Gardenia’s Heart

Without other children her age in the small village, her days could often feel lonely, yet they were filled with little joys.

”Almost... Almooost...”

Hanging upside down with her legs wrapped around a tree root on the side of a steep hill, the little girl stretched her arms with all her might, trying to reach something.

Her legs were already tired, and falling from over three meters would be dangerous, but she refused to fail in her mission. After several sweaty minutes filled with determination, Lily finally achieved her goal.

”Got it!”

Quickly using the last of her strength to pull herself back into a safe position, Lily gazed with delight at the small blue flower in her hand. A beaming smile spread across her face as she skipped around, as if all her effort had been completely worth it.

”Will Daddy be happy?” Dirt covered her face and clothes, and a lot of grime had accumulated under her sandals, but the triumphant girl couldn’t help but exclaim with joy.

Once she finally calmed down and looked around, Lily noticed the golden rays of sunlight reflecting off the green leaves from directly above. The large, cooling shadows in the forest that hadn’t been there earlier were a sign that hours had passed since she arrived. Although it was nice to enjoy the shade, it was already lunchtime. Her morning adventure had taken longer than she expected, so she needed to head back.

Carefully placing the blue flower into her small leather pouch, Lily turned and started walking along the path she had used to reach the hill, her eyes still scanning the ground for any other pretty flowers she might find.

”Hello~!”

The sound of birdsong was like a melody to her ears, and whenever she spotted one perched among the branches, Lily waved cheerfully, showing her appreciation for their presence. Her father had taught her that it was important to greet everyone, so Lily made sure to do so whenever she could.

When the forest canopy no longer shaded her head, she immediately saw the small houses of her village.

“Oh, Lily, good morning!”

Her blue eyes followed the voice and landed on an older woman milking a cow. Despite looking up to greet Lily, the woman’s skilled hands continued working without pause, a testament to her years of experience.

“Good morning!”

Lily liked the cheerful woman, who often shared leftover milk with her, saying it was to help her grow strong and healthy.

“Good morning, Lily.”

“If it isn’t Lily, off playing in the forest again?”

A little further ahead, Lily was greeted again, this time by a father and son chopping wood with large axes.

“Good morning!”

She liked them too. The older man always helped repair her house when her father couldn’t, and the young boy beside him often shared the fish they caught from the river.

After offering a polite nod in farewell, Lily resumed running. Her father had told her that those three were a family, just like him and her.

Lily didn’t know why her family didn’t have a mother. Her father never explained when she asked. So, with no other choice, she simply assumed that was how things were.

Her small eyes scanned the village houses. Lily had recently learned to count up to twenty, so she knew their village had fewer houses than that.

Because the village was so small, everyone knew each other. There wasn’t a single person Lily didn’t like, as everyone was kind and always willing to help one another.

As she ran joyfully, it took only a few more minutes for her to arrive at her little wooden house.

Of all the things in the village, Lily adored her house the most. Hopping and twirling through the colorful garden, she delighted in the bright variety of flowers. The fresh breeze carried the scent of petals through the air, creating such a pleasant floral aroma that it made her giggle with happiness.

“Uuuh!”

Her six-year-old body was far too short to reach the doorknob, making her let out faint grunts as she tried to stretch her tired arms toward it.

However, unlike earlier when she had dangled upside down, she now had the advantage of being able to take small jumps to grab hold of the knob.

With another triumphant grin, Lily slowly opened the door and marched inside with pride.

”I’m back, Daddy!”

Crossing the threshold, her nose was immediately greeted by the delicious smell of freshly baked food, and her beloved father’s warm voice soon followed.

“Welcome back.”

Standing beside the small oven, a middle-aged man of average height carefully removed a clay dish filled with roasted vegetables.

His dark brown hair, subtly streaked with white like the leaves of a snow-covered mountain, was unkempt and long enough to brush lightly against his blue eyes.

Lily didn’t understand why her hair was so different from her father’s, but having the same blue eyes as he filled her with joy.

Setting the dish gently on the table, he approached her, his steps slow and heavy due to an old wound on his leg that never seemed to heal. Lily knew that even though her father cultivated medicinal herbs and tried various remedies, nothing had ever been able to cure his injury. She didn’t fully grasp the complexities of potions, but when she asked the village apothecary about it, he explained that not even intermediate potions could heal her father’s wound, so it was better to let it be.

