After Angel returned to the temple and Seoho spent several days agonizing over writing a letter to send her with Aris’s help, he observed the faces of the servants entering the room, then asked Puti once they left the room.
“Puti, now other people are coming into the room.”
Lately, other servants had been coming into the room occasionally. At Seoho’s question, Puti answered.
“Your existence was originally known to the Emperor’s Palace servants anyway. Still, all those who can enter the room are tight-lipped, so don’t worry.”
“I see…”
At the somehow deflated voice, Puti asked Seoho.
“Are the servants uncomfortable for you?”
“Um, a little.”
No matter how carefully they acted, it wasn’t comfortable having people he didn’t know entering the room. It was also a feeling he hadn’t felt with Puti.
At Seoho’s answer, Puti spoke casually.
“Then from now on, I’ll make it so only I enter here. Also, if there’s anything else uncomfortable, please feel free to tell me.”
“But wouldn’t that be too much work for Puti?”
“No. Originally, I used to serve His Majesty alone anyway.”
“Still, one more person has been added…”
Puti smiled with a good-natured face.
“Serving someone like Seoho-nim would be what all servants wish for.”
“Come on, who enjoys having their work increase?”
“That’s not what I meant, but anyway, I enjoy serving Seoho-nim. So I hope you continue to be comfortable as you are now.”
At those gentle yet firm words, Seoho gestured at the object in his hand and answered playfully.
“I’m not particularly comfortable though.”
Puti looked down at the seed in Seoho’s hand.
“Is it difficult?”
“Rather than difficult, should I say it’s hard?”
After finishing the letter, precisely since last night, Seoho had been training to properly utilize divine power. This seed right now was a kind of practice.
‘Should I call it homework?’
Successfully grow the seed into a flower. It was an assignment given by Rosetta, who had left the room saying he had some business. Seoho pouted his lips while looking at the seed.
Rosetta had easily said that after making the seed into a flower, he would grow a tree, but unlike before, Seoho still hadn’t gotten the hang of it at all.
‘He talks too easily because he knew how to do it?’
He didn’t know if Rosetta had noticed, but in fact, Seoho had become dissatisfied with Rosetta for the first time.
So before Rosetta briefly left his seat today.
‘Seoho, if you gather power like this…’
When he said he didn’t know what gathering power like this meant, Rosetta added an explanation.
‘First, feel the power. Then you’ll naturally be able to move it.’
When he said he couldn’t feel that power, he said in surprise as if he couldn’t believe it.
‘What? You can’t feel the power? You don’t feel it normally?’
He was full of incomprehension, but even so, he spoke as if comforting Seoho.
‘…Right, that could be. Me? I just command it…’
Command—would something formless that he couldn’t even feel listen if he commanded it? As Seoho was troubled, Rosetta muttered softly as if to himself.
‘Why isn’t this working?’
His face showed bewilderment and at the same time that he really didn’t understand why this wasn’t working. In fact, Rosetta had been like that from the beginning. A feeling of not understanding why Seoho couldn’t use the power freely.
‘Do I have no talent?’
It might be that he couldn’t feel the power because it wasn’t originally his. Since he could only feel the power briefly at the moment of using it, it was also hard to get the hang of it. Moreover, he had only succeeded a few times at making plants bloom, and now he was told to try using a seed.
‘Isn’t the pace too fast?’
In fact, the full-fledged training had started last night, but after learning of the existence of divine power, whenever there was time, he had practiced feeling divine power with Rosetta or practiced making flowers bloom.
‘Healing wounds worked well though…’
The day after the wound on his ankle appeared, he had been able to heal the ankle wound that even Aris couldn’t fix.
Of course, it wasn’t intentional and was something he did without realizing it.
‘Thanks to that, even Aris found out that I use divine power.’
He recalled the faces of Puti and Aris, who had frozen stiff when he used divine power. Although Rosetta comforted him from the side saying it was okay since Aris was an Imperial Mage, that was quite a big mistake, and it became the opportunity for Seoho to resolve to practice divine power diligently.
But how nice would it be if things went as planned?
‘I’ve been fumbling around ever since.’
He sighed involuntarily. He had never felt lacking in talent or stupid in his life. Even if he wasn’t exceptionally good at something, he was average at everything.
