The garden was a picture of calm. Sunlight streamed down, warming the vibrant flowerbeds and making the petals of roses and lilies shine. Their sweet scent filled the air, a nice counterbalance to the cheerful chirping of birds darting through the branches. Gardeners quietly moved along the cobblestone paths, their work a quiet nod to the estate's luxury. To anyone watching, it looked like a perfect paradise—a scene of pure, untouched peace.
But for Artur, who crouched in the shadows behind a neatly trimmed hedge, it felt like torture.
He had been pulled here like a moth to a flame. His golden hair was still sweaty from his intense training, his breathing shallow and labored. He kept telling himself he was just passing through, but the truth was harder to face: he had turned into a stalker, unable to tear himself away from the very scene that was tearing him apart.
In the pavilion, Leo and Rina looked like the best of friends. Leo lounged around, his sapphire eyes sparkling with a familiar mischief that made Artur's stomach twist. Across from him, Rina was glowing, her pink hair sparkling in the light like spun rose quartz. The blush on her cheeks was a soft pink that put the surrounding flowers to shame.
A maid set down a fresh tray of tea and cookies between them, the sweet buttery smell cutting through the floral aromas—a scent that should have felt comforting, but to Artur, it only made him feel queasy.
His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms. The sharp, clean pain was a distraction from the heavy ache in his chest. His golden eyes, once warm, were now filled with bitterness as they locked onto the scene.
She's blushing for him, a poisonous thought hissed in his mind. That… traitor. It should be me sitting there. It should have been me.
The memory of her rejection hit him like a slap: her firm voice, the finality in her gaze. Yet here she was, her eyes downcast, a shaky smile on her lips as Leo teased her. She looked alive, happier than she ever had with him.
Leo reached across, deliberately grabbing the cookie Rina had been eyeing. He took a slow, theatrical bite and said, "Mmm, not bad," tilting his head as if he were processing some deep revelation.
"But I bet it would taste sweeter if you tried it." His smile was smug, making Artur's blood boil.
Rina huffed in irritation. "Y-you're impossible! I was going to eat that one!"
"Hehehe! Too bad!" Leo's laughter was light, carefree, and totally infuriating.
"Then take this one. I'll allow it." He pushed the plate toward her, his grin triumphant.
Rina hesitated, glaring at him, but the blush creeping up her face gave her away. With an exaggerated huff, she snatched the cookie and took a defiant bite.
"Hmph! Fine!"
Leo leaned back, looking utterly satisfied.
"See? It tastes better when I give it to you, doesn't it?"
Rina spluttered, choking on crumbs as her face turned a deep crimson.
"D-don't say ridiculous things! Who would think that?!"
In the shadows, Artur felt a painful twist in his chest. Why? The question screamed in his mind. Why does she come alive for him? Why does she give him those smiles, those blushes, that… light? Why him and not me?
He bit his lip, the metallic taste of blood grounding him in his swirling despair. Lately, he had been doing that a lot.
Their playful banter continued, a routine dance of teasing that spoke of a shared history he could only watch from afar. It was the tender connection behind the jokes that made him feel sick.
Then, everything shifted.
Leo leaned in, his mood changing. He rested his chin on his hand, looking at Rina with a mix of playful and serious.
"Hey, Rina," he said softly.
Rina blinked, thrown off. "…What?"
"Let's go on a date."
The five words hung in the air like a bomb going off.
Rina froze, her teacup halfway to her lips. Her pink eyes went wide, her breath catching. For a heartbeat, she just stared, processing. Then, "Eh—? A-a date?!"
Leo's grin was confident, though a hint of panic flashed in his eyes—he was in this now. "Yeah. Just you and me. Tomorrow, maybe? We can sneak out to the city. There's a new pastry shop I heard about. You love sweets, right?"
The rush of excitement in her heart was obvious by how her cheeks blushed even deeper. She fumbled for words, her lips moving without sound before she hid her face behind her hands, a flustered mess.
"You can't just say things like that out of nowhere…"
Leo leaned in closer, his voice low and teasing. "So, is that a yes?"
Her silence spoke louder than any shout. The shy curve of her lips, the slight tremble in her shoulders—she had surrendered, and it was clear as day.
Crash.
That sound was a jolt in Artur's mind, shattering his last fragile hope. The beautiful garden faded into the background of his pain.