Gardenia’s Heart

An emotional reunion would normally be warm—accompanied by tears and tight embraces.

After being separated for decades, it would be natural for overwhelming feelings to surge on both sides, built up from the years spent apart.

“Rheeeeeeeeei!!”

“I’m right in front of you. Even after all this time, you still haven’t learned that you don’t need to shout?”

But though emotional, the reunion between those two women was anything but friendly.

With a powerful kick to the ground, the fallen golden fan shot up into Annona’s hand. The Princess of Mellonella had so many veins bulging across her forehead that she looked ready to explode.

A single sweep of her arm—

That was all it took for a dozen crescent-shaped beams of light to tear through the air toward the suited woman.

“Barbaric as ever…”

A heavy sigh slipped into the forest—only to be immediately swallowed by a melody formed of a single note.

There was no oppressive pressure.

No violent motion threatening destruction.

The sensation was like resting in a gentle breeze, wrapped in the comforting warmth of surrendering completely to the wind.

And just like everyone listening—

Each of the light beams warped midair.

“The air… it’s lowering the light’s refractive index and its temperature…” Selene murmured, unable to move as the melody filled the forest.

It was as though the very air around them was trying to soothe the bloodlust saturating the battlefield.

“What is that violin…?” Selene whispered from the edge of the clearing, Cherry still in her arms.

Less than ten steps away from Annona, Rhei continued drawing the bow across a single string, every precise, fluid motion dissolving one of the princess’s attacks.

“Lady Selene, you’re familiar with weapon enchantment, correct?” Maintaining the same calm rhythm as she played, Rhei addressed the rabbit girl. “When you place a restriction on a weapon so that only a single individual may wield it, it becomes possible to grant that equipment unique characteristics.”

To wish one’s weapon lighter. More durable. With the proper technique, such enchantments could be applied to nearly any tool—so long as only the mana of the designated wielder would ever be used.

“A limited, but extremely useful variation of that is spell engraving onto tools,” Rhei continued. “Though only a single spell can be inscribed—and far weaker and more reduced than usual—you guarantee it can be activated anytime, by anyone.”

She shifted the bow to a new angle, and a cold smile touched her lips.

“In each of the four strings of my violin, a different type of spell has been engraved.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “A song cannot be made of only Sol. Let’s move to La now.”

An emerald flash erupted.

Like creeping vines, several small spiraling emerald tornadoes surged through the air, racing toward Annona.

“Tsk!”

Clicking her tongue, the princess leapt backward.

With every stroke of the bow across the string, another emerald whirlwind formed—leaving Annona no time for anything but retreat.

Watching the exchange, Selene’s eyes widened. She had seen something like this before.

Even though she had not been there personally to cast her magic, the stigmas of Orlaith had once been inscribed onto objects. By placing them inside the Visitor’s Hourglass, the demon had controlled everyone in Caligo during her past attempt to destroy the city. It had not been a complete version—only simple commands like “attack” could be issued—but it was still an exceptional application of engraved magic that Selene could not help but acknowledge.

And yet—

With enchantments so reduced they could be inscribed onto the strings of an instrument, Rhei was now conducting a literal symphony of destruction.

“You served the royalty!” Annona shouted, sweat pouring down her face, amber eyes locked onto the bee woman. “You had access to all the royal family’s spell-engraving archives! You were granted the title of Architect! Why did you abandon all of that!? Why did you abandon me!?”

“Fufufu…”

Without interrupting her violin’s melody, Rhei let out a soft laugh.

“I am grateful for the knowledge I was taught. But building a house for my king is far more relaxing—and far more enjoyable—than enchanting weapons for you, honestly.”

“King…?” Annona repeated, bewildered.

Seeing the absolute confusion on the princess’s face, Rhei’s icy expression transformed into something terrifyingly radiant.

“Someone far more noble and worthy of my service than anyone I was forced to swear loyalty to in Mellonella.”

A blush of delight began to bloom on Rhei’s cheeks, as if a multitude of emotions were rising within her, struggling to blossom into the world.

