TMST 40

Chapter 40

Arken followed Karin silently.

Without saying a word, he kept his eyes fixed on the ground, wearing a gloomy expression.

There was no way she could ask about the secret in an atmosphere that felt this lifeless.

After some thought, Karin wet her dry lips with her tongue and deliberately spoke in a cheerful voice.

“We’ve been seeing each other a lot lately!”

“……”

“Don’t you think so?”

“…I suppose.”

He answered belatedly. It was obvious he had replied without even knowing what she had said.

“What did I just say?”

“……”

He stopped walking and met Karin’s gaze. His hazy blue eyes traveled from her eyes to her nose, then to her lips, before finally dropping to the ground.

“Ah, never mind! It’s cold, so let’s get going, quickly.”

Karin waved her hands and forced a smile. Then she grabbed Arken’s arm and pulled him forward.

He let himself be dragged along without resistance. The moment she released his arm, he reverted to the image of a silent pilgrim engaged in a vow of silence.

‘This is driving me crazy…’

How was she supposed to lighten the mood?

With things like this, she couldn’t even think of what to say.

‘Should I ask about the secret another time?’

But who knew when she’d get another chance to meet Arken…

Ah, that was it.

Not letting the idea slip away, Karin seized it and spoke.

“Come to think of it, what happened to that dinner? The Duke said he was going to invite Iris and me. Why haven’t we heard anything yet?”

This time there was a reaction.

He turned his head toward her and spoke gently.

“His Grace has been extremely busy lately. The dinner will probably have to wait until after the end of the year.”

“Oh, I see…”

There were only a few days left until the end of the year.

“Then we’ll be seeing each other again soon, right? At the dinner, I mean.”

That was a relief. Even if she failed to uncover the secret today, she’d have another chance in a few days.

Surely Arken wasn’t going to die in the meantime.

The thought eased her mind considerably.

“That’s…”

However, he trailed off with a troubled expression.

“Why?”

“I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to see you again, Princess.”

What was that supposed to mean?

Karin’s eyes widened in surprise.

Seeing her confusion, he lightly bit his lip. His gloomy face now carried a hint of embarrassment.

Just as Karin was about to press him for an answer, he finally spoke, keeping his gaze lowered.

“I plan to return to my hometown and rest for a while.”

“Your hometown?”

Was that why he had vanished in the original story?

It felt as though the author of <Clumsy…> had appeared out of nowhere with a hammer and smacked her in the back of the head while shouting, “Bet you didn’t know that!”

Going back to his hometown…

That possibility had never even crossed her mind.

“Where is your hometown?”

“That’s…”

Karin asked again.

Arken ran a hand roughly through his hair and avoided her eyes.

His golden strands became thoroughly disheveled before settling back into place. During that time, he only moved his lips without speaking.

It looked as though he was debating whether or not to answer.

“…I’d rather not say.”

She had expected that.

But Karin wasn’t the type to give up.

“Then how long will you be gone?”

“I’m not sure.”

Unlike before, the answer came immediately.

Unfortunately, she didn’t like it any better.

“What are you going to do there?”

“Rest.”

“I mean, what are you going to do while resting?”

“……”

“You must have some sort of plan.”

“You’re quite persistent.”

“Well, I kind of am… No, that’s not the point. So you’re saying there’s nothing you can tell me?”

“……”

He pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Something felt very off.

Not telling her where his hometown was—that could be explained as personal information.

But couldn’t he at least tell her how long he’d be gone or what he planned to do?

Not only was it difficult to understand how an orphan like him could have a hometown to return to, but if he really was going back, shouldn’t he be happy about it?

No matter how she thought about it, there was no reason for him to look so depressed.

‘There’s definitely something going on… I just don’t know what.’

She wanted to keep digging, but they arrived at the shop before she could ask more questions.

The conversation ended without accomplishing much.

This was a different store from the one she had visited with Iris before.

Following a friendly-looking clerk, Karin headed to the women’s clothing section.

All kinds of garments were displayed there.

After browsing through the racks, she found a fur coat she liked well enough.

“Arken, look at this. What do you think?”

Partly to ease the atmosphere and partly to keep the conversation going, she asked for his opinion.

His answer, however, lacked all enthusiasm.

“It suits you well.”

“What about this one?”

“That suits you as well.”

“Oh, this one’s nice too. How about this?”

“That one also—”

“Forget it. You were about to say ‘It suits you well’ again, weren’t you?”

Karin pouted and hung the garment back on the rack.

Simply exchanging words wasn’t enough to change the mood.

It was time for a more sophisticated curveball.

“Wait here for a moment. I’ll go change clothes.”

As she headed deeper into the store, Karin whispered something into the clerk’s ear.

Though puzzled, the clerk did as she asked.

A little while later, Karin emerged in a new outfit and stood before Arken.

This time, there was no way he could remain indifferent.

“Well? What do you think?”

Her prediction was correct.

Arken froze in place, eyes wide and lips parted.

The surprise was so great that every trace of gloom vanished from his face.

“What in the…”

“It suits me too, right?”

Karin was wearing a checkered shirt and suspenders.

Her long curly hair had been tied up and tucked into a newsboy cap, and the mischievous grin on her face made her look exactly like a street rascal.

“I’ve always wanted to try dressing like this.”

“But… this is…”

“So what? Nobody’s going to recognize me.”

Handing her blue coat to Arken, Karin turned to the clerk.

