David walked behind Arthur, half-dazed, his shabbard containing a sword on his waist. His eyes followed the brat before him, who had both hands behind his back. Unlike David, who was carrying guard-issued equipment from the town, Arthur had a leather satchel and a dagger hanging from his hip. They had been walking for roughly forty minutes with no signs of stopping, and the further they went, the more confused David was.

"Brat, where are we going?" David's tone was noticeable as the annoyance in his voice grew.

"We're on patrol." Arthur ignored the attitude David put on and continued walking down the sidewalk.

The bright sky shone upon them as they walked through the streets. Plenty of vendors were out early in the morning setting up their stalls, and as they passed by, Arthur exchanged a simple greeting before offering to help. It seemed like Arthur's standard routine, as the vendors enjoyed the brief exchange before continuing with their daily lives.

"What's the point of helping these people? They can do this by themselves." David bitterly asked.

"Stop being so hateful," Arthur answered while pushing the crates underneath the table for the stall owner. "There's nothing wrong with lending a hand."

The stall owner smiled at Arthur while handing him an apple but instantly frowned once he looked at David. Seeing this, David clicked his tongue in spite and started walking away from the stall, leaving Arthur behind. As they patrolled the town, David couldn't help but feel frustrated as he recalled this morning's events.

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David sat down on the usual wooden chair in front of the gate with an iron flask in one hand. Kicking back with both legs on the wooden crate, he brought the iron flask to his lips but before a drop could enter his mouth the flask was knocked out of his hand.

"What the f—" Before David could finish his sentence, he quickly stopped himself as Arthur held the iron flask containing the red wine he had brought from home. "Give that back, you runt."

Arthur moved the iron flask away from David as he tried to snatch it and gave a simple response. "No."

"That's not yours, so return it." David swiped once more at the flask in an attempt to take it back, but Arthur swiftly maneuvered away. Hearing David's demand, Arthur slowly tilted the flask upside down, causing the color to drain from David's face. In a moment of desperation, David quickly pleaded. "Wait! Wait! Wait!"

The flask remained motionless as Arthur stopped turning his hand to listen. David's face flashed with panic, and then he let out an audible sigh of relief as the child slowly held the flask upright.

"What do you want? There must be a reason you're doing this." David asked as a single droplet of sweat trailed down his left cheek.

"I was told you're my partner for patrolling by the Captain." Arthur sealed the flask with the lid bound to the end with a string. Then he put the flask into the leather satchel that hung around the left side of his waist and said. "I can't patrol without you, so you'll get this back when we're done."

"Kid…this isn't a game. You're just a janitor." David reached for the leather satchel on Arthur's hip but was immediately struck on the back of his hand, leaving a bright red mark. "Why should I go with you?"

"The Captain said so." Arthur firmly replied while fastening a dagger's scabbard to the other side of his hip.

A soft, disbelieving chuckle escaped David. "Carl wouldn't."

"Oh, but he would, and he did." Arthur ignored the scoff, his eyes flashing brightly with a hint of seriousness. He then tossed a sheathed sword at David, "Hurry up; we're going to be late."

"Late? I just got here, and I have to babysit you?" David caught the sword as his discontent grew.

With the sword in hand, he propped open one of the storage crates near the gate's entrance and frowned at the empty crate in disbelief. No one in the western gate would dare steal his hidden stash of alcohol, but then his eyes drifted to Arthur.

"Don't bother looking for the stuff you've hidden. I've already found all your wine and moved it somewhere else." Arthur revealed a taunting smirk as David glared at him and began walking down the street. "Oh, and don't be mistaken; you're not babysitting me, but I'm babysitting you."

The amount of frustration within David soared as he watched Arthur ignore him and walk down the street. If Arthur wasn't a child he would have cursed him out and forcefully taken the flask back while demanding the location of his stash of wine. However, even though he was a drunkard that didn't mean he would go as far as to hit children and yell at them.