“Someone capable of forging their own destiny with their own hands against all odds—whose pride is not bound by mundane standards… Simply put, absolute.”

As the thin smile spread across the suited woman’s face, however, a short sigh followed.

“And because of that… truly, I see no point in continuing this any longer.”

Like a maestro announcing the end of a performance, the melody vanished the moment Rhei lowered her bow.

Landing from another backward leap, the princess of the golden hive watched as every emerald tornado-vine dissolved in unison.

Her dress was stained with dirt. She could feel crimson blood running from her wounded antenna and across her lips. Yet as she stared at the woman she had searched for over so many years, Annona felt no intent to fight coming from her.

“Ha… haha!”

She laughed—confusion and happiness intertwining within her.

“So you’ve finally decided to surrender?”

Grinning from ear to ear, Annona snapped her fan open.

A single sweep of her arm.

That was all the excitement of impending victory required to drive her body into casting one final attack.

Hundreds of glittering motes gathered overhead, coalescing into an enormous sphere of light in the sky.

“[Radiance Strike]—”

What followed, however, was not Rhei’s body disintegrating beneath a descending pillar of heat.

Nor a blinding flare that would scorch a portion of the forest from existence.

The smile vanished from Annona’s lips.

Red.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

Screaming, Annona felt her legs give out beneath her own weight. She collapsed onto the ruined ground, dust erupting around her upon impact.

Her breathing turned ragged and uneven. Gradually, even her own voice faded—because her ears were overtaken by a high, relentless ringing, a phantom buzz that drowned out the world and left only pain.

The fan that had once rested in her hand lay split in two, grotesquely warped.

Yet even intact, she would not have been able to hold it.

All five fingers of her right hand had been twisted into unnatural directions—not merely broken, but bent grotesquely, each pointing somewhere it never should, torn skin and snapped tendons hanging loosely.

And then, that voice came.

“A rhythm is necessary to build a symphony—its foundation, yes—but…”

A lone, sorrowful note echoed through the forest—only to be swallowed almost immediately by a shrill cacophony that consumed the air.

Like an orchestra of chaos conducted by a single person. A chorus of dissonance threatening to tear existence itself apart.

“No matter how hard I try… I’ve never managed to create a beautiful melody for killing.”

With slow, measured steps, Rhei walked toward the fallen bee woman.

Her eyes held nothing but sadness as they traced the ruined fingers and shattered wrist, blood flowing profusely from the mangled hand.

“[Lament Sonata]”

Her cold voice named the piece that never sounded beautiful.

Each string of her violin could produce only one engraved spell, no matter how she played it.

But when different notes were combined, an entirely new effect could be born.

Rhei stilled her fingers. The visceral sound vanished as the four strings ceased vibrating.

And in the same instant, as adrenaline surged through her body, Annona’s mind struggled desperately to comprehend what had happened.

It had been instantaneous.

Far faster than her own spell.

The moment the music began, a violent headache had pierced her skull—like a nail driven from her left temple straight through to the right—forcing her body to convulse.

Three spells? Four?

She hadn’t been able to count.

In that moment, it was as if the very air around her hand had come alive.

Every filament of flesh in her hand had been shredded beyond recognition.

“You truly haven’t changed at all,” Rhei said quietly, her voice heavy with disappointment. “Fools who refuse to learn and instead rely solely on tools and powers created by others—without showing even the slightest capability of their own—do not interest me in the least.”

Standing before the princess, Rhei looked down at her with cold eyes.

Amber met onyx.

Two short-haired women staring at one another—yet what lived within their hearts could not have been more different.

“Ah… ah… aah…”

Her throat raw from screaming, Annona could no longer form coherent words. She whimpered as she tried to crawl backward, feeling as though the core of her existence were being twisted—like invisible hands wringing her organs inside her chest.

She tried to step back.

But even as she kicked at the ground with all her strength, her panicked body refused to move.

“Wait… she aimed specifically at the fan, not the hand?” Selene blinked several times from a safe distance, murmuring to herself—only to feel a small hand tug at her red dress.

Cherry, who had been silently observing, looked up at the rabbit-eared girl with a flat expression.

