The bookmark swung on the pommel. It was a soft shade of pink, and it paired nicely with the vibrancy of the pressed flower, flashing against each sun-cast swing. This flower was a hybrid, most commonly known as the "Japanese Anemone".
It was also pink, but in a different league entirely.
And that flower dangled once more with the flick of Lord No-Name's finger, just before he concealed that very sword under his outer robe.
Of course, Tao Hua was still left in a daze. The idea of someone actually keeping one of his bookmarks, let alone tying it to their sword, was unheard of. But this hazy spell would soon come to an end with the words.
"Since that's dealt with, we should get introductions out of the way—"
"No!—Ah," Tao Hua's head shot up, only for it to sink back down. "Sorry. No. Uh, could we maybe not do that…? Sorry."
It started with a shout and ended in a whisper, leaving Lord No-Name shocked with his only words symbolized through his astonishment. In an awkward sequence of drawn circles, Tao Hua repeatedly dragged his finger on the table, avoiding those very eyes.
"We don't need to know each other personally."
And it was better that way.
If hellos were dreamlike, then goodbyes were their antithesis; they functioned better as a tragedy best explained in the prose of "no more". To Tao Hua, this was genuinely distressing, and such was exemplified through the abrupt flailing of his hands. He did this through his explanations, and it was quelled only by the touch of another.
A hand softly pushed both of Tao Hua's down and back onto the table. When he looked up, he found that the amusement had crept back onto Lord No-Name's face, and he wore it better than a woman wore an expensive hairpin.
"You're not curious about my name? Who I am? Why I'm here?" he asked in a lighthearted manner, though subtle. Placing Tao Hua's hand neatly onto the other, he added, "We're practically research buddies now. That's intimacy to the highest degree. Don't you think?"
And just how the birds always sang in the morning, Tao Hua took this man's words seriously. Though he tried not to show it; to reveal such genuine vulnerability was practically writing that goodbye note. Maybe.
He still wasn't good at it.
"I am…but not right now," said Tao Hua. His words held a tinge of truth-entwined-hope, best shown through the way he sat back in his chair and reached for the book ahead of him. He opened that page, but no amount of distraction could stop the smile that curved his lips. "Research buddy is fine for now."
Lord No-Name laughed. "Well, don't you sound like someone who's got a troubled life."
And the moment was gone. Out of all the things said that day, the accusation stung the most. Well, it wasn't right to call what was true an accusation.
In the midst of this, his hand froze between two pages of the book, and he came to a single realization in that moment.
None of this had to do with research.
After some hesitation, Tao Hua let the page fall and slowly land on the others. Like a falling feather, in all that was generically written.
"I'm sorry," he replied.
But the man continued to laugh, and Tao Hua had to wonder: what an odd thing to laugh about.
"Why are you apologizing?" asked Lord No-Name. The black strands fell to his shoulder, just as he returned his hand to his cheek, and elbow propped on the table. "Oftentimes we have no control over our destiny—some people are just unfortunate."
And the moment returned. Tao Hua turned to look at the mysterious man in a moment of awe. Where his hopeful eyes gleamed with gloss, it reflected the sheer contrast of the dulled interior of expressionless white eyes.
"But fine." Lord No-Name lowered his hand midway. It looked like someone offering a kind gesture; however, that gesture wasn't providing assistance, but a promise. "You have my word. I won't ask any questions that don't involve our research."
Tao Hua smiled, and as soon as he did, his once frozen hand finally thawed. He picked up the page once more, flipping it to completion. This moment, too, would soon be interrupted.
"I won't ask you for your name. That can be your secret," started Lord No-Name. He leaned sideways, closer to Tao Hua's shoulders, but not enough for them to touch. It was enough to cause Tao Hua to jerk away, though. This only enticed the man more. "There is something I want to know. Tell me, what crafted such an interesting character, unnamed—Go on, I'm curious."
How was he supposed to answer?! Everything this man did, from his smile, to his actions, and now his words, they were as sporadic as the seasons; mostly winter and summer. Probably only those two, actually.
With a slight stutter, Tao Hua retorted, "But you said—"
"I said no questions." Lord No-Name held up a finger. "But I never said anything against demands. Go on, tell me a bit about yourself, Little Flower."
