The Secret Rules of the Maze

The spirit vanished instantly, as if afraid of being caught by Ensi.

The sensation of heat that had been radiating from Agniele’s skin disappeared so suddenly it felt like a dream.

“Agniele? Are you warm?”

A faint trace of concern flickered in Ensi’s eyes as he noticed Agniele’s face flushing for no apparent reason.

Ensi instinctively reached out, his hand nearly touching the reddened cheek, when Agniele finally spoke.

“—No. It is not because I am warm.”

Agniele’s voice sounded slightly dazed, as if he were caught in a trance.

Ensi curled his fingers inward, suddenly self-conscious of the position of his arm, and withdrew his hand.

“……Shall we head out for now?”

“Let us.”

Agniele watched the retreating hand with a hint of regret, but Ensi had already turned away, his gaze cast downward.

Though he had stepped out of the greenhouse first, Ensi soon came to a halt since he didn’t know where Agniele intended to go.

When Ensi looked back at him, Agniele tilted his head for a moment before realizing Ensi’s intent and taking the lead.

The further they moved from the forest, the louder the commotion from the Academy became.

Yet, between the two of them, the silence remained—a quietness they had grown more accustomed to than conversation.

Agniele seemed to be choosing paths with fewer people, as they fortunately encountered very few students.

Still, it felt as though the crowds were only a few steps away in any direction.

“Today should only be the eve of the festival.”

Ensi blinked, unable to hide his surprise at the vast amount of information his sensitive hearing was picking up.

“I heard the scale of the Lundrail Feast was increased this year to celebrate its 250th anniversary.”

“Ah…….”

That explained why the atmosphere felt so different from last year.

Ensi immediately understood the excitement that made everyone look as though they had forgotten exams even existed.

He turned his head toward the area where the crowds seemed thickest.

“Do you want to go over there?”

“No. It is just… it has been a long time since I have been in such an atmosphere.”

“I see.”

Silence returned after their brief exchange.

Fortunately, they reached their destination before the quiet could become too heavy.

“We are here.”

“……Aha.”

The place Agniele had led him to was a garden that resembled a maze.

With hedges grown taller than a man’s height to limit vision and paths that could lead to dead ends, it was certainly a labyrinth.

However, being a garden, the flowers blooming between the hedges possessed vibrant colors.

Its beauty was in no way inferior to the more central gardens of the Academy.

The claim that the scale had been increased was not an exaggeration; even this remote garden was decorated with intertwined white and yellow cloths, adding a festive flair.

Ensi, however, knew very well that such gardens were often used by specific types of people.

A vague smile played on his lips.

‘Given Agniele’s personality, I doubt he did this on purpose…….’

Ensi tilted his head and stole a glance at Agniele’s face.

Agniele was looking around, taking in his surroundings like a stranger trying to get his bearings.

“Agniele.”

“Yes.”

“Who told you about this place?”

“……Do you not like it?”

Ensi thought he had asked in his usual voice, but Agniele picked up on the subtle softness in his tone.

“No. It is not that I do not like it…… it is just not the kind of place I expected you to find.”

Thinking he might have offended him, Agniele looked concerned, but Ensi shook his head lightly.

He smoothly hid his true thoughts, adding that he was simply curious.

“A friend named Genea told me. He said it would be suitable because there would be few people here even during the festival.”

Agniele answered honestly, feeling relieved.

There was no reason to hide the source.

“Genea—that would be the third son of the Widnum family.”

“Do you know him?”

“No. I do not.”

Ensi simply kept track of the Widnum family because they were always hovering around his merchant guild.

He had been watching them closely because they were a nuisance; he hadn’t realized the boy was Agniele’s friend.

They seemed like an unlikely pair, but then again, his own relationship with the Romance Club members probably looked the same to outsiders.

Ensi offered a faint smile to the oblivious Agniele and let it pass.

“It certainly seems like a good place to spend some quiet time.”

‘And a perfect place for a secret tryst,’ he thought, hiding a crooked smile behind the back of his hand.

Ensi walked a step ahead, passing Agniele.

“You do not know the layout of the paths, do you?”

“Mm.”

It was a short hum, but it was enough of an answer.

Expecting as much, Ensi gave a light jerk of his chin, signaling Agniele to follow.

He knew that these types of gardens were often built with similar structures, so his footsteps were without hesitation.

Maze gardens had many unspoken rules, no matter where they were located.

