“What is this?”

I pointed at the sky-blue pouch with my right index finger. Poppy, seemingly interested as well, couldn’t take his eyes off the pouch.

“They’re seeds.”

And Lilith answered just as I was about to reach out to untie the pouch’s string.

“That’s unusual. I’m surprised you carry such things around.”

No matter how much he helped and treated me well, my preconceptions wouldn’t change, and I thought he might be up to some mischief again.

“Aren’t these sunflower seeds?”

Soon after, as I untied the knot of the white string tightly binding the pouch, several familiar flower seeds tumbled out.

“They’re often mistaken for that due to their similar appearance, but these are seeds of a very rare flower.”

“Really?”

Impossible. I mumbled negative thoughts inwardly while giving a half-hearted reply.

“Yes, why would I give something common to Your Highness the Crown Princess?”

Lilith shrugged his shoulders with a smiling eye, and I still felt a lingering sense of doubt as I fiddled with the seeds in my palm.

Thump-.

“I obtained those seeds when I was wandering the world, before becoming an advisor.”

Lilith, who had suddenly taken a seat beside me, revealed his unsolicited past.

“To be precise, it was a farewell gift. When I decided to follow Her Majesty the Empress, the friends I was traveling with at the time gave them to me.”

In short, before Hecate recognized Lilith’s abilities and persuaded him to come along, he had been living a nomadic life, wandering here and there.

“I envy you.”

“What makes Your Highness suddenly think that way?”

“No, it’s just… unlike me, you weren’t trapped in the cycle of reincarnation, so you seemed truly free.”

“So you’ve discovered an unexpected side of me~.”

For hundreds of years, I reincarnated into different bodies each time, searching for the answer to the god’s question. And every time, I met my end without finding the answer. My life was so focused on finding the answer to the god’s question that I had no leisure to look around at other things.

So suddenly, I blurted out that I envied Lilith, who seemed to have lived relatively comfortably like a bird freely soaring through the sky, unlike me who was bound.

“Since it’s come to this, shall I reveal another secret to you?”

Though I wasn’t particularly curious, Lilith spoke enthusiastically.

“After becoming an advisor, I also have a lute carefully wrapped in cloth and stored away.”

“You don’t need to tell me such things.”

In any case, that Lilith fellow, true to his eccentric nature, had mastered all sorts of skills, but they didn’t suit him at all.

Above all, I couldn’t imagine Lilith playing a musical instrument.

“If Your Highness doesn’t mind, I’ll show you my lute playing skills when the opportunity arises.”

“Do as you please.”

Whether you do it or not. I spoke gruffly, but inwardly I hoped that if he was going to bring it, he’d bring it during lesson time. Although I’m not particularly fond of music, it would be a way to kill time and study a little by listening to a song or two.

‘This guy is a complete omnivore. There’s nothing he can’t eat.’

Meanwhile, as I glanced to the side, I couldn’t help but chuckle seeing Poppy drooling over the chocolate cake I had set aside to eat.

“But what am I supposed to do with such old seeds?”

For now, feeling I needed to know why Lilith was doing this, I asked while meeting his eyes again.

“If you received them when you left with Hecate, they must be quite old. Can they still sprout?”

“It’s not impossible. That’s why I’m asking you to grow them for me.”

Could it be that he doesn’t want to throw them away, but finds it bothersome to grow them himself, so he’s pretending to do a good deed by entrusting them to me?

“You need to water them every morning until they sprout, and then every other day after they’ve sprouted.”

As I listened, such thoughts popped into my mind, making me feel unpleasant.

“Actually, Her Majesty the Empress boasted about Your Highness’s maturity and asked if there was anything I needed… I knew you’d be coming to me soon, so I had prepared this.”

But as I continued listening to his story, I felt a pang of guilt when I realized he was upset that I hadn’t asked him if he needed anything.

“Your Highness didn’t come to me at all.”

Honestly, I hadn’t considered Lilith important and found it bothersome to ask everyone, so I had skipped him, but it was awkward to hear him say it outright.

“Well, anyway, that’s in the past.”

Why do I feel like I’m the bad person here? I cleared my throat a few times and quickly added, trying to change the subject.

“Besides, if these seeds mean something to you, wouldn’t it be better for you to grow them yourself?”

I don’t know what it feels like, but usually, ordinary people cherish things they received when making big decisions and giving up their previous comfortable lives.

Not that Lilith is entirely ordinary, but since he’s more sentimental than me, I thought it would be right for him to keep it and not give it to anyone.

“I’d like to, but I can’t. I’ll be away from the castle for a while.”

What on earth does this mean? I looked up at Lilith in surprise.

“Why are you leaving the castle? What for?”

“There’s something~ Her Majesty the Empress has entrusted me with a secret mission.”

Lilith winked disgustingly and brought up such a heavy topic with a cheerful face.

“If it’s a task Hecate has secretly instructed, it must not be a trivial matter.”

“You’re sharp, Your Highness.”

As I hit the nail on the head, Lilith placed his index finger on his lips and made a shushing sound.

“But no matter how clever Your Highness is, I won’t reveal the details of the mission~.”

As if to say his business was done and he was about to leave, Lilith slightly rose from his seat, placed one hand on his chest, and bowed.

“Then, if you accept my request, I’ll take my leave now, Your Highness.”

“Wait a moment!”

My business isn’t finished yet! I couldn’t let him disappear like this.

“Let’s be clear before you leave.”

I looked straight at Lilith, who had just turned his back, and put on a serious face.

“There’s another real reason you gave me these seeds, isn’t there?”

