ISTV 19

Garen looked like an active volcano on the verge of eruption, while Jermiel was like the calm surface of a lake hiding a fierce current.

“Don’t stop me. I need to beat the crap out of that bastard.”

“Oh ho, this should be fun.”

Jermiel curled his finger in a taunting gesture and added smugly,

“Come at me, you foul-mouthed monkey.”

“You shady bastard!”

I shouted in my mind:

—Stop it! The stench of death is getting stronger by the second! You shit-for-brains idiots!

But dignity transformed my words into something much nobler:

“Jermiel. If your apology to me had any meaning, stop now. Before I’m too disappointed in you.”

“……”

Freeze.

Jermiel halted as if he’d been struck.

Then I turned to look at Garen.

“Brother. Are you really going to destroy Father’s beloved garden?”

“……”

“You were the one who acted recklessly and violently in front of my friend.”

“But…!”

“I said apologize.”

“B-But still…!”

“A noble person knows when to put aside their pride.”

“Sowwy.”

He blurted it out ridiculously fast.

“Apologize properly.”

“…Sorry. I’m not sure what I did wrong, though.”

Jermiel grinned widely.

“I forgive you. Though I’m not sure why I should.”

The two reluctantly shook hands, though sparks still flew between their eyes.

I wasn’t sure if this could be called a reconciliation, but at least I had stopped a brawl.

‘But… the scent of death isn’t fading.’

If anything, it was growing thicker.

This “threat of sudden death” didn’t seem to have anything to do with their little spat.

‘What is it?’

I had no idea what exactly was endangering me.

Mary, driven by a sense of duty to help her lady, had rushed over but was forced to stop in her tracks.

She overheard Seila speaking, standing between the two feral beasts:

“Jermiel. If your apology to me had any meaning, stop now. Before I’m disappointed in you.”

“You acted carelessly in front of my friend. I told you to apologize.”

‘How could I not fall for her?’

For a moment, the fear that had seized Mary melted away, replaced with immense pride in the lady she served.

The two beasts seemed to quiet down at Seila’s words.

Mary clasped her hands together, gazing at Seila with awe, like meeting a heroine from a dream.

Meanwhile, Jermiel stood up.

“Seila, it was truly a pleasure seeing you today.”

“Going somewhere?”

“Yeah, I’m almost late for an appointment with my mother.”

He kissed the back of Seila’s right hand lightly and flashed a bright smile.

“I had a great time. Let’s meet again.”

Garen turned away with a scoff.

“You’re clearly running away because you’re scared, coward.”

“Think what you want, monkey.”

Seila let out a sigh.

‘Good grief.’

With Jermiel gone, one unpredictable variable was out of the picture, but the stench of death still lingered.

“Mary. Did you bring the water?”

“Yes!”

Mary hurriedly poured chilled water from a thermos into a cup.

Seila longed to gulp it down in one go.

‘Damn dignity!’

Even drinking cold water, her body’s elegant instincts wouldn’t allow her to do anything but sip gracefully. It made her feel incredibly stifled.

And the growing stench of death only made her more anxious.

“Seila. Why did I get scolded?”

“……”

Garen still looked upset.

He had a storm of emotions swirling inside, but couldn’t figure out how to express them in any coherent order.

A tangle of emotions and words overwhelmed him.

“He was acting weird. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I told you already. You acted far too aggressively in front of a friend I just made. You threw a punch before even saying hello. Was that appropriate?”

“I only did it because—!”

“……”

“That bastard from the secret palace pulled some shady trick. Ugh, it’s so damn frustrating!”

Garen clenched his fists tightly.

Explaining everything with words was too difficult.

All his emotions and thoughts were condensed into one phrase: “So damn frustrating!”

Mary, who had been quietly listening, cautiously opened her mouth.

“My lady, may I share my thoughts?”

“Go ahead.”

“If I may summarize what the young master is trying to say… ahem.”

Mary was a chatty maid, far more skilled at talking than doing physical labor. And she’d watched both Seila and Garen closely over the years.

“An unknown intruder suspected to be associated with the secret palace was speaking with his beloved younger sister in the garden. This intruder used some kind of forbidden spell to keep him away. The young master, growing increasingly anxious, eventually broke through the barrier using all his power and rushed to his sister. Overwhelmed by fear of what might happen, he couldn’t see anything clearly. But then his sister accused him of being rude and demanded an apology. Though he didn’t understand why, he apologized. And even though he did what was asked, he wished his sister would first ask why he acted that way. After all, he only acted violently because someone suspicious was doing shady things in the garden, not because he wanted to fight. He’s just frustrated he doesn’t know how to express it all… I think that’s what he was trying to say!”

As soon as Mary finished, Garen shouted,

“Exactly! That’s it! That’s what I wanted to say!”

He felt a weight lifted from his chest.

Seila fell into brief thought.

‘Now that I think about it… he really might’ve thought I was in danger.’

If I were still Lee Sohyun, I might’ve just said thank you and sorry.

Hearing Garen’s thoughts through Mary helped me understand his perspective.

But I wasn’t Lee Sohyun anymore. I was Seila Dvernon.

As Seila Dvernon, I had to maintain the character who strives toward “a world where all beauty resides.”

“You couldn’t think any further than that?”

“…Huh?”

“You picked a fight with no justification. You say you panicked and couldn’t see straight? That’s your issue.”

“……”

“If you’re going to fight someone, make sure you have the justification. Ask first: Why did you use a forbidden spell in House Dvernon’s garden, in the presence of a Dvernon heir? That would’ve been a valid point. If you’d started with that, I wouldn’t have scolded you.”

“……”

“Why do you keep starting fights you can’t win? Why do you immediately resort to violence?”

“……”

Garen’s face drooped like a child being scolded.

Maybe it was because he’d only just reached adulthood—he still had a lot of boyishness in him.

I softened my tone.

“Don’t fight battles you’re destined to lose. I don’t want to see you lose.”

Garen’s eyes went wide.

The way his expression changed in real time was kind of adorable—and fascinating.

Now I understood why so many players adored Garen.

“…I’ll win.”

“Still.”

I paused a moment, then said,

“Thank you, though.”

“…Huh?”

“It means a lot that you worried about me that much.”

“Yeah.”

Like spring returning, Garen’s face lit up.

“And I’m sorry. I didn’t acknowledge your feelings and just got angry.”

“Hehe.”

Garen rubbed his nose with a sheepish grin.

Looked like all the anger had melted away.

“I’m fine now. But what are you doing here anyway?”

Feeling quite cheerful now, Garen offered to help me.

I didn’t particularly need his help finding the blue rose, but he was so enthusiastic that I didn’t turn him down.

In fact, I had already decided it was better to have him nearby.

‘Why is the stench of death still getting stronger?’

An assassin? But it’s way too early in the story for one to come after me…

‘I don’t get it.’

Anyway, we reached the flowerbed filled with blue roses.

I crouched down and picked one, staying alert.

‘Huh?’

As I snapped the stem, something like blue blood began to ooze out.

‘What is this?’

It was like a melting swamp.

The sticky fluid gushed out, then started taking shape.

‘Shit!’

A dwarf-like creature made of blue clay. A single blue rose bloomed on its head.

A monster had appeared in the heavily warded Dvernon garden.

“What the hell are you?!”

Without hesitation, Garen approached the monster.

“Brother!”

“Yeah?”

Just then, the dwarf-like monster swung its arm.

In its hand was a sword etched with a blue rose.

Garen instinctively took two steps back.

“Huh?”

He touched his cheek.

“I’m bleeding. Hehe.”

He actually looked a little excited.