Chapter 20

Solei, drinking tea, suddenly sniffed the air.  

“By the way, there’s a scent in this house stronger than the tea.”  

“Hm?”  

“It’s lavender.”  

Apparently, Solei had a sensitive nose. How could she smell Lyle’s scent hours later?  

She wasn’t the only one with a keen nose. Gin chimed in,  

“That’s right! Mom, there’s a scent in the house. I smelled it when I woke up in the morning before, too. What is it? It’s a really nice smell. It was the same scent then.”  

Was he talking about the day Lyle snuck in and slept here? Lyle, leaving traces and expanding his presence like this! Ethea quietly fumed.  

Solei asked,  

“You don’t use perfume, right? Are you using something different lately?”  

“Uh, just… nothing special.”  

Ethea brushed it off and sent Solei and Lily home.  

Even though Lily was rejected, she begged to sleep with Gin, and Gin gently soothed her and sent her home. On days like today, after a trip, Gin sincerely wanted to sleep alone, but to Ethea, even that was cute.  

After Solei’s family left, Ethea took the letter from the drawer. It was the reply Lyle had written to Gin.  

Honestly, Ethea wanted to intercept this letter too, but she worried Lyle might not let her off if she did, so she decided to give it to Gin.  

“Gin, you got a reply! The envelope is ordinary for a palace letter, but it’s definitely from His Majesty.”  

When she told him, Gin’s mouth dropped open in surprise.  

“Wow! Finally! Finally! His Majesty sent me a letter! Ah, I love it! It’s the best!”  

Was it really that great to get a reply from the Emperor? He was as happy as if he’d gotten the whole world. His eyes, so much like Lyle’s, curved with laughter, and Ethea felt strange watching him.  

If Gin took off his teal lenses and showed his golden eyes, he might look like a miniature Lyle.  

***

Lyle’s mother had weak lungs, but said lavender scent comforted her. It really did—lavender made her cough less and improved her mood.  

Maybe that’s why. Lyle never spared money buying good lavender perfume. He gave it to his mother as a gift, and always wore it himself.  

On the day he first visited Ethea’s house, he wore it too.  

‘You always smell nice. Lavender, right?’  

‘Yeah.’  

‘I like that scent, too.’  

Lyle was glad Ethea liked it.  

But sometimes the scent wasn’t good for Ethea.  

‘The scent lasts so long. It’s nice, but it’s dangerous. At least in our house.’  

‘Dangerous?’  

‘The scent lingers after my father comes home. He hates it.’  

‘Ah.’  

Lyle knew the story of how Ethea’s parents separated, so he was scared.  

‘I’ll be careful.’  

After that, when visiting Ethea, Lyle stopped wearing perfume, or didn’t go inside if he did. Playing in the warehouse or pantry was enough, and going outside was fine.  

‘How does the scent last so long?’  

‘It’s a magical perfume.’  

‘Wow, that’s amazing.’  

‘Should I get you some? It’s only supplied to the Imperial Family, but if you want a scent, I’ll get it for you.’  

He could get her anything she wanted, but Ethea refused.  

‘No, I can’t use it anyway. I always have to help my father…’  

‘But having it feels good, right?’  

‘Maybe.’  

So he gave her a few bottles.  

Ethea didn’t use perfume, but she liked the scent. Maybe it was because she disliked the sulfur smell that always filled the house and clung to her.  

She liked the scent of herbs in the yard, and all kinds of flower scents when passing by trees. She didn’t only like beautiful scents. She liked the smell after rain, the smell of earth, the smell of grass.  

Lyle liked watching her get happy when she got lost in a scent. When excited, Ethea was especially affectionate.  

Lyle still vividly remembered how she looked when she said she liked lavender. She’d come close, press her cheek to his arm, sniff, and smile brightly—her teal eyes making him want to kiss her. Just thinking of it made his heart race.  

‘They say humans live on memories.’  

With the scent of lavender, Lyle didn’t see the sky as red. It was the color of memories, the color of those old days.  

***

Ethea felt uneasy. She’d sent two letters to her father, Javir, but hadn’t received a reply.  

How are you? I won’t need support anymore, thank you for everything, I want to repay all the money I used…  

She sent letters like that, but there was no response.  

Did something happen? Worried, she decided to leave Gin with Solei and visit Javir’s house.  

“Ethea, I bought a lot of yellow apples and wanted to share them. Try one. Gin will like it.”  

“Perfect timing, Solei.”  

“What’s up?”  

Ethea explained the situation, and Solei offered to watch the kids at Ethea’s house.  

“Lily’s been saying she’s bored, so this works. Don’t worry about the kids, just go.”  

