Ch. 6: Harvest Day
Zant: “It’s fine… I don’t mind if you worry about me.”
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The next day…-.
In the morning, I couldn’t forget the sadness of his heart reflected in his smile, nor the warmth of his hand…-.
So I headed towards the vegetable gardens in search of Zant.
(What’s this?)
The people from the castle had gathered in the gardens.
Maid: “Oh, Lady OO. Have you come to observe the harvest?”
OO: “Harvest…?”
I listened to the head maid who had called out to me and learned that today was when all of the castle residents got together to harvest the vegetables that had been growing.
Maid: “Come take a look. These vegetables are the ones Lord Zant was taking care of personally… don’t they look absolutely delicious?”
OO: “They really do.”
Sitting down, I placed my hand at the root of the lush and verdant foliage.
Every one of them had grown strong and fresh, having taken in the power of the earth.
Ch. 7: Kindness and Loneliness
With all of the castle staff having come out to help with the harvest, I offered to help as well.
It was my first time coming into contact with the crops Zant had raised in the garden.
(Somehow both the crops and the soil feel so very warm.)
Feeling that faint warmth, I was reminded of when Zant had placed his hand on my head.
———————
Zant: “Sorry…I keep causing you to make that face.”
———————
(His hand… was so warm. Were the vegetables and the earth both raised with those warm hands?)
I placed the palm of my hand to the soil and felt a warmth spread all the way through to my heart.
And so I spent some time like that helping with the harvest, until I saw Zant at the end of the garden.
OO: “Zant!”
Zant: “…you.”
He had lifted his head and noticed me, the slowly came closer.
Zant: “Were you asked to come help too?”
OO: “No, I only happened to walk by and learned about it. But helping out makes me happy.”
Zant: “…?”
OO: “Ah, um…the vegetables were all taken such good care of and grew so splendidly. It’s amazing isn’t it? What did you do to make them grow this vibrantly?”
Zant: “…I didn’t do anything special. Just tended to them every day and hoped they would grow to taste good.”
His voice was calm as he spoke, and he placed his hand on the soil.
A gentle breeze blew by…
Zant: “…if you touch it like this, you can hear the voice of the earth… it seems like they’re all happy.”
OO: “You’re happy, aren’t you Zant?”
Zant: “…”
His cool blue eyes looked at me in puzzlement.
I couldn’t really see, so couldn’t be sure, but I thought Zant was smiling just a little…
Zant: “They should be delicious.”
OO: “…!”
Zant: “…what?”
OO: “…nothing.”
I shook my head and smiled.
But having seen Zant’s kind expression as he looked at the earth and the crops broke my heart for some reason.
(He’s such a kind person, and yet…)
I clenched my fist.
(If only I could do something, even something small, to help ease the burdens of those scars on his heart…)
Zant’s smile truly did hold loneliness, and it made my heart ache.
Ch. 8: An Opened Heart
Having seen Zant’s tender smile full of loneliness there in the garden…
I felt a pressure grip hold of my chest.
(If only I could do something, even something small, to help ease the burdens of those scars on his heart…)
For a while, the two of us worked like that to help with the harvest, and then supposedly having realized it was afternoon, the maids picked up their baskets of vegetables and came over.
Maid: “We were going to go fetch some lunch… Lord Zant, Lady OO, would you like to accompany us?”
Zant: “I’ll stay in the garden a little longer. You go on ahead and take a break.”
OO: “I’m alright too.”
Maid: “Understood. We shall see you after.”
The maid bowed her head then returned to the castle with the others.
Soon just the two of us remained in the spacious vegetable garden.
The sun was bright, bringing out the vibrant color of the leaves.
Zant: “Are you sure? You don’t have to.”
OO: “I want to stay, and watch how you take care of the soil and the crops. I can feel your warmth from these plants…”
Zant: “…this is different. Someone wanting to spend time with someone like me… I thought it would just be the flowers and the crops.”
Zant turned away from me, then started to brush off a recently harvested root vegetable that resembled a carrot.
(…?)
I could just see the tips of his ears, and they looked like they’d turned red…-.
…
……
Eventually the sunlight had grown stronger and the two of us moved to the shade of a tree near the vegetable gardens.
We sat together, saying nothing and gazing out at the bright green of the gardens bathed in the light of the sun.
Zant: “…OO…”
(Ah…he said my name.)
It was the first time I’d heard my name said with his voice, and it made me feel both embarrassed and happy.
OO: “Yes?”
I looked up and noticed his clear blue eyes seemed unsettled.
(Zant…?)
Zant: “When I’m with you, the air doesn’t feel so heavy. It’s the same feeling of calm I get when I’m gardening. Why do you…-“
He cut himself off, ending his words there.
Zant: “…”
OO: “…?”
Zant: “…sorry. I started talking before I’d put my thoughts in order …Forget what I said.”
He quickly turned his gaze to the ground.
(I feel like I just got a glimpse into Zant’s heart…)
OO: “I…had a lot of fun being able to help you and the other people from the castle with the harvest. But… at the same time, I felt a sense of loneliness.”
Zant: “…”
He lifted his head once more and opened his mouth to speak.
Zant: “It was lonely? Did I… make you feel that way again?”
OO: “Yes… because I could feel your loneliness. How can… I do something so you won’t make that face?”
I continued to weave my words together, hoping to reach his heart.
OO: “If there’s anything I can do…”
Zant: “…”
Then for an instant, Zant’s eyes were twisted with an eagerness…
In the next moment…-.
OO: “Ah…”
Before I realized it, Zant’s eyes were right in front of me.
He pulled down the scarf that was always hiding his mouth, and looked at me with his expression completely bare.
Zant: “Then…-.”
OO: “Zant…?”
Suddenly, I felt something with an intense heat touch my hand.
Zant’s hand was on top of mine, palms together and covered in dirt.
It was strange, but I could feel a warm kindness from his fingertips.
Zant: “Will you stay with me?”
OO: “Eh?”
The words seemed to waver as he spoke them, our lips almost about to touch.
Zant: “…”
Within the light as it sparkled and filtered through the leaves overhead, his lips came even closer, and he grasped even tighter to my hand.
OO: “…”
Zant: “…you’ll be sweet for me, right?”
OO: “!!”
But I could sense Zant’s slight confusion as he tried to hide his embarrassment under reckless words.
OO: “Um…”
Zant: “…you said you’d do anything.”
I felt my heart overflowing with happiness as I saw his face turn red from embarrassment.
I was sure the door to his heart, which had been shut tight, was opening now to me.
OO: “…yes.”
To bring about the end to our talking, he gave me a small kiss.
END