Chapter 52: Hidden in the Language of Flowers

At this moment, Gepard and Serval were standing close together, intently focused on the blueprint, as if listening to Serval explain something.
The soft glow of the geothermal lights in the room bathed the two of them, creating an almost overlapping shadow of time. These close siblings were always by each other's side.

This immediately left Pela at a loss for words. She puffed out her cheeks slightly and stared at the two.
Since she knew they were siblings, there was no chance of any misunderstandings.
Even the thought of such a misunderstanding was entirely due to Serval deliberately steering her thoughts in that direction!

But after being teased like this, the feeling of wanting to tease back but having no way to do so—
Ugh—it’s so frustrating!

"Hmm? Why did you two come out so early? Didn’t Venti seize the opportunity?"
Serval looked innocently at Venti, as if she had no idea why Pela was in a huff.
"Eh? Are you talking about sneaking food? Ah, personally, I think two meat pies are just right. Three or four would be too much for me."
Venti, who had followed Pela out, replied as if he didn’t understand the implication.
"...Huh? I wasn’t..."
When she noticed Pela glaring at her with a murderous look, Serval wisely stopped her antics and simply pretended to know nothing, laughing awkwardly.
"Ahaha, I’ll change the recipe next time. Remember to come back and try it!"
"Then I’ll trouble you, Miss Serval."
Having barely brushed past the awkward moment, Venti relaxed a bit. Pela, however, glanced at him, seemingly thinking of something but quickly gave up.

"Tsk, calling me 'Miss' is so formal! Just call me Serval, or even 'Big Sis Serval.' After all, that’s what Gepard and Pela call me."
The owner of the mechanical workshop patted her chest with great enthusiasm, causing quite a stir.
"My sister is straightforward, both in personality and actions... um, direct. If she offends you, please forgive her."
Gepard added apologetically.

Faced with this sibling duo who could coordinate perfectly without even communicating, Pela felt like she had "punched cotton." Fortunately, she wasn’t without allies.

When Pela shot a look that said, "Do something, or say something," Venti spoke up.
"Mhm. I think it’s because of this kind of spirit that Big Sis Serval’s music and food have such a bold, unstoppable energy."
He stroked his chin, as if reminiscing.
"Not only is her rock music great, but her dinner was also incredibly delicious. Before I knew it, I ate so much that I felt stuffed. If I keep eating like this, I might have to add a workout routine to my schedule."
"Haha! Keep the compliments coming. Big Sis loves hearing this!"
Serval was grinning from ear to ear, and even Gepard nodded in agreement.

It seemed that no matter where you were, people loved hearing nice words—not that Venti was lying, of course.
After lightening the mood a bit, Venti smoothly suggested, "By the way, Pela. How about we take a walk outside? Let’s call it helping with digestion, and we can also discuss the priority of the information we need to collect next."
"...Sure."
Pela simply adjusted her glasses and replied as if it didn’t matter.

As for the matter of crafting the tech armor, that couldn’t be rushed. They’d have to wait for Serval to produce a prototype.
Moreover, Captain Gepard was also nearing the time to return to the Edge Corridor and resume his duties, so the discussion had to be paused for now. They’d continue the conversation with Serval later.

After leaving the warm, faintly oil-scented Everwinter Mechanical Workshop together,
Pela finally blushed slightly and quietly thanked him.
"Just now, thank you."
"No problem~ No problem. Having friends who care about you like this is something to be happy about, right?"
"That may be true, and I know Serval and Captain Gepard mean no harm, but I still feel a bit uncomfortable..."
"Is it because you feel like you’re being treated like a child? After all, Pela is quite—"

Before he could finish, Venti felt his cheek being pinched. Pela maintained her grip, her thin lips, as if coated with lip gloss, showing a beautiful cherry color, while her cheeks flushed with two rosy clouds.
"You weren’t about to say something extremely offensive to a lady, were you?"
She emphasized each word.
"Absolutely not."
Venti blinked, his gaze unavoidably drifting downward, sweeping over what could be described as a "small home on the prairie."
"I just wanted to say that being petite is also very cute."

These words immediately made Pela’s face turn bright red. After a muffled "Ugh," she let go of his cheek and crouched on the ground for a while to calm down.
She held up the book she always carried, covering half of her flushed face, leaving only a pair of slightly annoyed, watery eyes visible.
"You... weren’t deliberately teasing me, were you?"

In the past, during her studies, Pela had also been teased about her height.
Although she had righteously countered those remarks at the time, the nickname had inevitably spread.
Coupled with the fact that her name was hard to remember and that she had skipped grades, earning her 'Honors Bachelor' degree before even reaching the minimum age requirement,
there had been a lot of gossip surrounding Pela back then. The unpleasant nickname was just one of many, and although those responsible had all been punished in the end, it had also made Pela give up on further studies.

In an environment where practice was valued over theory, rather than staying within the pyramid of student factions, she chose to join the Silvermane Guards to prove herself.
This was something she had candidly shared with the interviewer during her job application.
Even the fact that she had been helping out in Serval’s band was probably known, but the Supreme Guardian had remained indifferent, not caring about any of it.

Noticing the dimness in the girl’s eyes, Venti thought for a moment, then took the Cecelia flower from his hat and handed it to her.
"...This flower looks unfamiliar. It’s not from Everbloom, is it?"
Although it was the middle of winter, Beloborg still had flowers. However, due to strict cultivation conditions, their prices remained high, and people usually only bought them from Everbloom for special occasions to give to family, lovers, or friends.
Of course, there were also relatively cheaper flowers, like Sunsettias or Rainbow Roses, which were affordable and beautiful.

Pela, who was good friends with the shopkeeper Vaska, had learned a lot about flowers from her. But in her memory, there was no flower that looked like this, and its fragrance carried a soothing, almost magical quality.
Venti also showed a nostalgic expression.
"It’s called the Cecelia flower. It’s a white wildflower that blooms quietly on the cliffs. To me, it’s the most beautiful flower from my homeland."
"Is that so..."
Feeling a bit of secret joy at the romantic atmosphere and also concerned about Venti’s homesick expression, Pela hesitated over whether to accept such a precious gift.
"Don’t worry. It’s not that delicate. Just give it some water, some soil, and a bit of sincerity, and it will grow well."
Venti enthusiastically placed it in her hands, then said softly,
"More importantly, right now, you need it more than I do."
"Then... what’s its meaning?"
"Ehe, I’ll keep that a secret for now."
"Ugh, maybe I should just give it back to you—!"
Though she spoke in a huff, the girl did not return the flower. Instead, she held it close to her chest, along with her book, right next to her heart.
Oh flower, can you hear the sound of that fervent, joyful heartbeat?