Gardenia’s Heart

Cutting through the air, a tall woman in a perfectly tailored suit flew at full speed alongside the branches of the colossal tree.

“Please, come back!”

Shouting as loud as she could, Rhei kept accelerating, beating her wings and changing direction several times during the chase.

Ahead of her, step after step, two dark leather boots echoed powerfully against the wood.

“Not yet!”

Leaping from one branch to another, long silver hair fading to lilac at the tips danced in the wind. Rolling over a branch and quickly getting back on her feet, the young girl adjusted her sleeveless black dress with precision—the bluish ribbon around her waist and the one on her choker adding a refined elegance to every movement.

“Lady Rose, please, come back!”

Gaining more and more distance from the bee woman, the small girl smiled teasingly.

Even hundreds of meters above the ground, there was no hesitation in her leaps. Using the momentum, Rose threw herself toward another higher branch—however, halfway through her jump, a black shadow instantly appeared before her.

“You won’t catch me this time, Akasha!”

Grabbing the fairy’s paw before its claws could reach her dress, Rose twisted her body midair and positioned herself above the creature. Pushing off the black wolf’s back with both hands, the girl launched herself in the opposite direction.

However, the few seconds spent in the air turned what should have been an easy jump into an impossible one. If nothing was done, she would plummet straight toward the forest floor.

Spinning in midair, the little girl smiled. From her back, a single bluish tentacle shot out, wrapping around the base of a branch and pulling her body upward.

Landing with ease, Rose faced her failed pursuer. Now clinging to the side of the great tree with its claws, the black wolf narrowed its eyes toward the girl—who defiantly kept closing her hand in her direction, inviting the fairy to try again.

Without wasting time, she drew the bluish tentacle back into her body and resumed running at full speed, her silver hair swaying wildly. Not even a drop of sweat appeared on her face; she could keep going forever.

“What do you mean I’m going to get caught?” Rose muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Just as she was about to gain distance again, something grabbed her foot and coiled around her entire body, lifting her swiftly off the ground.

“Buh!”

Now hanging upside down by a purple tentacle, the two-toned-haired girl puffed her cheeks, her bluish eyes narrowing in protest.

“Portals don’t count! Mama Nia’s a cheater!”

Swinging back and forth several times, the small girl, her arms and legs tightly wrapped, glared at the purple-haired woman slowly approaching her.

“Rose, what did I tell you about running away from bath time to play?”

Pulling the little girl toward her, Nia unwound the tentacle, holding her gently by the shoulders before hugging her close.

“That we can play together later… and that we should take care of our bodies by keeping them clean.” Lowering her eyes toward the ground, Rose pressed the tips of her fingers together.

Watching the small girl resting her head against her stomach, trying to hide the embarrassment of her actions, Nia couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

“Very well.” Stroking her daughter’s silvery hair, Nia gave a gentle smile before quickly glancing around. “Now, let’s go—we might make it to the bath before Mama Lily sees u—!?”

“Before I see what?”

Appearing beside the two girls in the literal blink of an eye, a woman with heterochromatic eyes looked at them—her smile warm, yet not quite reaching her eyes.

Jumping slightly in place at her mother’s sudden appearance, Rose glanced from the corner of her eye at the grinning black wolf behind the woman.

Obviously, Akasha had tattled on her through the mental link with her mother after being provoked.

Narrowing her eyes with a look that clearly said, “You’re a cheater too,” the little girl shrank back again.

“Rose, it’s almost dinner time. Why aren’t you in the bath yet?”

Approaching the small girl, Lily knelt down to her level, gently running her hand through the child’s silvery hair.

Though she knew her mother wasn’t angry, Rose couldn’t help but tense up and rub one arm with her hand.

“Mama Lily, I… I just didn’t want to take a bath alone…”

Mumbling without meeting her mother’s eyes, Rose kept rubbing her arm nervously.

However, as the silence stretched on, the girl finally gathered her courage and lifted her head—only to find Lily staring at her with both eyes wide open.

“My dear, if you had told me that before, we would’ve bathed with you~” Finally coming back to her senses, Lily leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her daughter’s forehead.

However, it took only a moment for all that composure to crumble again.

“I don’t like taking baths with you.”

The sentence, spoken in a perfectly casual tone, made both mothers freeze in complete shock.

“W-What do you mean, my love?”

“D-Did something happen, Rose!?”

The two wives clung to each other in panic, staring at the small girl, who now had her cheeks puffed out in protest.

“When we get in the bath, Mama Lily always starts playing with Mama Nia and forgets I’m even there! Every time!” Stomping her boot against the ground, Rose gripped the sides of her dress, her face puffed up with frustration.

