Chapter 11

Raygrain squinted slightly and said, “The North has always been a dangerous place. It’s only natural for their swordsmanship to differ from that of the South.”

“So, I’ve thought of a way for you not to feel your heart constrict when you wield a sword in the North. Would you like to hear it?”

“Isn’t it a matter of choice?”

Despite not showing much interest, Raygrain’s response, which was not a rejection, made Scheuer burst into laughter and exclaim, “Whenever you have to wield a sword, just give me a bouquet of flowers!”

…

“Jess, please buy a bouquet of flowers.”

“Um… What?”

Jess’s gaze turned towards the window. Outside, a harsh North wind was blowing fiercely. The North had its seasons, and winter was the most severe. Most plants struggled to survive in the wild during the winter. While there were flower shops, the varieties were limited. Jess thought he must have misheard.

“Why, all of a sudden, a bouquet of flowers?”

“Netri had a request from the Young Lady.”

“Oh, I see… huh?”

“She asked for a bouquet every time he wields the sword. he said to send one for today.”

A hint of color returned to Jess’s pale face as he stared in disbelief. He shouted as if he couldn’t believe his ears,

“You’re asking for a bouquet when there isn’t a single flower in the mansion’s garden?”

“Probably.”

“Even though the South is known for flowers blooming year-round, what’s the point of asking for flowers in the harsh Northern winter?”

While the North’s spring and summer couldn’t compare to the South’s, it was a season with relatively mild weather, and flowers bloomed. But during the North’s harsh winter, aside from snowflakes, hardly any plants thrived. Even flower shops had to give up on fresh flowers.

In such circumstances, requesting a bouquet of fresh flowers was unusual. Jess’s voice grew louder,

“Netri is famous for doing things their way. I wonder if those rumors are really true.”

Raygrain, holding the fountain pen Scheuer had given him, looked at the documents. “Netri is indulging her. She grew up in an environment close to flowers, so it’s not surprising.”

“It doesn’t seem to fit the reason for her exile.”

“As much as possible, I decided to grant her wishes. Don’t argue and prepare to send the bouquet.”

Jess, still unable to accept it, asked once more.

“Is it really certain that this Netri can revive Your Highness’s emotions?”

Raygrain’s hand, which had been passing the documents, came to a halt. The first emotions he had felt had already been used during the expedition. But it was clear that there was a new and indescribable emotion. The constant sensation of his brow furrowing wasn’t particularly strong, but in Blenga’s monochrome world, the tiny figure with red hair moving about caught his attention.

The way Scheuer behaved with the sword annoyed him somewhat

“When she asked to see the sword, there was no interest whatsoever.”

He had personally shown her a sparring match, which he rarely did, and Sheuer’s response had been lukewarm. It was irritating. Nevertheless, it seemed like the best option.

He had often tried to bring back his emotions by pushing himself into difficult situations. Fear, amazement, excitement – in a life where everything eventually became numb, these tiny irritations were essential. But even they would become familiar in time.

Marriage, a significant event, was thrown in to find a source of irritation. It didn’t matter if such an event was rare, it was important to meet that subject.

Raygrain replied as he passed the documents again,

“I’m doing my best, and I’m truly striving to bring back those annoying feelings.”

…

With a soft thud, Celley opened the door and entered. Scheuer looked at her with hopeful eyes and asked in an expectant tone,

“Celley, did nothing come for me?”

Initially, Celley’s eyes looked like those of a dog expecting a treat while wagging its tail.

“Nothing at all?”

“No. Nothing at all.”

Disappointed, Scheuer’s hopeful eyes met Celly’s determined response. Celly’s resolute words had left no room for doubt.

Seemingly disappointed, Sheuer’s pouted. Had he forgotten, or was he just too busy?

The crestfallen look in Scheuer’s eyes caused Celly to hesitantly glance at the dark window, where the night had fallen..

“I wish you had asked for something else. The weather has been harsh this year, and it’s been a hard time for the Northern Expedition in more ways than one…”

“It has to be flowers.”

In the original work, when Scheuer died, she was meant to receive a flower that bloomed within the Neutree family, a special flower unique to their lineage. Each head of the Neutree family had a flower that matched their disposition, a flower with their name, just like the Lantana flower, which contained poison, resembling Erina. Moreover, it was a family tradition that only one person in the family could cultivate a flower at a time. Erina had inherited the ability around the same time when the ability of the Neutree family’s head to bloom flowers ceased. Just when Erina’s ability was manifested, Scheuer’s evil deeds also intensified. Scheuer’s death penalty was to be executed at the same time as the Northern Expedition, after Erina’s ability had been invoked. At the moment when the flower that bloomed upon Sheuer’s death was created, the head of the Neutree family buried it together with her, accusing Sheuer of having defiled their family.

“But how did they both bloom in the same generation?”

Was it because Schehuer was not a Neutree, as she did not have a sword? Regardless of the reason, Sheuer needed that ability. Based on the information that she had been doing flower arranging and subsequently cultivating the Neutree family’s flowers as a result, she intended to follow the same path.

In order to bloom the family’s flower, she would need to make at least as many attempts as Scheuer did in the original work, if not more. She would have to start a little earlier than the time when Scheuer dies, so it might take a few more tries. Since it would be hard to obtain flowers in the South, she thought it would be better to grow the flowers herself. She regretted not having thought of bringing a flower sapling from the flower-rich South when she rushed to the North.

Scheuer had not expected that flowers would become a hurdle in her efforts. She was in the middle of a struggle with herself when she heard a knock at the door.

“The Highness is looking for Miss Scheuer.”

She got up from her chair and swiftly opened the door. As she stepped out, a sudden chill enveloped her, having been inside her room for a while. Scheuer brushed her arm to remove some of the frosty air, which now centered around Raygrain in his winter robe. Without saying a word, he offered her a small branch he had been holding inside his robe.

Wrapped around the branch was a red flower blossom, looking as if it could fall off at any moment. Observing the flower, Scheuer inquired, “Did you cut a flower branch?”

“It’s a camellia branch,” he replied, his voice colder than ever.

“I took it from the greenhouse after nearly looting it.”

Scheuer looked at him gravely. “Is it even allowed?”

She wondered if he had forcibly taken it. She stared at the branch with a ribbon, hoping to pass it off as a bouquet. Even the camellia flower, after being plucked, seemed fragile and wilted, as if it had faced a storm.

Raygrain answered firmly,

“Obtaining a bouquet in one day in the current circumstances is difficult. I’ll be more prepared next time. This time, consider this enough.”

“Smile Love”