Weed ~The One’s Gardener~ - Chapter 108

Hana chuckled softly.

She had tasted it enough to be satisfied. There was no need to fill her stomach, and since she wasn’t hungry, this was enough to make her feel content. Now, she had something she wanted to do with Weed.

“Weed, let’s go out together.”

“Is there somewhere you’d like to go?”

“Yeah, let’s go now. Let’s go to the place we visited last time. You said summer evenings are even more beautiful.”

Weed blushed and nodded, clearly pleased that Hana remembered something he had said before.

From the high vantage point overlooking Lar de Ligna Initia, where wind and time had sculpted the rocks into a serene and breathtaking landscape, the view was as stunning now as it had been in spring.

Now bathed in the vibrant hues of summer, it seemed even more enchanting.

The evening had already settled in. The twilight sky was slowly deepening into darkness, and the stars began to sparkle as night descended. The sky was clear without a cloud in sight, making the stars seem even more brilliant.

When they first visited this spot, Weed mentioned how beautiful summer evenings were and suggested they return together. Now, as Hana thought about it, she realized summer had been here for some time, and she wondered why she hadn’t remembered his words sooner.

As they walked hand in hand, the answer quickly came to her. Everyday life had been so full of joy. Deciding what to eat tomorrow, planning what to do for fun—those simple, ordinary moments brought her immense happiness.

It was almost unsettling how comfortable it felt.

“Weed, you know.”

“Yes, Hana?”

“Do you think everything I do is awkward? I still don’t know how to do a lot of things, like proper etiquette. I’m worried I’ll end up making a fool of myself.”

“Don’t worry about that. People who don’t understand the true nature get caught up in formality.”

Hana widened her eyes in surprise

It was an answer that got straight to the heart of the matter, almost as if he had been prepared for it.

“The more someone doesn’t know what they truly want to protect, the more they focus on appearances, formality, and the superficial. You don’t need to worry about how to address people, what tone to use, or how to behave in certain situations. You don’t need to care about that, Hana. Just do what you want.”

His words made her cheeks warm.

She hadn’t even realized why she had been feeling a little down when meeting people. But now, with Weed’s words, she finally understood. It was probably because of her concerns about being too weak and about constantly second-guessing her behavior.

“But…”

“Huh?”

Weed hesitated for a moment before speaking. His shy smile had a hint of longing. Hana found his behavior a little curious.

“…But I’d still like you to treat me with some formality. Like you did with him.”

“Formality? Why?”

“Because I think it’s appropriate.”

“Hmm.”

This didn’t require a long explanation.

When Hana descended from the sky with wings of light, it seemed that Weed understood everything. As he was always respectful, he had no reason to change his attitude, and she was slowly adjusting while resting.

‘Like you did with him,’ was he asking for the same treatment as she gave to Calden?

Hana pondered this as she reflected on what Weed had said. Could it be that he was feeling jealous? But then, what he had just said didn’t sound like something someone jealous would say.

“Weed, why would I treat you the same as him?”

It was not on the same level. It felt like a subtle way of keeping distance. It seemed she had to ask him directly.

“…Well, then I’ll do whatever I want, too.”

Before Weed could respond, Hana spoke the words she had wanted to say earlier, the ones she had wanted to tell him in the banquet hall.

“And Weed, because you’re special to me, I want to do it more.”

“Ah, th, th, then…”

Sweat began to form on their clasped hands. It was a little embarrassing, but Hana honestly confessed what she had just thought.

Until the banquet, it had seemed like that.

“I thought Weed was jealous of him.”

“Actually…”

Weed hesitated for a moment. His face flushed slightly from embarrassment.

“Actually, I don’t know. To be honest, when I see him, I don’t like it. But I didn’t want to show it. When you treated him kindly, I felt terribly upset, though… I thought I shouldn’t feel that way.”

His voice was calm, almost like a confession.

“Recently… I still don’t know what I’m feeling. My chest feels tight, and there’s a pain in one corner of my heart. Watching Hana worry about something, I thought I was relieved because it was because I was worried. I didn’t know what that uncomfortable feeling was, but… I think I wasn’t jealous. I think I felt that way because I was worried about you. But I’m still not sure. When you said I’m special to you, I couldn’t hide my joy…”

Hana chuckled softly. Weed chucked as well. How could he be so awkward with his emotions? He had been jealous the whole time. Calling Calden over must have been to show off. But he hadn’t realized that he was hiding his pride behind not wanting to show it.

“Weed, you’re such a fool.”

“…I always feel like a fool in front of Hana.”

From the high vantage point, Hana gazed over the wide fields. It reminded her of the silly conversations they had here before.

She hadn’t thought they could talk about the future. But now, sitting here together, they were both looking in the same direction. Back then, it hadn’t been possible, but now they could easily talk about the future and even promise an eternal future.

“Weed.”

“Yes, Hana?”

Weed responded with his warm gaze meeting Hana as always.

“Do you like me?”