The sun was just beginning to rise when Magnolia woke up, as he always did. As he sat up, he noticed a letter tucked beneath his pillow. He picked it up and read:
"I'm going with Marantaceae. Take care of yourself and go back home. I'll return later."
Magnolia clenched the letter in frustration.
Prince... I should have known it.
He immediately rushed to Amaryllis's room, only to find it empty. Though he already knew Marantaceae's room would be empty as well, he went to check anyway. As expected, no one was there.
Inside the palace, one of the Queen's attendants was horrified to find Queen Violas lying unconscious on the floor.
She immediately ran to fetch a doctor but nearly collided with General Ivy.
"What happened?" he asked.
The attendant bowed.
"Your Majesty is lying unconscious in her chamber. I'm going to bring the royal physician."
"Hurry," General Ivy ordered. "But don't let anyone else know."
Without wasting another moment, he rushed toward the Queen's chamber.
The Queen still lay unconscious on the floor. General Ivy carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.
Laurel was on his way to the palace, his thoughts lingering on Anemone.
What's going on with him?
As he walked, he noticed Narcissus offering a cup of water to a Thistle from a distance.
The image reminded him of Amaryllis.
I wonder what he's doing right now with that Thistle.
Narcissus noticed him watching.
"Laurel, is something wrong?"
"Why are you giving water to a Thistle?" Laurel asked.
She smiled.
"Because it's the right thing to do."
"Then why are you doing it from so far away?"
"If someone saw me giving him water, they wouldn't punish me—they'd punish him."
Seeing the confused look on Laurel's face, she continued,
"You don't have to follow everything our ancestors believed."
Laurel hesitated.
"What if someone you care about is doing something you know is wrong?"
"I don't know who you're talking about," Narcissus replied, "but if you truly care about that person, you should ask them why they're doing it."
"What if they don't want to answer?"
"Do you trust them?"
Laurel nodded.
"Then trust them."
Laurel quietly nodded.
The fire had long since burned out.
Marantaceae woke to find Amaryllis sitting nearby.
As he sat up, he noticed Amaryllis's coat draped over him.
He removed it and handed it back.
"Take it."
Amaryllis accepted the coat.
"I found a good place to eat nearby."
"Alright."
Amaryllis blinked.
"Alright?"
Marantaceae nodded.
"Alright."
How did he agree so easily? Amaryllis wondered.
A little later, they arrived at the place.
It was a shabby tea stall standing alone beside the road.
The customers looked more like thugs than travelers.
Ignoring them, Amaryllis and Marantaceae sat at a corner table.
Marantaceae looked around the tea stall.
"This is your idea of a good place?"
Amaryllis folded his arms.
"I said it was good, not perfect."
"Judging by the customers, only thugs would agree."
Amaryllis glanced around the room and sighed.
"I wasn't expecting this many of them."
"Too late now."
Marantaceae calmly called to the waiter.
"Two pieces of bread and two cups of tea."
Amaryllis stared at him.
"What?" Marantaceae asked.
"Why are you acting like this?"
"Like what?"
"Why aren't you arguing with me?"
Marantaceae simply sighed.
Just then, they overheard a conversation from a nearby table.
"You know, yesterday we met two travelers. One of them looked really rich. He gave us an entire money pouch."
"We should've searched the other one too," another man laughed.
"But he didn't look rich," said the man in the brown clothes.
"What if he was? He was traveling with the rich one."
Amaryllis and Marantaceae slowly looked at each other before lowering their heads.
"Should we leave?" Amaryllis whispered.
"Yes."
They quietly stood and headed toward the exit with their heads lowered.
"You two travelers!"
A waiter called out behind them.
They turned around.
The waiter was holding their food.
At the same moment, they realized everyone in the tea stall was staring at them.
Marantaceae hurriedly placed a few coins on the table.
"We can't stay."
"They're the two we were talking about!" shouted the long-bearded thug.
"Get them! They're rich!"
Within seconds, the six men surrounded them again, joined by several more thugs.
Amaryllis carefully studied their faces.
The same men from last night... with a few more.
The leader grinned.
"Hand over whatever you have left."
Marantaceae glanced at Amaryllis.
Are you still planning to give them everything?
Amaryllis understood the look.
"Sorry. I don't have enough money to give anyone."
"Do I look like I care?" the leader sneered. "Give me everything."
