At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 272

Honestly, Jiwoo felt a bit embarrassed to have such thoughts. Her husbands had accepted her as she was long ago, but even after learning that Akarna could exist naturally in this world, she still, deep down, saw herself as an outsider.

“But not now.”

This time, she realized.

Maybe she was an even better fit for them than the manifestations of Ellandos could ever be.

Not because she was some special ‘chosen one’. 

Nor because she was some other Akarna.

But simply because she was Seo Jiwoo, the person who, despite having every reason to turn her back on the world, still couldn’t ignore a dying stranger in a cave. 

Even when she’d been given the chance to leave, she’d chosen to try loving this world one more time.

The reason she now had the power to protect what was precious to her, rather than wield some overwhelming strength to rule over El Ragneil, was solely because of that choice.

She wanted to share this realization with Lanceil before anyone else.

“Maybe we really will live a long, long time… Maybe we’ll be able to go all the way to the capital together, with our tree.” 

“Of course… I’d love that. It’d make me so happy.”

Lanceil, who was gently stroking her shoulder, hesitated, then added.

“You know… I always thought you were like a tree.”

Jiwoo couldn’t help but laugh.

To those who loved trees above all else, being called ‘like a tree’ was the highest praise imaginable. But this time, Lanceil meant something a little different.

“When the tree’s power overflows, that’s when we first learn to breathe.”

“Really?”

“The tree doesn’t force its strength out… it just gives us what it has in abundance, keeping what’s most important for itself.”

A tree never carves itself apart for others. It simply gives what overflows.

Was that why Jiwoo had been able to nurture other trees, because she was that kind of person?

“Ah…”

She realized she’d never thought of it that way before.

From the very first moment she arrived, maybe even after coming to El Ragneil, she had always just tried to love others as much as possible, sometimes even at the expense of herself. She’d thought she could bear anything, as long as she could hold on to the relationships she cherished.

But feeling like this was a first.

“I…”

Jiwoo leaned comfortably into Lanceil. She was the only one who truly belonged with them.

“I really love myself.”

Loving herself and pouring out that overflowing love to her husbands.

“A tree is what lets all life in El Ragneil breathe.”

And to Lanceil, that meant more than any declaration of love.

“We only breathe because you let us.”

“Yes.”

Jiwoo nodded happily.

“So I’m going to live exactly how I want.”

Right.

Just like a tree.

***

The highlight of the festival arrived.

It was the day to scatter seeds.

Each husband had chosen a different flower seed to scatter, and Jiwoo had brought some from the beach, along with seeds the others shared with her.

There were no rules or rituals. Just dancing and tossing seeds around their Ellandos tree. The real fun was climbing up later to see how beautifully those scattered seeds had bloomed.

After teaching Jiwoo the festival dance, Kaman, who got the privilege of the first dance, called out as he stepped aside for another brother.

“El, look over here!”

“Hm?”

“Perfect.”

When Jiwoo turned, Kaman took in the scene with his eyes. He was already planning to commit it to memory for a family portrait. 

Though he’d make sure Marron and Night were posed off to the side.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Jiwoo felt something wet on her cheek and glanced up.

“It’s raining!”

She now knew that rain at times like this was a big event in this world.

“It always rains for us at times like this!”

“Jiwoo, you’ll catch a cold!”

“Akarna doesn’t get colds.”

She leapt through the flower field, laughing with her husbands, while Kallan strolled over with a gentle smile.

“We call this flower-slumber rain.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s the rain that wakes up all the flowers that slept through winter. It usually falls on the last day of the festival.”

“It’s beautiful.”

The sun never disappeared behind any clouds, the rain glittered in the sky like jewels.

And just as the name flower-slumber rain promised, flowers started blooming one by one from the seeds, awakened by the rain.

“The flowers are already blooming!”

“It’s the world responding to your joy.” 

Jiwoo laughed, noticing that the flowers she’d just stepped on were still standing tall.

It felt as if the world was granting her wish to live however she wanted, to do anything she dreamed.

Under that gemstone rain, she danced and played with all her husbands until the festival ended, letting her feelings overflow like a tree.

“I love you all. I’m so happy to have you all.”

And as everyone inevitably caught a cold together, it was hardly a secret at all that they enjoyed their own ‘healing time’.