Hearing her daughter’s complaint, Lily began to think of what she could possibly say.

But before she could come up with an answer, a familiar sound echoed from the wooden mansion—and Rose’s blue eyes widened with joy.

Dashing back toward the house at full speed, the two-toned-haired girl quickly burst through the double doors and ran toward a specific room.

Bathed in a warm orange glow, two figures with pointed ears stepped out from a pattern of glowing runes drawn on the floor.

The taller woman, whose long hair reached all the way to the ground, carefully adjusted her light garments as she watched the orange light fade completely, her emerald eyes finally noticing the small girl running toward them.

“Well now, Lady Rose, good evening.”

Greeting the smiling child, Thelira braced herself for a possible hug—but Rose rushed past her without hesitation, running straight toward the figure behind her.

“Cherry!”

Calling out cheerfully, Rose’s eyes sparkled as she saw the shy girl—only slightly shorter than herself—holding a paper bakery bag.

Her appearance resembled the soft light of dawn.

A honey-gold dress, made of fabric flowing in warm shades of yellow and black, featured a corset adorned with interlacing ribbons. On both arms, wide, delicately gathered sleeves added a gentle touch, like petals opening in the breeze, perfectly matching the full, layered skirt.

On her back, two small translucent wings extended gracefully, like natural stained glass. At her waist, a black stinger surrounded by white fur peeked out from beneath the fabric of her dress.

From atop her head, two small antennae curved forward, framing her short golden hair streaked with obsidian strands, tied into twin tails by two ribbons that fell neatly to her shoulders. Her eyes, darting quickly yet shimmering with brilliance, gleamed in a majestic shade of emerald—crescent-moon pupils glinting like gemstones.

“R-Rose!?”

Startled by the girl throwing herself into her arms, Cherry struggled not to stutter as she was wrapped in a tight embrace.

“Bath! Let’s go take a bath!”

Grabbing Cherry’s hand, Rose spoke in an excited tone as she started running down the hallway.

“W-Wait, I brought a sweet so we could eat together!”

Trying her best to speak despite her nerves, the golden-haired girl attempted to calm her friend—but to no avail. She was dragged away at full speed.

“I’m always amazed by how much they’ve grown in just eight years.”

Covering the soft laughter that escaped her lips with one hand, Thelira greeted the three women arriving at the same time the two girls disappeared into the distance.

“Fufufu. Rose is a hybrid between a human and a shapeshifter, and the same can be said of Cherry, who was born from a high elf and a golden bee,” Rhei said in a monotone voice, wrapping an arm around Thelira’s waist. “Their growth curves can’t be measured by normal standards. I estimate that their bodies will begin entering puberty soon, and their minds may already be developing beyond that.”

Still holding Nia close, Lily stepped toward the two women, one hand resting on her hip while her eyes followed the running girls.

“She might be growing fast, but she’ll always be my cheerful, energetic little girl.”

The silver-haired woman couldn’t help but feel a soft warmth rise in her cheeks as she recalled how Rose, after eating a few pieces of a gray octopus, had managed to create a tentacle to help her walk when she was only a year old.

“On the other hand, I still don’t know what to do about Cherry’s shyness. Aside from Rose, she hardly ever speaks openly with other children her age.” Resting one hand on her cheek, Thelira sighed softly. “Speaking of which, does Rose still talk to herself?”

The elf’s gaze turned to Lily, who was still watching the girls dash down the hallway.

“It’s been happening less often, but sometimes it still does. I think enrolling her in Selene’s school has helped. Even though we’re always with her, children need to interact with others as much as possible. Staying isolated here can be lonely sometimes.”

Although she and her wife loved their quiet life in the secluded mansion, Lily knew that wasn’t necessarily true for Rose.

Her daughter was incredibly energetic, spending most of her days running and playing. Sending her to school a few days a week gave her the chance to interact with others and release some of that energy — and under Selene’s supervision, Lily could rest easy even while they were apart.

“Rose is the best student in her class.” With her hands on her hips while still being hugged by her wife, Nia spoke proudly.

Unable to hold back a quiet chuckle at her wife’s enthusiasm, Lily turned to Thelira again.

“I thought only Cherry would be coming today to join us for dinner. Did something happen?” she asked, tilting her head.

“I wish I could say I simply finished work early and came to see my wife,” Thelira said, pulling her body closer to the tall bee-woman beside her. Her emerald gaze sharpened as she looked at Lily and Nia. “But something has come up—something that requires my full attention.”

The seriousness in her tone made it clear how important the situation was. As twilight fell upon the great forest, her emerald eyes gleamed with anticipation.