“Professor Selene uses a brush because your magic becomes too lethal if you don’t control it with one, right?”

Tilting her head, Cherry pointed toward Annona.

“That one’s different. Without the fan Mommy engraved spells into for her, the bitch barely knows how to do anything.”

Annona was not a mage who used a catalyst to enhance her spells.

She was a mage who barely knew how to cast them in the first place.

Using the Luminite fan, every complex spell the princess performed had already been pre-engraved—merely activated when needed.

“Thank you for the explanation,” Selene replied dryly, frowning. “But we’re going to have to discuss your language at the next parent–teacher conference.”

Seeing Cherry’s cold, vulgar tone return, Selene shifted her gaze back to the bee princess writhing on the ground.

There was nothing left of her noble etiquette.

Nothing of her former class.

Shaking her head from the nauseating pain, her orange hair disheveled and clinging to her damp face, Annona could no longer resist in any way.

Collapsed on the ground, too weak to keep crawling away, tears spilled from her glassy eyes.

“I—I searched for you all this time, Rhei…” she began suddenly, her voice trembling as though it might shatter at any moment. “I didn’t forget you for even a single day… I loved you…”

“Could you stop lying, please?”

Pressing the wooden bow she used to play the violin directly against the center of Annona’s forehead, Rhei spoke with exasperation—without moving even a single eyebrow.

“First, you were the one who unilaterally forced me into that marriage. You knew commoners cannot refuse royal orders without being punished.”

Her voice remained calm. Clinical.

“Second, I know perfectly well you only wanted a political marriage—and that you planned to take a lover. Did you even bother to learn my name before I left?”

The air hadn’t changed.

But the atmosphere had.

“You didn’t want a wife.” Rhei exhaled slowly, heavily, as Annona’s tears ceased mid-fall. “Annona, you wanted the Golden Hive’s genius working for you.”

From the tip of the bow, a bluish glow began to form. The dust-laden wind around them slowly shifted into an emerald hue.

“You can’t do this to me!”

Desperate, the princess raised her one uninjured hand and tried to shove Rhei’s arm away. But without her fan—without mana—her small body’s strength meant nothing.

“You can’t kill me! I know you can’t!”

Annona’s heart pounded faster and faster—

But like a blade piercing her core, Rhei’s expression grew colder still.

“I am the traitor of the Golden Hive, remember?” A chilling smile spread across her beautiful face. “Selfishly abandoning my homeland. Discarding every duty I had and fleeing for my own interests.”

She tilted her head, leaning closer.

“Just like other kingdoms possess absolute magic—national treasures—spell engraving is ours. It is our greatest weapon. You could say I undeniably stole the entirety of my people’s secret knowledge.”

Her eyes did not waver.

“And by doing so, I accepted every consequence that might follow. Including execution, should I ever be caught.”

Leaving Mellonella with Sylvan had granted her freedom—

But not absolution.

What Rhei had committed was nothing short of one of the gravest betrayals a citizen could commit.

“So what I mean is…” Her voice softened slightly, though the cold remained. “I care very little whether you live or die. Especially now that you know of my ties to the elves.”

If Annona returned to Mellonella and revealed that Rhei was alive—and connected to another royal family—the consequences would not be minor.

To prevent that, killing her here and now was undeniably a logical option.

And yet…

The words that followed were what truly stunned the princess.

“You have two choices now, Princess.”

Pressing the bow slightly harder against Annona’s forehead, Rhei hummed lightly, her expression unchanged.

“Option A: You agree to stop pursuing me. You remain silent about having seen me here. And you offer us your full cooperation.” The emerald glow intensified faintly. “In exchange, I will repair your fan. And, of course, ensure you return home alive… and whole.”

The possibility of survival—so distant only moments ago—was suddenly placed before her so effortlessly that Annona struggled to even comprehend what she had just heard.

“And option B?” the princess whispered.

“Fufufu… Silly Princess. My daughter already stated option B.”

Seeing the beautiful woman in the suit smile as she glanced toward the small elf girl, panic once again took root inside Annona.