Lost in thought, Lily gave a small start when a brown cloth was used to wipe the thin layer of dirt from her face.

“Lily, you went into the forest again, didn’t you?”

His subtly scolding tone made Lily shrink slightly, placing her hands behind her back.

“I-I didn’t go very far.”

As he cleaned her face and arms with the damp cloth, Lily avoided his gaze with all her might, determined not to meet his eyes.

“Even if you didn’t go far, it’s still dangerous to go there alone.”

“Because of the bad monsters?”

She asked, stealing quick glances at her father’s face to gauge his reaction. She expected him to be angry about her little adventure. But when her eyes finally settled on his expression, there was no anger—only a quiet, unsettling melancholy.

“There are always other dangers to be mindful of. The world isn’t kind enough for us to live carelessly. Lily, remember this: it’s not just the monsters you need to be cautious of.”

“It’s not?”

When the little girl tilted her head in doubt, her father sat down on the chair and placed her on his lap. Carefully, he took a few vegetables from the dish, blew on them gently, and brought them close to the girl’s mouth using a hand-carved wooden spoon.

“Lily, do you know why I love you?”

That question made the little girl freeze. Why did her father love her? This thought had been imprinted on her heart as a fact since she was born, so she had never stopped to think about it.

Just like we need food for energy or air to breathe, her father’s love for her was a given. Was there a reason behind it? That’s what Lily pondered as she placed both hands on her head, trying to think with all her might.

Watching his daughter concentrate so intensely that it seemed like smoke might come out of her head, the man couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he gently stroked her silvery hair.

“I love you because we’re family. Lily, you’re my daughter, which means that no matter what happens, I will always love you more than anything else.”

“Because we’re family?” Lily repeated his words, her blue eyes showing a faint confusion.

“Yes. Being a family means protecting and loving those who are important to you. Your health and safety will always be my greatest concern, and that’s why I’ll always love you.”

Carefully hugging Lily, the man smiled softly.

“But what about the neighbors? Do they love us too? Is that why they treat us so kindly?”

Seeing his little girl reflect so deeply on his words, the man felt a renewed joy. Taking care not to let the food cool, he continued feeding her small bites as he elaborated further.

“There are different kinds of affection. What I feel for you, Lily, is love, and what the neighbors feel for us is friendship and kindness. All of these are positive emotions that can only be felt by those who have empathy and understand the importance of protecting what matters to them.”

After finishing Lily’s meal, the man gently wiped the corners of her mouth with a cloth before continuing.

“However, there are people who don’t understand these feelings. People who don’t care about love or kindness wouldn’t hesitate to hurt others to get what they want.”

Lily felt her stomach turn cold, her fingers intertwining nervously as she looked up at her father with concern.

“Are they worse than the bad monsters?”

The man paused for a moment, stroking his unshaven chin as he carefully considered his words.

“Monsters attack humans out of instinct. It’s something they do without ulterior motives. As long as we stay away from them and keep to safe places, we’ll be fine. These people, however, are human, just like us. They walk the streets and might even share our dinner table, but even if they seem like good people, they’d still harm others if it served their desires. Monsters are bad, but we can tell they’re bad just by looking at them. Bad people are the hardest to recognize.”

He tried to weigh his words carefully, but when he saw the frightened look on Lily’s face, he realized he might have gone too far in his explanation.

“But you don’t need to worry, Lily,” he reassured her, wrapping his arms around her once more in a protective embrace. “You’re a smart girl, aren’t you? Even if bad people try to pretend to be good, I’m sure you’ll notice. And besides, Daddy will always protect you, so you don’t have to worry about any of that.”

Although still shaken by what she had just heard, Lily quickly brightened upon hearing how much her father trusted her. This reminded her of her morning adventure, and she leaped from his lap to grab her bag.

“Daddy! Look what I found today!”

The moment her father’s eyes landed on the bluish flower she pulled from the bag, his face lit up in surprise.

“You found this in the forest?”

“Yes! I’m smart, aren’t I? It was in a ravine, so it was hard to reach, but I managed to get it!”

Lily exclaimed joyfully, affirming her own amazing feat several times. Her silvery hair, tied in a braid, swayed back and forth as she hopped with satisfaction at her father’s astonished expression.

Her father, on the other hand, though he wanted to scold her for taking such a risk to retrieve the flower, couldn’t bring himself to do so after seeing her so thrilled. Rising to his feet, he spoke gently.

