Spring Flower (2)
“Are you feeling a little calr now?”
“Sniffle… Mm-hmm…”
Ariel nodded, her voice still thick with tears.
A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I gently brushed her ssy red hair aside.
Perhaps it was because she was still on the verge of tears, but every ti my hand touched her hair, Ariel's shoulders trembled as if she were trying to swallow down a sob.
I continued to stroke her hair, hoping that the warmth of my touch would remind her that I was there for her, that I wasn't going anywhere.
Thankfully, my efforts seed to be working.
It wasn't long before Ariel had regained her composure enough to hold a proper conversation.
“Oh my… Look at your face. It’s a ss.”
“…It’s your fault, you know.”
“Yes, yes, I know.”
I patted her head soothingly, drawing comfort from the warmth of her small form nestled against mine.
Etching the feeling deep into my heart, I finally spoke.
“I’m so sorry, Ariel.”
“.......”
“I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I realize now how wrong I was. I was foolish, reckless…”
I had to apologize.
To all those I had hurt with my actions.
Even if it was my own grief that had led to take up the sword in the first place… the mont I turned it on others, I beca responsible for all the misfortune that followed.
A simple truth that even the wind seed to know.
And yet, I had been blind to it.
Blinded by my own pain, I had lashed out, hurting everyone around with the shards of my own self-loathing.
‘The Empire’s most despicable young master…’
Perhaps it was a title I deserved.
I swallowed down the bitter taste in my mouth, forcing myself to focus on the present.
I held Ariel close for a while longer, cherishing the silence that had fallen between us.
And then, I heard it.
A small, hesitant voice that seed to echo my own fears.
“…Brother?”
“Yes, Ariel?”
“Does this an… you won’t leave us…?”
Her voice trembled with unshed tears as she clutched at my sleeve, her grip surprisingly strong for soone so small.
“I don’t want you to… to try and… die again…”
“…..”
“I… I don’t know what I’d do if sothing happened to you…”
The fact that she felt the need to even ask such a thing…
It was a stark reminder of the trauma I had inflicted upon her.
My heart ached at the thought, and I had to fight back the urge to pull her close and apologize over and over again.
“Don’t worry, Ariel. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here for you…”
I was cut off by a soft knocking on the door.
-Knock… Knock…
The sound was insistent, breaking the fragile peace that had settled over the room.
I tried to ignore it, to finish what I was saying, but the voice that followed made pause.
-Miss Ariel… are you in there?
It was Rachel.
Her voice was soft, lodic, yet there was a hint of urgency in it that made my heart skip a beat.
Both Ariel and I turned towards the door, our nas leaving our lips in unison.
““Rachel…?””
As if on cue, Rachel continued speaking, her voice laced with concern.
-The Young Master… he’s gone missing.
-I’ve searched his bedroom, the training grounds, even the library… but he’s nowhere to be found.
-…I fear… he may have left the mansion.
It was clear that Rachel had completely misunderstood the situation.
-I knew this day might co… that he might disappear again… but…
-It still hurts more than I could have imagined…
-It’s as if… the world has lost all its color…
Her words were spoken in a flat monotone, but I could hear the telltale tremor in her voice, the way she choked back a sob.
She was trying to be strong, but she was hurting just as much as Ariel.
As if to prove my point, Ariel stood up and marched towards the door.
Without a word, she flung it open, revealing a very surprised Rachel standing in the hallway.
-I just thought… that you should know… so you wouldn’t… worry too much…
-So… I ca to tell you…
Rachel’s voice trailed off, her usual cheerfulness replaced by a hollow emptiness.
Her breathing was shallow, as if she were on the verge of breaking down.
“Why would he leave?”
Ariel’s voice was firm, her small fra radiating an unexpected fierceness.
“He’s not going anywhere!”
She grabbed Rachel’s arm and pulled her into the room, effectively cutting off her protest.
And that was how our eyes t.
“Y-Young Master…?”
Rachel’s eyes widened, her gaze locking onto mine as if ti itself had stopped.
For a mont, she simply stared at , her expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Then, as the realization of what she was seeing sunk in, her eyes filled with tears, her lips trembling slightly.
She looked… exactly how Ariel had looked just a few hours earlier.
Guilt stabbed at my heart, sharp and unrelenting.
Was I really so blind to the pain I was causing those around ?
I forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
“Haha… Well, this is… awkward, isn’t it…?”
It was a la attempt at humor, but it was all I could manage at that mont.
To my surprise, Rachel didn’t laugh.
Instead, her eyes welled up with tears, and she launched herself at , wrapping her arms around in a tight embrace.
“Young Master…!”
I stumbled back slightly, caught off guard by her sudden display of emotion.
Before I could react, Ariel had joined the hug, her small arms wrapping around my waist.
“Brother…!”
“Young Master…!”
I couldn’t help but laugh, a genuine laugh this ti, as I found myself sandwiched between two crying girls.
It was strange.
I had spent hours trying to comfort Ariel, and now here I was, comforting two crying girls instead of one.
I guess this was karma for all the trouble I had caused.
Who was I to complain?
With a sigh, I returned their embrace, holding them close as they cried it out.
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