Chapter 99: Clouds Roll and Drift
A faint, lasting fragrance stayed around the tip of her nose. The scent of a young girl felt like mushrooms growing after rain, spreading tiny spores everywhere without control.
It slowly took root in the heart, spreading and filling all empty space. Peiya curled her finger a little, feeling slightly uneasy.
It wasn’t that she disliked this moment. It was just that it felt a little unreal.
“Thank you for your kindness. You are one of the few people who are willing to say these things to me.”
Elise nodded. “If you’re done changing, come with me to get a flower pot. Then we can plant the ‘Sanfulan’…”
“Xiangfran.” Peiya smiled and corrected her.
“Yes, let’s plant the Xiangfran. My balcony gets good sunlight. If we plant it now, maybe after I finish my next mission next month, it will bloom.”
“A mission?”
Peiya looked confused, her face full of questions.
“Yes. If Saines comes back early, my parents will probably also return to the capital. I need to meet them. Do you want to come?”
“Meet your parents? Why would I go?”
Peiya stepped down from the chair, her small head full of confusion.
“You’re very capable. My parents would probably like you. They are always busy at the front lines, so they worry I’m lonely at home. If you come with me, they might feel more at ease.”
“I see… but it still feels strange. They are nobles. If I go, what about manners and etiquette…”
“Don’t worry about that. Also…” Elise looked a bit unsure. “I feel like your noble etiquette is not worse than mine.”
Elise pointed at Peiya’s standing and sitting posture and said, “I even wonder if you used to work in my house before.”
“Otherwise, how are you so… so skilled? Honestly, when I first met you, I thought you were a maid who ran away from our family. That sounds a bit rude, but that was really what I thought.”
Peiya was surprised.
She thought back to her time with Anna. All her noble manners were learned during that period.
She had forgotten many things from the past, but not in a way that felt painful unless she tried to remember.
Back then, she was like a machine, just following simple orders.
Now, when she tried to recall those days, her mind felt blank…
“Maybe I did. I’ve forgotten most of the past. I told you before in the Calamity Forest, I don’t like those memories. I don’t want to think about them anymore. If possible, I would rather create more good memories with you, as close friends.”
Elise’s beautiful eyebrows moved slightly. She gently placed her hand on Peiya’s head.
“So before we were partners, and now we’re already close friends?”
“Is there a difference?”
“Yes. ‘Partners’ feels more distant. If you prefer ‘close friends,’ then from now on, that’s what we are.”
“Close friends…” Peiya’s vision softened for a moment. “You’re my first close friend.”
“I’m the same. Alright, I’ll go ask the maid to bring the flower pot. If you can, take out the tool box under my bed. We’ll need it later.”
Peiya went into the bedroom.
Sure enough, she found a dusty toolbox under the bed edge. It was olive green, with a small latch on the side.
She tried to open it once, but it didn’t move. After some effort, she finally opened it.
In the gap of the latch, she saw a ring of dried mud that had long hardened.
It seemed the box had not been used for a long time. The shovel inside also had a layer of dust, and the metal tip showed signs of rust.
If swung hard enough, the sharp part might even work like a tiny “tetanus blade.”
Carrying the toolbox, Peiya went to the back garden. She vaguely remembered the last tea party was also held here. The sunlight outside was a bit too bright, but she slowly got used to it.
She saw Elise, who had already prepared the flower pot.
“Did you bring the tools?” Elise asked.
“Yeah, I did. But this toolbox… how long has it not been used? The tools inside are either rusty or covered in spider webs.”
“Maybe five or six years. When I was a child, I used to dig soil in the garden. After growing up, I rarely had chances like that.”
Elise took out a small shovel from the toolbox. She turned it over and saw a name carved on the wooden handle.
“This is my father’s name, and this one is my mother’s. I didn’t expect it to still be here after so long.”
Peiya leaned closer and indeed saw a small line of writing at the bottom of the handle. The handwriting was crooked, and it was hard to read clearly now.
“Give me the seeds,” Elise said.
Elise dug a small hole in the soil, just big enough for one seed, and reached out her hand.
“Here.” Peiya placed a seed into the soil and used a blessing spell on it.
“You can use plant blessings too?”
“Yeah, a little. It helps plants grow stronger and more full of life.”
“Alright, let’s quickly plant the rest.”
Elise carefully dug small holes, and Peiya followed behind, placing seeds into the soil. For the remaining pots, she did not use the blessing magic anymore and chose to trust the seeds themselves.
“You placed 3 seeds upside down and 4 seeds right side up. My OCD is kicking in, just go ahead and put one more in with the end pointing down.”
“But there are no seeds left.”
Peiya did not expect Elise to care about such details. She checked her pocket, but the seeds the old lady gave her were already used up.
“There’s still one…” Elise said.
She held Peiya’s hand and pressed it into the soil, leaving a small handprint.
Peiya looked confused.
“How is this even a seed?”
Before she could finish speaking, Elise also pressed her hand into the soil next to it.
“Of course it is. It’s a seed that belongs only to us. Do you think it will bloom one day?”
“No way. That’s not how nature works.”
Elise shook her head.
“Yeah… that’s why I always feel you are the most special person around me. So special that I almost forgot I used to really like flowers when I was a child. I remember my mother used to hold my hand and chase butterflies in the yard. But I could never catch them. Until night came, I still couldn’t catch one. Do you think… you will be like that butterfly? One day, will you quietly fly away?”
Her expression became a little sad. Even though she was smiling, Peiya could feel something unclear hidden behind it.
Peiya didn’t know how to answer. She only felt her body becoming light, as if she might really start flying.
She reached out and gently touched a small flower petal on the ground.
“No. I won’t. I still want to see this sea of flowers for a long time.”
“Then… don’t you want to see me more too?”
Peiya didn’t know if she was angry or just upset. She only replied softly,
“You… I already see you every day, don’t I?”
“Hmm… that’s not enough~”