Episode 12
The box clearly looked like it once held something precious, so Amon’s curiosity quickly pushed it into my hands.
“What’s that?”
“A birthday gift from Hayden.”
“Wow… really? …That’s it?”
Amon peeked inside the box with great expectation, but his face immediately fell. Inside was nothing more than a bare, almost invisible earring stud.
“He gave you this, Master? …Or was the box itself the gift?”
“Does it look like a gift box to you?”
I picked the brightest of the Hyunhosek berries from the pile on my desk and held it against the plain earring stud.
Wooong.
The glowing blue berry shrank down to the size of a pearl and fused tightly with the stud, as if it had always belonged there.
“Wow! What kind of magic is that?”
“I don’t know. Hayden made it.”
I placed the newly made earring in Amon’s hand. His eyes sparkled as if he were about to wag his tail.
“Is this for me?”
“Yes. A gift for your new life. The berry will disappear in two weeks, so after that we’ll replace it with another gem.”
“Disappear? Isn’t this berry valuable?”
“…Very. Priceless, actually.”
“How much is it worth?”
“As much as a unicorn’s horn. In other words, there is no price. Just wear it until it fades.”
Amon groaned, unsatisfied.
“So that’s why it disappears quickly… If it’s cheap, the kids at school will make fun of me…”
I clutched the back of his neck and pressed my forehead against his, murmuring darkly:
“Pretty is all that matters. Who cares about price?”
“N-no, Master.”
“Don’t put price tags on friends, and don’t join in with kids who mock others. That lowers your dignity.”
“Yes, Master.”
Amon answered obediently but soon lowered his eyes.
“But Master, don’t you also rate people and put price tags on them whenever you go to parties?”
“…Go back to your room now.”
As soon as I let go of his neck, Amon bolted away, bouncing with excitement.
When the noisy boy was gone, the place grew almost too quiet.
“Loud brat… Maybe I should pull him out of the academy and teach him at home.”
At least then I wouldn’t be so bored.
I looked at the desk piled high with work and rubbed my heavy head.
“Whatever I do first, I should start with tea leaves for recovery. Something strong and bitter, like the kind my future self drinks.”
Early Morning
As birds began to chirp at dawn, I opened the door to the purification room—and froze.
“?”
Was I seeing things from overwork?
Even after rubbing my eyes, the room—supposed to be empty—had someone very familiar sitting inside.
“Hayden?”
What? I came to work before sunrise, yet he was already here? Or… was this the ghost of the overworked man who had died here?
“Sir Suilen.”
Hayden lifted his head to look at me with dazed eyes, then dropped it back onto the desk.
“At the Knight Order, don’t we have a rule for how we address each other?”
“Ah… Sir. Sorry, I was just too shocked. Why are you here so early?”
“I couldn’t manage to leave last night. And you, why are you here at this hour?”
“…Work.”
I carefully set down the huge bag I was carrying and walked toward him.
“Did you sleep at all?”
Hayden pointed with his thumb behind him.
The enormous chair with its plush back had been reclined almost like a bed.
“Wow. So that’s what this chair is for? I thought it was just a symbol of authority.”
Hayden let out a dry laugh.
“This chair isn’t that old. It was made just last year.”
“…You’ve been spending nights here since last year?”
He caught my stare and gave an embarrassed smile.
“These days apprentice priests come here for training. Many are clumsy with the work, so… someone has to finish it.”
So he stayed behind every night to take care of everything himself. I knew he was stubborn, but this was worse than I thought.
“So our entire department only has you? Why are you shouldering everything alone like a fool?”
“….”
His bloodshot eyes moved over my neatly dressed appearance, and he muttered:
“Are you really one to talk?”
“What, I can’t say anything?”
His point hit home. I had no comeback.
I clicked my tongue and glanced at his messy desk.
Did he ever imagine that all this work would one day kill him? That he’d give up his life, and nobody would even remember?
“Tch.”
I swept the junk off his desk into the trash bin, then pushed his shoulder back against the chair.
“Sir Suilen?”
He tensed up, resisting.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re about to collapse. Rest. I’ll be in the storage room; just stay put until then.”
When I didn’t let go, Hayden reluctantly relaxed.
“How long will you be?”
“Three hours.”
I sprayed some fragrance to cover the faint smell of smoke, then pulled his cloak up to cover his chest.
“Ah.”
It reminded me too much of Amon, who always fell asleep beside me during research. Without meaning to, I had done the same.
When I looked down, Hayden’s lips had dropped open, his expression vacant—half confused, half dreamy, like he couldn’t tell if this was reality or a dream.
“This isn’t a dream.”
“…Not a dream?”
I nodded. Hayden immediately pinched his cheek hard with a serious look.
Playing around with that kind of face?
I couldn’t help laughing. His fingers only dug deeper into his cheek.
“Just sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time.”
As I was about to leave, Hayden spoke.
“There’s too much to do. Please wake me in two hours instead.”
“Fine.”
If I finished my work by then, that is. I swallowed the thought and left the room.
Storage Room
I set down my bag in the corner and pulled out clean work clothes and supplies. Pots, neatly wrapped branches of a golden osmanthus tree, and several scrolls spilled out, covering the already messy floor.
“Two hours is cutting it close… Good thing I brought the scrolls.”
I had much to do before sprouting the plant.
- Cast concealment magic so the tree would look ordinary.
- Illusion magic so only I could smell its fragrance.
- Enchantment to dull everyone’s sense of smell in the room.
Illusion magic wasn’t my specialty, so I had to prepare thoroughly.
By the time the osmanthus bloomed, I was dripping with sweat. The scrolls had handled most of the work, but forcing the flowers to blossom drained nearly all my holy power.
“At least it worked.”
The scent was wonderful, the color bright, the leaves healthy.
It wouldn’t last long since it had been forced with magic—but all spirit-grown plants were like that.
I checked carefully that no trace of my divine power lingered outside the room, then left completely.
“To anyone else, this should feel invisible… Still, I should have Hayden check it later.”
Back to Purification Room
By the time I returned, the sky was growing light outside the window.
In the faint glow of the room, Hayden was still asleep at his desk.
“Did he wake and then fall asleep again?”
I sat on my own desk facing him and watched.
In all 13 years I had known him, this was the first time I’d looked at his face this long.
“Mmm.”
Normally Hayden wore his hair up, his face sharp and clear. With his bangs falling loose, he looked softer—almost gentle.
But the fatigue was written all over him.
‘…A bit pitiful.’
Should I extend the deadline for the security device?
No… With his pride, that would probably upset him even more.
“I’ll just make sure he eats later.”
Hayden clutched his cloak while sleeping, so I draped my own coat over him and turned back to work.
The golden osmanthus’s scent was too strong. If anyone sharp-smelled walked by, they might notice something strange.
I’d need to plant other strongly scented flowers in the lobby and halls to cover it.
Rolling up my sleeves, I began preparing the empty pots I had brought from home.