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A crisp slap resounded through the area as Arthur smacked David's back, returning him to reality. Looking to the side, he could see Arthur pass by and then take a left turn at the first intersection. The next street was filled with numerous stores with different store banners of various colors. It was a familiar street that he hadn't been to in a while, and the usual atmosphere remained the same. Seeing Arthur stop in front of the flower store, which was once a frequent visit, made him uncomfortable, and David prayed silently that it was a coincidence.

In the blink of an eye, Arthur entered the store, leaving David dumbfounded and with no clue what to do next. With one step back, David was about to turn around and leave until Arthur leaned out the doorway and gestured for him to follow. It was as if Arthur already knew David was uncomfortable going into that store but did so anyway.

"Morning, morning." Arthur greeted Elise behind the counter, who returned a simple smile and nodded her head. "Do you need any help today?"

"Morning Arthur, no, there's not much for you to do today." Elise pinched the slender frames of her glasses and slowly lifted them up while staring at Arthur. "Are you alone today? Those guards should know better than to leave a child out on their own."

"No, I actually brought a guest today." Arthur pointed back to the store entrance with one hand, clenching his fist with a thumb sticking out. As if it was perfectly timed, David walked into the store and waved hesitantly at Elise, who shot a sharp glare at him.

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"David?" An unpleasant surprise revealed itself as Elise removed a small cloth from the drawer and wiped the lens on her glasses before adjusting them. "My word, the troublemaker himself."

"Troublemaker?! Miss Springfield, that's not true!" David was fully prepared to protest the remark but forfeited the idea as Arthur nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he's a handful." Arthur patted David on the shoulder and commented. "I'm looking after him today."

"Looking after me?!" Hearing Arthur support her made David nearly fall over. In his head, he couldn't help but curse and wonder how Arthur even met Elise.

Elise let out a pitiful gasp and held her left cheek with one hand. "You must have your hands full."

"Yeah…I even had to confiscate this." Arthur opened the leather satchel and pulled out the iron flask. "I don't even know why he's so interested in this juice."

"Just because it's made from grapes doesn't mean it's juice." David's blatant defense wasn't only for himself but also for all wine lovers in the world. With his utmost elegant tone, David added. "It's an acquired taste only for prestigious individuals."

Listening to David's claim, Arthur twisted the lid off the flask and raised it to his lips. Arthur made an exaggerated gesture as if taking a massive swig, but David quickly intervened and smacked the flask out of his hands before the wine could leave its container.

"What are you doing! Children shouldn't be drinking!" David angrily yelled in a deafening voice as the flask bounced several times on the ground.

Its rich flavor, which had been enhanced by fermented grapes, fell onto the ground as David's eyes grew watery. The metallic clanking sound that followed each bounce made his heart sink as all its contents spilled on the floor. The carefully crafted beverage that had gone through an extensive process of refinement to reach its final stage was wasted just like that, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. David gasped as the scent of the sun-bathed vineyards slipped through the wooden floorboards in anguish, nearly on the verge of tears.

"It's just a drink." Arthur attempted to comfort David with a gentle shoulder pat, but David just glared at him with resentment.

"I hate you," David cursed Arthur as his fingertips drew lines within the garnet-colored liquid. "I hope I never have a child like you—one who doesn't understand true art!"

"Oh, quit being so dramatic!" Elise leaped off the short stool she used to boost her height and walked over to David with a cloth and a small watering canister. "And make sure to clean up your mess before you leave."

"What!?" David was baffled as he looked up at Elise, who sternly ordered him.

"You knocked it out of that poor boy's hand. So it's only right that you clean up your mess." Elise threw the cloth over David's head and went back to the counter. "Stop yelling so much as well! You're making my ears hurt."

David grumbled as he dejectedly wiped the puddle with the white cloth, dyeing it pink. He furiously glared at Arthur, who was whistling while avoiding eye contact. Ever since the child arrived, the atmosphere around the western gate changed significantly, and he was the reason behind it.

Arthur waited for Elise to hop on the wooden stool before asking. "Is Stella going to stop by as well?"