“I’ll take the outfit I’m wearing now. Put the bill on the Second Duchy account.”

She dragged the hesitant Arken outside, then smiled sweetly and asked,

“Before we head back, want to go look at the flowers for a bit?”

“I must follow the Duke’s instructions.”

After a moment of hesitation, he answered.

His eyes were still fixed on her trousers.

“Come on, just for a little while. A very little while. Please?”

“If we’re late, His Grace won’t be pleased… Princess?”

“I don’t care. I don’t care about that.”

Karin stubbornly grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

He repeatedly ruffled his hair in frustration.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to shake off Karin, who was happily dragging him away.

To reach the flower fields, they had to pass through the central plaza with its fountain.

Unlike earlier, the plaza was now packed with people enjoying the festival.

Dancers in dazzling costumes twirled through the crowd, scattering glittering powder into the air.

Merchants had set up stalls selling drinks and food.

There were even peddlers trying to lure passersby with promises of special services for couples.

Karin stared, entranced, at the glitter drifting down like snow.

Then she suddenly came to her senses.

This wasn’t the time to leisurely watch a parade.

“We’re going this way.”

Practically dragging Arken behind her, Karin followed the direction indicated by a sign.

At last they arrived at the Asite flower field.

Clusters of flowers as blue as Arken’s eyes stretched far beyond the wide meadow.

The Asite flower.

An annual plant that grew from spring until early winter, then bloomed for a single day in late winter before withering away.

Interestingly, when grown inside a greenhouse, Asite flowers did not wither even during winter.

Compared to people, the flowers growing outside might be considered lacking in patience.

Spring was only a few days away, yet they couldn’t endure the remaining cold and died instead.

Every year, people held a festival on the day the Asite flowers bloomed and used it as a time to close out the year.

Unlike the flowers, they celebrated their own ability to endure the cold and welcome the warmth of spring.

…At least, that was the story Marie had told her.

Karin crouched down to examine the flowers more closely.

“They’re beautiful. Such a vivid blue.”

Five soft, trembling petals clustered together at the flower’s center.

Karin leaned closer and inhaled their scent.

It was rich and slightly bittersweet.

“And they smell nice too.”

There was no reply.

When she looked up, Arken had already returned to his gloomy state.

His gaze remained fixed on the sea of Asite flowers.

The blue in his eyes gradually dimmed, becoming clouded with sorrow.

He was definitely thinking about the secret again.

‘Now’s my chance.’

“Arken, you know…”

“You shouldn’t judge by appearances.”

Maybe she had spoken too quietly.

Arken seemed not to have heard her.

Well, she might as well hear what he had to say.

Pretending ignorance, Karin asked,

“What do you mean?”

“These flowers. If the sap from Asite petals is mixed with certain herbs, the resulting substance becomes poisonous enough that a single drop can kill ten people. Anyone who consumes it dies instantly and without pain.”

Arken spoke of something terrifying as though it were completely ordinary.

Karin immediately moved her face away from the flower.

A chill ran down her spine.

“So it’s a poisonous plant.”

Pretty as it was, it turned out to be an ingredient for deadly poison.

Just went to show—you couldn’t judge people or flowers by their appearances.

“For some, it might be a miracle cure.”

He spoke in a flat tone.

“Anyone who needs this flower will have to wait another year if they miss their chance now.”

It was a puzzling statement.

Calling a poisonous plant a miracle cure was strange enough, but what did he mean by people needing the flower?

It wasn’t as though everyone was looking for ingredients to poison someone.

‘Wait a second. Could it be…?’

At that moment, a reasonable suspicion entered her mind.

‘What if the secret is that he’s the one who needs Asite flowers?’

Images of Arken’s dejected appearance flashed through her mind like turning pages.

The hollow look in his eyes when Mustache Guy had picked a fight with him.

The sadness he had shown after hearing her question during the rainstorm.

The cryptic remark he’d made in the dressing room.

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s alright. It has nothing to do with me anymore.”

The sorrowful expression he’d worn after receiving praise on the way to meet Marta.

The puzzled, melancholy look he’d had while stargazing together.

The common thread was magic.

The reason he had finally spoken when Mustache Guy mocked him was because he’d been ridiculed for failing to become a Court Mage.

On the rainy day, he’d become gloomy after being asked why he hadn’t used magic.

The dressing-room conversation had also been about Court Mages.

The same was true on the way to meet Marta. Karin had praised his magical ability.

Now that she thought about it, every time the subject of magic came up, his expression darkened.

And on the night they watched the stars, he had actually used magic.

Naturally, the matter must have weighed heavily on his mind all day.

On top of that, he’d been carrying a bitter-smelling herb.

It was undoubtedly one of the herbs used together with Asite flowers.

‘I’ve got it now…!’

Karin felt as though she had finally emerged from a pitch-black tunnel.

That was it.

He had become depressed because he couldn’t achieve his dream of becoming a Court Mage due to his status as a commoner.

Some people might say it was ridiculous to become depressed over something like that.

But considering how gentle and sensitive Arken was, Karin found it entirely understandable.

And when she remembered what had happened a few days ago, it made even more sense.

If he had been harassed that relentlessly, it would be stranger if he hadn’t fallen into depression.

And the inevitable, foreseeable death that was so closely tied to depression…

‘That damned author. How dare they give my favorite character a setting like that?’

Karin sprang to her feet.