The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods: Volume 2, page 15
But Adol had persisted, crawling around on his hands and knees in the dirt to create the desired herb garden. However, even as the garden itself had seemed like a success, the herbs he and his colleagues had grown were useless. Herbs with no medicinal value were good for nothing but decoration. He likened them to glass fashioned to imitate precious jewels—at least glass marbles were still pretty to look at.
Someday, the plants would grow properly. That’s what he told himself as he desperately continued fumbling around in the garden.
It had taken them two years to reach this point. Misha was telling him to throw all of that away and start from scratch. There was no guarantee it would work either.
Adol recalled his first meeting with the king, where they passionately discussed the king’s ambitions for the garden. He didn’t want it to be so hard to get herbs. He wanted a baseline level of medicine that they could produce even if the flow of goods came to a complete halt. His eyes had shone with the promise of all the lives that could be saved.
There was no doubt of where the king had gotten the motivation for his plan. When the plague had run rampant through the capital and they had been forced to seal the gates, they’d had no medicine. All they could do was watch over the victims as they died. Even if they couldn’t cure them, those taking care of them had wished they could at least have eased their suffering. If only they could have brought down the fever, if only they could have reduced the swelling in the afflicted’s throats so they could drink water, they lamented. Even simple medicine like that had been impossible to acquire in the sealed off capital. The king’s wishes echoed Adol’s own feelings during that harrowing time.
But did he have the strength left to set off in pursuit of that ideal once more? Would those who still worked at his side stay if he started everything over again?
“Mr. Adol.” Misha stared hard at the silent caretaker, but rather than critical, her gaze was pleasant, comforting.
He took a deep breath at the indescribable feeling of excitement welling up inside him. “Can I even handle this?” He knew full well how pitiful that sounded, but at the same time, the passion lighting Misha’s eyes had stolen his own.
“You can.”
Although he knew she had no basis for saying that, her unwavering affirmation still lifted his heart.
Oh. I can, yeah. I can do this...
His lack of confidence in himself, which had caused him to shrink away, faded gently. Was he standing straighter than he had in months? He thought he was.
With another deep breath, he gave a wide smile. “So... Where do we start, then?”
“Good question,” Misha replied, an almost mischievous light in her eyes. “Why don’t we start by ripping out all the plants and breaking down all the brick walls?”
The two began an earnest discussion of the future of the herb garden. An even greater surge of excitement filled Adol’s heart than when he had spoken with the king.
I feel like I could do anything. I wonder why...?
Rifling through the papers on Misha’s desk, Adol thought of all sorts of things he wanted to do. That feeling of limitless potential was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time, he told himself as he found a blank sheet of paper and began jotting down ideas.
On their walk back to the castle, having left the group of kids by the library, Tenz said, “You seem quite knowledgeable, Lady Misha.”
He was usually silent, so hearing him speak at all stopped Misha in her tracks for a moment before she shrugged and started off again.
“I learned a lot growing up in a forest. Though, really, if anyone working on the herb garden had actually had prior experience harvesting herbs, they’d probably have figured it out themselves. They should have at least noticed the plants were growing too fast, or that the herbs’ fragrance was too weak.”
They walked slowly through the city back to the castle. Misha and Adol had lost track of time during their passionate discussion, so it was approaching dusk by the time she left the garden. The street stalls had nearly all closed for the night, but the smell of cooking still wafted out to the street from the back alleys.
“But don’t they make medicine for a living?” Tenz asked, confused.
Misha gave an awkward smile. “I’d been stuck on that thought too, but it’s apparently pretty hard to find herbs around the capital. Most of Redford is flat land. There isn’t much in the way of hills and mountains. Plains and prairies have their own kinds of herbs, but the large population in the capital means most of the land has been taken over for some purpose or other, leaving very little of it to grow wild. As a result, most apothecaries have to settle for using dried herbs brought in from elsewhere. Most of their knowledge of wild plants is limited to what they can find in textbooks.”
At Adol’s explanation, the situation for the capital’s apothecaries had arrived as a series of devastating shocks to Misha. According to him, he could count on his fingers the number of times he had harvested herbs himself. That was unbelievable to Misha, who had always sourced her herbs herself. When she had mentioned that some herbs were more potent if they were used before they were dried, Adol had reacted with surprise. That he was surprised at all had been a jolt to her system.
“I thought the whole point of the herb garden’s creation was because they were having difficulty getting access to fresh plants. Apparently, I was mistaken,” Misha said, smiling in spite of herself.
Tenz, entirely ignorant in the field of medicine, had no reply for her. An awkward silence settled between them, and Misha felt the need to throw it off with a joke.
“But thank you so much for today. If people knew I had sent you off to run errands, I’d probably get in a lot of trouble!”
After their meeting with the children, Misha had run back to the herb garden. Wanting to confirm her theory, she had asked Tenz to go buy some tomatoes in town. She had wanted him to get them from the same farmer, so he had gone to the children’s grandfather on her behalf. The tomatoes he’d brought back had been essential in supporting her theory in front of Adol.
