Julion turned away with an expressionless face.
I followed suit, and at that moment, I locked eyes with Blanche, the head maid, who had been standing by the door.
Her meticulously arranged hair, elegantly tied, and her flawless attire that appeared as if not even a speck of dust could adhere to it, offered me a glimpse of her usual demeanor.
But what caught my attention more than anything else was the corner of Blanche’s mouth.
It was curled up slightly on one side. It was undoubtedly a smirk.
The issue was that this smirk was accompanied by an unexplainable feeling of relief.
I couldn’t understand why she would feel relieved while smirking. If she disliked me, sure, she might enjoy seeing me in trouble with the Empress. But why this sense of relief?
‘Something’s off. I should urge Zenid to hasten the investigation.’
I trusted Zenid’s connections, cultivated during our time at the Cassian Duchy.
This might be a bigger issue than I initially thought.
“I apologize. My mother is not usually so prejudiced.”
Julion’s voice broke through my thoughts.
I raised my head abruptly.
“Oh, it’s fine. It’s not easy to care for the sick for so many years, and even she herself has fallen ill. She must be exhausted.”
“Thank you for saying that. So, what are you going to do now?”
“I’m going to the Infirmary to see Ares.”
“I know that, but besides that, I mean the Empress.”
Julion’s expression was notably serious.
He seemed gloomy, as if he couldn’t find a way to cure his mother’s illness.
I lightly patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. Bad people usually get their punishment.”
“What’s that all of a sudden……?”
Looking at Julion blinking as if he didn’t understand, I smiled playfully.
“I mean, just wait and see.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Julion mentioned that he had remaining tasks and headed back to the office, while I continued my way toward the Infirmary.
To reach the Infirmary from the Tishrit Palace, I had to pass by the side path of the Imperial Garden. On the way, I entered the garden under the pretext of taking a look around.
The Imperial Garden was divided into two areas.
One was a public garden accessible to anyone, and the other was the Golden Garden exclusively open only to members of the imperial family.
The remedy for my illness, Apherium, can be found in the Golden Garden.
“Zenid, I’d like a moment alone.”
“Yes, Your Highness. We’ll wait here then.”
Leaving the attendants behind, I walked slowly into the Golden Garden.
Overgrown leaves and trailing vines obscured my vision.
The entrance was narrower than I had anticipated. However, as I pushed my way through the vines, a spacious flower garden spread before my eyes.
“Wow…….”
I had come here to find Apherium, but even if it wasn’t here, I was excited by what I saw.
I couldn’t imagine how beautiful it would be, a garden reserved for royalty.
I had a vague expectation of finding various rare plants.
But what was this?
‘Why is the garden so desolate?’
An open flower field and unruly trees, that was all there was..+
There were a variety of plants and flowers from all over the world, but they were on the verge of withering, and some were even dead.
‘Is there no gardener maintaining this garden?’
At this point, I began to worry about the safety of the Apherium.
I hurriedly scanned the Golden Garden.
A flower with clusters of brilliantly colored petals on a single stem. The inner petals were a soft yellow, gradually changing into a radiant sky blue as the flower bloomed.
This flower appeared to be a fusion of a rose and a tulip, appearing rather ordinary at first glance but revealing its unique and distinct qualities upon closer examination.
“What on earth…”
The more I examined the garden, the harder it became to find the right words.
Anxiety started from my toes and crept up to my heart.
As unease spread through me, a sky-blue shade reminiscent of sunlight caught my eye at the edge of the Golden Garden.
“There it is!
I rushed closer and examined the flower, and as I expected, it was Apherium.
Though it was wilting and feeble, it still had enough vitality for its purpose.
“This should be fine.”
Apherium didn’t have a fixed blooming season.
Due to its rarity, the plant blooms according to its own timetable. Once the seed sprouted, it would take approximately a month for the flowers to bloom, and these blossoms were known to fade around two weeks thereafter.
And what I needed were blooming petals..
Regrettably, there were only a few fully bloomed petals that I could use right away.
The rest were still growing, and some were wilting.
I bent down and put my face close to the apherium.
Its fragrant scent pierced my nostrils and a sensation deep within my lungs was pleasant.
Taking a moment to savor the fragrance, I pluck a few petals and place them in my mouth.
The initial taste was bitter.
As I delicately allowed it to roll on my tongue, a sensation of sweetness akin to the richness of honey slowly began to envelop my palate.
This was a flower that the Emperor cherished dearly, valuing it beyond measure. If I were to be discovered consuming it without proper authorization, I couldn’t fathom the extent of consequences that might befall me.
Of course, the Emperor was currently bedridden due to illness.
But if anyone else were to see me, it would surely cause a commotion.
All the plants here were owned by the Emperor.
As I contemplated this, I unconsciously raised my head to survey my surroundings.
“……!”
The first thing I saw was black hair swaying in the wind.
And beneath it, a pair of golden, sparkling eyes.
With an expression that seemed indifferent yet carried a cool demeanor, eyes that held enigmatic thoughts gazed down at me.
Awkwardly, I stood up and called out his name.
“Julion.”
I’m not eating the flowers! I swear!