They were designed to help people achieve their “original purpose” smoothly while avoiding accidental interruptions of those who had arrived first.

“Do we have to go deeper inside?”

“I am not fond of it either, but this place has its own set of rules. If you do not follow them, you might get caught up in something quite annoying.”

‘And you might see something you didn’t want to see,’ Ensi added mentally.

Not wanting to foul his eyes or ears, Ensi led the puzzled Agniele toward the heart of the garden.

Perhaps it was because of the festival, but the garden was exceptionally popular today.

Ensi made a weary face as he encountered the fifth bird decoration facing the ground.

Finally finding a bird ornament that was facing the sky, Ensi reached out and changed its position.

“What is that?”

“It is a sign to show that there are people here. No one will enter this path now.”

It was a casual answer, but something about it stuck in Agniele’s mind.

Agniele chewed over Ensi’s words, looking around as if possessed.

The lack of light sources, the tall trees blocking external gazes, and Ensius’s mention of “rules.”

Belatedly putting the pieces together, Agniele let out a sharp breath.

“……I did not know.”

“Yes, I thought as much. I did not misunderstand, so do not worry.”

Ensi turned around at the sudden excuse and smiled softly when he saw Agniele.

The boy’s face was flushed red all the way to his ears.

Ensi took a seat on a bench that looked like it could barely fit two people if they sat close together, then looked up at Agniele.

“Would you like to sit?”

“—Is that alright?”

Ensi shrugged and moved to the very edge of the seat.

Agniele sat down carefully in the space provided.

He was momentarily tense at the proximity, but seeing Ensi’s composed demeanor, his racing heart soon calmed.

However, sitting down made the presence of the object in his pocket feel much more prominent.

Just as Agniele swallowed nervously, a strong gust of wind blew.

“Ah—!”

It was an incredibly powerful wind for a space enclosed on all sides.

Ensi let out an involuntary, irritated groan.

“Ensius.”

“Yes?”

Ensi, who was holding and trying to fix his hair fluttering in the remaining breeze, looked up at Agniele’s call.

“Would it be alright… if I fixed it for you?”

The subject was omitted, but Agniele’s aura made the meaning clear.

Ensi’s hands, which had been holding his messy hair to no avail, slowly lost their strength.

“—Go ahead.”

Having blurted out his permission impulsively, Ensi turned his back to Agniele.

Facing the disheveled hair, Agniele secretly swallowed and moved his arms.

His touch was excessively cautious, yet it possessed a skill that suggested he knew exactly what he was doing.

Surely, fixing waist-length hair should be different from fixing short hair.

Yet, as if he knew everything, Agniele gathered Ensi’s hair with a gentle touch.

His skill was in stark contrast to his nervous face.

The truth was, he had been practicing diligently in the dormitory ever since he had found the item he wanted to give to Ensius.

“You often seem bothered by your hair, though I do not know why you choose to grow it long.”

‘Why don’t you try growing your hair? They say long hair helps maintain body temperature better than short hair…….’

Click.

With the sound of a clasp locking into place, the loosely gathered hair took on a solid form.

When Ensi turned his head slightly, the hair swayed naturally against his waist.

“Since you keep it despite that, there must be a reason. So I wanted to give you something to tie it back so it wouldn’t bother you.”

‘Your hair seems too long……. It would be better to cut it a little.’

The words reminded him of someone who had once said that, only to change their mind shortly after.

Ensi shook his head to clear his thoughts and felt the hair that was now gathered simply at the nape of his neck.

His fingertips trembled slightly as they touched a pin he hadn’t possessed before.

“Is it strange?”

“No. It suits you well.”

Agniele denied it firmly, as if there were no need to even think about it.

He lightly held the neatly arranged hair for a second before letting go.

“Do you like the gift?”

“……Yes. I like it.”

Agniele, who had been watching the golden threads slip through his fingers while his head was bowed, smiled faintly at the quiet but certain answer.

“Then I am glad.”

Ensi, who had been intentionally avoiding Agniele’s gaze out of embarrassment, bit his lip when he caught a glimpse of that smile.

He hadn’t noticed at first, but sitting so close that their shoulders almost touched, he realized Agniele smelled familiar.

It was a scent that couldn’t be described in one word, but it was similar to the warmth of sun-dried blankets.

Or perhaps the scent of greenery while lying on a grassy field on a windy, sunny day.

Whatever it was, it was a scent that brought a deep sense of security.

Without realizing it, Ensi let the tension leave his shoulders.