"I already told you—I have nothing."
The leader turned toward Marantaceae.
"What about him?"
Everyone in the room shifted their attention to Marantaceae.
"Don't even think about him," Amaryllis warned.
The leader smirked.
"You care a lot about your friend."
A man dressed in white stepped forward.
"Leader, let's just kill both of them."
The leader pointed at Amaryllis.
"Kill the one in front first."
Marantaceae instantly drew his sword.
"You'll have to get through me first."
"What an impressive friendship," the leader mocked.
Then his smile vanished.
"What are you all waiting for? Kill them!"
The thugs charged.
Marantaceae flipped the table over to block the first wave of attacks.
Amaryllis grabbed a chair and hurled it into the crowd.
"I'll make a path to the exit!" Amaryllis shouted.
"Hurry!"
The attackers came from every direction.
Marantaceae cut down two men while Amaryllis fought to clear an escape route.
Suddenly, Amaryllis noticed someone sneaking up behind Marantaceae with a knife.
He rushed forward and blocked the strike.
The movement reopened his old wound.
He instinctively clutched his side.
Before he could recover, another thug attacked him.
He had no choice but to fight again.
Within moments, nearly every thug lay defeated.
Marantaceae lowered his sword.
"Do you still want our money?"
The leader, sitting on top of a broken table, stared at them in disbelief.
"Who are you two?"
"None of your business," Amaryllis replied.
"Now return our money."
The leader slowly stood.
"I'm leaving today..."
He pointed at them.
"...but I'll be back."
"Let's go."
The remaining thugs followed him out.
Silence returned to the tea stall.
Only a few frightened customers remained.
The waiter approached them.
"That man is Ionanthus."
"Ionanthus?" Marantaceae repeated.
The waiter nodded.
"You're the first people to defeat him."
"That's because he's never fought real fighters before," Amaryllis replied.
Both the waiter and Marantaceae looked at him.
"They've only ever robbed ordinary villagers."
The waiter ignored the comment.
"Before Ionanthus arrived, there were many gangs here. But corrupt Gladiolus officers robbed these people far worse."
"Gladiolus officers?" Amaryllis asked in surprise.
The waiter nodded.
"The system is rotten. The officers force Attis to work on their lands without paying them."
"Then why do they keep working?"
The waiter looked at him as though he had asked the most obvious question in the world.
"How could they refuse a Monarda or a Gladiolus? They'd be punished."
Amaryllis wasn't even surprised anymore.
After everything he had seen with Marantaceae, it all seemed believable.
The waiter continued,
"When Ionanthus arrived, he started robbing those corrupt officers... and anyone who looked wealthy."
"But we're not rich."
The waiter studied Amaryllis carefully.
"Honestly..."
He pointed directly at him.
"You don't look poor."
"Why?"
"I've watched people come through this place for years."
He smiled confidently.
"I can tell just by looking at someone."
He then pointed at Marantaceae.
"Your friend looks like an ordinary traveler."
Marantaceae wasn't interested.
"We're hungry. If your investigation is over, could you bring us some food?"
"Your first meal is already ruined."
The waiter shrugged.
"You'll have to pay again."
"Fine."
Amaryllis remained lost in thought.
I've spent months trying to look like an ordinary person... and yet he still recognized me.
Marantaceae noticed Amaryllis's expression.
"Don't think about it."
"We already fought those men. News of it will eventually reach the capital."
Amaryllis remained silent.
Marantaceae lightly tapped him on the arm.
"Stop thinking and eat. We need to leave soon."
"Right."
After they finished eating, Amaryllis asked Marantaceae to wait outside while he used the restroom.
Instead, he walked over to the waiter.
"How could you tell I wasn't an ordinary person?"
The waiter looked him over again before casually sitting back in his chair as though he owned the place.
"Simple."
"The way you walk. The way you eat. The way you place your belongings."
He smiled.
"And most importantly... the pride in the way you speak."
He glanced toward Marantaceae.
"Your friend acts like an ordinary man. You don't."
Amaryllis was stunned.
How could someone so young notice all of that?
"I think you've misunderstood."
The waiter smiled.
"Don't worry. I enjoy learning about the royal families."
He leaned forward.
"I won't tell anyone."
Amaryllis met his eyes.
"I hope you understand what you're saying."