Tao Hua's eyes darted in his direction, and for a moment his breath gripped his words. But he tried to hold back his reaction and instead lifted his hand. He used it to tuck a few strands of hair behind and kept his hand there as a shield, protecting his emotions behind it.
Despite it being a concerning nickname, Tao Hua couldn't seem to control the smile any longer. It was an area he had no experience in, as there were only a few times Tao Hua had genuinely flashed such an innocent smile. More than half of them happened next to this man.
The others that didn't involve reading? Too old.
Tao Hua really didn't know what else to say except, "I like to read."
That's what finally knocked the smile right off Lord No-Name's face.
"You don't get out much, do you?" he asked.
"I do!"
"Hm." Lord No-Name grazed his finger against his bottom lip. "To where, exactly?"
"Here," Tao Hua answered with absolute certainty and partial confidence—one of the few things he could say with absolute certainty and partial confidence ever in his twenty years of existence.
But that response just made this man's reaction evermore peculiar. Lord No-Name's hand left his lip and veiled his eyes, shaking alongside the shoulders that couldn't stop trembling. Tao Hua couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying, but that answer became clear as soon as the chuckling began.
And the only thing worse than the word "chuckle" was having it directed at his own statement.
"I stand corrected. You aren't a Little Flower after all. You're actually a Funny Little Man."
Tao Hua moved his hand to his cheek and clumsily scratched it—it was his second attempt at trying to hide his face.
To make matters worse, he didn't even tell a joke!
With his other hand, he began flipping each page, one after another. "Research. We should do research."
Pleaded like a true declaration.
Lord No-Name tutted. "Oh, but I'm having fun. Let's continue. Tell me how you ended up in a place like this."
Avoiding this man's impish approach, Tao Hua flicked the corner of the page repeatedly. "I was born here?"
"Unfortunate."
He wasn't wrong there; at least the two were of similar minds. That was a reassuring thought.
"All right, all right, Funny Little Man—" Lord No-Name started. Tao Hua's shoulders flinched the moment the man finally pressed his against them. "Now tell me why you're still here."
Tao Hua side-glanced at him, only for his eyes to snap back. The man's face was uncomfortably close, and the intoxicating scent of—whatever that aroma was, probably sandalwood—engulfed his senses. Pair it with intense heat and it practically spelled the word "disaster".
To avoid this, Tao Hua slunk down in his chair.
"Um, well, you know…" he began, leaning his head away from the shoulder. Whispering, he said, "Those woods are dangerous—Buzhi Forest, I mean. I'm not…really…I'm not like you."
"Like me? Do explain."
Tao Hua let out a sigh that rattled the lapels of his robe. "I don't have the physical build…there's no way I could handle the brutes and brawns. Outside the walls. Sorry."
"I say this with the utmost hate: this town fucking sucks. You'd do far better serving the Imperial Capital," Lord No-Name paused, only glancing away from Tao Hua for a single moment. "I wouldn't work for them. That doesn't change my statement, though. The Imperial Capital is relatively safe and closely governed. I should know."
His last words were paired with a darkened smile, but he quickly masked it upon his next statement.
"You really don't have to lock yourself up here."
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeh, about that—" Tao Hua slithered down further in his chair. It was better to assume he looked more dead than he did alive, and what came next was the sword that ended him entirely. "I'm kind of, if not already, locked down. Uh, engaged? Forcefully engaged. Yay."
Lord No-Name's brows rose. "You mean an arranged marriage?"
"Against my will!" Tao Hua retorted. Though his position was pitiful, his expression was purely sincere. But it would be the first time he ever defended his stance on his supposed future. The only issue was that he couldn't seem to understand Lord No-Name's expression. Like a book within Tao Hua's grasp, but none of it was fucking translated. Rather, a forbidden tome was a better way of putting it.
"Most are against anyone's will. Rarely are they not."
"And most don't care," said Tao Hua, in a voice low and unsettling. "They're usually fine with it."
Lord No-Name just laughed. It was a laugh that was more daunting than it was amused. With a shake of his head, he reached down to Tao Hua's shoulders and forced him to sit like a normal, respectable person. His grip was firm in doing so, and the way he brought Tao Hua back up was done with genuine ease.
Now he was back to the previous problem; this man was still invading his personal space.
"I think you need to experience more of the outside world." Reaching his other hand past Tao Hua, he closed the cover of the book and slid it closer. It wasn't anything special—nonfiction. Something on constellations and how they affected the country's destiny. Gods and all that stuff. Fun.
