Little Pink Starfish

He was quite fond of this strange place. There was nothing here that reminded him of Trastasa, and it even felt like he had been transported to some faraway land. Because of that, he could forget his painful reality, even if only for a moment. As if reading his thoughts, Gwen spoke.

“If it’s alright with you, could you visit this place from time to time? If you would, it would bring me the greatest joy.”

Nyne hesitated only briefly before nodding. Usually, he was always on edge or muddled in thought, but now his mind was clear. Rarely for him, Nyne praised Gwen with a generous heart.

“Lesha Gwen, thanks to you, I’ve been refreshed.”

“If you would kindly call me by my name, that alone would also bring me the greatest joy.”

Gwen smiled gently as he made the request. It felt a bit too familiar for a Lesha, but at the same time, Nyne thought—why not? Merely calling him by name wouldn’t bring about any serious consequences. Smiling, Nyne sincerely gave thanks.

“Thank you, Lan Gwen. No—Gwen.”

Having even a single person who understood his feelings—his suffering—was a tremendous comfort.

The attending priests quickly noticed that Nyne’s mood had improved. The new attendant, who had replaced Lu and had been constantly tense with worry about offending the Sha, finally relaxed a little. When Nyne began to leave his chamber again and returned to his favorite garden in the sanctuary, Popo cautiously knelt and offered advice.

“Nyne-nim, would it not be good to visit Sha Amon sometime in the coming days?”

Nyne, who had been watching a pair of birds chirping sweetly atop a tree, turned his head. His golden eyes turned cold as he looked at Popo, and all expression vanished from his face. At his reaction, Popo bowed his head so deeply that his forehead nearly touched the ground.

“I know this servant has no right to speak, especially knowing how upset you were about the last incident. But keeping Sha Amon waiting too long… it may not be wise.”

Nyne resented Lu for becoming a Lesha out of jealousy toward Gwen—but even more than that, he resented Popo. Precisely because Popo’s words were not for his own gain, but came from sincere concern, Nyne found them harder to bear.

“Popo. I know you’ve served me loyally for a long time. But this is not something you should involve yourself in.”

“My apologies, Sha. I was presumptuous.”

Popo immediately flattened himself to the floor in a deep bow. From Nyne’s now chilly tone, he realized he had offended him deeply. Seeing how nervous Popo looked—likely afraid he would lock himself away again—Nyne let out a sigh and stood.

“Enough. If Sha Amon wishes it, he will call for me. More importantly…”

Nyne trailed off and seemed to think for a moment. His eyes flicked toward the wide fan casting a shadow over his head—held by the unfamiliar new attendant—and he made up his mind. It was true—he had been holed up in the sanctuary for far too long.

“I’ll go to the Lotus Pavilion this afternoon. Tell them to prepare to receive me.”

“Yes, Sha.”

The priests replied politely and scurried off to make preparations. Until now, Nyne hadn’t even glanced toward the Lotus Pavilion—but now he had two reasons to pay attention to it.

He was worried whether Lu would manage well there, and at the same time, he couldn’t stop thinking about Gwen. Thankfully, the priests assumed that his visit was solely because of Lu.

After being freshly dressed and adorned with accessories, Nyne climbed into his palanquin for the first time in a long while. It had been so long that the palanquin bearers’ sun-darkened skin seemed slightly lighter.

Upon arriving at the Lotus Pavilion, the Lesha—having been informed in advance—were already waiting at the entrance. Though not as prestigious as the Iyad family, the Mairy family, who had long held the position of am-net, held considerable power. So at the head of the Lesha stood Ossen Iyad’s nephew and Lu, side by side. When Nyne stepped down from the palanquin, the Lesha all bowed deeply and greeted him in unison with clear voices.

“A true servant greets Sha Nyne.”

“Rise.”

Nyne first looked toward his former fan-bearer. Lu seemed a bit anxious and sad, but judging by his complexion and clothes, he appeared to be faring better than expected. Nyne’s gaze passed over the other Lesha until it rested briefly on Gwen, who stood mid-row. Gwen gave him a gentle smile tinged with pink. Within that smile, there was a subtle sense of shared secrecy. Fearing others might notice, Nyne quickly averted his gaze and began walking.

A building within the Lotus Pavilion was set aside just for Nyne. On a day like today—humid and blazing with sun—it not only provided cool shade but also a pleasant breeze from somewhere. When Nyne sat at the head seat, the Lesha quietly took their places. The priests quickly brought in a table filled with refreshments, food, and drinks.

“Sha Nyne, has the injury you sustained last time healed?”

Ossen Iyad’s nephew asked cautiously. Though his face was somewhat familiar, Nyne still did not know his name. He assumed this too was because of Ossen Iyad’s rites.

“There’s not even a scar left. Don’t worry.”

“That is truly a relief, Sha.”

After that brief exchange, a heavy silence followed. Lesha were the most sensitive to the Sha’s mood. None among them were unaware that Nyne had been in seclusion and was in a poor state of mind. So they all kept their mouths shut, glancing at each other nervously. As Nyne looked back at each of the eyes desperately staring up at him, he tilted his head slightly.

“Lately I’ve been terribly bored. Is there anything you can offer for my amusement?”

“Ah…”

At that, the Lesha opened their lips into neat, round shapes. Lu, looking anxious, bit his lip lightly, and the others fidgeted their fingers. It was rare for Nyne to make such a request—so they all scrambled to use the opportunity to gain favor.

Fortunately, they knew Nyne’s nature well—unlike Amon or Ossen Iyad, they did not suggest something like human hunting. Soon, one Lesha spoke up rather eagerly.

“Sha Nyne, if you grant me one day, I can present a popular play currently in vogue in Trastasa. It’s said to be a tale from outside the continent—surely it would feel fresh.”

Word of Gwen’s puppet show must have reached them as well. Other Lesha quickly chimed in, one after another.

“How about some charming, talented dogs?”

“I can show you a game played in a cool swimming pool, Sha.”

“There’s also a fun game that can be enjoyed sitting down, with no need for elaborate movement.”

As if they had all been waiting for this, a flood of suggestions came forth, all quite varied. Nyne nodded as he listened, then used the excuse of scanning the Lesha to glance at Gwen. He remained silent, sipping his wine with his eyes downcast. When the others’ chatter began to fade, the person Nyne had been waiting for finally spoke.

“Sha Nyne.”

It was Lu—unable to call him “Nyne-nim” due to Nyne’s prior command—speaking carefully.

“For a change of pace, how about an outing through the Fifth Tower Gate?”

Indeed, Lu knew Nyne best and had offered the most appealing suggestion. Even if Nyne hadn’t liked the idea, he had been planning to accept whatever Lu said. Pretending to think for a moment, Nyne nodded.

“Very well. Lesha Lu Mairy will be responsible for preparing the outing. It would also be good to enjoy the amusements the other Lesha suggested that day. I’ll give you ample time.”

“Ah…! Thank you, Sha. I will prepare thoroughly and without flaw.”

At Nyne’s approval, Lu’s face lit up. Surprisingly, the other Lesha didn’t show a hint of disappointment despite Nyne choosing Lu’s idea—instead, they smiled brightly. As if they had expected this response all along, they even offered to support Lu wholeheartedly. Of course, knowing Lu’s personality, it was unlikely he would let them get involved too much.

Having fulfilled one of the purposes for his visit to the Lotus Pavilion, Nyne ate and drank a little, then rose from his seat. He gestured for the Lesha to remain seated but called out to Gwen.

“Lesha Gwen.”

“Yes, Sha.”

“I have something to speak to you about. Take me to your quarters.”

“As you command, Sha.”