"Stella? Well, I don't suppose so; she usually only visits once every so often. Better than that fool who shows up just to goof around." Elise glanced over at David, who froze in place. His fingers were tightly clenched into a fist while holding a rag.

A clear sign of bitter emotions swelled within David's chest as he listened to their conversation. Even though Stella was still living in the same house as him, they hardly talked to each other for the past month and exchanged the bare minimum of greetings. They no longer ate or spent time together and slowly drifted apart with each passing day.

Elise, who noticed David's change in emotions, couldn't help but add, "Oh, that reminds me. I need to thank you for your help before. Because of your good deed, Stella received a flower free of charge."

"Free of charge? Miss Springfield, you don't have to give anything away for free. I don't expect to receive something for helping you." Arthur's head tilted to the side, but soon, a brief thud sound was heard as David threw the rag on the ground and stormed out.

"Ah, there he goes again. Immature as always, I really don't see what Stella sees in that fool." Elise's voice, which was usually soft and comforting, suddenly changed tone as the harsh criticism emerged. "He didn't even properly clean the mess he made."

"I don't really know enough, but…" Arthur got on his knees, grabbed the rag that had been tossed on the ground, and said, "I think the reason he stormed out was because of how much he cared about Stella."

"If he cared about Stella, then he wouldn't put so much effort into avoiding her." Elise immediately refuted.

"Did Stella try to talk to him?" Arthur asked while wiping the spilled wine in a smooth, circular motion.

"..." Elise's lips were sealed shut to Arthur's question. If she had remembered her previous conversation with Stella, the answer would have been no, but that wasn't a reason for David to remain silent.

"They both have communication issues, but that doesn't mean they don't love each other." Arthur determinedly gripped the fabric as it twisted, wringing the liquid into the watering canister.

Elise watched as Arthur carefully cleaned the mess David made with curiosity and asked. "Have you ever been in love?"

"I've never been in love, but my gut feeling tells me that they care about each other." As the last droplet of wine fell into the water canister, Arthur laid the rag on the handle and said. "It also doesn't take a genius to realize they have problems expressing it."

"But hasn't it occurred to you that your feeling is wrong? What if those two aren't in love with each other anymore?" Elise's question made Arthur stop for a moment.

Soon, Arthur opened his mouth and said, "Well, feelings aren't right or wrong; they just are. The only way those two will know if they still love each other is if they talk to each other."

Arthur's eyes reflected a light of confidence she had never seen before. Suddenly, Elise had a strange urge that suggested that Arthur might be able to help them mend their relationship.

Elise adjusted her glasses while pointing to a shelf near the front of the store and said. "Stella bought that red and white flower on the second shelf. Do you perhaps know what those colors represent?"

"I have no clue." Arthur shrugged his shoulders.

Elise revealed a warm smile, half expecting him not to know. Taking out a small brown book with a silver engraving of a bouquet of flowers, she explained, "In flower language, roses represent love, and it's one of the most common flowers to give to someone you cherish."

Arthur let out a small, awkward laugh and scratched his left cheek with one hand. "Well, I don't have anyone like that."

"Yet, the keyword is you don't have anyone yet, which is normal for your age. Once you experience life more, you'll get it." Elise leaked a small but pleasant laugh before opening the book and turning to the page containing roses. The book spun a hundred and eighty degrees, revealing a series of colors and pictures to Arthur. "You see, certain colors deliver different messages depending on the flower it is on, and Stella chose this flower with red and white colors. In this case, red and white means passion and everlasting love."

"There is no way David knows this." Arthur's immediate answer made Elise sigh in agreement.

"That idiot should..." Elise wanted to ignore how dim-witted her nephew was, but the more she thought about it, the more her frustration grew. Moving on, she added, "This is how Stella communicates when she is upset."

"Hmm..." Arthur scratched his chin and asked. "It's kinda bad, don't you think?"

They remained silent for a few minutes before letting out a deep, tired sigh. It was an unexpected turn of events, as an alliance between Elise and Arthur was unanimously created to support the troublesome couple's relationship.