When the Flower Falls (Fitzmael 7) - COMPLETED

00: Father Figure

THIS WASN'T A TYPICAL DAY for me. It had been two weeks since Catmint and Archer got married, and a week since Lilac and Erazius had their church wedding. The moment I woke up, I couldn't contain the euphoria I felt. Seeing my siblings happy made me happy too.

"Ren, I already cooked breakfast for us," said Beberly, my friend and personal chef. She took off her apron, walked toward me, held my hand, and gently pulled me into the dining area. "How are Archer and Catmint?"

"They're so happy," I said with a smile. "Thank you for cooking for me."

"I felt bad about what happened to Archer," she said after a while, sipping her coffee before letting out a sigh.

"Your cousin's fine now, Beberly."

"Just call me Joy. Beberly sounds too formal."

"Okay..." I muttered. "Anyway, Archer's fine. I know you're sad since he's your cousin and you had no idea what happened." I paused for a moment and sipped my tea. "You have your own life, Joy. You've been independent for a long time, and you're no longer part of the royal family like Archer. You don't have to feel sorry about it. What matters is that he's happy now, and you'll have plenty of chances to talk to him since we're basically neighbors."

Her eyes gleamed, and she smiled. "You're really good at this..."

I put down the utensils I was holding and looked at her, giving her my full attention. I raised a brow. "Good at what?"

"Making other people feel good about themselves," she said with a small laugh. "I bet tons of women fall for you, Ren."

I burst into laughter, shaking my head. "Haven't you heard?" I pointed at myself. "NGSB. No Girlfriend Since Birth."

"I know that," she said, still smiling. "You've never had a girlfriend, but that doesn't mean no one's ever fallen for you."

I went back to eating the pancakes and blueberries she made for me before glancing back at her. I cleared my throat to get her attention. "W-Why... are you one of them? Do you... fall for my personality?" My voice came out stuttered, embarrassingly so.

"Yes," she answered plainly. "I have a crush on you, but I won't date you. You're my boss and my closest friend. Lilac feels like a sister to me, and the baby elements feel like my nephews. I'm already happy with that. And also..." she looked away. "I'm older than you, so it's a no."

"You're just a year older than me," I said, pouting. "What if I fire you so we can date?" I teased.

She smiled widely. "You can't fire me, Ren. You told me that if ever I wanted to leave, I just had to say so."

I smirked and nodded slowly.

"You deserve all the love a partner could give," she said gently. "I like someone else, Ren. I can't take you for granted—you don't deserve that. Maybe someday I'll regret this, but I'd rather regret saying no than hurting you." She shook her head and took another sip of coffee.

I smiled sincerely and nodded. "I understand, Joy. Thank you for being honest." I cleared my throat again. "I know you like my friend."

She froze, her eyes widening. "W-What did you say?"

"The way your eyes light up when you look at him—it's not the same as when you look at anyone else. Not even me."

"If you knew, why did you still ask me if I liked you or if I'd date you?"

"Just to make sure..." I said. "You two avoid each other whenever you cross paths. I thought you didn't like him anymore, so I tried asking you out. Turns out, you still do..." I sighed. "You like each other, but it's strange that you're not dating."