“Lily, come with me.”

Leaving the house with his daughter, the man made his way to the garden. From flowers and herbs to fruits and vegetables, colorful flora of all kinds clustered around their home. The fact that the garden was many times larger than the area used for their house made it clear to anyone that this family valued their plants far more than a luxurious residence.

Walking carefully and slowly due to his injured leg, the man led Lily to the backyard garden. There, flowers of even more vibrant colors spread out in neatly ordered rows, and the pleasant fragrance was much stronger and more intense than the flowers near the front door.

“Are we going to plant the flower I found!?” Lily asked, her face still glowing with excitement.

“Unfortunately, because it’s a mana herb, even if we plant it, it won’t last long and will wither. Remember?”

Her father’s words reminded Lily of what she had forgotten—it wasn’t possible to replant a mana herb.

“The flower I found is a mana herb!?” Lily hadn’t even realized the flower she collected was such a rarity. She had chosen it simply because it was shiny and beautiful, oblivious to its significance.

“You picked it without knowing that?” Her father chuckled, stepping closer to her and pointing at the flower in her hand. “Then I suppose you don’t know its name either, do you?”

Lily shook her head, her curiosity about the glowing blue flower growing even stronger.

“This flower is called an Oceanite Lily.”

“Me!?” Her face lit up in shock, her sudden burst of excitement interrupting her father before he could explain further. “I’m a flower!?”

Her father couldn’t help but laugh. He only restrained himself from bursting into full laughter to preserve his composure in front of his curious daughter. Taking a deep breath to regain his composure, he spoke again after calming down.

“You’re not a flower, Lily, but I chose your name because of this flower.”

Seeing the little girl tilting her head in puzzlement, he gently stroked her silvery hair before continuing.

”Just like this bluish flower reminds me of a clear sky, just like your eyes, lilies also symbolize innocence and virtue. When you were born, there was no other name I could give you.”

Crouching down, the man gently rubbed Lily’s cheeks as she laughed with joy at his words. The cuteness radiating from the girl seemed to have an overwhelming effect on his heart.

“Do you like flowers, Lily?”

“Yes! I love them!”

The man softly scratched his unshaven beard, a warm smile spreading across his face. His daughter’s radiant response shone brighter than the sun itself. Devoting his life to being a florist had been his dream from the start, and seeing his daughter embrace the same passion filled him with happiness.

“All right, now let’s get to the reason we’re here.”

Taking the Oceanite Lily from her hands, he gestured toward the garden.

“Since this is the first mana herb you’ve ever found, we’re not going to sell it. How about we gather a few more flowers and make a hair ornament with them?”

The idea thrilled Lily, and she started flailing her arms in excitement.

“Yes! Let’s do it! I want to make one!”

“I’m glad you’re excited. But to keep the ornament simple and light, we’ll need to choose just one type of flower to use. What’s your favorite?”

The little girl didn’t hesitate for a second before running to the other side of the flower bed. She crouched down and pointed at a specific flower with her tiny finger.

“This one right here!”

Taking his time to approach, the man almost let out a whistle when he saw the flower his daughter had chosen.

“A gardenia? That choice proves you’re truly my daughter.”

“Hehehe! Stop it, Daddy, your beard tickles!”

Feeling her small fingers trying to push away from his face, the man loosened his embrace and stepped back with a playful grin.

“Sorry~”

Picking up a small wicker basket from the side of the garden, the man carefully removed a few flowers from the ground. He made sure to show Lily each step so she could learn how to do it herself in the future.

“They’re flowers that need a lot of sunlight to grow. Your great-grandfather, my grandfather’s father, once told me that most of these flowers were wiped out when the southern plantations were destroyed by the fog, which blocked out the light.”

After gathering what he thought was enough to make the ornament, the man stood up, followed by his bouncing daughter, who enthusiastically carried the wicker basket.

“Daddy, if my name has a meaning, do gardenias have a meaning too?”

“That’s a great question. Gardenias symbolize purity and sincerity—two things that are very rare to find these days. If I ever have to give your hand in marriage, I hope it’s to someone who embodies those qualities.”

“Buh! Lily already said she’s going to marry Daddy!”

The man, who hadn’t realized he could laugh so much in a single day, walked happily back into the house with his daughter. The sun slipped below the horizon, ushering in the dark night once more.