Saint's Prison - Chapter 11

The Flowers of a Promise

The monastery was now truly in the throes of spring.

In the afternoon, I busied myself with the routine work in the monastery’s garden.

The spring sunshine was warm and comforting, perfect weather for tending to the fields.

“Hey, Francesco, is it alright to pull out these onions just like this?”

I called out to Francesco, who was harvesting onions next to me.

“Yes, Kuro-dono. Like this, please… just pop them out. …But you seem quite ignorant of the ways of the world, don’t you? You wouldn’t happen to be some nobleman, would you?”

With a lively smile, Francesco demonstrated how to pull out an onion.

“No way. I just never had the chance for that kind of thing. By the way, these leaves – we don’t eat them?”

“No, we don’t eat them,” he replied.

“What a waste… green onions are delicious.”

Francesco laughed out loud at my longing gaze at the green onions, so I pinched his side in retaliation. He laughed even more.

After getting covered in mud, we managed to finish the gardening work. Francesco and I hung the harvested onions on a wooden rack to dry. Doing this allows them to be preserved for about six months. The self-sufficient life of the monastery is largely supported by these preserved foods.

With that, today’s labor was done. The sky was already stained with the colors of dusk. Francesco and I put away the tools we used for gardening and slowly stretched our stiff bodies.

The setting sun gently shone through the clouds, enveloping us in its light.

Francesco wiped the sweat from his brow and turned around with a bright smile.

“Well, Kuro-dono. You must be tired today. Please rest up.”

“Yeah, you too, Francesco.”

“Ha ha ha, I still have things to do, so I’m fine. Thank you for your concern. Oh, it’s almost time for evening prayers. Mister, I’ll take my leave now!”

He briskly walked away with his round body. How could he move so fast? Every time I saw him run, I was impressed.

“Well, I’ll wash off the sweat at the well before heading back to my room.”

I walked across the field to the well, which was near the brewery. It wasn’t far, and I reached the well quickly. I grabbed a bucket that was leaning against it, lowered it into the well, adjusted the rope, and filled it with water.

I washed my hands first. The cool well water felt refreshing. I took off my clothes to wash my upper body, then washed my face. After that, I emptied the bucket and filled it with water again. Bending my body into a ‘く’ shape, I took care not to wet my lower half as I poured water over my head. I scrubbed my hair and squeezed out the water. Finally, I drew more water and thoroughly washed places like my armpits, neck, and behind my ears before rinsing off.

After shaking off the water and slicking back my hair, I took a moment to catch my breath. Then I put on my clothes, leaned the bucket back against the well, and turned back towards the monastery.

As I crossed the field, I noticed a small wildflower bathed in the sunset. It was an elegant light blue flower. It wasn’t blooming in a cluster, but stood alone, quietly.

Somehow, it reminded me of Amal. I stared at the flower for a while before squatting down. After a moment’s hesitation, I picked it. Holding it carefully, I made my way slowly back to the monastery.

＊＊＊

When I opened the door to my room, I saw Amal already sitting primly on the bed. Seeing me, her face blossomed into a smile. She quickly got up and came to my side like a puppy.

“My, Andy-sama. Have you been bathing?”

“Yeah, I got sweaty from the fieldwork, so I washed off at the well.”

“You’re still damp. Even though it’s spring, you could catch a cold. Please, have a seat.”

Urged by Amal, I sat down on the bed. She hurriedly fetched a cloth from the back of the dresser.

So there was a cloth there…

Amal took care of my room, cleaning it and managing the clothes, so she knew more about the state of the room than I did.

She gently wiped my face with the cloth she had taken out. Then she sighed heavily as she went to wipe my hair.

“…What’s wrong, Amal?”

“N-nothing. It’s just that your hairstyle makes you look even more handsome and manly than usual… it seems a shame to mess it up…”

“Ha ha, if you like it that much, I’ll do this hairstyle for you anytime. Come on, you were going to wipe it, weren’t you?”

I couldn’t help but laugh and offer my head to her.

Seeing this, Amal blushed. As she timidly wiped my head, she whispered shyly,

“…It’s a promise.”

After she wiped my hair, I felt much fresher.

I was about to thank Amal when I remembered the flower I was holding in my left hand. I stood up and called out to Amal, who was folding the cloth. She immediately put the cloth on the desk and rushed over.

I had never given a flower to a woman before, so I didn’t know what to say. And I was giving not a proper bouquet, but a single wildflower whose name I didn’t even know. It might be rude to give such a thing, and I hesitated.

Don’t overthink it, just convey your thanks for all she does!

Here goes nothing!

“Ahem. Amal, thanks for everything. This is for you… It’s not much, but it’s to show my gratitude.”

I handed her the flower.

Amal looked back and forth between my face and the flower before accepting it. She smiled without hiding her flushed cheeks.

“This is the first time I’ve received a gift from someone. Andy-sama, you give me so many firsts. I’m truly happy… so happy I can’t find the words. …Andy-sama, I will cherish this forever.”

“That’s good to hear you’re so pleased. But, flowers wither…”

Amal looked up abruptly, her eyes brimming with tears. I quickly tried to reassure her.

“It’s okay, we can press the flower. Let’s make it together sometime.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course. It’s a promise,” I nodded deeply.

Amal smiled like a child.

In sync with her smile, the small blue flower quietly swayed.