As the week came to an end, Yan, who had somehow become friendly with the guards, was sitting in a circle with them warming himself by the fire. It was a cold so bitter it was embarrassing to call it spring. As the flames kept flickering, people gathered more and more in a circle, and each person sharing warmth was precious.
“I’m telling you it’s true. You’ll change your minds too once you see the goddess’s representative.”
That was the reason they didn’t chase him away despite frowning at Yan’s words as he explained about the goddess like an enthusiastic believer. Among the soldiers, most of whom were from the north, not a single one listened carefully to Yan’s words.
“You’re from the south, right?”
Yan beat his chest as if he’d eaten hard, black bread. He muttered that the cold wind must have frozen the northerners’ faith as well, and threw charcoal and wood into the weakening fire.
“But it’s true……”
Yan looked at the tall wall erected around the greenhouse. He knew the goddess would look after her representative, but he couldn’t help worrying. It had already been a week since water was last turned on in the greenhouse. The only way to quench thirst inside the greenhouse would be to chew on fruits or leaves.
Yan’s heart was anxious that the goddess’s representative might have chewed on red berries through a wrong choice.
Het said meal time was over and repositioned the guards to their posts. Yan stood in Het’s way. Since he had seen the representative’s face, he was certain Het must be worried about him too, just like himself.
“Isn’t today the seventh day? What on earth is His Maj……”
At the same time, Het covered Yan’s mouth. He gestured with his eyes to indicate something, and Yan immediately prostrated himself flat on the ground upon seeing the emperor’s shadow.
“Your Majesty.”
“Tear down the wall.”
“Your Majesty, th-that is…… Wouldn’t it be better to dismiss the guards before tearing it down?”
Het was a man who valued his own life. He really didn’t want to go against the emperor’s words. He just thought that if that man was dead, there was no need to show it to everyone.
“It’s an opportunity to show everyone what became of that fanatic.”
But the emperor lightly ignored Het’s such consideration. The guards faithfully followed the emperor’s words. Soon, with a dull sound, hazy dust rose up. Yan looked at the smoke with trembling eyes. He wanted to immediately run into the greenhouse to confirm the representative’s survival, but unable to get ahead of the emperor, all he could do was slyly follow behind Het.
Brukisel strode into the greenhouse. The ruined flower beds had become lush again after a week, and the plants, though they seemed thirsty and were all drooping, were still green.
“Search.”
Het put on gloves and carefully parted the grass. Yan went around the greenhouse busily as if it were his own business.
“Ah!”
Yan discovered something glittering gold not far from the entrance and ran over. He felt the emperor’s gaze from behind, but his desire to confirm whether the goddess’s representative was safe and alive overcame his fear. Just as Yan was about to run with quick steps, Het grabbed him by the scruff of his neck from behind.
“L-let go of this!”
“Stay still!”
Het pushed Yan aside and walked steadily. He swallowed dry saliva for no reason at the sight of the man lying there with both hands folded, looking docile. In the meantime, as if brainwashed by Yan’s words, he felt like his heart would be unsettled if this person lost his life like this.
Het slowly lowered his body and put his finger under Rou’s nose. He felt a faint breath.
“……He’s alive!”
“He’s alive? Everyone! He’s alive!”
Yan stuck his face out from behind. Then, though no one asked, he shouted the good news loud enough for even the guards standing outside the greenhouse to hear. Het couldn’t express his joy as openly as Yan, but with a brightened face, he reported to Brukisel.
“Your Majesty. He’s alive!”
“……”
Yan and Het were laughing with joyful voices when they suddenly felt something strange and stopped smiling abruptly. For a week, the representative wouldn’t have been able to eat or drink. However, the appearance of Rou lying there peacefully was far from that of someone starving.
His round cheeks looked even softer than a week ago, and a subtle glow radiated from his skin. His closed eyelids and lips looked so moist that if someone who didn’t know saw him, they would think he had been recuperating for a week in a place with good water and fresh air.
“Mmm……”
Rou rubbed his eyes at the commotion. He slowly lifted his eyelids and looked around with a languid gaze, and Yan and Het found themselves blushing without realizing it. Rou had sleepy eyes when he discovered red eyes looking at him and smiled brightly.
“Ah, you came!”
Brukisel seemed a little surprised that Rou was so perfectly fine. However, upon hearing Rou call him happily, he sent a fierce look.
Rou yawned slowly like someone who had fallen into a very sweet sleep, then kicked off and stood up. After eating his fill of sweet honey and dew for a week, his body seemed a bit heavier. But during that time, Rou hadn’t neglected his walking practice and could now walk quite like a human.
