Chapter 278 – Are You a Flower? (3)

Gu-seul stood on the balcony, silently gazing at the horizon.

The sun was setting, and the moon was rising. The sky looked beautiful, as if water had been poured over various hues of paint. Below, trees grew thickly, and even further beneath them, summer flowers were in full bloom.

“Phew.”

She glanced at the flowers. Gathering saliva in her mouth and swallowing, a bitter taste reverberated.

Her concern had materialized quite quickly. She had subtly hinted at it, but she never expected such a blunt approach.

She spread her magical energy thinly enough not to trigger any alarms and surveyed her surroundings. Several people seemed to be following her. Perhaps it was Lee Si-heon’s scheme, or the World Tree and the Hunter Association’s ruse, wary of the Flower.

“Haah…”

Yawning, Gu-seul entered the contact number into her cellphone.

Upon dialing the number, several vibrations sounded. After pressing the digits a few more times, the call with the other party was finally connected.

[What is it?]

A low female voice could be heard.

“Uh, Auntie. How have you been? The flowers here are so lovely. Should I send you a picture?”
[…….]

Momentarily taken aback by the sudden use of the term ‘Auntie,’ Hong-Yeon hastily assessed the situation and responded to Gu-seul’s inquiry.

Right now, she found herself under considerable suspicion. Tracking was designed to be impossible. The conversation between Gu-seul and Hong-Yeon was already being routed through Flower’s affiliated companies. Even if they detected something fishy, it seemed they didn’t yet possess the power to intervene.

Gu-seul continued the conversation with ease. There was a certain enjoyment found in teasing someone in an awkward situation.

[I don’t like flowers. How is the Forest Keeper selection going?]
“Ah, of course! Auntie, haven’t you been watching TV lately? We’ve known each other for so long. Didn’t you know I passed the second trial?”

[I’m sorry.]

Gazing at the flowers in full bloom below, Gu-seul raised the corners of her mouth.

[Are you ready?]

Softly, Hong-Yeon whispered, so only Gu-seul could hear.

“Huh? Oh, not yet. The third trial is quite long. I haven’t even started assigning mentors.”
[Then, it must be King Mokryeong.]

Gu-seul didn’t reply. She simply repeated “Yeah.” and “Oh, really?” in a bright voice. In order not to be caught following, the opponent is unable to use their abilities or magical powers. There are cameras around here, but no wiretaps.

‘There’s a wiretapping device in my room, too.’

If she were to tamper with it carelessly, even that could raise suspicions.

[Do as you please.]

Isn’t she too disinterested in King Mokryeong? He could be related to either Gu-seul or Hong-Yeon.

Does she think that if she’s consumed by a lust for power and orders him to kill King Mokryeong, it would reveal her true nature?

That was not the case. Hong-Yeon seemed unconcerned with whether King Mokryeong was present or not. Her tenacity shone through as she focused solely on her responsibilities, viewing King Mokryeong as merely one of the prophecies.

“Alright. I need to eat dinner now, so I’ll hang up.”

After putting her phone in her pocket, she sighed again. Would she align with King Mokryeong or not? It might be Lee Si-heon’s choice, but even within Flower, this issue was a source of conflict.

The executives, divided from the first to the eighth, had all established their independent forces. They claimed to cooperate, but in reality, they were vastly different factions. If all the executives had united from the beginning and fought against the World Tree, the psychological warfare would have already ended.

Flower’s disagreements were among the most deeply entrenched issues.

‘Do I bring King Mokryeong to my side, or do I kill him?’

This matter was also included in the agenda.

Excluding the eighth leaf that effectively has no executives, the assertions regarding King Mokryeong are as follows:

First and second: The seventh executive seeks to bring King Mokryeong to their side. In contrast, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth positions aim to kill Lee Si-heon.

The first and second executives, Taragon and Canna, initially created the Flower and established their power. Following them, five more executives joined: Cistus, Lotus, Honeysuckle (Indongcho), Pianhua, and Freesia.

As they battle each other for their personal interests, will anything ever be resolved? There is a reason why they cannot deal with even a single authoritative World Tree that perpetuates corruption.

“…”

Flower, the unoccupied eighth leaf, was intended for King Mokryeong from the beginning.

If Lee Si-heon enters, he will sit at the highest position, placing him on equal footing with the first leaf. If this comes to pass, everything will be in accordance with the saintess’ prophecy. From now on, the task of putting it into practice lies in Gu-seul’s hands.

“Sigh.”

But it’s so difficult.

‘Lee Si-heon knows his position all too well.’

Lee Si-heon is caught between the World Tree and the Flower, two forces that sway him. Yet, in contrast, he could also be someone who has the potential to wield both powers simultaneously.

King Mokryeong’s latent abilities are sufficient for him to become an executive right now. If left unchecked, he truly poses a risk of engulfing both forces.

The World Tree is aware of this as well. Hence, they must persuade Lee Si-heon before he switches sides and as quickly as possible.

Inadvertently, they find themselves in a power struggle. From Gu-seul’s perspective, she had no intention of being hostile toward Lee Si-heon.

‘The eighth leaf without an executive is like a seedless watermelon.’

The eighth force is the weakest among the eight executives. It’s due to Hong-Yeon’s skill and incredible power that they have achieved this level of influence; without her, they would have been mere pawns.

