Aster paced through the building, from one room to another and checked all the infrastructure there, he noted everything to the smallest detail. While Ramuja was silently tailing him, his gaze never left the figure of his Young Lord who was still busy with his notes.

            Ramuja gazed at Young Lord’s side profile, his perfect facial feature, the cute mole under his left eye, his fluffy, bright golden hair covered his forehead, and his beautiful golden circle eyes squinted when he inspected every facility and equipment. His lips were tightly closed, it made him look cold and mighty.

            Yet, when one inspected more of this cold person, they could see how tender this person really was. Ramuja saw that Young Lord’s nonchalant eyes sparked worry. Young Lord was worried whenever he saw a heavily sick patient. Young Lord’s eyes bent and his lips perked up slightly when he saw a recovering patient who bowed respectfully to him. He was silently joyous.

            Young Lord often whispered something to the doctor there, in which Ramuja caught some of the conversation.

            ‘If that patient is poor, report it to me, I will pay for the bill.’

            ‘Save him at all cost. I read his family background, he is the sole breadwinner for his big family.’

            ‘She is mother of five, if she cannot survive… report to me, I will give the husband some compensation to raise his children.’

            He whispered the same thing over and over to the doctor in each room.

            I watched him in awe. Young Lord really paid attention to everyone he could reach. He might not be able to save everyone, but he tried really hard to do so. He was attentive to every aspect. I asked him curiously, “Young Lord, why are you so kind to everyone here?”

            “Hm?”

            “This servant saw you checking on everything very attentively, helping the patients, even though… some of them may slander Grand Duchy silently…”

            Aster smiled. He put down his note and gazed longingly outside and said, “Because this place is very nostalgic for me.”

            “Nostalgic? But this is hospital…”

            “Yes, it is. I spend half of my age in here,” Young Lord showed bitter smile, “I was a sickly baby and even more sickly child. I also spent my toddler life here. I still remember the smell of medicine, the nurses, and my nannies. My parents were really busy and had to leave me alone here with guards and nannies. Though, I understand their situation now, but I was a bratty child who threw temper tantrum often.”

            “When I was hospitalized because my skin condition made me felt like being cooked, especially during summer, I was in intense care here. I always threw tantrum because I was in the special private room in the top floor. It was huge, but empty. So, I ignored the nannies and ran to the lower floor and talked to the patients here. Most of them are adult or elderly. The elderly didn’t know that Duke Harion had a child, so they treated me like a regular child.”

            Young Lord wiped pool of tears in his eyes, “Well, I loved them, but elderly will die sooner or later. Some told their stories about their youth, others told their stories about their families, their grandchildren to me, and cannot wait to see their family. That’s why I always wish that they would recover and meet their family soon…”

            I listened to his story and was inevitably touched by Young Lord’s sincerity. I had worked under many nobles, and their kids were usually spoiled rotten and egoistic. They wouldn’t care whether a slave was a strong man or old woman, they just whipped them until they were dying.

            Young Lord smiled and said, “Follow me, I will show you something.”

            I followed Young Lord to the last room we haven’t visited in this floor. When he opened the door, there were elder patients lying in their bed. Aster talked to the doctor for few minutes and walked straight to the end of the room. He sat on a chair directly facing an old woman who closed her eyes.

            “Who’s there?” the old woman asked. Her voice was hoarse.

            “Grandma, it’s me, Edward,” Young Lord replied. He held her hand gently and kissed it piously.

            “Oh? My grandson! Where have you been? The last time you only send me flowers, peh! I don’t need beautiful flowers! I’m blind anyway!” grandma said.

            “I’m sorry, grandma, I was busy working to other countries. But I always send you flowers and letters about my activities every month, right?”

            “Ugh… but I want you here! Also, when will we leave this place? I got tired with these old people around me!”

            “Grandma… you are old too,” Aster replied funnily.

            “I may be old, but I’m still strong! See, my body is fine!” grandma swayed her wobbly hand left and right and accidentally hitting Ramuja who was sitting on the other side of the bed.

            “Oh? Did I hit you too hard? I’m sorry,” Grandma apologized, “Wait, who are you? Can’t you see that I’m having my time with my grandson?!”

            “Grandma, it’s okay, that’s my um… friend.”

