Luke and Yerna walked together through the flowerbed.
Indeed, it was a sight to behold, just as expected from Beriton, the flowerbed made in front of the hospital was quite a charming place.
The open space was also perfect for children to run around and play.
In fact, if one looked over there, they could see Diana and Pyris happily running about.
“There!”
“No way! Hahaha!”
Diana quickly became friends with Pyris.
At first, Diana seemed a bit taken aback, but soon adapted, thinking, ‘So, Luke has a younger sibling!’ and they became completely inseparable.
It turned out they got along surprisingly well.
“I caught you! Now you’re it!”
“I got caught!”
Although Pyris could escape by transforming into a spirit, she didn’t do so.
She had been advised not to use her spirit form freely in front of others.
Luke thought that the existence of spirits would eventually be revealed, so it wasn’t a huge problem, but the transformation from Py to Pyris could easily be perceived as a magical act, which might raise suspicions of illicit actions from others. Besides, at the moment, there wasn’t much proof for Pyris’s claim of being a ‘spirit.’
Above all, the manga “Spirit Girl” made it too famous a concept.
If she introduced Py as a spirit, others might associate her with “Spirit Girl.”
If they were to make a big deal about it, it could lead to unnecessary fame for herself as well.
So for now, they decided to keep this fact a secret between Luke and the Forest Keepers.
Thus, this was a secret from Diana as well.
Since Diana, being a child, had quite a loose tongue.
Anyway, the sight of the two children of similar ages giggling and running around the open lot was quite lively and brought a vibrant feeling to the scene.
“It looks fun.”
“Yeah, it does.”
Luke watched them, lost in memories.
A village where children run around, women washing clothes, farmers working in the fields, and birds coming down to the ground and flying up again…
And a neighborhood mage who was watching those scenes.
Yes, surely in that scenery, he had found joy.
For the first time, not through magic or knowledge.
“Luke, you should have emotions as well. How could a person with a cold heart move another’s emotions?”
Luke recalled that voice imprinted in his heart and lowered his gaze to his chest.
For some reason, he felt he could hear that voice from his memories more clearly this way.
“……”
However, the voice still didn’t come through more clearly.
Only the sound of his pulsing heartbeat accompanied the softly rotating circle.
“Ere, I miss you too!”
He recalled Py’s words that pleaded to his emotions.
Yes, maybe this feeling was longing.
Spirits were certainly aware of emotions.
“Longing…”
Renie, she had been much more emotional than he was, and perhaps the longing she experienced was greater than this.
At some moment in her long life, did she long for ‘Kail Propston’ more than ‘Luke Irushi’?
If so, that would truly be joyous.
Similarly, if she knew of my longing for you, would you be happy now?
Ha, how emotional I am. Renie, I never imagined that my inability to control my emotions would lead to the circle going out of control.
What do you think? Is this now the you that you desired?
Thinking like this made him want to laugh.
The flowers were truly beautiful.
Luke bent slightly and approached the flowers, sitting down.
The pleasant scent tickled his nose and felt exceedingly delightful.
“You really seem to love flowers, Luke.”
It was nothing out of the ordinary.
Anyone who saw Luke smiling with such a happy expression while smelling the flowers would think the same.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Why is that? Is it because they’re pretty?”
“It is partly because they are pretty.”
Luke quietly smiled.
It was because Renie liked flowers.
But that was a secret; it shouldn’t be said.
“Anyone would think flowers are beautiful. But have you ever thought about why they are beautiful?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
“That’s because flowers wither.”
Luke’s words were profound.
To say that flowers are beautiful because they wither sounded somewhat bitter coming from the mouth of a ten-year-old.
Luke continued speaking quietly.
“The reason flowers are beautiful is that there is a heart that thinks they are beautiful.”
“A heart that thinks they are beautiful…”
Yerna fell into thought.
What exactly did Luke want to say with this?
It was hard to grasp how the thought of flowers withering would lead to having a heart that thinks of them as beautiful.
Luke rose and continued.
“Every life has its own end. Someday this flower will wither, just like us.”
The flower wilts.
That is a farewell to happier times.
Therefore, when it withers, we remember and cherish the moments when the flower was in bloom.
