Chapter 19:
Karus, who had been admiring Father Roxhan, fell silent at my words, looking a little dejected.
But cheering up a grown man was too much trouble, so I just pretended not to notice.
‘…Huh!’
Then suddenly I realized the flaw in my own thinking.
‘Without realizing it, I was so immersed in young Asphodel that I called him “mister,” but Karus and I were about the same age before I died, weren’t we?!’
Then I shouldn’t be calling him an old man!
That’s right. After all, I was in the prime of my life too!
A little while later, we arrived at the entrance to the Rosarium.
“Father Karus, I want to see the fruit too. Can’t we just go in together for a bit? Please?”
I clung to Karus and begged.
“Your Highness cares so much about the fruit… I should be the one grateful.”
Perhaps because we had already run into each other while visiting the fruit last night, he accepted without hesitation, clearly touched.
“We’ve come to see the fruit for a moment.”
As expected, since it was right after the incident, the guards stopped Margaret and the other attendants.
Still, I was royalty, and Karus personally vouched for me, promising to take responsibility if anything happened, so we were allowed inside.
We passed through the gate and walked down a single narrow path that stretched like a crystal cave.
“Hehe. Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve ever come to the Rosarium with another royal.”
Karus spoke in a slightly excited tone, like a child going on a picnic with a friend for the first time.
But I couldn’t bring myself to smile along.
The closer we got to the place where the Fourth Prince’s fruit was, the faster my heart began to pound.
‘Please sleep deeply tonight.’
‘Then good night, Asphodel.’
As I remembered those cold eyes gleaming like ice between waves of jet-black hair, the smoldering heat in my chest began to burn again.
Jerkaine, the Fourth Prince who had rebelled and killed me.
The scoundrel who even sent his subordinates into the sacred temple—an inviolable zone of the empire—just to purge me.
And the sinister black energy his subordinates used…
‘To think he would dabble in such vile power. That’s practically final-boss level villainy.’
Was there some kind of law of conservation of villains?
After I finally defeated the true antagonist, why did my younger brother suddenly take his place?
This time, a real happy ending had been right in front of me.
Do you know how hard I worked to get there…?
I clenched my small fist tightly.
“We’re here. Once we pass through that door, we’ll be in the holy ground.”
At the end of the path stood a white gate with bars that looked as if they had been carved from eternal snow.
Creeeak.
As Karus and I approached, it opened on its own.
A flood of sweet fragrance rushed out.
True to its name as a sacred place, the Rosarium was filled with an auspicious aura.
Beyond the gate was a vast open space incomparable to the cave we had passed through. Flowers and leaves glittered everywhere like jewels.
Even though it was clearly daytime, the sky here was dyed in the purple hues of late evening.
A mysterious aurora hung gently in one corner of the sky like a veil covering a cradle.
It felt as if fairy dust was floating through the air.
As expected of the Garden of the Gods.
Perhaps because it was a place directly touched by divine breath, everything felt majestic and mystical.
“The fruit is over there.”
Karus carried me on his back as he moved.
The Fourth Prince’s fruit was growing in a place where white tree roots tangled together like a nest.
Considering that he was dark both inside and out, I expected the fruit to be black too, but surprisingly, it was a pale, delicate color that looked clean and fragile.
Looking at the fruit wrapped in green vines, I frowned without realizing it.
“…Are all fruits like this before they bloom?”
In truth, this was the first time I had ever seen a royal family member in fruit form.
Even in the novel, Asphodel only saw the Fourth Prince after he had already been born.
And in my previous two lives, I had never come this early to see him before he bloomed.
“No. I heard this fruit is especially weak.”
Karus answered gloomily.
The fruit was unbelievably small for something supposedly nurturing life.
It looked like it could fit easily in the arms of my five-year-old body.
And more than anything, the leaves around it were turning purple and nearly withered.
Karus gently stroked the fruit a few times and then poured the red dog urine tree sap he had carefully carried all this way over it.
The liquid quickly seeped into the surface.
The foul smell instantly filled the Rosarium.
For a moment, the oval-shaped fruit seemed to tremble slightly.
It looked as if it shuddered.
But the movement was so faint it could have been my imagination.
And soon even that stopped.
Karus looked pained by it, but I felt as if cold water had been poured over me.
What the heck is this?
This weak, pitiful thing killed me?
I know. I have a bad personality.
That’s why I said I could never be the sunshine heroine type.
“Father Karus, put me down.”
“Yes. But it might be dangerous, so don’t wander around alone.”
“But what’s that? Is that where the fire was?”
Near the fruit, there were traces of black scorch marks.
Looking closely, some of the leaves and stems were burned as well.
“Yes, that’s right. The fire reached this far inside. It could have been disastrous. Still, it’s fortunate the fruit wasn’t badly hurt.”
Honestly, it would’ve been better if it had just died.
I felt a little guilty thinking that while looking at Karus’s bright smile, but it was the truth.
I hated the one who betrayed and killed me, and I wanted revenge just as badly.
But I still hesitated at the thought of killing him with my own hands.
So wouldn’t it have been easier for everyone if he had just burned to death?
I stared at the fruit and slowly reached out my hand.
“Can I pet the fruit too?”
“Of course. If big sister touches it, Kkakkungie will like it!”
K–Kkakkungie?
That was way too cute for the nickname of the wicked Fourth Prince.
‘The cold-blooded First Prince gets called “baby,” and the scheming Fourth Prince is “Kkakkungie”?’
And I’m not your sister.
Since you can’t tell the gender before the flower blooms, Karus seemed to think this one was a girl.
“Fruit, don’t get sick and grow big and strong.”
While speaking kind words, I carefully examined the fruit’s structure with cold eyes.
Harboring the heart of a secret murderer.
If I wanted to kill this thing, where and how should I do it?
Should I just grab the core and snap it off the stem?
Of course, I couldn’t kill it in front of Karus.
Even if I pretended I didn’t know any better because I was young, things wouldn’t end so simply in the adult world. It would only put Father and Hiserion in a difficult position.
Then maybe I could secretly damage the stem or roots instead?
If I was lucky, it might die slowly and naturally before being born.
“Eat well and get plenty of sunlight…”
With such dark intentions, I moved my other hand and touched the lukewarm fruit.
I made sure to avoid the spot where the smelly sap had been poured.
Even though it had already seeped in, it still felt gross.
“Grow big…”
Thump!
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, a strange sensation spread through my skin, and I pulled my hand away in shock.
What was that?
For just a moment, overwhelming sadness and pain flooded in from the fruit.
I could feel vividly how much suffering it was in—and how desperately it clung to life despite that.
The emotions were so clear, as if they were my own, stirring instinctive sympathy deep inside me.
I froze, unsure what kind of phenomenon this was.
“Just now! Kkakkungie moved a lot! I guess it really likes it when Your Highness touches it.”
Karus exclaimed excitedly.
“Could you pet it one more time?”
At his urging, I placed my hand on the fruit again.
This time, what flowed in was pure joy and relief.
Like a lonely animal curled up in the rain, finally feeling warmth for the first time and clinging to it.
Annoyance flared up instantly.
‘Th–This arrogant little thing. Who do you think you’re trying to charm?’
Forget the perfect crime—I suddenly felt the urge to crush it right here and now.
But strangely, the pitiful emotions flowing into me kept dulling the sharp edges of my anger.
A little later, I looked down at the hand I’d pulled away with a complicated expression.
“Is it just my imagination? The fruit looks livelier now. It even seems to have more shine.”
Karus babbled happily, completely unaware of my inner turmoil.
“Fifth Consort, Third Princess. It’s time.”
