Chapter 30

A bit long, but here it is:

Cain, who was under house arrest, was told to be left alone, while Irvaleño studied with Diana, helped Elise’s maid, and assisted the butler. As a page, it was more accurate to say that he was receiving guidance rather than just helping.

He learned how to make tea, iron clothes, dress and undress smoothly, open and close doors, remove stains on the spot, and provide first aid for minor injuries.

There were specialists for making tea, doing laundry, and other tasks, but it wasn't always guaranteed that a specialist would be available when the master needed them. To ensure the master's convenience at any time, the butler said that a page must be able to do anything.

"Oh, Irvaleño, you can use healing magic?"

This happened when the butler, who had cut his finger on a document, offered his finger to Irvaleño, saying it was a good opportunity to practice the first aid he had learned. Irvaleño put down the antiseptic and gauze he had been given and healed the wound with magic. The butler, surprised, asked:

"Sorry, it was a chance to practice... but, well, since you were actually injured, I thought it would be better to heal you..."

Irvaleño said apologetically.

"No, if you can heal, it's better to do so. That's right. How much can you heal?"

"Only small wounds, and sometimes I can't heal at all if I'm not feeling well. So, I'm grateful to learn first aid."

"Hmm, I see."

If he could heal major injuries, he wouldn't have been picked up by Cain. At the orphanage, he would heal the children's injuries not immediately but during their naps or at night, making it seem like they had healed on their own. He was careful not to let anyone know he could use healing magic, as he feared being sold off somewhere.

"Irvaleño, you're studying with Lady Diana now, right?"

"Yes, I was taught by Lord Cain, but since I joined halfway, I'm learning the basics now."

"Hmm."

The butler looked down at Irvaleño thoughtfully. Irvaleño stood there, wondering if he was about to be given a task.

What the butler was thinking about would become clear after Cain's house arrest ended.

That night,

Just before dinner, Irvaleño was hiding behind a pillar when Diana, who was in plain sight, beckoned him over. When he approached, she made a gesture for him to listen and he knelt down to lean in.

"Il, guess what? I found a flower I've never seen before."

She whispered this in his ear and then showed him a flower she had been hiding behind her back. To Irvaleño, it was just a common weed that grew everywhere, especially in the poorly lit backyards of the orphanage.

"Where did you find it?"

When Irvaleño asked, she giggled and said, "It's a secret." It wasn't a proper young lady's laugh, but it was cute for her age. She then told him she had found it behind the back gate, which she clearly wanted to share.

"This flower, you've never seen it, right? It must be a new flower. So, I can name it and give it a meaning."

Irvaleño realized that Diana had never seen this common weed before. She only knew the perfectly maintained gardens of the duke's estate, where only beautiful, well-known flowers bloomed. The gardeners and cleaners kept the weeds away. The orphanage's playground, where children ran around, was compacted and didn't have many weeds, and he hadn't seen any flowers when he played there.

"What name and meaning will you give it?"

"Hehehe."

After a dramatic pause, Diana proudly announced:

"I'll name it 'Cain Flower' and give it the meaning 'I love my big brother.'"

Brother and sister, both to the core, Irvaleño thought, somewhat exasperated.

After that, Irvaleño was entrusted with the 'Cain Flower' by Diana. She said, "I can't see big brother during his house arrest, so I want to give him this flower to cheer him up." Irvaleño, as Cain's page, had a room next to Cain's, a small servant's room connected by a hidden door for emergencies. Diana, knowing this, said, "Il, you can secretly give it to him. Don't tell Father and Mother," and put her finger to her lips, saying "Shh" loudly before leaving. Irvaleño suspected that Elise's maid, who had been watching from a distance, had already told her everything, but he wasn't cold enough to disappoint Diana.

During dinner, since Cain wasn't there, Irvaleño ate in the servants' dining room. He asked the warehouse keeper for a vase, filled it with water, and placed the flower in it before returning to his room.

"Lord Cain."

He called out to Cain, who was already asleep, through the hidden door. Cain responded with a muffled voice, so he was awake. It was the fourth day of his house arrest, and Cain hadn't done anything during this time. Irvaleño, as his page, had been checking on him occasionally.

"Lord Cain, I have a gift from Lady Diana."

Irvaleño expected Cain to jump up and grab the gift eagerly, but he just slowly got up, looking sleepy. Irvaleño was confused, thinking Cain was depressed because he couldn't see Diana.

He placed the vase with the weed on the bedside table and lit a lantern so Cain could see it clearly.

"It's a weed."

"Yes, it grows everywhere outside the estate."

"Did Diana find this?"

Cain stared at the flower blankly, and Irvaleño started to get irritated. He had brought Irvaleño to the estate with such confidence, but now he seemed so listless.

"Lady Diana said it was a new flower she had discovered."

"Even though it grows everywhere?"

"It's not in the duke's garden. It's meticulously maintained and managed."

"Ah, I see. Maybe."

"Lady Diana said she would name it and give it a meaning since it was a new flower."

"You talked to Mr. Ianius about this..."

"Lady Diana said she named it 'Cain Flower' and gave it the meaning 'I love my big brother.'"

"Ciana..."

Cain's eyes wavered, and a tear formed at the corner. Joy, sadness, fatigue, and resignation mixed in his eyes. Irvaleño had seen such eyes on a few adults. They were the ones who, in the end, accepted that this was their salvation or those who, after a wild outburst, realized they couldn't escape.

"Lady Diana said she found it behind the back gate. She must have really wanted to find a new flower. She wandered around the estate all day."

Even Ianius's morning class had been moved outdoors at her request. Irvaleño, who was also in the class, had listened to lectures on flower breeding and other topics.

"Lady Diana said, 'Big brother, please get better soon.' How long are you going to mope around? There's plenty you can do even during house arrest."

Irvaleño finally complained in a more relaxed tone. This wasn't the Cain he knew. He had things to say after returning from his hometown, but Cain was in this state when he came back, so he hadn't had the chance.

"Or, is Lady Diana's happiness no longer important to you? After all the effort you put into it, are you just going to give up?"

"Of course not!"

Cain stared at the flower, then covered his face and started to cry softly.

"I just want to protect Diana. I just want to take care of her. But I don't know how. I don't know if what I'm doing now will lead to a better future... I thought I had set things up for both outcomes, but maybe I was wrong..."

"I don't know, but isn't the current Lady Diana happy?"

"I'm scared. One wrong move, and everything could be for nothing. I can't afford to make a single mistake."

"Maybe picking me up was a mistake?"

"I don't know. But I think I eliminated one possibility of Diana being unhappy... I hope... I'm not sure."

"Maybe learning embroidery and joining the embroidery club was a mistake?"

"It might have been... I don't know... I didn't want Diana to meet that person."

"Maybe spoiling Lady Diana was a mistake?"

"I don't know. I don't know. I'm scared because I don't know what to do anymore."

"Maybe nothing has failed yet. That means you haven't failed at all."

"If I fail, it's over... I can't afford to fail."

"That's not true."

Irvaleño sat on the edge of the bed and ruffled Cain's hair, something he used to do to comfort the younger children at the orphanage.

"You picked me up and showered me with kindness. I haven't repaid you yet. Help me with what you're trying to do. I'll cover for your mistakes. That's why I'm studying. I care about Lady Diana too. I don't want her to be unhappy. What's bothering you? What has you so down?"