“But, unlike those who don’t return, flowers bloom again.”
The revival of memories is, in fact, not a common occurrence.
The deceased do not return, and ashes that have burned cannot ignite again.
However, flowers return.
Luke finally turned to Yerna and smiled.
“That’s why flowers are beautiful.”
Yerna was greatly affected by Luke’s words.
She realized it was not only a much deeper reason than she had thought, but it was also a voice that came from deep within Luke.
The finiteness of life, the fleetingness, the emotions felt from that, and the reason flowers are beautiful…
She thought it surely contained Luke’s remarkable contemplation.
Could that be why?
For some reason, she couldn’t help but think Luke was like that flower.
Three years.
What will happen to Luke after that time?
Will the body of the experiment created by mixing dragons and beasts really be able to hold out?
After all, he fainted for three days because his heart’s mana went out of control, unable to be handled properly?
And this wasn’t the first time; this was the second.
In the midst of that, the mana accumulating in Luke’s heart grows day by day.
It was impossible to make overly optimistic forecasts.
“……Luke.”
“Hmm?”
“You really know that you will leave us in three years…?”
“……What?”
Luke tilted his head, as if to ask why she was bringing that up.
“Of course I know, didn’t we talk about it together?”
“……!”
Could it be?
Did he eavesdrop on the conversation with the doctor at that time?
She was sure she thought he was unconscious…
If she had known this, she should have spoken outside the hospital room.
Yerna reproached herself for not thinking of that and avoided Luke’s gaze.
There was no need for Luke to know that…
Perhaps the dissatisfaction he showed earlier while receiving an IV drip might have been because he had heard that story.
“Then… Luke, how do you want to live during that time?”
“What’s with the sudden question?”
Luke chuckled and replied while looking at Yerna.
“I’ll just keep living like this.”
It was an incredibly refreshing expression.
How confident he looked, it was hard to believe he was a child who found out about his limited time.
Yerna felt as if her heart was swelling just seeing him like that.
But that was the moment.
-Growl…
“Ah.”
“Oh.”
It was because Luke’s stomach, which had not received any food, was sending a signal to get food immediately.
Luke grimaced slightly, clutching his belly, and turned his gaze to the recovery potion bottle hung on his IV drip.
“Haha, looks like it’s all done.”
“Right.”
“Let’s go get that IV removed. I need to get discharged and eat as soon as possible.”
Yes, nothing had changed.
Luke was still Luke, and for now, eating something delicious was the best choice.
“Yeah, let’s do that!”
——-
Three years; in fact, Luke interpreted that period differently.
“I could never forget the temporary guardianship period.”
Indeed, the temporary guardianship period.
The time during which Yerna, being unmarried, held the same rights as a guardian for a child who was not her blood.
They had confirmed the results of the review at that time.
If there was only that reason to part ways three years later, there was no other.
Having to part ways in three years left him with a little regret.
But there was nothing that could be done about it.
Yerna was still a young elf, and Luke felt sorry for the fact that she might feel pressured to think about marriage because of him.
While leaving Yerna, who was undergoing discharge procedures, Luke stepped out first and noticed Dayton watching Diana and Pyris play.
Luke approached Dayton and sat beside him, saying, “Dayton, it seems I won’t be able to connect you with Yerna. I’m sorry.”
“Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“Yerna is already thinking about parting ways with me in three years, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to help. She probably isn’t seriously considering marriage.”
“……”
Dayton looked down at Luke with a subtle expression.
Could this kid be thinking about dying in three years…
Dayton almost felt tears forming.
Damn, I thought he was just a troublemaking little brat, but he really is a deep kid…
“It’s okay, kid. I’ll take care of Yerna myself.”
“Oh, how manly. That’s the spirit.”
Luke thought that if Dayton took good care of her, she might look at him without Luke’s help.
But perhaps, it would be okay to say this.
“Dayton, if so, let me give you one piece of advice.”
Luke recalled the regrets he had when he was unable to do the same in the past and spoke.
“True feelings always resonate. So, as much as possible, clash emotions against each other.”
As a sign of encouragement, Luke raised his fist toward Dayton, and Dayton clenched his fist and lightly tapped Luke’s small fist while saying, “Got it.”
“I’ll support you.”