“Our Crown Princess is so sharp~ As expected, a plausible reason doesn’t work on you.”

When I put as much strength into my eyes as possible and even made a stern expression, Lilith didn’t deny it and readily admitted.

“I was curious to see how much more Your Highness, who has changed so much lately, would change if you cared for something directly.”

“Is that really all?”

“Yes.”

Lilith chuckled, twirling a lock of hair with one finger, briefly averting his gaze before staring at me intently again.

“Seeing Your Highness behave in such an unusual way compared to before, I’m curious to know who has stirred your heart.”

Unnecessarily perceptive bastard. I spat out inwardly with annoyance.

Lilith knew that I wasn’t the type of person to be so stirred or changed, so he was desperate to uncover the cause.

“But I won’t pry further.”

“Good. I wouldn’t tell you even if I died anyway.”

Unlike before when he persistently clung to me about my thoughts and begged me to tell him, this time he didn’t try to dig deeper.

“Oh my~ how scary~.”

“Just go away already!”

“Yes~.”

Instead, he teased me, riling up my temper, and then vanished as if running away.

‘This is troublesome.’

Now, what am I supposed to do with this?

‘I’ve never grown plants before.’

I’ve hit a roadblock. In the case of Yongyong, I quickly healed him using the gift given by the god, so it doesn’t even count as properly taking care of someone. Moreover, I’ve never tended a garden, let alone watered plants.

‘I have no knowledge of gardening, so I’ll have to send a maid to get the necessary items.’

At times like this, it’s best to make use of subordinates. I immediately called Miranda and Hayley and told them to get everything needed to grow seeds.

“Your Highness, we received various tools from the gardener and heard many things~.”

Shortly after, I moved to the indoor garden with the maids who had prepared pots, watering cans, and other items.

“They say that growing plants develops a sense of responsibility and affection!”

“Is that really true?”

I can’t believe it. It seemed suspicious that I could feel the emotions Miranda mentioned just by taking care of such tiny seeds.

“That’s not all, Crown Princess.”

Miranda added that growing plants also purifies the air in the room.

“They say if you name them, talk to them a lot, and give them attention, they’ll grow healthy and strong.”

Hayley, as if she had been waiting, smiled and continued explaining after Miranda.

“In that spirit, why don’t we give a name to your little seed friend?”

How bothersome. I looked at the pot in front of me, wondering why I had to make such a fuss. The maids had already planted the seeds.

‘Should I just tell the maids to grow it?’

For a moment, I was tempted by laziness to leave it all to others, but I quickly changed my mind.

‘I don’t know what kind of look I’ll get from Lilith when he returns, so I’ll cancel that thought.’

The reason was simple. After going around stirring things up, saying I wanted to learn what it means to live a life of giving first, if I suddenly shut my mouth and showed a different side, it felt like my pride might be hurt at some point later.

I didn’t care what others thought, but I disliked the idea of putting myself in an uncomfortable situation.

‘So let’s just give it a try.’

Even if the seeds don’t sprout, I can only hope to gain something for the time invested. Thinking that I had nothing to lose, I gently stroked the pot.

‘Ulrika also said that when such moments come in life, don’t hesitate and run away, but push forward boldly.’

This seems to be one of those times. After organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth.

“I’ve decided. This little one’s name is Kiki.”

The maids clapped as if they had been waiting for this, and Poppy, who had moved at some point, hopped excitedly next to Miranda.

Following the gardener’s advice, I watered regularly and even talked to the plant, and before I knew it, sprouts had appeared in the pot.

“This exceeds expectations, Your Highness.”

And by the time Lilith returned from his mission, flower buds had formed, and I felt a sense of pride as I confidently led the snake fellow to the pot.

“I didn’t expect this. I thought you would have given up long ago, finding it bothersome to consistently pay attention and care for plants.”

“It wasn’t a bad experience.”

Receiving praise, I felt both indignant at the thought that he expected me to fail and proud at the same time.

“Though thinking about how anxious I was about whether the seeds would sprout or not, I don’t have the courage to do it again.”

Anyway, after that, I hoped he would praise me more, but Lilith, unusually, showed a wistful smile as he looked at the flowers blooming in the pot.

“What’s this? Are you feeling excited thinking about the flowers that will soon bloom?”

It was in contrast to his usual glib, shameless, and talkative demeanor.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Why? Does it remind you of your traveling days? Do you miss the past?”

“I do miss it.”

After finishing his words, Lilith looked at me and knelt on one knee.

“But I’m a person who lives in the present, Your Highness. Being an advisor isn’t bad either.”

Lilith’s eyes, which had been curved in a smile, turned serious.

“That doesn’t mean the fleeting connections I’ve made were meaningless like flowing water.”

After a moment of silence, Lilith soon moved his lips.

“The love and friendships I’ve experienced over hundreds of years of life all live on in my heart. It’s thanks to the past and these connections that I exist as I am now.”

No, suddenly talking about such philosophical matters feels strange. I stared blankly at Lilith with a bewildered feeling.

“Then, as a reward for Your Highness’s hard work, shall I give you a hint?”

“A hint?”

I tilted my head, wondering what this nonsense was about.

“Yes~ It’s a clue that’s close to the answer Your Highness has been searching for so desperately.”

“T-Tell me right now! I’m really, really serious!”

Then, excited by his words, I urged him to answer quickly. There was no reason to refuse when he was offering to tell me for free.

“The key to the answer Your Highness is looking for is…”

Lilith, who seemed amused by my quick change in attitude, chuckled and said this.

“It’s in your heart.”