Hibiren Flowers And Recital (10)

Soon, Berna and Greek left the concert hall as per the Duke’s orders.

At the same time, Duke Delian’s voice rang out, cold and unforgiving.

“They’re worthless.”

The blonde woman responded to his voice.

“Uncle?”

The Duke immediately continued speaking.

“How dare they refuse the glorious opportunity to serve the Delian duchy? Before we seize their entire business, we’ll ensure that Count Greek’s family becomes a laughingstock in the noble society. Those who overestimate their position deserve a fitting end.”

“Then, the reason you passed them…could it be!”

“Exactly. They couldn’t even perform properly. They’re likely the type who falters under pressure. There’s nothing to see in their skills. What could a rural noble’s talent amount to? If they were any good, we’d already know about them.”

The blonde woman, seeming pleased by Duke Delian’s certainty, responded with a laugh.

“Oh, so that’s it! I didn’t even realize… Then all that’s left is for me to display my overwhelming skill and make them a laughingstock…”

But her words were abruptly cut off.

“There’s no need for that. The moment she starts playing, her hands will tremble, and even if she forces herself to perform, she’ll be met with nothing but mockery and jeers.”

“Hohoho. As expected of you, Uncle!”

They’re quite the perfect match.

Well, it was odd from the moment they discussed passing her, and I figured it was something like this.

Thanks to the Duke, the situation became crystal clear.

So I laughed.

The finals are going to be very interesting.

It’ll be even more exciting if Rurin showcases her abilities as a dragon.

“You? What are you doing, really?”

As I was lost in thought, Rurin brought me back to reality.

Rurin had just said something, but I was distracted by the Duke’s words. She mentioned that this wall-slam made her feel strange.

“Um, this wall-slam, I mean…”

At that moment, I suddenly remembered what happened the other day.

Now, Rurin was twisting her legs awkwardly, looking at me shyly.

Her ears had turned red.

When she said it made her feel strange, she meant that.

In other words, it was the perfect atmosphere for a kiss.

We were that close, with my arms nearly brushing against her ears, trapping her against the wall.

But Rurin had refused my kiss the other day.

Since then, everything had been normal, except for that.

Even now.

This was the perfect chance to clear up the awkwardness from that time.

No one could see us from here. The building’s structure hid us from view. We were so close that I could hear Rurin’s breathing.

So there was no reason to hesitate. I leaned in and tried to kiss her.

But just before our lips could meet, Rurin, who had been looking at me shyly, suddenly turned her head.

As a result, my lips brushed against her cheek instead. Even then, it barely grazed her skin before landing in the air due to her quick movement.

“Rurin?”

I was stunned. The other day, I could have thought it was because she was sleepy, but now, her refusal was blatantly clear.

I shot her an intense look, and Rurin glanced at me with a strange expression before quickly turning away again.

“You, you avoided my kiss the other day too, didn’t you?”

“…Th-th-there’s a reason.”

A reason, huh.

So she intentionally avoided it last time too.

But why?

She was standing here, blushing, looking all shy. So why?

A strange emotion began to rise within me.

Rurin rejecting me was something I had never even considered.

Since Rurin first expressed her affection for me, she had never refused me.

That’s why I had always been certain that Rurin liked me.

And Rurin had always shown that belief through her actions.

But now, why?

Frustrated, I grabbed Rurin’s chin and turned her face toward me. Her face was pulled weakly in my direction, and my reflection appeared in her dark eyes.

If the goal was just to kiss her, I could force it.

But…

The kiss itself wasn’t the goal.

So I wanted to know why she refused. That was a natural feeling, a desire. So I kept asking, like a parrot,

“Why?”

“Why?”

But Rurin was also like a parrot, repeating the same thing.

“Th-th-there’s a reason!”

So I asked.

“And what if I still want to kiss you?”

“That’s fine, but! Ahhh, no, it’s not fine!”

Her answer was contradictory. When I let go of her chin, Rurin covered her face with both hands.

“I’m not here! I’m not here, so…”

“Rurin, it makes me mad if you act like this without explaining why.”

“Don’t be mad! J-just wait! I’ll tell you if you wait. No, no, I mean, I won’t!”

Rurin crouched down and hid her face, then curled up into a ball and shouted.

“I-I’m going to practice first!”

And with that, she teleported away, leaving me staring in bewilderment at the spot where she disappeared.

Wait?

Nothing has changed. But she refused to kiss me. At this rate, she might even run away if I try to hug her.

Is “wait” just an excuse? Has she changed her mind?

Or is she asking me to wait because her feelings have changed?

It doesn’t make sense, but my once-solid belief began to waver slightly.

I had never considered this kind of situation before.

Rurin liked me so much, she always said so herself. I never thought she would ever reject me.

Because I was the only one thinking that way.

Maybe she just wasn’t in the mood for a kiss.

It’s understandable to refuse in an awkward situation.

But just now, she mentioned she felt strange, her eyes were sparkling, and her ears were red – it was a perfect mood.

She told me to wait, so I think she has something in mind.

My mind was rationalizing it, but being rejected twice left me with a strange feeling that kept constricting around my heart.

