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The silence settled in the outside area of the conference room.

In an unknown place where I didn’t even know where it was, the Gardener and I stood alone together.

The Gardener’s eyes were quietly fixated on me.

It seemed she was waiting to hear what I would respond to her earlier remarks.

I could sense some expectation mixed with a hint of fear in her gaze.

The question of why I hadn’t called their names.

At first, I tried to answer indirectly.

After all, the reason I hadn’t called their names stemmed from my distrust in them, so they would surely take offense.

Thinking that, I was about to part my lips, but upon seeing the Gardener, I closed them again.

It might be hard to tell at first glance, but the way she flinched as if I was about to punch her just by moving my lips was apparent.

Damn it.

Why was I showing such a reaction to a mere human whom I could immediately overpower if I wanted?

…That meant there had been no kindly beings for them to rely on.

They had trusted me, someone who had approached them so willingly, and not speaking to her directly didn’t seem courteous.

Above all, they were the ones who had helped me without any compensation.

“…There was something the Mystic said.”

“What was it?”

“He compared you and those Outsiders over there to nobility and commoners. When a commoner accidentally confesses to someone, they might find a way to escape, but if a noble catches you, you’ll never escape again.”

At those words, the Gardener’s eyes widened.

Was it the moment she realized why I had been so reluctant to call her by name?

Then, as if lost in thought, her complexion grew worse. She tried to put on a smile and pointed to herself with her finger.

“Do you… dislike me?”

She seemed to be making the effort to allow me to answer comfortably, but the tremor in her finger revealed her true feelings.

At first glance, it might sound like she wanted there to still be a chance for her to escape from me.

“Of course not!”

“Then why are you saying that…?”

“If I think about what I said, it means I would become your shackles.”

“What…?”

The Gardener was showing signs of panic, even sweating coldly.

But it wasn’t something said lightly.

“I told the Cook last time too, but I’ve only helped you once. I wasn’t expecting any compensation. But you’ve shown me gratitude, and someone has even shown me affection. Of course, I’m immensely grateful for that, but you’re not someone who should be so bound. You’re the ones who are meant to seek freedom and enjoyment.”

The concept of an Outsider shouldn’t be tied down.

Of course, they could act as they wished, but it’s a shame to have their freedom stripped away just because of me.

They must have so many things they want to do.

After speaking those words, a wave of fear suddenly washed over me, and I lowered my head.

The Gardener might scorn me for saying something so cowardly.

I was truly a contradictory being.

I had felt this acutely ever since facing the twin Outsiders.

Being merciless to those who wished me harm while being kind to the Outsiders with their stories.

Even now, I wished they weren’t bound to me, yet I feared they might actually leave.

I began to think of myself as pathetic.

Then the Gardener stepped forward, grabbed my shoulder, and pushed me fiercely.

“Ugh…!”

Fortunately, there was a tree right behind me, so I didn’t crash too hard.

When I looked at the Gardener in shock, her eyes were trembling as she looked at me.

“You fool…!”

With the hand she used to push me, she seized my collar and began to tighten her grip.

Before I could even be taken aback by her sudden action, the Gardener continued speaking.

“Stop saying ridiculous things! Don’t define our relationship by saying we’re bound to you! Do you know how arrogant that is? In the end, you’re assuming we’re bound to you, right? Why do you arbitrarily define others!”

The moment she finished speaking, I couldn’t come up with any retort.

Her words were right.

What I had done was for her sake, but in the end, that too was merely an arrogant notion.

I was asserting her position based on my own assumptions, which was a truly conceited act.

“What do you think your relationship with me even is?”

The Gardener hesitated, furrowed her brow, ground her teeth once, and then opened her mouth.

“You… you idiot…! It’s because I like you! Don’t define my feelings with mere gratitude!”

Ah.

At that moment, my mind went blank.

I wasn’t unaware.

The Gardener had shown a few signs that she had feelings for me, so it would have been foolish not to notice.

But the reason I blanked out was that I realized I was arbitrarily defining her thoughts in my own way.

I had concluded that such complex and delicate feelings arose from the fact that I had helped her just once.

“So…”

Just as the Gardener was about to say something more, I felt a presence behind me.

Could it be one of the Outsiders in the conference room?

I immediately tried to move to calm the Gardener, but I was a step too late.

A hand pushed against my back, shifting my center of gravity toward the Gardener.

Thud!

I collapsed on top of the Gardener, and the petals on the floor rose into the air due to the impact.

I felt the warm presence and softness of the Gardener.

Her breath brushed against my face from such close proximity.

Unlike the expression filled with shock on my face, the Gardener’s gaze was entirely fixed on me.

I thought I had acted rudely again, and as I tried to pull away from her, the Gardener’s hand wrapped around my neck like a vine embracing a tree.

Before I knew it, my body was pulled strongly toward her, and I felt a soft sensation.

I was rendered speechless for a while, bound by her.

It tasted like a hint of pink.

Though it also seemed to carry a flavor mixed with unease.

As our lips separated, the Gardener pointed to her mouth with her finger and turned her face away.

Her face was flushed, making it clear what her feelings were in this moment.

“If you understand my feelings, then stop avoiding me.”

Ah.

Really.

I was such a fool.

Maybe I was still feeling a sense of dissonance as if I were still in a game.

These people aren’t real; even if I treat them sincerely, all that remains is an empty shell, something like that.

So, perhaps I had been ignoring their true feelings.

I gently touched my finger to my lips, still feeling the remnants of what had just happened.

There was the Gardener’s consideration and sincerity mingled there.

Did she share the same feelings as I did earlier?

With my eyes softly closed, I exhaled a slightly rough breath.

She must have been afraid I would act contrary to my feelings.

I brushed the strands of her hair aside with my hand.

She opened her eyes cautiously and met my gaze.

“…I realized what my true problem was. I’ve always just brought harm, but here you are taking care of me. I guess I should say I’m enjoying this luxury.”

I smiled brightly at her and said.

“Thank you.”

Fiore.

In that moment, Fiore’s eyes widened tremendously.

“D- Deputy Director!”

“Enough! How many times do I have to say that I’m watching too!”

Maren Burstian scolded the knight who kept making a fuss, though it wasn’t that he didn’t understand.

The tone the knight used to report to him was more agitated than ever.

The Deputy Director was directly witnessing the cause of the knight’s actions.

The trees, which had clearly wilted and revived repeatedly, stood firm once more.

Then, suddenly, something began to swell from a branch.

It was bursting forth with white flowers.

They were dandelions.

“A tree blooming dandelions? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

After all, dandelions aren’t trees, they’re weeds.

That meant the phenomenon occurring now must also be related to the Gardener.

“Seems like my disciple has done something ridiculous.”

Suddenly, White Mask walked over beside the Deputy Director.

Receiving the Deputy Director’s questioning gaze, White Mask looked at him once and let out a dismissive snort.

“You really shouldn’t be gifting flowers.”

“What nonsense are you spouting suddenly?”

“If you knew the meaning of the white dandelion, you wouldn’t be gazing blankly.”

With those words, White Mask began walking back toward the station.

“Ah, the forgotten sins of my disciple come flooding back.”

Despite the grim association, seeing White Mask chuckling lightly had the Deputy Director scratching his head in confusion.

What on earth did this phenomenon have to do with Tanton’s sins?

“Alpha.”

“Yes, Deputy Director.”

“Do you know the meaning of the white dandelion?”

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s too bad.”

Only after the event was completely over did the Deputy Director learn the meaning of the white dandelion, and he was left with a refreshing shock.

 

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