Don't Come to Wendy's Flower House

“… Your Majesty, that will shake the foundation of the empire.”

“Foundation of the empire? Don’t go too far. How can I appoint commoners under the current system, no matter how competent they are? Don’t worry, I’ll compromise up to some point.

But I think my attempt to change the current hiring system is meaningful.”

The prince laughed a hearty laugh like a boy, but Lard could immediately notice his sparkling eyes when he brought up the topic. The prince intended to make changes to the current hiring system.

Suddenly, Lard recalled the conversation between the emperor and the prince at the recent Burgonu hunting competition. Outside the tent where the two were having a conversation, Lard overheard the prince mentioning a bill and the emperor responding with a worried tone.

Lard felt the prince’s ask for his support regarding the Yinungkwa hiring system had something to do with his conversation with the emperor.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to stop the nobles from taking part in politics. Those who are interested in high positions will be appointed by the emperor, as usual. I’m just trying to raise the upper limits of the Jesolin a little higher.”

Lard didn’t reply.

“Don’t you think this is a good thing for you? Based on my observation of your relationship with that demure lady…I think the new hiring system will be beneficial to you. Have you ever thought about your romantic relationship with her?”

Lard frowned, watching him smiling at him. He was aware that the prince had some secret plan to promote his relationship with Wendy, but he never expected the prince would come up with this kind of solution.

“Are you going to use me and the woman as a shield against their criticism of this new hiring system?”

“Oh, no, no. Don’t show such a threatening expression to me! I just want to take you on my side. If this is passed, it would not be impossible for a commoner woman to become a duchess.”

Their eyes collided in the air for a while.

“After tomorrow nobody will try to take me at face value. I think everybody’s going to look at me cautiously and blame me behind my neck. I know It’s not very pleasant. But I can’t delay this anymore. The emperor has already grown very old. This new hiring system is not only my own, but also the emperor’s longtime wish. What can I do? It’s my duty as his son to make his wishes come true. I know it’s dangerous. That’s why I’m just trying to risk it instead of my father.”

The prince grinned at him once more and played the violin string playfully.

“Do you remember the disturbances in the Henobi area?”

The prince talked about the disturbances that occurred in the southern end of the Henobi region two months ago. Badge Enos, the captain of the 2nd Knights, was dispatched to calm the turmoil and arrested the main instigators. The incident was regarded as the uprising of the peasants dissatisfied with the damages by blights and insects to the Montrapie bread, the main diet of the Benyahan empire, but the suppressed and condensed grievances of the commoners were obscured by the turmoil. Although the turmoil was suppressed by the 2nd Knights, Lard had also been keenly watching the situation at the time.

“I don’t know when the same turmoil will happen again. The Benyahan’s empire is rotten from the inside out. The bad wound has just begun to break open.”

A thick vein popped out from the back of the prince’s hand holding the violin.

“Don’t you think it is desirable to cut out the bad wounds and treat curable wounds? I know you don’t like the noisy political struggle. But Sir Schroder, if you support me, I’m sure I can pass this agenda. There are already many on my side. I’ve persuaded them to be on my side with my smiling face. They already let their hair down thanks to the prince crazy about the violin,” he said coldly.

Lard felt unfamiliar with the prince’s unusual look today. Of course, his serious look was much better than his playful look when he threw the sword down like a child while absorbed into playing the violin. But he could not happily accept the prince or the next emperor’s serious expression.

On her way to the flower shop Wendy inadvertently gazed at the short ash tree standing at the corner of the alley in front of her house. She exclaimed “Ah!” unconsciously.

The tree, which seemed to have reached the end of its life, was growing well.

She saw its leaves turning green as if they were trying to be in sync with other leaves. It only had a few leaves but they were clearly green. She approached it and touched a fresh leaf with her fingertips.

She recalled the illusion that she had seen when she first passed this alley with Lard on the very day when extraordinarily heavy rain fell. She vividly remembered the petals that popped out, the fragrance that filled the streets, and the queer impression on that day. She sensed some strange feeling in her heart again while watching the tree.

She shrugged it off as if to shake off her strange feeling, but she could not help but slow down because she often looked back at the tree.

Her girlish emotion did not last long.

“Oh my…”

As soon as she entered the flower shop, she had to pull a face because it smelled musty all over the place.

Holding her breath, she quickly dumped a half-rotted bundle of flowers, the source of the bad smell. It was because she left the cancelled bouquet in the corner, which she forgot completely. Only after opening the door wide and ventilating could she start working in a fresh atmosphere.

When she was done trimming and putting flowers collected from the flower garden into glass vases, the customers began to come into the shop. It was already afternoon when she was done haggling with customers who tried to get a ridiculous discount and taking care of other orders. She shut the door briefly to prepare for her late lunch and visited the bakery nearby.

“Hello.”

Tess, the old owner of the bakery, greeted her with a warm smile, “Lunch is late today, too. No matter how much money you like to make, you should have lunch on time.”

The old man laughed heartily when she said she still preferred money to regular lunch.

“You remember the restaurant owner in the corner, right? Wasn’t he a regular customer at your shop? I hear that the young man is getting married next month. His fiancee is a woman from uptown. That guy couldn’t be luckier! His business is doing so well. I wish you had listened to me when I told you to date that guy.”

“Oh, that’s something to celebrate.”

Tess clicked his tongue when she showed a very lukeward reaction, as if she was not interested in him at all.

“Let me pay for this.”

As always, she put a bunch of Montrape bread in a basket and gave him coins.

“You have to give me five more coins. The price of Montape bread has skyrocketed. ”

“Really?”

She felt recently the price of Montrapi bread jumped, but it was the first time that the price rose so quickly. She took out five more coins. She felt like she paid extra.

Coming out of the bakery, she took a big bite of the bread. When she looked at the bread with her teeth marks, she couldn’t help but laugh. When she lived as a noblewoman, it was unthinkable for her to eat food on the road. She once again greedily opened her mouth and ate a big piece of bread. It tasted so delicious.

Right at the moment she stopped when she found someone a man standing in front of her flower shop.

Surprised, she felt like a lump in her dry throat. As she had something caught in her windpipe, she coughed several times to spit out the bread residue. Barely swallowing a piece of bread with a blush, she wiped her mouth and walked towards the shop.

“Don’t you know our relationship is over?” she asked as if she couldn’t understand what he was doing here.

Dylan, with that blue hair, stared at her face for a while. His face was pale.

“I just came to buy some flowers.”

Those passing by the shop glanced at him dressed in the imperial knight uniform.

She shut up, exercising patience as much as she could. She reluctantly unlocked the door and walked in.

Grabbing the table, she looked at him silently. She thought she persuaded him enough.

Of course, she expected it would be impossible for her not to see him as long as she lived in the capital, but she never expected he would visit her shop unexpectedly.

‘What’s the point of me having that long conversation with him under the almond tree on that day?’

“Can you please pack this one here?”