CH 55

−Do you happen to know a flower called ‘Idello’?

“Idello?”

When Yi-Gyeol tilted his head to the name he heard for the first time, the crow lifted his pair of wings and swirled as if drawing a picture in the air.

−It’s a very beautiful flower, but like the precious medicine evello, it’s close to a panacea for traumas, so it was named similarly. Evello’s tea leaves are effective for treating internal wounds, and Idello’s petals are especially effective for treating external trauma. However, it is quite difficult to obtain as it is as precious as evello.

The crow, which had been waving its wings in the air, drew its neck long and met Yi-Gyeol’s eyes.

−Even in this Imperial Palace, which was said to have everything, there is only one place where you can find it.

“Where is that?”

The crow’s head turned and pointed out the window. What reached the end of its gaze is the garden of Emerald Castle.

−Last year, a foreign merchant gave Crown Prince Sethian Idello as a tribute before returning to his country. It was then shortly ornamented in the gardens of the Emerald Castle, which was inaccessible to anyone other than the Crown Prince and probably a dedicated gardener.

Listening to the crow’s words, Yi-Gyeol could surmise what he was trying to say.

“Are you asking me to get it?”

−Don’t you think Zair-nim will be touched if it’s that?

“But didn’t you say that it’s not accessible except for Seth and the gardener?”

As he lowered his eyes with a sullen expression, the crow pulled its bird head out and swung its head around, drawing attention.

−It’s been like that so far. But didn’t you say that Prince Sethian is nice to you?

“Well, that’s true but….”

−Just secretly steal a petal while taking a walk in the garden like the other day. I’ll take it and deliver it to Zair-nim for you!

Yi-Gyeol shook his head with a bewildered expression on his face.

“Stealing, how can I do that? Going near would work somehow, but stealing… As expected, it’s impossible.”

−Then what can you do?

The crow’s voice turned sharp.

−Why did you say that you would do anything when you couldn’t even get out of this room properly? There’s nothing you can do.

“That….”

−Zair-nim is in pain every day because of his wounds. It’s not even difficult to do. It’s just picking one petal and won’t do you any harm. Are you going to do it or not?[1]

“A petal….”

−Yeah, I’m not asking for the whole flower. You just need to pick one petal, so why are you being so hesitant? So wishy-washy.[2]

Yi-Gyeol’s complexion deteriorated sharply as the crow’s berate continued. When his eyes trembled, it slightly wiggled its beak as if the crow was directly speaking to him.

−It’s your opportunity to help someone. It’s not even causing inconvenience but a chance to genuinely help someone and be appreciated.

Yi-Gyeol looked up at the crow. His eyes, which had been shaken with worries, gradually became clear and he soon nodded his head.

“…Okay. I’ll do as you say.”

−Good decision.

The crow flapped its wings and curved its eyes.

−Just in time, the weather is nice today so say you’re going for a walk. I’ll pick up the petal when you come into the room after taking a walk.

“All right. Thanks.”

After answering lightly, Yi-Gyeol headed to the door in front of the crow that was still settled by the window. He told Kirsty who was standing outside the door to ask permission to go for a walk, and when he turned back around once more, he closed the window, saying he had to change his clothes pretending to be shy. The crow soared into the sky and perched on a branch just outside the window as if monitoring Yi-Gyeol’s actions.

Recalling the crow outside, Yi-Gyeol’s gentle expression changed into icy-cold. He pretended to go further inside to change his clothes and immediately approached the wall in a blind spot that was not visible from outside the window and sat down.

The excuse to change clothes should be only ten minutes at most.

If he spends more time and keeps the window closed, the soul in the crow may notice that something is strange.

Yi-Gyeol took out a small glass bottle that was hanging from inside of his shirt and put the stopper close to his nose. As soon as he inhaled deeply, his eyes quickly turned dark, and fell asleep.

Yi-Gyeol opened his eyes as soon as he felt his body shaking. He took his eyes off his body, which was deeply asleep in front of him, and passed through the wall where his body was resting and went outside. The spirit in the crow might be able to recognize him as he is now, but its gaze was fixed on the window. Yi-Gyeol turned and headed somewhere so as not to be exposed to the crow’s gaze.

As Yi-Gyeol flew along the wall of the building as if following it, he saw the servant who received Kirsty’s orders walking. He didn’t know exactly where Sethian was, so following the servant’s footsteps was the quickest shortcut. The servant strode forward without noticing that Yi-Gyeol’s soul was closely following behind him.

