For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 5 - Plant's Depression (1)
#5. Plant’s Depression (1)
Lia froze at the sudden arrival, halting her actions. The woman who entered rudely, yelling, was unfamiliar. She wore a sleep mask over her forehead as if she had been sleeping. Her long red hair swayed down her back. She was stunningly beautiful. However, her angry expression carried an aura of intimidation, making it hard to admire her appearance.
“Sorry, sorry for slipping.”
“Who are you? I’ve never seen your face before.”
It was a suspicious gaze directed at a stranger. Lia once again politely lowered her head.
“I’m Lia Penelope. I’ll be working as an apprentice starting today.”
“Oh, that noble’s offspring, right? Even if you’re from nobility, behaving disruptively like this in the quartes is troublesome!”
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Lia struggled to organize her luggage. The woman watched quietly as Lia tried to tidy up her belongings, then stood beside her.
“Can I just set this up?”
“Yes! Thank you.”
Despite her harsh words, she didn’t seem like a bad person. She stood in front of Lia and extended both hands forward. Then, as if directing, she gently pulled up. Along with her hand, Lia’s luggage softly lifted. Following her hand, the luggage began to stand upright. She looked like a conductor of an orchestra, and the luggage danced like a performer. When the movement of the luggage ceased, Lia involuntarily clapped her hands.
“You’re a telekinetic! Amazing!”
Her expression subtly changed at Lia’s praise. It seemed like the compliment made her uncomfortable.
“It’s just a common psychic ability, nothing special.”
“No, it’s not! It’s such a powerful and useful ability. Thank you! Thanks to you, I could finish organizing my luggage without touching it.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
Contrary to the first impression, she seemed like a nice person. Wanting to be friends, Lia bowed first.
“I’ll count on you as a good neighbor from now on.”
“Alright… I’m May Flower.”
“Nice to meet you, Lady Flower.”
“I’m not a noble. Just call me May.”
“Then, please just call me Lia.”
After exchanging greetings with May at the entrance, they headed to the first floor. Perth was still engrossed in his book, but he noticed Lia’s arrival and stood up. With a thud, he closed the book, not even looking at Lia before turning away.
“Well, shall we go to the greenhouse now?”
“Yes.”
Lia didn’t particularly mind his attitude. She just thought of him as someone who efficiently moves his body. As if to prove that fact, Perth paid no attention to his surroundings and headed straight for the greenhouse.
* * *
The greenhouse in the Queen’s Palace was three times larger than that of the Penelope Mansion. Not only was Lia surprised by its size, but her eyes also wandered to the various plants visible from the entrance. Sensing Lia’s wonder, Perth explained first.
“The Queen Mother loves plants. Representative plants from all over the world are gathered here. Apart from Psychedelia, there are weather-related abilities stationed for plants from other regions, regulating the environment in some areas.”
To Lia, the greenhouse itself felt like a giant fortress. People dressed in white like Lia hurriedly moved among the plants. She was thrilled at the thought of being one of them.
“Lady Lia, the area you’ll be responsible for is this way, the Desert Climate Plant Management Department.”
Perth placed his hand on the clay-colored door. The heavy door began to slide open smoothly without him exerting any force. Indeed, psychic abilities were infused throughout the palace. Lia tried not to be too surprised.
As the door opened, a rush of heat poured out. The caretaker across the entrance bowed to Perth and then extended two necklaces.
“Hello, Mr. Perth. And the new apprentice. Temperature control is essential here. Please both wear these necklaces.”
They were water droplet-shaped necklaces that emitted a blue light on their own. Advanced psychics could transfer their abilities not only to themselves but also to objects. It seemed to be one such item. After wearing the necklace, Lia gently stroked the smooth water droplet a few times. Then, the sweat-inducing heat vanished, replaced by a refreshing breeze that swept away all of Lia’s sweat.
“Are you alright?”
Perth also wore the necklace, looking refreshed.
“Yes, it’s comfortable.”
“We all wear these necklaces while working here. Just be cautious not to take them outside.”
“Yes, I’ll remember.”
Following the caretaker’s guidance, the two began to walk slowly. The area of the Desert Climate Plant Management Department was huge. Unlike other areas densely filled with plants, it stretched out like a real desert, with endless sandy plains.
“It’s the perfect environment for plants to grow.”
“The Queen’s greenhouse receives a tremendous investment even within the palace. There are probably few greenhouses in the world like this one.”
Although he praised verbally, his expression didn’t match. His thoughts seemed to be evident: ‘Why invest so much money in just some plants?’ To someone pragmatic like him, it might be hard to understand why they would collect plants from all over the world in such a large greenhouse.
“Of course! The Queen is the pride of this country. Who else would show such interest in plants? Thanks to this greenhouse, agriculture, and horticulture across the country can be revitalized. The Queen herself is reviving an industry!”
The caretaker tried hard to convey the importance of the greenhouse to Perth. However, judging by his expression, it was clear that he wasn’t impressed at all.
“Where will Lady Lia be working?”
Even though the necklace had surely relieved him of the heat, he maintained a stern expression. He wasn’t even in charge of budget management within the Queen’s Palace. What was the point of appealing to him about the importance of the greenhouse? Such unnecessary conversation was utterly distasteful.
Perhaps noticing Perth’s mood, the caretaker quietly led them further into the Desert Climate Plant Management Department area. There, white tents were clustered together without any labels indicating their contents. Nevertheless, the caretaker, as if familiar, opened the entrance to the rightmost tent.
