Weed ~The One’s Gardener~ - Chapter 23

The red-haired priest named Rutis raised her arm in amazement when Weed told her to let go.

“Weed, no… You should not!”

“Are you trying to use your strength? We can go up soon, too. We can use enough flying magic to come down safely with her!”

“It will take a toll on your body. The state of your main body right now…!”

Weed shook his head.

“I am not doubting your abilities. Didn’t you say magic couldn’t reach her? If magic doesn’t reach her, it’s probably because there’s a protective barrier around her, or there’s a force beyond your ability. The latter is unlikely in this land. The former is the worst. Even if you go up, there is a possibility that the magic will be disturbed due to the unidentified magic field. You will have to investigate the cause in detail.”

The priests couldn’t do anything. Excluding Weed, it could have been that the magic of a higher rank than them was working. It was impossible in this land, which was nothing but the realm of the tribes of the forest.

However, Hana’s case would be different.

Not only that she also had golden eyes, but if she came from a higher dimension, there was no small chance that their magic would not work. In short, Weed said he would use the strength of his main body, which would be more effective than anything else with no possibility of failure.

There was another reason to use his strength right now.

“Besides, it is too late. She shouldn’t be in high places.”

What she said really bothered him. He remembered that she did not like high places.

“…I fell from a very high place. My mother’s mental illness was getting worse, and she pushed me without realizing it.”

It was just to spit out a drop or two of blood, and he wished he could have endured it for a little while. Everything seemed to have happened because he had left. If she felt uncomfortable even for a minute or a second, it was all his fault.

Hana was terrified. Although her expression stiffened, she gave no reaction. She didn’t show the behavior she was supposed to have when one was airborne. There wasn’t even a response from her feet floundering, her body staggering, or her arms trembling in fear.

He couldn’t look at her pale face anymore.

At the thought, Weed moved one step and looked up at the sky before lifting one side of his arm and slit his wrist with his finger.

At first glance, it seemed that his fingers were only gently trailing over his flesh. Still, the place where his fingers passed was torn, like cut by a sharp knife, revealing the red inside as blood dripped endlessly.

Even though the priests screamed, Weed was only thinking of Hana’s voice.

“After all, trees and grass saved my life when I was young, right? I can’t help but like it.”

As drops of blood that he shed spun around him, the blood soon soaked the ground and the ground moved.

A tree grew rapidly under Weed’s feet and headed to the sky with him. While the roots went underground and tightly wrapped around the earth, the branches spread wide to greet Hana’s body. Lest he injured her, she was wrapped in fluffy, plentiful leaves.

Hundreds of years have passed since using the ability of the main body was no longer necessary.

Cough.

Although his coughing started again, he didn’t even care about it.

He could only see Hana.

“Hana, don’t worry. Just like back then, this tree will protect you.”

Stay still. You won’t fall. You are too beautiful to fall to the ground. I’ll rescue you.

If I save you like back then, will you like me the same way?

…Will you have no choice but to like me?

A huge tree that grew in an instant connected them. The moment she saw Weed smiling brightly among the leaves, Hana barely exhaled, bursting into tears. It was a desperate breath, like she had been submerged in water all this time.

Holding her cold body in his arms, Weed came down to the ground. Just as he tried to check her face as she fell asleep from exhaustion—

Drip, drip.

—Drops of blood dripped down her pale face.

Red.

What is it that stains her face? Even though he stretched out his hand and tried to wipe away the red drops that fell on her, it didn’t work. His own hands were shaking.

Whoop.

Something came out of him and spilled out. It kept going without stopping. Something hot inside overflowed through his eyes, nose, and mouth.

Weed.

Weed, wake up.

When several people called his name, he could not answer.

And his eyes darkened.

* * *

His head felt dizzy and his eyes were dry, making it difficult for him to open them while he was awake.

In his haze, he felt someone gently stroking his forehead and running their fingers through his hair. The tender touch brought immense comfort, and Weed had an urge to hold that hand and kiss it. He longed to feel that touch again, to have that warmth and affection by his side.

“Weed.”

He opened his eyes to the welcome voice. When he tried to turn his tired head, Hana was looking down at him.

“…Hana?”

“You’re up?”

As he rolled his eyes and looked around, it seemed that he was lying on the bed in the room where Hana used to be.

Hana seemed to be sitting at the bedside, looking down at him.

How long was he asleep? It would be good if he were asleep for a long time. Then, it meant she was by her side just that much. It was good, even if it was short.

So, was she the one who had been stroking his hair just now?

Seeing Hana staring at him, Weed’s heart pounded. There was a mountain of things he wanted to ask her. He wondered why she ended up there. How exactly did that happen? How hard she must have been in the sky. Was she okay now? Was she hurting anywhere right now?

And… did she like him?

There were many things he wanted to ask. However, Hana looked into Weed’s eyes and said rather coldly.

“Weed, you lied to me a lot.”

In her hand was a vial of Tifolia.

A medicine bottle.

There was silence.

Weed got himself up immediately. He opened his lips but said nothing. He had never lied, so he had no idea how to react after being caught. He didn’t know how to defend himself or how to cover it up with another lie.

Still, he instinctively knew he had to say something… he had to make excuses. But still, nothing came out.

Instead, Hana spoke to him with a sigh.

“Weed couldn’t get up for a while, so I had to take this.”

“…It is an addictive drug. There are other side effects, too. How much did you take? Did you have any problems after taking it?”

Weed could barely speak.

She took the medicine, and it had side effects…

He was more worried about that fact rather than afraid that he might be hated or caught lying. When Hana didn’t answer, he felt a different emotion from her gaze staring at him. She didn’t get angry or shake off his hand.

Rather, she carefully stroked the back of his hand.

“…Weed, do you really not care about your body at all?”

Shin Hana did not like lies. She said she didn’t like someone trying to trick her on purpose, but she said that lying for a good cause was not a crime… If so, would she understand the situation? Weed was somewhat relieved that she was not angry.

“Is there anything else you’re not telling me?”

He was silent.

Although he lied by saying he had no medicine, he never meant to harm her.

In fact, he wanted to say that it was because he loved the way her lips touched his, their tongues mixing, feeling her sweet breath. Even though he wanted to say that he didn’t want her to return to the world she came from, he could never say that because he shouldn’t.

When Weed didn’t say anything, Hana let out a shallow sigh. And with the next words she said, his heart sank.

“I heard all about it from them, the priests.”

“…What did you hear?”