The existence of King Mokryeong is crucial for their advantage.

Yet, Hong Yeon, who currently leads the power, has no interest in King Mokryeong. Guseul, the middle manager, is the only one feeling frustrated.

That’s how it is in the middle – squeezed from above and struck from below. A position laden with stress.

“…sigh.”

It’s desolate. Handling it alone is overwhelming.

At this point, wouldn’t it be better to just draw attention and die? Impulsive thoughts make her head pound.

Just as her negative emotions were about to cross the line—

– Thump.

In an instant, Guseul’s expression turns cold.

A dogwood tree. A being without a flower language.

Born within the Flower, raised with the purpose of serving inside the Flower. They are brainwashed, so they cannot feel emotions beyond a certain level. There is no flower language – a way of saying they cannot find the reason for their birth.

Consequently, plants of unknown origin or lineage often exist without purpose or dreams, living unconsciously.

A life that awaits its fate on the ground, only to be harvested and utilized like a mere tool. Gu-seul, Tae-yang, and Aori all had similar beginnings.

“Anyway.”

She organized the thoughts that filled her head, focusing on what she needed to do.

Gently caressing her feverish forehead, she let out a sigh to dispel her emotions and then smiled again.

* * * * * * * *

“Brother.”
“Why are you guys here?”

The appointed time to meet with Gu-seul.

She had been sitting on the sofa, snacking and browsing her phone, when Aori and Tae-yang unexpectedly emerged from the bedroom.

“Ah~ If it was about meeting Flower, of course I should go with you, right?”
“Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I’m quite the intellectual, didn’t you know? Leave the hard work to Aori.”

Tae-yang chuckled and pointed to his back. Behind him, Aori, wearing a maid outfit from an unknown origin, was approaching with a brisk stride.

Why does she have that outfit?

I stare at him with a bewildered expression.

“It’s her hobby.”

Maid Aori. She busily moves around the area, setting dishes on the sofa. As she does this, she looks at me with a somewhat self-assured expression.

“I have all sorts of cosplay costumes, in every size. Let’s see, there’s the bunny girl, the reverse bunny girl, an elementary school swimsuit, a school uniform–”

“Are you bragging?”

“You like it, don’t you? Just say the word if you need one. When you’re building a relationship with someone you know… I made them myself, so they feel great to wear.”

Would there even be an occasion to wear something like that?

I may enjoy other types of outfits, but I’m not one to watch cosplay videos. The disconnect is too strong, making it difficult to take it all in.

‘Hold on.’

In this world where even the most exotic hair colors appear natural, wouldn’t any outfit be beautifully worn?

Heaven in the Frictional costume.
Although I dare not say it to my teacher… I want to see it at least once.
Heaven truly adores that outfit.

“Keep it for now.”
“Confirmed.”

-Rustle.

This time, I heard the sound of something being touched in the kitchen.
It’s not Aori; it’s Tae-yang.

“What are you up to now?”
“I’m making treats.”
“Do you really have to?”
“Well, we’re welcoming guests.”
“You’re the only one who would serve treats to Flower.”

Tae-yang creates treats to his taste, spreading apricot jam on cookies brought from the buffet downstairs or topping them with fruits. Surprisingly, he seemed familiar with the process, his movements fluid and free.

“I’ve seen them once before.”
“…What?”
“I told you. I lived in the lab until I was 15. I think I saw them a few times back then.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“And their situation is similar to ours.”

Tae-yang lifted his teacup with a displeased expression. No matter what, Flower didn’t seem like someone worth entertaining, at least by my standards.

“We must uphold the king’s dignity.”
“That’s right, Your Majesty.”

With both of them saying that, I had nothing more to add. It wasn’t entirely wrong to put it that way. From their perspective, they likely couldn’t fathom why I was hostile towards Flower.

King Mokryeong was a presence that wouldn’t seem out of place anywhere or at any time. It wasn’t strange for him to treat another faction with respect.

“Here you go.”

Tae-yang placed the cookies he had made on the table between the sofas. The already luxurious cookies were enhanced with fruits and jam, giving them an even more gourmet appearance.

-Glug.

Aori was pouring tea nearby.

“What are you two even doing?”

Watching them, I felt both grateful and baffled. They claimed to be the king’s loyal servants, but were they sincerely trying to fulfill that role? Or had their hobbies always been like this?

If not, were you trying to gain my favor?

– Knock, knock, knock.

It wasn’t long before the sound of knocking filled the air.
Aori hurried to the entrance without realizing it.
Upon unlocking the door, she carefully opened it.

As soon as Gu-seul entered and saw the atmosphere inside the room, her face hardened.

“…What? Weren’t you alone?”

Unintentionally blurting out the question, I shrugged my shoulders.
Tae-yang was sitting on the sofa next to me, pointing at the seat in front of me with his chin.

“Sit down.”

Gu-seul’s face tensed up as soon as her eyes met Tae-yang’s.
Were the two of them acquainted?

Hold on a moment.
Was this guy hiding something from me again?
It seemed ridiculous to pry into his identity while talking to a star.

“…Why are you staring, brother?”

– Smack!

“Ouch!”

Without realizing it, my outstretched hand struck Tae-yang’s forehead.

“Keeeeeeeeeee.”

Tae-yang stumbled clumsily, falling to the ground. Gu-seul watched the scene with a puzzled expression.