“Kevin! I’ve brought the new apprentice down. And Mr. Perth is here too.”
“Mr. Perth?”
The man inside the tent, seemingly named Kevin, was observing the plants. He, too, wore a uniform similar to Perth’s, but the embellishments were less extravagant than Perth’s. They were more colorful than Lia’s, though. It seemed that the degree of embellishment varied depending on the position.
His height was similar to Perth’s, but his frame was much broader. His body was solid for a knight. His skin was also darker, contrasting sharply with Perth when they stood side by side. He didn’t even glance at Lia but smiled at Perth and extended his hand.
“Nice to see you again, Mr. Perth.”
“It’s been a while, Mr. Kevin.”
However, instead of shaking hands, Perth bowed politely in return. Kevin looked awkward and put his extended hand into his pocket.
“There’s no need for such formalities.”
“But you’re still the former Deputy Commander of the Knights.”
Former Deputy Commander of the Knights? Lia was surprised and widened her eyes. Her speculation seemed to be correct in some way. Kevin laughed bitterly. It seemed like he hadn’t been demoted of his own accord.
“That’s all in the past. Now I’m just a greenhouse caretaker.”
From a former Deputy Commander of the Knights to a greenhouse caretaker. It was a tremendous departmental shift. There seemed to be some story behind it. Well, who doesn’t have a story?
“This is Lady Lia Penelope here. She’ll be apprenticing here starting today.”
Perth pointed to Lia and spoke. Following his introduction, Lia politely greeted him.
“I’m Lia Penelope. I’m sure I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’m looking forward to working with you….”
“A three-month apprenticeship, is it?”
Kevin interrupted Lia’s words and addressed Perth. It was a blatant disregard. Lia was slightly taken aback but composed herself calmly. Perth just furrowed his brows slightly, showing no signs of being flustered.
“Yes. For now, she’ll be working here for three months. We’ll consider permanent employment after three months.”
“The prince is so generous. Giving opportunities to unknown outsiders without even knowing their skills.”
It was a blatant sarcasm. Since he insulted his lord, it could be insulting to Perth as well. However, Perth handled it gracefully, as if he were accustomed to it.
“If the palace staff did their jobs properly, we wouldn’t have to incur these additional expenses. And pouring the Prince’s palace budget into the Queen’s palace affairs should have its limits too. Our lord is exceptionally filial.”
Suddenly, a chill spread between the two. Kevin’s expression showed his displeasure at being reproached for their incompetence. Perth smiled, but his gaze was sharp. The air around them suddenly turned cold. Lia wondered if the necklace had worked too well. After a moment of silence, Kevin spoke first.
“Mr. Perth is still as arrogant as ever.”
“You flatter me.”
“Since you’re here, why don’t you take a look at why the greenhouse caretakers at the palace can’t manage? It would be better to see it firsthand.”
He said it with a smile, but there was a bone in it. Perth twitched his eyebrows momentarily. But he maintained his smiling face and agreed.
“Exactly. I’m busy, but since it’s Kevin’s suggestion.”
“Until you bring in one apprentice yourself. You seem to have some free time? No way…”
Kevin scanned Perth suspiciously up and down. Lia was puzzled. Did Kevin think that Perth and she were in a contractual relationship? But that worry was just a fleeting thought. Perth, who grasped Kevin’s meaning instantly, frowned deeply and denied it.
“No!”
“A strong denial is like affirmation…”
“I didn’t say anything like that. Don’t interpret it as you please.”
Finally, Lia realized what misunderstanding Kevin had. It seemed he misunderstood that Perth and Lia were lovers. To the man who had just offered her the First Prince as a possible introduction. It was a ridiculous misunderstanding.
And Perth seemed extremely annoyed by that misunderstanding. He raised his voice to the point of being aggressive. Thanks to Perth’s emotional response, Lia could respond relatively calmly.
“No, this person is just trying to help me at my father’s request.”
Lia’s calm response cooled Perth’s temper. He had momentarily lost his temper, but that wouldn’t do. It could be disrespectful to Lia. But Lia seemed completely unfazed.
To show that the two had no connection as Perth desired, Lia deliberately used the term “this person” instead of the title “Mr. Perth.” Instead of showing consideration first, he ended up receiving it. Perth felt a sense of shame inwardly.
“I’d like to see the plants you mentioned. The ones I’ll be in charge of.”
Lia continued. Kevin still eyed them suspiciously. But he soon averted his gaze at Lia’s nonchalant attitude.
“Over here.”
They stepped out of the tent and headed towards the center of the desert. Their feet sank into the soft sand beneath them. Perth caught Lia as she stumbled several times.
“Are you alright?”
“Thank you. I should adapt quickly.”
Lia gently pulled away from Perth’s hand each time. For someone who doesn’t like to be touched, she had to touch him a few times because she was prone to falling. It was her way of consideration, thinking that Perth might not like it.
But Perth interpreted it differently. Because of the hesitation and denial earlier, Perth wondered if Lia was secretly hurt. Normally, he would have brushed it off, but Lia, who looked composed yet uneasy, caught his attention despite the precarious situation. He felt oddly sorry.
“Here you go, Lady, this is the plant.”
“Please call me Lia.”
“That can wait.”
Kevin still wasn’t friendly towards Lia. However, Lia didn’t seem upset or uncomfortable. Her gaze was fixed on a small plant growing in the sand.
“Is this it?”