“Thanks, you’re the best.”  

“I hope nothing’s wrong with your father.”  

As Ethea got ready to go out, Gin, listening to their conversation, asked anxiously,  

“Mom, are you going to Grandpa’s house?”  

“Yes.”  

“Oh, what should I do?”  

“What is it?”  

“Well, um… um…”

Gin trailed off at the end of his sentence. He was usually a clear child, so this was unusual and frustrating.  

“Why? Is something wrong?”  

“No, it’s just…”  

Gin only fiddled with the bracelet he had received as a gift from his palace friend—meaning Lyle—on his wrist, unable to easily open up.  

From his demeanor, Ethea could tell.

‘Gin, this kid. He’s plotting something with Lyle.’

Ethea was about to tell her child not to be evasive and to speak properly, when suddenly someone knocked at the front door.  

No one was expected. Could it be Javir? He might have come to talk in person instead of replying to her letter.  

Ethea quickly went to the door.  

“Who is it?”  

“It’s me, Seisil.”  

Seisil Lint. That suspicious Mage Tower Master!  

At his unexpected visit, Solei asked,  

“Who is it? Seisil?”  

Ethea replied, watching Gin, who seemed nervous,  

“I’m not sure.”  

When she opened the door, Seisil greeted them with his characteristic sly smile and elegance.  

“Hello, Lady Parazia. Hello, Gin. Greetings, beautiful Lady. Hello, cute and charming little princess.”  

He greeted not only Ethea, but everyone present. How could he be so uninhibited?  

Solei and her daughter, meeting Seisil for the first time, welcomed him warmly.  

“Oh my, who is this handsome man in mage attire?”  

“Mister, who are you?”  

Seisil, ever sociable, proudly introduced himself.  

“If I may say so, I’m not someone you see every day—a man like a gift! Head of the Mage Tower! The intellect of the Empire! The charm of the continent! The world’s only pure-hearted handsome man! Seisil Lint. Let’s be friends. We will be friends. Wahahaha!”  

His introduction was too long. Listening to it, he sounded like a quack merchant. Where does that confidence come from?  

Of course, the head of the Mage Tower isn’t just any intellect, and his looks do have a pure charm, but Seisil’s bold self-praise amused Ethea.  

‘And now he says we’ll become friends. Lyle is enough to tire me out already.’

Solei and Lily’s eyes sparkled at Seisil’s boastful introduction. Normally, such a self-introduction would seem suspicious and burdensome, but to Solei and her daughter, Seisil looked like a popular actor.  

“Oh my, I see. Come in, please. It’s a pleasure and honor. The head of the Mage Tower—are you a mage or a god?”  

That was tolerable, but—  

“But it’s strange. Why would someone like you come to see our Ethea…?”  

Seeing Solei say that, Ethea sighed.  

‘Is there a reason I shouldn’t know such a remarkable person?’  

While Ethea was feeling unfair, Solei suddenly began spinning a story.  

“Wait, maybe…? Yes. Ethea went to the Imperial City recently, and you came to this humble house, Lord Lint….”  

“Hey, what’s humble about it?”  

“Quiet, Ethea. Is Lord Lint Gin’s father…?”  

“Solei, please, you really need to watch your mouth!”  

Ethea seriously considered locking Solei in the storage room for a while.  

But Seisil was already inside, pulling Gin’s cheeks and smiling. Looking at Gin so lovingly only made Solei’s misunderstanding seem more plausible. It was truly annoying behavior.  

“Of course, I’d love this cute kid to be my son. But unfortunately, I’m not his father—maybe his godfather.”  

“Godfather? What do you mean?”  

Ethea decided to step in before Solei could ask more questions.  

“That’s enough introduction, Lord Lint. Why are you here?”  

Seisil, as if the question was odd, asked Ethea in return.  

“Oh, didn’t Gin tell you?”  

“What are you talking about?”  

Ethea looked down at Gin, who still seemed hesitant, and he confessed,  

“Mom, I’m sorry.”  

“For what?”  

“His Majesty said it was a secret, so I couldn’t tell you until now. Actually, today… I’m going to visit the Imperial City. His Majesty invited me. That’s why Lord Lint came—to take me himself, so he’d feel reassured.”  

Apparently, Gin had started calling Seisil “Lord” lately. He’d called him “brother” before, but now it was “Lord.”  

Ethea was so shocked she couldn’t speak. Gin, shrinking at his mother’s reaction, rambled,  

“I’m sorry, really sorry. I shouldn’t have secrets from you, Mom… But exchanging letters made me really want to go to the Imperial City. So I wanted to ask for permission, but couldn’t say it. I want to ask now, is it okay… Mother?”