Atticus [BL]
Chapter 30 Love

Chapter 30: 30 Love

"Oh my, young man, you certainly have a talent for gardening!"

Nerys couldn’t help but smile, feeling his heart swollen in warmth at the complement of the old gardener.

He had helped him for a while in the regular maintenance of the garden. Although Nerys had only been assisting the old man in watering the plants, pruning and weeding out to keep flower beds and pathways free of weeds that were beginning to mulch around plants.

"Thank you, sir. I have been gardening, too, when I was a child." Nerys said, "The garden of Lord Nathaniel is really beautiful, you’re amazing, too in keeping it beautiful."

The gardener let out a hearty laugh, "Hahahaha! Thank you, Young Man. But to tell you the truth, Sir Nathaniel is the one who always tends his garden, I’m just here to simply help the regular maintenance."

"Is that so?" Nerys couldn’t help but feel admiration towards Nathaniel’s talent in gardening.

The garden was meticulously tended, with vibrant flowers in full bloom, adding an ethereal beauty to the estate cottage. Their delicate scents filled the air, offering Nerys a sense of calm and tranquility.

"That’s right, Lord Nathaniel is such a talented one. I guess that’s what you’d become if you read a lot, ahahahaha!"

The old gardener seemed to be very lively. Nerys smiled at him before he put down the watering can on the green grassy ground, his eyes trailing through the flowers.

"Take your time in strolling around, please be careful not to step onto the small flowers."

Nerys nodded and wandered aimlessly. The sun was on the verge of setting, casting a golden glow that made the garden even more picturesque.

Nathaniel’s estate was surrounded by a variety of flowers and lush shrubs. Several trees were wrapped in vines that not only climbed their trunks but also draped over the estate’s walls.

However, his sightseeing was interrupted when Arnold called him in for dinner.

*

That night, Arnold prepared a luxurious bath and a room for each of them, tending to their needs while they awaited Nathaniel’s arrival.

"Would you like the servants to assist you further, Young Master Nolan?" Asked the elderly butler.

"No, I can handle the rest myself. Thank you, you can leave now."

"Alright, Young Master. Lord Nathaniel has not specified his arrival, it is best to rest for the night. He will talk to you tomorrow."

Arnold bowed before he left Nolan on his own, and closed the door behind him.

When the butler left, Nolan sighed and strode towards the bed. The entire room was in silence, prompting him to realized he was not used to be alone.

He missed Atticus. He felt regret for always dismissing his butler’s offer to help him in his daily night preparation.

Perhaps, it was because he was already an adult, and Atticus never seemed to mind it and had always been enthusiastic to help him in every way possible.

"I’m already an adult!" he would always reason out whenever Atticus offer his assistance at the most simplest thing, like buttoning his shirt or tying his shoe laces.

Atticus’s actions weren’t just out of duty as a butler; to Nolan, it seemed as if he was always by his side because he wanted to be—as if it was his personal duty to tend to him.

Now, Nolan wished Atticus were here to help him with his nightly preparations before bed.

Lying on his back, he stared at the ceiling. After a moment, his eyelids grew heavy, and gradually, his consciousness drifted into sleep.

*

"Can we share the same room, is that alright?"

"Of course... If it is not a problem with sir Elwin."

Arnold was escorting Nerys and Elwin towards their designated room, on a separate floor from Nolan.

"It’s alright, we share a bed back in the village." Elwin chirped.

The elderly butler cleared his throat, thinking he did not need to hear that.

"Then I’ll leave you now. Kindly ring the servant bell if you need anything." Arnold stated, gesturing them to their room.

"Thank you so much, sir." Nerys thanked politely with a smile.

Arnold gazed at Nerys for a second, before he nodded a little and left them.

"He is such a kind man, I wish his death would be a peaceful one," Nerys commented as he watched the elderly butler walk away, turning at the hallway’s intersection before disappearing from sight.

Elwin, on the other hand, felt his heart sink at Nerys’s words. The memory of Leslie’s death suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Noticing Elwin’s silence, Nerys realized what he had just said and felt a twinge of guilt.

"Don’t worry, Elwin, I don’t think Sire Nolan’s brother will let his servant be endangered." He said and opened the door for them.

The room was large. It was almost the same size as Elwin’s small house in the village.

Elwin didn’t answer, his mind wandered from Leslie’s death to Nathaniel’s possible marriage. All of a sudden, he felt guilty for feeling a little more depressed about it than the death of his friend.

"When you talk about crush earlier, is it Sir Nolan’s brother you have a crush on?"

Elwin gazed at Nerys who stood by the open door, his forest-green eyes glinted at the subtle light off the crystal chandelier from the ceiling inside their room.

His freckled cheeks turned red, thankfully it was not visible. But Nerys could tell he was blushing, his red freckled cheeks from earlier automatically came to Nerys mind.

"... Yes, but it’s nothing serious." Admitted Elwin and stepped inside the room.

Nerys closed the door, "Are you hurting? Although he didn’t say the possibility of marriage, there could be a chance about it."

Two pairs of night pajamas were prepared atop the bed for them.

"I’ll move on in no time and eventually forget about it."

When he heard Elwin’s nonchalant voice, Nerys paused. Unable to grasp what he had just heard.

"But why would you forget about him?"

Elwin paused and turned to look at him, "What do you mean? Obviously, I don’t stand a chance, and he’s my friend’s brother."

Nerys tilted his head a little, still confused as he stared at Elwin.

"Sigh. You wouldn’t understand it for now. Once you like someone you can’t be with, you’ll understand."

Nerys fell silent, but he was still perplexed.