When the Flowers Bloom in Spring – 3

As theory and practice are always different, the calendar declared the end of winter, but the chill did not dissipate.

Like lovers reluctant to part, the cold winter temperature seemed to want to linger by people’s sides.

“Lady, is there anything you need?”

A waiter in neat attire asked the woman.

They were on the restaurant’s terrace, separated from the street by a small fence.

The woman took a sip of the wine the waiter poured and nodded, seemingly satisfied.

The restaurant had a good atmosphere, delicious food, and pleasant music, but this guest did not seem comfortable throughout the meal.

After the waiter left, the woman took a small notebook from her bag.

A piece of paper attached to the notebook’s inner page was tattered.

[Have a meal at El Pio, a famous restaurant in Lirson.]

The words were written in crooked letters.

The woman took out a pen and crossed it out, signifying completion.

Above the one she just crossed out were similar crossed-out items.

[Stay overnight at an inn in Rown Village.]

[See the Transmission Tower.]

[Visit the Grandia Elenore Cathedral.]

She didn’t know how these things were related to learning the script, but the woman didn’t doubt it.

If the person who wrote this had said they could make cheese from stone, she would have believed it.

That’s why the woman had been depressed for the entire two months of her journey.

Even when seeing beautiful scenery.

Even when staying in good inns.

Even when going to good places.

Even when eating good food.

She hadn’t found a single clue to decipher the unknown script.

The woman rummaged through her pocket and took out a piece of paper.

A phrase meaning [When the flowering spring comes].

And below it, her own writing interpreting the meaning.

“……”

Emma covered her own writing with the pen.

She felt it was meaningless.

“I’m sorry.”

She said, leaning over the table.

“Master, I’m sorry.”

“Emma is stupid. I couldn’t find any clues. I’m sorry.”

She buried her face in the table and muttered in a dejected voice.

I should have studied harder.

Emma blamed herself for only receiving basic education.

As she spent time at the table, the wind blew.

-Whoosh

A sudden gust of wind blew the piece of paper she was holding away.

“Ah!”

Feeling the slight intoxication she had felt vanish, Emma jumped up.

The blown-away paper was falling onto the street over the fence.

It was something her master had left for her.

Emma lifted her leg high and jumped over the fence.

The wind blew again, and the paper made a low-altitude flight along the road.

Emma breathlessly chased after the paper.

The slapstick chase ended when someone picked up the paper.

“Here you go.”

A woman with an exotic appearance handed the paper to Emma.

“Thank you, Lady.”

Emma, who had been chasing the paper, stopped and expressed her gratitude.

“When the flowering spring comes.”

The woman said to Emma, who was turning around after saying thank you.

“Yes?”

Emma turned around when she heard the phrase she had been engraving in her mind every day.

“The writing on that paper. It’s the phrase ‘When the flowering spring comes.'”

The woman pointed to the paper she was holding.

Emma’s hand trembled slightly at those words.

“C, c, can you interpret this?”

Emma approached the woman and showed her the paper again.

The woman glanced at it with an unreadable expression and nodded.

“Yes, of course.”

Only then did Emma examine the woman in front of her.

She could be described as ‘black.’

From head to toe, she wore black clothes, and even her hair was a black bob.

As for her appearance, she had an exotic face, resembling someone from a distant eastern country she had once seen in a newspaper.

“Th, th… Just a moment. I’m really sorry, but could you wait here for a moment?”

As the woman nodded slightly, Emma headed back to the restaurant.

Emma’s heart was beating fast.

Returning to the restaurant, she paid the bill and came straight out.

She rushed back and took a piece of paper from her bag.

It was a copy of the first page of the novel Inho had written.

She had copied the first page, hoping to use it for decoding with the clues she had obtained during her travels.

“??”

The woman tilted her head as Emma handed her the copy.

“C, could you… perhaps… read the writing on there?”

Expectation filled Emma’s excited eyes.

Receiving that strangely persistent and intense gaze, the woman slowly scanned the paper she was holding.

Then she opened her mouth.

“Summer passes, autumn goes. And so winter comes.”

Emma covered her mouth with her hand as the woman read without hesitation.

Judging by the continuous flow of sentences and the harmony of their meanings, it didn’t seem like something hastily made up.

“When the cold winter passes, a new spring will come.”

Summer passes, autumn goes. And so winter comes.

When the cold winter passes, a new spring will come.

I think of us as seeds buried in winter.

Like seeds enduring the cold of winter, spending time underground.

Enduring the harsh storms with our whole bodies, and gaining hope to live another day.

Just as we cannot say that all seeds will sprout, neither can we.

And there are those who sprouted first, bloomed, and withered.

And there are those who are now buried in the ground, waiting for spring.

Emma.

I don’t know how long it took you to read this.

“…Master?”

Emma’s eyes widened as her name came out of the woman’s mouth.

“That’s it for here. Is there more? It seems like there’s more content after this.”

“Th, there is! There is…”

“There is?”

“The original is… at the mansion.”

The mansion was a full week away.

Emma couldn’t ask a woman she had never met to go with her for a week.

“Wh, where do you live? If I bring the original from the mansion… could you interpret more for me?”

The woman stared at Emma, who was looking at her with pleading eyes.

“I, I’ll pay you. You just need to take the time to read the writing. I’ll come to you. So please… please, I beg you.”

As the woman seemed to lose interest, Emma desperately grabbed her arm.

On the verge of kneeling, Emma was bowing her body.

“Um… I’m here on vacation too.”

“I, is that so? Then where do you originally live…”

“It’s far.”

“Ah… please…”

Emma collapsed with a desperate face.

How could she let go of this opportunity so futilely?

Tears welled up in Emma’s eyes.

“Then let’s do this.”

Looking at Emma, who was shedding tears on the street, the woman said without changing her expression.

Emma looked up at the woman’s words.

“I was looking for my next travel destination. Could you guide me to where you live? And provide accommodation if possible.”

“…Yes? Yes! It’s possible. It’s possible. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

At the words that she would come to the village, Emma bowed repeatedly, almost abjectly.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Emma repeatedly bowed, shedding tears.

“Please don’t do that so much. You’re starting to make me uncomfortable.”

Emma straightened up at the woman’s words. Emma didn’t want to upset the woman.

If she made a mistake and the woman developed negative feelings towards her, the manuscript decoding would be gone.

“Please take care of me.”

The woman held out her hand.

“I’m Emma, Lady.”

Emma replied, taking her hand.

“I see. Nice to meet you, Emma.”

The woman smiled and shook her hand up and down slightly.

“I’m Lee Mina.”

It was an exotic name.