The first thing to deal with is Greek and his mother.

On my way back to the Imperial Palace, I inquired about the boy’s residence. He was surprised by my visit and began explaining everything that had happened, as well as Berna’s trauma, like a child tattling to a parent.

He explained why he decided to participate in the competition and how that decision almost inadvertently dragged him into the political arena, causing a significant issue.

“Is that so.”

No wonder Berna’s condition seemed so strange, even considering she had just been slapped.

“I don’t know what His Majesty is thinking, but at least we avoided elimination in the preliminaries like last time. However, she’s still distressed because she couldn’t play the Regana.”

So that’s what it was.

The situation is crystal clear.

I was curious about what Greek was thinking.

“Do you really not know what this means?”

Given the current situation of the Greek family and what happened in the preliminaries.

If you combine all of this, there’s something you need to realize if you want to become a great lord.

If you haven’t realized that, it means you won’t even become a promising sprout.

I looked at the boy with a firm gaze, hoping that wasn’t the case.

“That is…”

Fortunately, Greek shook his head firmly.

“I know. And honestly, I’m confident about the finals! Whatever His Majesty’s intentions, if my mother can just play the Regana properly, I believe we can silence everyone… I’m that confident!”

“Confident…huh.”

I smiled at Greek.

Fortunately, it seems he has developed the insight to understand the flow of events.

That growth is satisfying. Of course, he doesn’t yet have the cunning or power to manipulate others, but…

I smiled in anticipation that such a day would come soon.

As he gets dragged through the dirty world of politics, he’ll gradually learn how to navigate it.

“Yes! But…that’s only possible if my mother can play the Regana in the finals without what happened earlier. If only she could play…”

The boy looked at me with a different expression than when he was asserting his confidence.

In fact, there is a way.

Of course, there’s no 100% certainty. Ultimately, it’s a problem they have to solve themselves.

However, I could offer some advice on the method. That’s why I came.

It’s best if Rurin wins, but it wouldn’t be good for me if Berna, the insurance, can’t even perform in the finals.

“Count Greek.”

I called his name seriously, and he flinched with a surprised expression, then straightened his back and answered loudly.

“Yes, yes!”

He was in a listening posture, so I began to explain the method I had in mind.

“A closed-off emotion like this can’t be solved by straightforward means in this situation. Instead, you need to use a different emotion, even if it’s a bit underhanded. And right now, you’re the only one who can use that emotion.”

“I’ve tried everything I could. Everything failed!”

“Have you really tried everything?”

Greek nodded, but I shook my head and gently placed my hand on his shoulder.

“You’ve faced a lot of humiliation since coming to the Capital to participate in this competition, haven’t you?”

“Y-yes.”

“The reason the Duke and nobles despise the Greek family isn’t related to Count Dedran. Have you ever honestly told Lady Berna about the stakes of this competition, the current situation of Greek, and everything involved?”

“I didn’t tell her because I thought it would worsen her trauma.”

“Despite how she may seem, Lady Berna has a strong maternal instinct. But from what you’ve told me, that maternal instinct is probably lying dormant inside her right now.”

“Master? I-I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“You want to show her that you’ve grown, don’t you? You want to show the mother who raised you that you’ve matured and make her rely on you, right?”

“……”

He couldn’t answer this question, probably because it hit the mark. But eternal silence is impossible unless you’re dead.

Soon, the boy nodded quietly.

“I want to grow up. As soon as possible. So…!”

“That’s a good thought, but you need a change in direction right now. Lady Berna has certainly been relying on you a lot recently. But on the other hand, she still wants to be your mother.”

“A mother is a mother, no matter what anyone says! Before and in the future…!”

It seemed Greek misunderstood my words, probably due to his insecurity about Berna not being his biological mother.

“That’s not what I meant. What I’m trying to say is something different. Be honest with Lady Berna about your situation and rely on her. That’s how you can help heal her trauma. You’re still young, and that’s obvious to everyone. Even if you think you’ve grown up and actually have, you don’t need to stop relying on her. At times like this, tell her everything, like you did when you were little. Complain to her! Tell her you’re frustrated! Tell her you want to show those who looked down on the Greek family that they can’t underestimate you, and that the only way to do that is through her performance! Cling to her like that.”

If you do that…

Berna’s maternal instinct will kick in.

She’s that kind of woman.

In this world, there is no love greater than a mother’s heart.

There is no love as pure as the infinite love a mother has for her child. Even if she’s not your biological mother, if Berna has already accepted Greek as more than just her son in her heart…

Her trauma stems from her love and guilt toward her late husband.

But if her son cries out for help, if he pleads that playing the Regana is the only way to show those who underestimated them what they’re made of…

She can become strong.

Her maternal instinct will drive her. A mother is always strong when it comes to her child.

After I finished speaking, Greek couldn’t say anything.

He just stood there, seemingly lost in thought. He was probably contemplating.

I patted his shoulder and left the mansion. From here on out, it’s up to the boy and Berna to handle things.

And truthfully, this isn’t the time for me to be helping others.

Because my mind is in turmoil over Rurin.