“Of course the Duke has one too!”

Noah pulled out another item he had prepared beforehand and promptly presented it to Lynen. The Duke appeared quite surprised, likely not expecting to receive an award himself.

“This is…”

“It’s a Best Swordsmanship Teacher certificate and a pouch that can hold anything. I made both myself.”

After a moment of shyness, Noah read the certificate he had created.

“This certificate is awarded to this adult for providing excellent swordsmanship lessons and demonstrating exemplary behavior as Lady Calliphe’s fiancé.”

“That last part is… never mind. Thank you.”

Lynen accepted the certificate and gift with an expression half touched, half puzzled. I moved closer to examine the pouch he had received.

“It looks almost identical to the one you gave me before?”

“Yes, but the embroidery pattern is different.”

The embroidery on my pouch featured a golden rose, while Lynen’s had a blue… X mark.

I playfully whispered to Lynen, “Looks like he’s planning to eliminate you someday.”

“…”

Lynen also seemed perplexed by this mysterious symbol.

“You have quite a talent for embroidery. This pattern is especially… very dynamic… like scissors.”

“…They’re swords. Two swords.”

“Oh.”

They were swords? An awkward silence fell until Dietrich hastily clapped his hands.

“Applause! Let’s have some applause!”

Clap… clap-clap-clap!

The band quickly increased their volume, and fortunately, the party’s lively atmosphere continued. Lynen was examining the award he’d received from Noah with Raul, while others began chattering among themselves. Meanwhile, I headed alone toward the entrance.

Dietrich followed me. “My lady, where are you going?”

“Just need a moment alone.”

“Then let’s go out together. I have something to discuss about our business—ARGH!?”

Imelen suddenly charged from the side, headbutting Dietrich and dragging him away. That girl has such strange friendships with the children.

I shrugged my shoulders once and stepped outside. “Good. Now I can finally check this.”

I had gone outside to examine the prize I received from Noah. Upon unwrapping it, I discovered transparent glass beads.

“Seal stones?”

They were seal stones that could be engraved with magic—artifacts of the highest quality, befitting a Harvest Festival grand prize. But our family already has plenty of these.

“What I want is the fairy mint flower seeds that should be inside…”

They weren’t there? Inside the beads, only mysterious sand-like powder sparkled; nothing resembling flower seeds was visible.

“That’s strange. In ‘My Little Noah,’ they definitely found flower seeds in the seal stones.”

The novel didn’t detail the exact process of obtaining them, so I wasn’t sure how to acquire them.

“Do I have to research and dig through references again? How bothersome.”

Just then, “Lady Calliphe, why are you alone?”

“Allen?”

Allen approached me, looking somewhat tense. He was carefully holding something in his arms—a meticulously wrapped gift box.

“What’s that?”

“Oh, I didn’t expect you to ask so directly.”

After a moment of surprise, Allen seemed to make up his mind and extended the gift toward me.

“I prepared this for you, Lady Calliphe. I was contemplating how to express my feelings…”

“Feelings?”

“…”

Allen’s cheeks grew increasingly red. Unable to meet my gaze, he lowered his eyes slightly.

“Y-you’ll understand when you see it.”

Could he possibly like me? I suppose I’ll know once I check the gift, as Allen suggested.

I immediately unwrapped it, revealing… “A holy scripture?”

“Yes! I-I made it myself. Other clergy helped too. It’s a new scripture with you as the protagonist.”

He really went through with writing a scripture about me, just as he had mentioned before.

“It chronicles how Lady Calliphe saved the saint and priestess of the Grand Temple, unsealed the Light Spirit, and revitalized the Grand Temple.”

“Isn’t ‘chronicle’ a bit much? I think all that took just about a week.”

“It c-contains my wishes too!”

Is that acceptable for a holy scripture?

“…Don’t you like it?”

While I was pondering whether this was appropriate, Allen anxiously pointed to the border illustrations in the scripture.

“I drew these flowers thinking especially of you, Lady Calliphe. This way, the flowers will never wither… I-I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable.”

As he said, each page of the scripture featured intricately drawn flowers. The book, filled with white lilies, felt like a sacred bouquet in itself.

“Not at all. It’s wonderful. The lilies look so lifelike.”

I answered with a bright smile. If he had actually given me a bouquet, I might have thought Allen was confessing to me. But lilies were traditionally common illustrations in scriptures, symbolizing pure faith.

“I understand your feelings well.”

“…!”

[Faith +1]

[Faith +1]

Seeing my faith increase again on its own, it seems he’s truly serious about sanctifying me. Allen, delighted, hurriedly explained himself.

“Th-thank you. Actually, I know about your relationship with the Duke.”

“Huh?”

“I once used my ability on the Duke. I’m sorry.”

“Well…”

Relationship? Does he mean he knows about our contract engagement?

Though I was surprised, there seemed no need to deny it. I hadn’t disclosed it myself, so it wasn’t a breach of contract.

Something else was more important.

“Come to think of it, doesn’t the Saint possess the Eye of Truth?”

“Yes. It’s the ability to discover facts someone is hiding. It can only be used once per person. Oh, don’t worry! I would never use it on you, Lady Calliphe. With Duke Ortega, I didn’t realize my ability had recovered, and it happened without my knowledge…”

“That’s it!”

I grabbed Allen’s shoulders as he spoke increasingly rapidly in his flustered state. I held the seal stones out before his eyes.

“Can you use your ability to look at these?”

“…Pardon?”

* * *

Allen helped Calliphe discover the flower seeds hidden in the seal stones. More precisely, he uncovered the secret to sprouting them.

“So I just need to bury them among other plants?”

“Yes. I’m not sure exactly what the flower seeds look like or why you need them. I can only say I saw the secret to reviving the dormant seeds.”

Calliphe immediately buried the seal stones in a nearby greenhouse as instructed by the secret. After completing everything, she expressed her gratitude and returned to the hall where the party was being held.

Allen took a satisfied breath. 

‘I conveyed my feelings through the language of lilies.’

He had even filled the book with hand-drawn lilies as a gift. While Allen was feeling embarrassed by himself, he spotted Imelen looking down at him with half-closed eyes from the balcony.

“Ah, Imelen. How did I do?”

“…”

“Was I too bold?”

“…”

“She said she understood my feelings well, so I think she’ll give me an answer soon.”

“…Eeeeeh.”

That’s not going to happen.

Imelen saw the bleak future awaiting her brother who was smiling like sunshine. Perhaps becoming true family with her big sister would have to wait for the next life.

Just then, Mihail’s voice came from behind.

“Saint! Noah wants to play hide-and-seek. Come quickly!”