But as failures continued and growth was slow, Seoho was frustrated, and at the same time, his complaints gradually accumulated.
‘I don’t even know if this is a slow pace.’
Since all the standards of speed were adjusted to Rosetta, Seoho couldn’t tell whether this was normal or slow.
‘In the first place, this is my first time experiencing this and I don’t really understand this situation either. If you suddenly say you have this kind of power, use it well, does it work as you want?’
So when he heard the last words, he seemed to have glared at Rosetta. Seoho recalled Rosetta, who had left the room in a hurry saying something came up, with wavering eyes as soon as their eyes met.
‘Did I take it out on him?’
He knew it wasn’t Rosetta’s fault. It was just that Seoho’s ability didn’t meet Rosetta’s expectations.
‘Or Rosetta’s expectations are too high.’
As Seoho let out another deep sigh, Puti comforted him from the side.
“You’ll get used to it soon. Once you fully master that power, it will be convenient to go outside too.”
“Outside?”
“Yes, if you can protect yourself, it will be reassuring in various ways.”
Seoho turned his head toward the window. Beyond the large window, blue sky and tall trees could be seen.
Outside.
This world, unlike Seoho’s world, was a place where people with mysterious powers existed. Mages existed and gods were real.
It was fascinating, but for that very reason, it would be a much more dangerous place than Seoho’s world.
‘Is that why Rosetta is so passionate?’
The Rosetta he had seen so far would likely have said it’s okay even if you can’t handle the power well, I’ll protect you, but he showed enthusiasm particularly for handling divine power.
‘I guess I did take it out on him.’
The wavering blue eyes came to mind, and at the same time, he felt sorry.
Until now, he had lived safely only inside the imperial palace under Rosetta’s protection, but there was no guarantee he could continue living like this forever.
‘I can’t keep receiving only Rosetta’s help.’
It was a power he had gained by chance. Although it didn’t feel real, it was truly an amazing power, and if he had this power, he would be able to protect himself alone.
‘I need to work hard.’
This wasn’t the time to be complaining. As Seoho was strengthening his resolve while looking outside the window, Puti added, perhaps interpreting it somehow.
“Even now, it’s fine for you to look around the imperial palace.”
Seoho shook his head. He didn’t particularly want to go outside. He wasn’t in that mood. He wanted to finish the assignment before Rosetta returned.
Since he had decided to work hard, it was time to start practicing again.
“Um, no.”
“Aren’t you feeling stuffy? I’m worried because you seem to be staying in the room too much.”
At Puti’s words, Seoho, who had turned to him, rolled his eyes.
‘Have I not gone out too much?’
Looking at Puti’s face full of worry, Seoho asked.
“Does it seem like I’m cooped up inside too much?”
“No.”
But Seoho knew that Puti’s answer wasn’t sincere.
“There was a time before I came here when I stayed home for a while. I guess it became a habit. I wasn’t bored either because there were things to focus on even without leaving the room.”
Seoho continued as if making excuses.
“Rosetta is here, Puti is here, and Aris comes by often too. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
In the desolate house where he lived alone, he would occasionally go out to see people, but here, even if he stayed quietly in the room, there were always people around. So he seemed not to have felt the need to go outside.
At Seoho’s words, Puti carefully asked.
“Then shall we take a light look around the Emperor’s Palace garden today? Except for the servants, the Emperor’s Palace has very few guests, so you should be able to look around comfortably.”
Hearing those words, Seoho got up from his seat to ease Puti’s worries.
“Shall we go for a bit?”
“Yes, I’ll escort you.”
Seoho headed to the garden with Puti. On the way to the garden, they encountered servants, but as Puti said, they didn’t run into anyone other than servants, so his mind was at ease.
Arriving at the garden, Seoho took a deep breath, feeling the grass under his feet. The garden built in the apartment where Seoho lived was okay too, but it still didn’t compare to this place.
‘It’s incredibly spacious.’
Seoho turned his head this way and that in admiration.
“Wow, it’s incredibly spacious. It must be hard to maintain.”
“The gardeners are working hard.”
Seoho walked through the empty garden and smiled softly. He hadn’t thought of going out, but now that he was out, it was nice.
“Now that I’m out, it’s nice.”