            “N—Nice to meet you,” Ramuja said awkwardly.

            “Friend? You said you don’t have any friend and you are too busy to find one! How come you suddenly have friend to accompany you?” Grandma asked. She seemed to think of something and laughed after, “Oh, I get it! This must be your boyfriend? You are into man? It’s okay, it’s okay, my late brother fell in love with a handsome man too!”

            “G—Grandma!”

            “Young man, what is your name?”

            Ramuja glanced at Young Lord whose face was beet red and replied, “Ramuja.”

            “Ah, Ramuja and Edward! From your voice, you must be a handsome strong man too! Give me your hand,” Grandma said. Ramuja gave his palm to the old woman and she pulled Aster’s hand. She intertwined Aster and Ramuja’s fingers together and chanted, “May the last petal lasts until death plucks it.”

            “G—Grandma! That’s…” Aster instinctively reacted,

            “What? I’m giving you my blessing! Who knows whether I’m already dead or not when you two get married?” Grandma compelled and chanted the same sentence many times. It was one of the blessing from the elder to a new married couple, a ritual unique in Golden Camellia tradition.

            Aster and Ramuja gazed each other’s eyes. Aster’s golden circle dilated and both lowered their heads collectively, too embarrassed to stare at each other like how the ritual should be.

            After grandma finished chanting, she let them go. They talked for hours until Aster said that they should leave.

            “Well, don’t forget to visit me often! If I can’t leave this place, then you should stay here!” Grandma implored.

            Aster chuckled and said, “I will try my best.”

            Aster was sitting on a chair while Ramuja was standing behind him. Aster side eyed Ramuja and blushed again, “T—That ritual doesn’t count for us, okay? D—Don’t think too much!”

            Ramuja already brushed that ritual as his lucky day and he didn’t think much after that. He would never be together with his master anyway, but it seemed that Young Lord was the one who think too much. Ramuja chuckled lightly, “Yes, Young Lord. But, dares this servant ask, who is that old lady? And why is your name Edward?”

            Aster calmed down and replied, “Well, her name is Grandma Rita. She has illness that deems her a permanent patient here and I’ve known her for almost nine years.”

            “Nine years?”

            “Yes, I met her when I was hospitalized, she was blind and constantly asked where was her grandson. Apparently, her grandson’s age was close to mine. To calm her down, I posed as Edward and she believed it apparently, and I’m still doing it.”

            “What about her real family?”

            Young Lord showed bitter expression combined with anger, “When I’m older, I searched the information about her family, and found out that she only has one son, her son had three children, one of it was Edward. I guess he is her favorite? Well, in the end, after Grandma Rita was hospitalized, he ran away with his family to Great Kingdom Arctyr and left Rita alone, not knowing that her family left her.”

            Ramuja was shocked to hear someone could be so ruthless, to leave his old, sickly mother alone in this hospital.

            “Well, I give her white lies as long as she is happy…” Young Lord said, though his tone showed sorrow.

            “T—This servant thinks that Young Lord is a very gentle person. She looks very happy when she is with you,” Ramuja tried to lighten his master. Which Young Lord replied with slight smile.

            The atmosphere was sorrowful until they heard someone called Aster.

            “Aster! My god, why are you here?”

            Aster looked around until she spotted a tall woman in her fifties with green dress and a mask covered half of her face. He smiled and stood from the chair to greet this lady, “It’s nice to see you, Lady Merse.”

            “Oh please, just call me Aunt Merse,” Lady Merse laughed and gently patted Aster’s head, “What are you doing here?”

            “I’m assigned to check on hospital facility by my parents. May I ask why is Aunt Merse here?” Aster asked politely.

            “I’m staying because my husband is hospitalized, he is in the top floor.”

            “Oh, should I pay a visit to Lord then?”

            “Of course, you can, sweet Aster,” Lady Merse giggled. She finally met this boy whom she already considered as her own son.

            Before Aster could continue, he heard the loud sound of chairs behind him falling. He turned his head and was surprised by the sight of Ramuja already fell on his knees and trembled heavily.

            Ramuja was trembling crazy, the cold sweat ran through his body and his mind was numbed by fear

            ‘D—Duchess of Arion!’