Dark Fantasy: Super Coward Mode
Select the paragraph where you stopped reading
Chapter 116 Table of contents

Outside the silent meeting room, in a mysterious place I couldn’t identify, the Gardener and I stood alone.

The Gardener’s gaze rested steadily on me, as if waiting to see how I would respond to her earlier question. I could sense a mix of anticipation and a hint of fear in her eyes.

The question: Why wouldn’t I call their names?

At first, I intended to deflect, as the reason I avoided their names stemmed from a distrust toward them—something I knew would undoubtedly offend her.

But as I prepared to speak, I looked at the Gardener and shut my mouth again. If you looked closely, you’d notice her small flinch, as if my hesitation was a punch directed at her.

Damn it.

Why did she act like this towards someone like me, a human who could be crushed underfoot if she wished?

…It must mean she’s never had anyone genuinely on her side.

Someone like me approaching them openly—it was something she trusted deeply. To spin this now into something evasive would be disrespectful to the Gardener. Above all, these were beings who had helped me without expecting anything in return.

“…There was something the mystic once told me.”

“What was it?”

“They said, if I were to compare you and the other Entities, it’d be like comparing nobles and commoners. If you confess your feelings to a commoner by mistake, there might be some way to escape, but if you’re caught by a noble, there’s no escape.”

The Gardener’s eyes widened. Perhaps it was the moment she understood why I had been so desperate to avoid calling her name.

Her face gradually darkened, and, forcing a smile, she pointed to herself with a trembling finger.

“Am I… someone you dislike?”

It seemed like she was trying to make it easy for me to respond, but the way her fingers trembled openly conveyed her vulnerable feelings. To an outsider, it might sound as if she was hoping I’d say there was still a chance for me to flee.

“No, of course not!”

“Then why say something like that…?”

“If you think about what I said in reverse, it means I’d be a shackle to you.”

“What…?”

The Gardener, beginning to sweat, looked visibly disturbed.

But my words were no accident.

“As I mentioned to the chef earlier, I’ve only helped you once. I didn’t do it to gain anything. Yet you all expressed gratitude, and some of you even showed affection and continued to support me. It’s honestly beyond what I deserve, and I’m incredibly grateful for it. But you… you’re not meant to be tethered like this. You’re beings meant to find something freer… and more joyful.”

Entities were not supposed to be confined by anything.

They could act freely if they wished, but it saddened me that they’d lose their freedom on my account when there must be so much more they want to do.

Finishing my words, I lowered my head, suddenly gripped by fear. I worried that the Gardener might look at me with scorn after hearing such cowardly words.

I was truly a contradictory being.

That truth hit me hard after encountering the twin Entities.

While I could mercilessly deal with humans who meant harm, I showed mercy to Entities with tragic stories.

Now, while I wished they wouldn’t be bound to me, I feared they might leave.

I mocked myself, thinking how pathetic I was.

Suddenly, the Gardener stepped forward, grabbed my shoulders, and pushed me forcefully.

“Urgh…!”

Luckily, there was a tree behind me, so I didn’t crash too hard.

I looked at her with a startled expression, and she was watching me with trembling eyes.

“You fool…!”

The Gardener, still holding onto my collar, began to grip it tighter.

Before I had time to be surprised, she continued.

“Don’t say such ridiculous things. Don’t reduce our relationship to one of being ‘tied to you’! You know, that’s an arrogant thought! You’re assuming we’re bound to you from the start. Why do you think you can decide for others?!”

When she finished, I was speechless.

She was right.

What I had done for her was supposed to be for her sake, yet even that had been nothing but arrogance.

I had elevated her, placing her on a pedestal in my own mind—such unforgivable pride.

“Do you even know what I was thinking by being with you in the first place?”

The Gardener hesitated, frowning before gritting her teeth and opening her mouth.

“It’s because I like you, you fool…! Don’t reduce my feelings to something trivial like gratitude!”

Ah.

Hearing those words, my mind went blank.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t noticed. Anyone would be a fool not to pick up on the Gardener’s fondness after seeing it so many times.

But the reason I froze was that I finally realized how presumptuous I had been in assuming I could define her feelings so simplistically.

To think I had dismissed such complex and nuanced emotions as something born from a single act of kindness.

“Then…!”

Just as she seemed about to say more, I sensed someone approaching from behind.

Could it be one of the Entities from the meeting room?

I wanted to calm the Gardener quickly, but I was too slow.

A force shoved me from behind, throwing my weight onto the Gardener.

Thud!

I fell on top of her, sending petals on the ground fluttering into the air.

I felt her warm and gentle presence.

Her breath brushed against my face, close enough to feel.

Unlike my panicked state, her gaze remained entirely focused on me.

Feeling I’d overstepped, I tried to move away, but the Gardener’s hand encircled my neck like vines wrapping around a tree.

Before I could act, she pulled me close, and a soft warmth enveloped me.

For a moment, I couldn’t say anything.

There was a hint of a pinkish sweetness to it.

And perhaps a dash of fear, too.

When our lips finally parted, she covered her mouth with her fingers, turning her face away.

The flush in her cheeks told me exactly what was going through her mind when she did that.

“…If you understand my feelings, stop running away.”

Ah.

Truly.

I was such an idiot.

Maybe I still felt a dissonance, stuck in the mindset of being in a game.

These aren’t real, they’re nothing but hollow shells, I’d tell myself.

Was that why I had disregarded their genuine feelings?

I touched my fingers to my lips, where the sensation still lingered.

It held the Gardener’s care and sincerity.

I wondered if she, too, felt the same fear as me.

Breathing a bit unsteadily, she kept her eyes closed.

She must be afraid I’d act against her feelings.

I gently brushed my hand through her hair.

She opened her eyes carefully, meeting mine.

“…I finally understand my real flaw. I was always causing trouble, yet here you are, looking out for me. I’d say I’m indulging myself.”

I gave her a warm smile.

“Thank you.”

Fiore.

The moment I said her name, her eyes widened in shock.

“D-Deputy Leader!”

“For the last time, stop reporting to me! I can see it with my own eyes!”

Marenne scolded the agitated knight, though she couldn’t blame him.

The knight’s tone was unusually intense, and she could see firsthand the reason behind his behavior.

The trees that had wilted and revived, dancing wildly, suddenly stabilized, standing firmly upright.

Then, from the branches, something began to swell.

White flowers began to bloom all at once.

They were dandelions.

“A tree blooming with dandelions? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Dandelions weren’t even trees; they were weeds.

Which could only mean that this bizarre occurrence was tied to the Gardener.

“Seems like my subordinate has done something ridiculous,” Marenne muttered.

Suddenly, White Mask approached.

Noticing her confusion, he snorted, looking at her with an amused expression.

“You should avoid giving flowers as gifts.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“If you knew the meaning behind white dandelions, you wouldn’t be standing here in such bewilderment.”

With that, he turned and began walking back toward the station.

“It brings to mind the charge I had almost forgotten about for my subordinate.”

Watching him chuckle, as though genuinely amused despite the ominous nature of his words, Marenne grew even more confused.

What could this strange phenomenon have to do with Tanton’s charges?

“Alpha.”

“Yes, Deputy Leader.”

“…Do you know the meaning behind white dandelions?”

“No, I don’t.”

“…What a shame.”

It wasn’t until the event was fully over that Marenne finally learned the meaning of the flower, and she was left thoroughly shaken.

 

Write comment...
Settings
Themes
Font Size
18
Line Height
1.3
Indent between paragraphs
19
Chapters
Loading...