Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Flower shop blues

Lilia sat behind the counter, waiting for customers. That brought back memories of her first quests. Before Florifel and Alberta had found her and welcomed her to the Budding Lilies.

She was broken out of her reminiscence by the doorbell. A downcast man came into the shop and began to look at the roses.

"How may I help you, sir?" Lilia chimed, and the man turned to stare at her.

"My girlfriend went on a safari," he began, after which he sighed. "And she is coming back today."

Ok, Lilia didn't understand what got the man down. She was coming back, right? So, what was the problem?

"Do you want a bouquet that says: I missed you?" She suggested.

"No, I want one that says: I wish you luck. Goodbye forever," Lilia sighed. She hadn't expected that.

"If it is not a too personal a question, may I ask why you are leaving your girlfriend?" Lilia wanted to help the man. He must love his girlfriend, at least a little. To try to break up with her with flowers, instead of simply telling her to leave.

"I am not good enough for her," the man looked down at his feet. "She is a top-notch adventurer, and I am just a civilian."

Lilia thought about all the women in the guild that had civilian boyfriends. Of them, there were a couple. Valerie, for one. And Antonia, Gretta and Mary came to mind.

"I am from the adventurer's guild. I can give you advice if you tell me who you are dating? I pride myself on knowing my colleagues," Lilia offered, and there was a glimmer of hope in the man's eyes.

"Valerie is the best in the guild among the healers. People stop her on the streets to chat. Do you know how they look at me? Like they don't believe I am walking with her," Lilia nodded. Yes, dating Valerie came with a lot of pressure from the people of Huergaz. She had countless fans, after all.

"Has Valerie ever said something to suggest that you are not good enough?" Lilia asked. She didn't think the healer did. Valerie was too soft-spoken for such a thing.

"No. She constantly asks me about my work. To hear her speak, it is as good as her own. But I don't believe that simple herb growing and the grant act of healing are the same," the man touched a rose and sighed. How he wished he could give Valerie one. However, roses were the flower of passion, not of farewell.

"Valerie once spoke to Antonia, over tea, about a wonderful man she met. That was two months ago. I was not there in the tea shop, but I can tell you what Antonia told me, if you'd like," the man nodded and Lilia began.

"Valerie said that the man she met knew more about herbs than her. Do you know what kind of praise that is? She is the best healer in Alcandino, and she freely admitted such a thing," Lilia smiled brightly, and the man blushed.

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"I am sure she didn't take the correct measure of me," he argued, but Lilia continued to speak.

"Valerie also said you made her laugh with herb puns and dad jokes. So, she joked with Antonia that she would make a dad out of you or so help her," Lilia turned her voice into a mock threat at the end, trying to imitate Valerie's tone.

"She said that?" The man looked amazed. He had never believed Valerie was this serious about him. About them.

"I can continue to relay to you what prizes she sang about you, but I think you get the picture. Do you still want to tell her farewell?" The man shook his head, and looked ashamed.

"I am really dumb, aren't I? I nearly left a wonderful woman because people didn't pay enough attention to me when compared to her," the man took the rose closest to him, a bright purple one, and went with it to the front desk.

"White ribbon? It symbolizes marriage," Lilia suggested with a slight smile.

"I...do you think she'll marry me?" He asked, voice wavering.

"Well, she could make you a father without marriage, I suppose. But she is very old-fashioned when it comes to these things. So, you better get a ring with that rose. With how dangerous, the adventurer's life is, two months of dating is enough before marriage," Lilia then pulled one white silk ribbon with golden edges and waited.

"Yes, a ring. And the white ribbon. And her favorite honey cakes. Heck, I will bake them myself," Lilia chuckled and wrapped the flower.

"That would be ten silver coins for the rose and five for the ribbon. Fifteen in total. Please — come again," Lilia was given the money and the man went out of the shop, with a slight bounce to his step.

This was nice. As an adventurer, Lilia was expected to hack, slash and throw spells around. But there were quests like these, which allowed her to relax. She looked at the flowers on offer. She could get Alberta and Florifel something.

Gardenias, maybe? Their love was an open secret. It added to the allure. Not that anyone was judging them. No one messed into the love life of an adventurer. There was simply not enough time between quests for adventurers to find conventual love or listen to snobby grannies who hounded their grandchildren for great-grandchildren.

Most parties ended up together. Borik and Andors had been together, but hadn't included Jean. Which was probably why they had left him, in the end.

But Jean's new party was shaping up to be a harem revolving around the healer. Which was funny to observe, considering the healer was shy as can be about such things.

Lilia would keep an eye on the Try Hard Party, to see how their stumbling attempts at romance would develop. She always liked seeing love grow. It was one of her greatest joys.