said, now looking directly at Rosedale.
“Some love is childish, like Todd’s… and some love makes you want to be endlessly kind.”
As everyone else was watching Todd and Phillippe, Lukas gently touched the end of Rosedale’s hair.
He stared at the soft strands in his fingers, lost in thought.
He almost wanted to pull slightly, to make her look at him. But at the same time, he only wanted to stroke her hair gently.
In the end, he did neither.
He just let her hair fall softly from his hand, leaving only a slight regret behind.
“Your Majesty, you’re amazing!”
Rosedale, watching Todd and Phillippe, suddenly turned to Lukas with admiration.
“How do you know all this?”
“Oh, I mean…”
Lukas scratched his face, embarrassed by her glowing praise.
“It’s not that I’m special. Any man who’s had a boyhood would understand—”
“Oh! Wait!”
Rosedale clapped her hands, cutting him off. Lukas blinked, caught off guard again.
“Your Majesty, I want to give you something to thank you. Since you came all this way!”
“What is it?”
“Come with me for a second.”
She stood and motioned him to follow. Glancing around at the distracted members, she waved her hand sneakily.
“Quick, quick!”
Lukas had no idea what was going on—but followed her anyway.
She led him to a private room at the back of the department. It used to be Liamson’s office, but he no longer used it after Rosedale arrived. She had a much nicer space anyway.
“What is this about?”
Lukas chuckled as she quietly closed the door.
“Just wait. I have something for you.”
She busily moved to the table and brought back a pot and some seeds.
“I thought of this while making the herb garden.”
“What is it?”
Lukas took the seeds from her hand without knowing what to expect.
They were small, nearly transparent white seeds—three of them, resting in his rough, callused palm.
“Lukas…”
Rosedale gently folded his fingers around the seeds.
“When fairies die, their mana scatters across the world. They become part of flowers, clouds, water, or soil.”
“…”
“I don’t know if it’s the same for humans, but I don’t think they ever really disappear.”
Lukas’s face stiffened. His usual warmth vanished.
Rosedale had been taught by Cain. She must have known about his past—his brother Shedon, the late emperor, and empress.
Now, she was talking about death—and giving him three seeds.
He felt like his deepest scar had been touched.
“What are you trying to say?”
Lukas clenched the seeds tightly in his hand.
“That the dead can come back? Or that you’ve figured out my weakness and now you’re mocking me?”
Even now, if he closed his eyes, the memories came back vividly. Sweat broke out on his palms.
“Brother… I’m scared. I don’t want to die meaninglessly in war.”
His brother’s trembling voice haunted him.
His mother, mistaking reality for the past, asked:
“When will Shedon come home? It’s time for his cookie…”
She didn’t know he was dead. And he couldn’t tell her.
Then there was his father’s last words:
“I’m sorry I put this burden on you.”
Lukas still remembered how heavy that final pat on the shoulder felt.
He couldn’t even remember how he felt when he learned his father had died—while standing over an enemy’s corpse.
Every time he tried to recall it, a loud ringing filled his ears, like a whip cracking in his skull.
“Who do you think you are… saying stuff like this? Giving me this kind of thing…”
He trembled, teeth clenched, eyes narrowed.
He wanted to crush the seeds—but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
His fingers remained closed, but gentle.