“It was nothing. I just happened to know where they live.”
He had made use of information he had already uncovered as Misha’s bodyguard. When she had started getting along with the local children, he had been tasked with investigating their backgrounds to ensure there was nothing untoward lurking in the shadows. He’d learned nothing suspicious, so he made no effort to stop their relationship. Naturally, Misha knew none of this.
Pretending not to notice the incredulity of the residents—aside from the children—at having a knight from the castle visiting their area of the city, Tenz was able to finish his errand fairly effortlessly.
“I should make some candy for those kids as a thank-you. Can you take me to visit them sometime?” Misha asked, an excited light in her eyes.
Tenz nodded with an ever so faint smile on his face.
Chapter 14: A Mysterious Boy
“Is that book really that interesting?”
Misha looked up at the sudden question.
Reconstruction of the herb garden had begun, which she couldn’t help with much, so she had taken to spending even more time in the royal library. After strolling through the forest of bookshelves on the first floor, she eventually wound up at her usual spot on the platform between floors—the herbology section, specifically.
When she picked her eyes up from her book, she saw a boy wearing a hat staring back at her. It was a bit surprising. This area of the library only contained books about medicinal herbs, so she almost always had the whole place to herself. Even when she didn’t, those who came by rarely stayed for more than a few moments.
Misha had been told there was another room that had more technical books on the same subject, so she imagined most apothecaries and doctors went there, but this section had some rather strange books mixed in, like those describing cultural practices and folklore. It was interesting enough that she had yet to move on to the other rooms.
“This is a book about herbs that appear in old legends. It’s got a really unique perspective, so it’s very interesting,” she explained as she displayed the book’s cover.
The boy stifled a laugh. “Old legends? Are they even real herbs?”
Misha gave a thoughtful hum. “There certainly seems to be a lot of fictional ones, but there are some real ones mentioned. And some have different names but are probably related to herbs that actually exist. Are you interested in herbs too?”
The boy seemed to be about seven or eight years old. The large hat he wore made it hard to tell, but Misha thought she saw soft, curly blond hair tucked underneath it. His bright blue eyes reminded her somewhat of a cat’s.
“Not really. I’m usually in the history section over there, but every time I come up here, I see you having a blast, so I got curious,” he said, indicating another section of the platform beyond an opening in the floor.
“You like history?” Misha asked. The books on the platform were more technical than those on the first floor. If the boy really was up here on a regular basis, it came as a surprise to her.
“I wouldn’t say that, but it’s not like I hate it. I was just told to read it, so I do. Oh, but stories about King Ruxel, the guy who built this library, are pretty interesting.”
It was an interesting perspective from a boy who looked young enough to be more at home reading picture books.
Misha was lost in thought for a moment, but then she beamed at him. “Stories about him do sound interesting. Where are those books?”
Her earnestness confused him. “You’re not going to complain about me making stuff up or call me cheeky?”
It was something he often heard from adults who saw him with his nose in a book. He didn’t really let it bother him, but he had grown so used to adults poking into his business and then finding him annoying. Misha’s real desire to know more struck him as strange.
“Huh? No. Why would I?” Misha was very much confused herself. “I just thought it sounded interesting too, like I want to read it for myself sometime.”
The complete lack of guile in her eyes pulled a bright smile out of him. “My name is Caro. What’s yours?”
“I’m Misha. Nice to meet you.”
Introductions done, Caro held out his hand, ready to lead her to the history section.
Now that he was standing and she was sitting, she could see beneath the brim of his hat to notice the happy look in his blue eyes, but she didn’t know quite why he looked so happy. And though he reminded her of someone else, before the name could come to mind, Caro had pulled her out of her seat. Whenever she stood, she was tall enough that his hat obscured almost all of his face.
“It’s over here. Let’s go.” It seemed Caro was excited to share the books he enjoyed. “Oh, I’d like to read the one you’re looking at too, so let’s bring it with us.”
“Are we allowed to do that?” Misha asked.
“As long as we put them back in the right place!”
Misha had always read the books right by the bookshelves she had taken them from, so she hesitated to take one on a longer journey, but Caro had no such inhibitions. He tucked the book she had been reading under his arm.
“You’re really used to this place, huh?” Misha commented, letting him guide her by the hand through the library.
Caro shrugged. “Not really. I usually live in a different city, but I visit the capital around this time every year, and this is where I like to kill time or study. It’s safe here, and there are more than enough books to keep me busy.”
His tone as he said “visit” had been remarkably cold, so Misha had to assume his parents had dragged him here against his will. She could empathize with a child’s lament when being taken to a faraway city where they had no friends. His boredom shouldn’t have surprised anyone. That said, a child at Caro’s age couldn’t be left to wander the city freely. A place like the royal library, where there were plenty of adults and little danger, would be perfect for a kid who liked reading. Still, Misha had to wonder just how happy a young, lonely boy would be, left with nothing but mountains of books to read.