“The invitation has arrived. The time we promised you both has finally come. The Council of the Three Races of Phaea is about to convene.”

---

The warm, comforting steam filled the large bathroom.

Sliding off her white tights and carefully removing the ribbon from her hair, Rose finished undressing completely before reaching toward the clothes that had fallen to the floor, turning them into a gelatinous mass that flowed back into her body.

“Why do you always take your clothes off instead of just dissolving them on your body…?” Cherry asked, shrinking her shoulders and hiding her face behind the dress she had just removed. She glanced at the silver-haired girl who ran over to a small counter and grabbed a bar of soap.

“Mama Lily always tells me to do it this way.” Rose replied, pouring a bit of water over her arms before rubbing the soap between her hands. “If I always dissolve my clothes while I’m still wearing them, I’ll end up ignoring common sense with other things too.”

After placing her own clothes into a basket, Cherry picked up a small shower cap that had already been prepared for her. Carefully covering her delicate antennae so they wouldn’t get wet, she sat down on a small stool beside Rose and began rinsing herself as well.

As the hot water flowed over her arms and legs, a gentle smile spread across Cherry’s face. The water in the mansion’s bath felt just as good—perhaps even more comfortable—than the palace’s. Yet, even in that pleasant warmth, she couldn’t calm down. After all, she couldn’t stop sneaking quick glances at the silver-haired girl beside her.

“Rose… why did you fight that girl again? The one who tried to talk to us at school yesterday?” Cherry’s voice came out barely above a whisper, almost lost in the air, while her index finger twirled a few strands of her blonde hair in small circles.

“She didn’t have good intentions.” Rose answered casually, as if simply stating an undeniable fact. Finishing with the soap, she began gently scrubbing Cherry’s back. “I don’t want to talk to people who have a malicious glow—and I won’t let that kind of person get close to you.”

Taking care not to hurt the girl’s small translucent wings—no bigger than the palm of a hand—Rose made sure to clean Cherry thoroughly, from her shoulders to the tips of her pointed ears.

“…This about glow again?” Cherry mumbled, her voice trembling slightly as Rose washed her.

“The glow is important,” Rose said firmly.

Pouring a bucket of warm water over both of them, Rose guided Cherry toward the large hot bath.

“She wasn’t exactly a bad person, but her glow was full of bad intentions.”

Helping Cherry step in and sit down, Rose tied up her long hair and nestled herself between the other girl’s legs, guiding Cherry’s arms to wrap around her body. Sitting any other way might have caused Cherry’s stinger to accidentally hurt her.

“I only feel comfortable around people with warm glows—like my mothers… and like you, Cherry.”

The words, spoken with a genuine smile, made Cherry’s cheeks flush. Wiggling her toes in the hot water, the small girl tightened her arms around Rose just a little more.

Burying her face in the other girl’s shoulder, Cherry took a few slow breaths before finally speaking again.

“Rose… um, would you want to stay in my room when you come to the palace?”

“Hm?” Feeling her body relax in the bath, Rose couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the question. “Is something happening at your place?”

Wiggling her toes discreetly under the water to hide her nervousness, Cherry gave a small, hesitant shake of her head.

“I heard our mothers will be away for a few days, so you’ll be staying at the palace with m—!”

“Wait, they’re leaving without me again!?” Rose’s voice echoed through the bathroom with startling force.

With a sudden motion in the bath, she shot up onto her knees, sending waves splashing over the edge. Staring straight at Cherry, Rose placed her wet hands firmly on the elf’s shoulders.

The sudden shift made Cherry flinch back instinctively. Her fingers flew to her face, her cheeks burning red before she even realized it. Through the gaps between her fingers, her emerald eyes peeked at the silver-haired girl now extremely close to her, a fierce expression on her face.

“R-Rose!?” Her high-pitched voice came out louder than she intended, making her blush all over again. Curling up slightly in the tub, she cursed herself for becoming so aware of the warmth of Rose’s hands gripping her shoulders.

“When are they leaving!? Where are they going!?”

Shaking Cherry’s shoulders several times, Rose desperately demanded answers.

“I-I’m not sure, but it sounds like it’ll be soon.” Blinking rapidly, Cherry’s words tumbled out quickly, as if her voice was trying to keep up with her racing heartbeat.

Hearing that, Rose brought both hands to her head, her cheeks puffing out in frustration.

“That’s not fair! Every time they go hunting, they never take me with them!”

Standing up in the large bath, splashing even more water onto the floor, Rose placed her tiny hands on her hips with exaggerated confidence before looking down at the girl still peeking between her fingers.

“I refuse to be left behind again! Come on, Cherry—we’re making a plan!”