Rou approached Brukisel. Het’s coat that had been draped over his shoulders fell to the floor and his pure white shoulders were revealed. Brukisel frowned and became even more fierce-looking, but Rou just smiled brightly.
“Do you feel like listening to what I have to say now? You promised to have a proper conversation with me if I was still alive after a week.”
“……”
Rou looked up at Brukisel with sparkling eyes. Brukisel glanced at him, then ultimately left the greenhouse without giving an answer. Het looked back and forth between the emperor and Rou several times before finally deciding he should fulfill his responsibility as an aide and followed the departing Brukisel.
‘He’s not refusing?’
Rou was happy enough with just that. Rou, who had been stepping forward to follow Brukisel’s wide strides, had to stop when Yan caught him in the middle. Yan had apologetic eyes but also looked resolute like someone facing something that must be done.
“Child?”
“Representative. The energy of winter still remains. You’re accustomed to the gentle winds of the south, aren’t you?”
“Mm…… I suppose so.”
Yan began dressing Rou at a rapid pace. Rou felt the fabric touching his entire body was unfamiliar and heavy, but looking around, there was no one else like himself, so he silently received Yan’s service.
On the other hand, Yan only felt sorry for making the divine representative wear such things. He had searched around and obtained the most luxurious clothes available, but bringing them to dress the representative, they were no different from burlap sacks.
“Thank you, child.”
Rou found the human child who cared for him without being asked endearing. Perhaps because Brukisel was kind, all the children who gathered around him seemed affectionate too. Yan blushed, thinking that his appearance was so radiant that the clothes didn’t matter at all.
“I-I’m…… My name is Yan!”
“……Hm? I see. Thank you, Yan.”
Yan wanted to write to his mother immediately. To tell her that the goddess’s representative had called his name and even said thank you. He wanted to scream right there, but since the representative was looking at him with a gentle face, he could only endure it firmly. He bit his lips tightly so his mouth wouldn’t open on its own.
When Yan bowed his head deeply to hide his face, his crown faced toward Rou. Rou looked at the suddenly exposed crown and tilted his head for a moment, then soon stroked his head once and chased after Brukisel. He was already far away like someone who never intended to wait in the first place.
As Rou walked out of the greenhouse, he tried to call Brukisel who had already disappeared far away. He wanted to have a conversation with him. In his haste, Rou ran after him without proper preparation.
But as soon as he grabbed the door handle, he was hit directly with cold wind. The cold air was sharp like ice, as if stabbing deep into Rou’s throat.
“Huk……”
The cold spread throughout his body in an instant. He was well aware that the northern cold was strong, and he had experienced it once as a bumblebee, but this was the first time experiencing it in this body. This smooth and soft body seemed as weak as it looked. Rou felt anew the regret that he didn’t have rough fur like a bear.
Rou thanked Yan for bringing him clothes, this time with more sincerity than before.
“Yan, thank you for bringing me clothes.”
“Don’t mention it. Would you drink this? Your body will warm up.”
Yan sat the staggering Rou down and took out a warm beverage in a bottle. It was one of the things he had brought for the goddess’s representative who had starved for a week. But the representative looked so perfectly fine that he couldn’t find the right time to offer it.
“Hm? No, I’m not hungry.”
Since Rou had eaten honey from poppy flowers until just before he heard the humans breaking down the wall, he wasn’t particularly tempted by human food. After eating his fill of dew, honey, and pollen, and napping when he had nothing to do, it seemed like he’d be fine without eating or drinking for a while.
“But…… If you drink warm sugar water, your body will warm up a little……”
“Give it to me.”
He didn’t know what change of heart it was, but for Yan, he was glad that what he had prepared for the high priest was being put to good use. He happily filled the cup. Rou drank the sugar water until his stomach warmed up. The sweet, familiar taste seemed to encourage Rou. Rou diligently emptied the cup, and the large bottle Yan had brought began to quickly lighten.
While Rou quenched his thirst, Yan quickly groomed Rou’s long hair. He couldn’t tolerate the luscious golden hair dragging on the floor, so he tightly braided it to dangle near Rou’s buttocks.
By the time Rou finished the sugar water, Het, who had followed the emperor, returned to the greenhouse. His panting breath showed his urgency clearly. Rou told Yan to pour Het a cup of sugar water as well.
Het emptied the still-warm sugar water in one gulp and then hurriedly said to Rou.
“Representative. I’ll guide you to the reception room! His Majesty wishes to see you!”
