Before heading to the garden to meet Seoho, Luminos recalled the letter Seoho had written for his mother.
It was writing he hadn’t seen in a long time, so it took a bit of time to read, but still, it was welcome writing. It was the writing his mother used, and the writing she had secretly taught only to him.
He remembered when he first learned the letters.
‘What does this mean?’
‘It means my beloved son.’
‘These are letters I’ve never learned.’
Even Luminos, who had learned even the extinct writing of the past to match his position as a prince and his reputation as a genius who could understand ten things after being taught one, had been seeing it for the first time.
At those words, his mother caressed the letters on the paper with a face full of longing and said.
‘Well, because I’m the only one who knows them. It’s what I used to write long ago. Should I teach you? But you can’t tell others. Especially not your father.’
Because he liked spending time with his mother, because he liked having a secret just between the two of them, he learned the writing enthusiastically.
And while teaching him the writing, his mother had been quite happy.
The letters written in the letter were a bit different from his mother’s round ones. Neat shapes like the man’s appearance, and the letter that was as tidy as those shapes.
[Hello.
Were you surprised by this sudden letter? My name is Lee Seoho.
As you probably guessed from my name, I learned through Prince Luminos Iakos that we’re from the same country.
It’s amazing to meet someone from the same country in a place like this.
If this letter sent in welcome feelings isn’t uncomfortable for you, please let me know how I should address you.
You can just call me Seoho.]
It was short and concise content with long flowery phrases omitted, but it was a letter that wasn’t burdensome. Because it was an unadorned letter, his gaze went to it even more.
‘Yun-ah.’
That affectionate voice. Those soft dark brown eyes. Those lips that would smile faintly when he approached, even while looking at the sky with a melancholy face.
Their own pet name made from his middle name Sol. Luminos, who recalled the hand that warmly caressed his cheek, hardened his expression.
To think of his mother while thinking about the stranger was a bad omen.
‘But it’s natural.’
The moment he took in the letters of memory with his eyes, the gap that formed might have been predestined because the man was from the same country as his mother.
‘I can’t just use him recklessly anymore either.’
The fact that his mindset now was different from the past when he had lightly sent the canary was something Luminos couldn’t help.
And presently, when Luminos revealed the thing about the bird, Seoho couldn’t quite hide his awkwardness and confusion.
Feeling awkwardness and confusion rather than surprise also meant he had probably guessed to some extent that this bird was his possession.
‘I did well to reveal it.’
If the Emperor had brought up this story first later, the problem might have grown bigger.
‘Well, even now they could make it a problem if they wanted to…, but since they want information, they won’t do so.’
Luminos looked at the mage who had followed as a guard behind Seoho. Though he looked calm, the mage’s eyes were keenly following him.
In contrast, Seoho had already become distracted by the canary bouncing around him. Seoho’s hair seen under sunlight rather than in the reception room wasn’t jet black like Luminos’s.
‘It has a brownish tint.’
The eyes looking around as if pleased with the canary’s movements and the naturally forming smile weren’t feigned.
‘Mother.’
Mother, who rejoiced, was surprised, and saddened by small things. The person who didn’t know how to hide emotions and revealed them brightly. That’s why Luminos felt comfortable when he was by his mother’s side.
The only person who wouldn’t deceive him and mother who poured out love generously was always a haven for him.
‘And this man reminds me of Mother.’
Luminos smiled again and said.
“Are you surprised?”
“…Yes.”
Seoho answered without taking his eyes off the bird rubbing its head against his finger.
‘He seems to like cute things.’
Even though his reaction was ordinary since most people tend to like cute things, it was funny that he thought even this resembled his mother. Even while mocking himself, Luminos continued to work to lower Seoho’s guard.
“Mother was from a region called Seoul. Could you tell me what Mother’s hometown is like?”
At those words, Seoho’s eyes widened as if surprised, then he answered hesitantly.