Kids need to run around, after all, she thought, Anna and the boys coming to mind.
“Are you here by yourself, Caro?”
“Right now, yeah. I’m sure they’ll send someone to get me if they need me.” Guiding her around the large gap in the platform, Caro grabbed a step stool and used it to retrieve a large, heavy book from a higher shelf. “This is the one. And here, follow me. I’ll show you something special.” He smiled as he lightly tugged on her hand again.
At first, she thought he was leading her to one of the nearby tables, but he walked right past them. Instead, he took her to a small door nestled among the bookshelves, as if it were meant to be hidden. It was short enough that an adult would have to stoop down to get through it. Misha let Caro take her inside. When she glanced back to see Tenz watch them go, he made no effort to follow them inside.
“Whoa. I never knew the library had a place like this.”
Though the door was short, the inside had a tall ceiling that would have been more than spacious enough for any adult. The floor was covered in thick carpet, and there were several sofas that looked comfortable. The largest one was big enough that you could lie down on it for a nap. There were also plenty of cushions and blankets.
“This is a special room. Cool, right? This is the first time I’ve shown it to anyone.”
Clearly quite excited, Caro urged Misha to take a seat on one of the sofas as he stepped over to a desk and rang a bell sitting on it. In short order, a second door opened to permit a maid to step inside.
“Tea, please.”
The maid showed a slight hint of surprise at seeing Misha, but otherwise nodded quietly to Caro’s short command and stepped back out of the room.
“Is she one of your house’s servants?” The silent, graceful way the maid carried herself reminded her very much of the maids in the castle.
“No, she works for the library.” He shook his head. “She’s here to serve me while I’m using this room.”
At the same time, the maid’s door opened again, and she returned pushing a cart. Without a word she started setting out some tea and snacks.
“You can go,” Caro murmured quietly the moment she was done.
The maid gave a small nod and stepped back out of the room. She kept her head down the entire time she was there, not saying a single word. Misha was used to talking with the maids, or at least thanking them, so the silence here made her fidget. Caro didn’t seem to struggle with that—nor did he ever bother to look at the maid.
Is he a noble?
That a boy his age was so accustomed to commanding adults, even maids, meant he was probably part of the ruling class. It would explain why his clothes seemed to be made of such high-quality fabric despite being styled like an outfit of a commoner. He didn’t have so much as a scratch on his hands or legs. Anyway, she’d already assumed he hadn’t had an ordinary education from the moment she heard him call books that would be difficult even for adults “interesting.”
“Go ahead. The snacks here are really good.”
But his innocent invitation had her bite back on her suspicions.
It’s fine, I guess. He’s probably just happy to have a friend in this library full of grown-ups.
While she was older than him, Misha understood she still counted as a kid.
Putting those thoughts behind her, she helped herself to the tea. Tenz had made no effort to stop her from going in here. That was enough for her to be sure that this boy was no threat. She thought her guard’s expression had stiffened a bit, but that might have just been her imagination. Either way, it wasn’t her problem.
“Oh, wow. These really are good.”
“Right? It makes coming all the way here worth it.”
As the kids enjoyed their snacks, the hustle and bustle of the adults outside their room faded from their minds. They talked about their book recommendations for a bit, and then they enjoyed their tea while they read. While the sofas by the bookshelves were plenty comfortable, a place like this that guaranteed one wouldn’t be disturbed was the perfect environment for reading. Little by little, their conversation petered out as the two were slowly consumed by their literature. Before long, there was nothing but the sound of pages turning to be heard.
After reading for a while, Misha looked up to see that Caro had nodded off, his book still open on his lap.
He’s not going to catch a cold, is he?
Quietly putting her book down, she stepped over to the sleeping boy. She gently laid him down on the sofa before putting a blanket over him. Then, after a bit of hesitation, she removed his wide-brimmed casket hat. It looked pretty uncomfortable to wear while sleeping.
Shining blond curls spilled out over the cushion that served as his pillow. His hair looked so soft—as a young kid’s often was—so Misha found herself stroking it despite herself. It felt just as pleasant to the touch as it appeared.
His hair is so pretty, she thought with a smile.
After enjoying the sensation for some time, she decided it was time for her to leave. There were no windows in the room, but judging by the number of pages she had chewed through, she could tell quite a bit of time had passed.
Mr. Tenz is probably... Well, probably not worried, but I’ve made him wait for quite a long time.
Normally, Misha would stop reading whenever she got to a good spot, check out any books she was interested in, and return home, but in a place as comfortable and secluded as this, she had entirely lost track of time.
“Oh, right. I should leave him a message.”
She could always leave a message with the maid, but she figured Caro would probably be disappointed to wake up and find Misha missing. Instead she took out some note paper she had brought with her. On it, she wrote that she had to leave early, but she’d be back at the library at about the same time every day for a while.