The place where the servant arrived was in front of a door similar to that of the bedroom but filled with a slightly different pattern. Among them, Crown Prince Sethian’s crest, which Yi-Gyeol had already become accustomed to, was distinctly engraved in the middle. On the left and right stood two familiar knights in dark red armor and two soldiers in simple silver armor.

“I brought a message from Joo Yi-Gyeol-nim.”

Yi-Gyeol, who was flying over the shoulder of the servant, felt embarrassed by the title ‘Joo Yi-Gyeol-nim’ for nothing. It’s only to ask whether he can go out for a walk, but it feels even more strange to describe it as a message.

While the servant was reporting to the knights, Yi-Gyeol passed through the door and slipped inside. Then, he suddenly felt a completely different atmosphere from the air outside, so he flinched without even realizing it.

It was certainly not where a sword sparring was being held, nor was it in the midst of a meeting that was engaged in a suffocating war of nerves. Nevertheless, the atmosphere inside Sethian’s office could be said to be quite ugly.

Sitting at the desk in front of him, Sethian was taciturnly writing something, piling up so many documents that it was hard to count. And to his left was Lenox, waiting as he stood in an upright position with his hands on his back. At the desk on the right, a man he had never seen before was struggling with a serious face, stacking as many documents as Sethian.

There isn’t any breathing sound within the four corners of the room but only the sounds of quills squeaking. Yi-Gyeol felt suffocated by the air more than the silence.

Although he suddenly entered the office, the atmosphere inside was full of tension and desolate as if walking on thin ice, so even Yi-Gyeol, who was in his spiritual state, couldn’t make a sound. Thinking that his timing was wrong, he got anxious and tangled inside, worrying about how he could talk to Sethian when he was so focused like that.

Then, in the midst of all that, the constant squeaking sound suddenly stopped. Sethian’s elegant quill halted, and his drooping eyes lifted and directed straight ahead.

He hasn’t said a word yet but their eyes met. Sethian can’t see his form and can only feel his presence so the premise that they made eye contact was wrong, but it was certain that he recognized this side.

Sethian’s eyes frowned slightly.

“Did something happen?”

“Yes?”

Baron Ergen Ruman, who raised his head in surprise at Sethian’s words, opened his eyes wide. However, Sethian’s gaze did not faze as it reached the doorway.

Knock, knock一

“Your highness, the servant who was guarding your bedroom brought a message from Joo Yi-Gyeol-nim.”

As if the inspection of the servant had already been completed, a knight standing guard outside spoke. Sethian ordered to let the servant come inside without taking his eyes off Yi-Gyeol. The servant, who entered the room, bowed deeply in courtesy, and delivered the simple words, ‘Joo Yi-Gyeol wants to take a walk.’ Even while listening to those words, Sethian’s gaze did not fall from Yi-Gyeol’s presence, who was awkwardly standing next to the servant.

“Go out and stand by.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The servant promptly went outside at Sethian’s order as Yi-Gyeol stood still by the door, waiting. Ergen was somewhat chased out by Sethian’s glare as well and only he, Lenox, and Yi-Gyeol remained within the office.

Sethian put down the quill and stretched out his hand to Yi-Gyeol.

“Come here.”

Yi-Gyeol was paying attention to Sethian’s action all along and approached at his words. Lenox didn’t say anything as if he roughly knew what was going on.

As Yi-Gyeol approached the chair, Sethian turned his body and stared at his presence.

“I don’t think you’re going for a walk simply to get some fresh air.”

He wrestled around with the wooden sword in the training hall and even went to the bathhouse so granted that he really wanted to go for a walk, there was no way he would at a time like this, so as soon as Sethian heard the servant’s words, he noticed straightaway that’s something’s strange.

“Did Zair contact you?”

−Hmn. The crow pretended that Zair didn’t order it, but he probably prepared everything. It said that there would be a flower called ‘Idello’ in the garden and asked me to secretly pick a petal since it’s special for treating external injuries.

“Idello….”

The corners of Sethian’s eyebrows rose slightly as if in ridicule.

“You mean that poison herb‘s petals?”

It is indeed a special medicine for treating wounds, but Idello was more famous for being called a ‘poison herb’ in this world. Its toxicity was so severe that if an unsuspecting person touched it by mistake and that person brought the tip of their finger straight to his or her mouth, he would immediately lose consciousness and fall into a coma.