“Well…, probably the person you call Mother and I lived in different time periods.”
Certainly, his mother had spent a long time here.
“I see.”
“When your mother lived in Seoul, it was also before I was born.”
So in other words, he couldn’t tell him the story he wanted. He could insist here that he wanted to know about Seoul now anyway, but Luminos appropriately changed the subject.
“May I ask how old you are?”
“I just turned twenty.”
It was similar to his mother’s age when she came here. Luminos continued the conversation while recalling his mother’s stories.
“Is that so? I heard that twenty is considered an adult over there as well.”
“That’s right.”
“Our mother was, um, a university student, she said. She came here when she was twenty-one. She said everything started one day when she came home and a strange pattern appeared inside the mirror.”
“I see.”
He seemed interested, but it appeared he couldn’t focus much on the conversation.
‘He might be conscious of the guard behind him.’
He had already obtained information about those by Seoho’s side through Angel. That man was the mage who had been by his side when Seoho first appeared, and would naturally be the Emperor’s person.
Luminos smiled brightly while looking at the mage who was still watching him, then turned his head toward Seoho again and asked.
“Are you adapting well here, Seoho-nim?”
It was a very direct question. If Seoho expressed even a little discomfort here…
But Seoho only answered without hesitation.
“Yes. Everyone is kind and teaching me many things.”
His face seemed filled with trust toward those around him.
“That’s fortunate. Our mother had a bit of difficulty adapting here. She must have thought of the family she left behind.”
“Of course she would miss them.”
That face looked more intact than expected. Though longing was visible, it wasn’t a look of being buried in longing.
‘Originally I had no intention of asking such a question, but.’
Luminos asked plainly.
“Are you all right, Seoho-nim?”
As if he didn’t expect to be asked such a question, Seoho blinked several times, then soon smiled brightly.
“Well, I haven’t been here that long yet. As I said earlier, there are good people by my side.”
It didn’t seem to be a lie. Luminos decided to change the subject before the mage behind could step forward. His questions from just before were ones that could be taken as quite unpleasant.
“I see. I delivered Seoho-nim’s letter well to Mother.”
“When might I be able to receive a letter?”
“I’m not sure. But I’ll let you know as soon as I hear back.”
“All right. Sol…”
His lips twitched at the sight of him rolling his eyes as if the name was awkward.
‘Yun, my sunlight. My sun.’
The moment he thought he heard his mother’s voice in his ear, Luminos surrendered to impulse once again.
“Please feel free to call me Yun.”
“…Yun?”
Seoho’s eyes became round as if they would pop out. He really looked surprised. Along with that, his upper body leaning forward.
“Yun. Mother called me Yun. She used the character for sunlight, yun.”
“…That’s a nice meaning.”
His eyes went to the face smiling bashfully. A comfortably relaxed face and welcome. Using similar names seemed to work favorably in many ways.
Luminos’s lips smoothly curved upward as he blinked while looking at those eyes that drew gentle curves.
It seemed like he heard his mother’s voice in his ear once again. It was the genuine smile he showed only to his mother, that his mother loved.
After that smile that bloomed as they faced each other, the atmosphere also changed completely. It was really perfect except for the way his fingertips curled each time he was called Yun.
Though the mage behind and the Emperor probably wouldn’t welcome it.
***
After leaving Seoho with Aris and entering his office, Rosetta first handled matters related to the kingdom, then examined even the report about Angel before raising his head.
“So?”
Puti, who had been waiting, stepped forward.
This room was a place created at the request of the aides who found Rosetta’s appearance in the office uncomfortable. It was Rosetta’s personal office that Puti had hastily made next to the original office around the time when the state council meeting ended and Rosetta was spending time with Seoho.
Rosetta just thought it was a space created for him who frequently visited the office these days, but…
In any case, thanks to that, Rosetta could hear important stories without moving locations. The aides were just chosen as those who did their work well, and couldn’t be said to be his trustworthy people.