“Y-You really intend to use my corpse to make the dwarves side with you!?”

She shouted in despair.

The thin smile vanished from Rhei’s lips. Her mouth became a straight, merciless line.

“If the final result is favorable to what I care about, I do not mind if the path toward it is twisted and stained in grotesque colors. If killing you and following my daughter’s suggestion truly were the only way to tilt the dwarves’ situation in our favor, I would not hesitate.”

Her voice remained even. Calm.

“However, my wife has another proposal for resolving this matter. So I will suspend that idea for now. That is, of course… depending on your answer.”

They would kill her.

Annona was absolutely certain of it.

She might be hot-headed—but she was no fool.

Even if it had only been an engagement, the woman she had publicly declared as her future bride had fled the kingdom—after gaining access to knowledge Annona herself had authorized.

That period had been the worst moment of her life.

That alone should have been enough to destroy her reputation as a royal, regardless of the support she had as the firstborn.

And yet—through sheer effort—she had managed to navigate the storm of doubt and criticism, to survive politically, to preserve her standing enough to be entrusted with council duties.

The scales had never favored her.

Not from the beginning.

If she survived this and reported Rhei’s existence—and her ties to the elves—to her parents, even Annona knew it would not end peacefully. Claiming another kingdom now possessed their most guarded magical knowledge could ignite large-scale conflict—costing thousands of lives.

If she wished to live.

If she wished to preserve everything she had clawed back with blood and humiliation—

There was only one choice.

“I-I’ll cooperate! Please don’t kill me! Option A—please!”

Gathering every shred of strength left in her body, Annona begged.

Slowly, the wooden bow lifted from her forehead.

A cold liquid poured over her mangled hand.

Gradually, a green glow began to spread. With widened amber eyes, the princess watched the emerald fluid spill from a small golden vial.

“This advanced healing potion won’t be free. Don’t forget that.”

As the pain began to recede little by little, Annona felt her entire body tremble at Rhei’s voice whispering close to her ear.

She nodded repeatedly, unable to speak, as her twisted fingers slowly began to straighten.

“Cherry, are you alright?”

Suddenly, a worried voice reached the clearing.

Running toward the small elf girl, a petite silver-haired girl arrived, her expression filled with concern.

“Rose…”

Jumping from Selene’s arms, Cherry allowed herself to be caught by the smaller girl in the black dress with a blue ribbon, burying her face against her shoulder.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Aunt Thelira said you ran off the moment we got back.”

Caught off guard when the elf suddenly jumped into her arms, Rose hurriedly checked Cherry’s body for any injuries. Finding none, she gently began rubbing the girl’s back, adjusting her comfortably against her chest.

“I’m fine… Mnm… Just don’t let go…” Cherry murmured in an extremely soft tone, wrapping her arms around Rose’s neck. A look of absolute joy spread across her slightly flushed face.

“Rhei really handled it on her own.”

Approaching them, a silver-haired girl in a black cloak murmured in clear admiration. Beside her, an elf in a light green dress maintained a flat expression.

When she had returned, Lily had been informed about Annona’s attack and her clash with Selene. The silver-haired girl had initially intended to resolve the situation swiftly herself, but Thelira had insisted she summon Rhei through a portal instead.

Though reluctant, Lily chose to trust the elf’s judgment. With Nia’s assistance, she quickly brought Rhei to Athamas—where the bee woman had declared she would handle everything personally.

“Thank you for placing your trust in me, my king. I will personally ensure this woman proves useful to you.”

Bowing her back toward Lily with flawless etiquette, Rhei spoke in a slightly cheerful tone.

Despite the complications, they had gained another ally for the current crisis. Lily found that outcome satisfactory.

However—

After everything that had happened, there was still someone present who required an explanation.

“Now then, dear… don’t forget what you just put me through.”

Grabbing the collar of the elegant suit Rhei was wearing and yanking her upright, Thelira forced their eyes to meet.

“Later, when everything is settled, you are going to explain that engagement to me. From beginning to end.”

The smile on the elf’s face was terrifying enough to make even Rhei’s composed expression grow faintly stiff.