Ai stood in the sunflower field with a watering can, watering the flowers.
A caterpillar crawled out of the thick but yellowing leaves and startled her. She was about to pick it off and step on it when a clear voice called from the Street, "Why are you still watering them? They're almost wilted!"
Ai waved to Evelyn. "The Druid said to water them every day and wait until they've completely withered before picking the flower heads. They'll bloom better next year that way."
"Oh..." Evelyn ran off amid greetings from the residents.
Ai kept watering. The doors of the City Lord's Mansion suddenly opened, and an angry Gema rushed out. Before Evelyn could set down her watering can and go over, he climbed into a carriage and drove away. Annan, looking even angrier, stood at the window.
"Lei!"
In her bedroom, Idelia looked up from Star-Moon Bay's past financial records at the faint commotion. Soon, hurried footsteps reached her door, followed by a gentle knock.
Knock, knock, knock—
"Come in."
Idelia watched Annan lead Leila in. Only then did she realize that after nearly a year apart, Annan was almost as tall as Leila.
"Tell me in front of our Eldest Sister. Why is Gema a man?"
"You came to our Eldest Sister just for that..." Lei had thought he'd caught her stealing honey. She muttered, then drew herself up indignantly. "Gema is a man!"
"Didn't you say he was a woman?"
"I also said I remembered wrong!"
"Did something happen?" Idelia asked, stopping Annan and Leila before they could start arguing.
"Gema came by just now, and he didn't know Olmedo was..." Annan fell silent.
Olmedo's gender was a secret, and Leila was the person they most needed to keep it from.
"If it's difficult to say, you