The man continued, pressing his finger to the title. "If you can't leave, read. You'll find it's not so bad—and it's nothing like it is here. Fairytales exist out there too, y'know."
Tao Hua sat there in silence. He wanted to push back, pointing to his first issue of "not being able to leave", but anytime he opened his mouth, he just shut it. He reached his hand towards the book and gently placed it on the cover. With a slow nod, he finally decided on a response. He whispered, "I'll try."
Nothing more.
Lord No-Name's eyes were stuck to Tao Hua like a man who knew all the answers to any question tossed his way, making the act of catching them look quite simple. It was never simple.
If it were, then who was there to save him from this sad excuse of a town? But Tao Hua had to scoff at that question. Wouldn't that mean he was the princess? He just shook his head and leant into the table; away from the man's shoulder.
Whether it was pure luck, or this man was insanely perceptive, he cut the moment short with a proclamation.
"But enough of that; I'm bored," he said, propping an elbow onto the table once more. "Let's talk about that boss of yours."
To be disappointed or relieved? Tao Hua didn't know, but his shoulders did. They deflated at the all too familiar question. But in a world where jewels weighed more than hypotheticals, appearances always had to be kept up, especially those adorned in gold-plated silver. "Master Tao, right?"
"Sure."
"…and the relic, right?"
"Yup."
"…right." Tao Hua puffed his cheeks, blowing out each whiff of air until they were completely exhausted. "What do you need to know?"
He tapped his index finger on the table. It stopped, however, and in an abrupt motion, he pushed past the boundary of comfortable. This closed the gap between the two shoulders. Now, to a normal person, the act of two shoulders touching would be a simple gesture, twice not questioned.
But to Tao Hua? It made him tense dramatically.
So, to handle the situation, he whipped his head away from Lord No-Name. But to his utter shock—maybe—he wrapped his arm around Tao Hua's shoulders.
"What I don't understand is how the headman of a town so insignificant knows so much about the relics," said Lord No-Name. Using his other hand, he brushed under Tao Hua's chin, forcing the poor lad to face him. "Don't you find it odd?"
Who—HAH?! Thought Tao Hua, forgetting exactly what it meant to breathe. The audacity!
Even if he wanted to lift his hand and push away the other's, he couldn't quite do it. He didn't even know if that's what he wanted to do.
Friendships were weird.
"Um…maybe? What were we talking about?" Tao Hua stared down at the fingers that rested firmly on his face. "We're talking about that thing? The relic thing. Right. Right?
"Right."
"Right." Tao Hua inhaled loudly, his hands trembling somewhat. "Okay, we don't have one. Ah, wait, you knew that. But, um, Master Tao has a map of where all the relics are located. In the central hall. Hung up."
That was true! In the Tao's estate sat a giant, hard-to-miss map that depicted the entire country, and dotted in silver pins were the locations of each relic.
"Oh?" Lord No-Name retracted his hand and moved back into his chair. It creaked, just as he lifted that very hand and held it to his mouth. As he contemplated, Tao Hua grazed his cheek, exactly where Lord No-Name had touched. The sensation lingered longer than was comfortable.
"How updated is it?"
"Huh?" He turned his head to face Lord No-Name. "What's that?"
"…how updated is the map?"
"Ah, the map. Right." He didn't know, so he did what he did worst. He lied, "Very updated. I think. Looks like it has fewer tea stains than…it…usually has."
"You said he's busy. Why is he busy?"
More questions he didn't know the answer to. Tao Hua just dipped his head into his shoulders.
What did Master Tao's whereabouts have to do with digging up relics? And most importantly—why did he have to touch him in such weird ways?!
It's not like Tao Hua could call him out or anything. He was just as bad with his lies and all.
"He travels to the Imperial Capital every other week."
Lord No-Name's brows furrowed, and an eerie smirk crossed his face. "Nosy. Should be expected of a small town."
"Uh…" Tao Hua looked away, guilty. "Did you want to meet him?"
"I do. But I'll meet him on my own terms, don't worry." The man said, reaching for the books and piling each on each other. When Tao Hua watched him do this, his heart sank into his stomach.
"Go on and bring those to the shopkeeper, I'll join you both in a second."
Chapter end.