He woke up when someone put his hand on Flower's shoulder and shook him, but he didn't want to talk to anyone, so he kept his eyes closed and motionless.

A big boy's voice said, "Come on, I have to give you a bath." They are worried that you will get sick. ”

Flower opened his eyes and saw an alien kid a year or two older than him, bald and dark-eyed. The boy looked down at him with an impatient expression.

"I got one last night," Hana said.

"She did a terrible job. You distribute. I've got to see if you have any cuts, get up. Hurry up, while the water is still not cold. ”

"What? Flowers said. Before the water gets cold? Does this mean that the weather is warm? He sat up quickly, and the boy grabbed him by the arm and helped him through the rest of the way. The king's women, still asleep on thick pillows and furs, were dressed in clothes warm enough to leave in a hurry as soon as they were called.

"Don't wake them up," the big boy whispered. "Watch your step."

"I know," said Flower, annoyed by the need for this warning. He almost stepped on a finger.

It was the first time he had woken up before some women. They like to talk late and it keeps him awake, which makes him have to sleep in. But no one cared, because he didn't have much to do all day anyway, unless they taught him to dance. But it was in the afternoon, never in the morning.

Flower wondered if the boy was really supposed to be here, or maybe he had come to steal him. Or a prank or something. But it doesn't matter. Flower was too weak to beat the big boy, and if he did, no one would come to help. He's not worth bothering to protect – but that also means he's not worth stealing. Who would want him?

The boy led him through the fortress, although both of them were barefoot and the road was long. Hana stares at the frozen ground, trying not to attract attention from others. His toes hurt from the cold, but that's his life. He was glad that the sun had not yet risen, because the pre-dawn darkness matched his feelings. He felt like he had become a presbyopia again. Real flowers. He didn't want anyone to see him. Outside he felt the air pressing on him from all sides, making his skin feel tight. Shame made his legs limp, and his steps unsteady.

A sudden burst of hot wind covered Flower's entire body, and he almost jumped in fright. He looked up and saw the older boy leading him through an open door into a square building hewn out of gray stone. The floors are all brick with small voids in between, mostly filled with sand or dirt. In one corner, a large circular oven made of thick tan bricks burns red, providing the only light.

A tube leads to a leather bellows in the other corner and a pillow on which someone can sit while working on it. A large pot filled with water is placed on the oven door waiting to be heated, and another pot of equal size is steaming right next to it. Along the walls are a variety of containers: barrels, clay pots and cloth bags, all of different shapes and sizes. They mostly hold charcoal or red sand with red rocks inside.

The room seemed so cosy and cosy that the flowers almost forgot the shame of last night. It was as hot as summer in the room, as if he had crossed half of the year at once. It's hotter than the King's Hall. "What is this place?" He asked.

The older boy turned a bucket over and placed it in the center of the square room, just a few feet away from the oven. "You can sit on this," he said. Your pants aren't worth keeping, just throw them over there. I have a new one for you. It is a smelter. ”

Flower thought it was strange that they weren't going to save his pants because they didn't have holes or anything and they fit him well. Wash it and you'll be fine. But Flower wasn't going to argue about something new, so he took off the rest of his clothes, sat down and threw his pants against the wall. A feeling of normalcy and contentment dispelled the darkness inside him.

The boy snorted hard and slid the large kettle that wasn't in the oven. As soon as the water was within reach, he dipped a cup into the water and gently poured it over Flower's head, careful not to let it reach his ears.

The water was hot, almost hot. The flower has almost forgotten that there is warm water, let alone lukewarm water. It flowed down his body, and the path didn't feel cold at all. Water seeped into the gaps between the bricks on the floor, leaving no puddles.

"What is a smelter?"

"Yes...... That thing over there is called a stove. You put the ore in and then you make the bellows to let the air heat the fire so that it melts. I do bellows. It's my job. ”

"Oh, okay. I know what a bellows are. We used to have one. But I don't know anything about ore and melting. What happens when it melts?"

"It turned into iron," the boy said. "The blacksmiths took it out and made things out of it. Nails, tools, knives. Etcetera. He washed Flower's hair clean, rubbed it, poked it, rinsed it. He was also gentle with the ears of the flowers, and did not drip a drop of water into them. It feels good.

"Are you also a slave?" Hana asked after sitting there enjoying it for a minute. All his nervousness was washed away by water and silt.

"Yes. Why do you think I don't give you a sleep and a bath?"

"Oh." This makes Flauer a little nervous, as if he's bothering you. But it's stupid - the big boy came and took him away. Flower didn't ask, so it should be fine. Right?

The boy was satisfied that Hana's hair was clean, and he said, "Okay, close your eyes." He poured a glass of water on Flower's face and began to wipe it clean with a cloth. He washed hard, and some of the bruises from last night still hurt, like his eyebrows and cheekbones, but Flower tried not to show them. This time, he was glad that his hair hadn't grown yet. It is much harder to clean than bare skin.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell what is bruised and what is dirty. It really ...... It's stuck there......"

"That's good. It doesn't hurt that much. ”

"Good. Just close your eyes. I don't think there's a cut on your head. ”

After the older boy had washed his head, he moved to Flower's shoulders and back, poured warm water, and wiped it around until it was clean. Every time he found a new bruise, Flower cringed because it was so sudden. However, the boy was very careful in those places later.

"How long have you been a slave?" Flower asked. "For me, it's only been a few months."

"You used to be a Smach, weren't you?"

Hearing the name again, Flower became nervous. Anger and shame gathered in his chest and turned into a tight ball that shattered all his previous relaxation. Laughing at Androcleus's good reputation was almost enough to make him lose his temper or cry in shame, both at the same time. But the boy probably didn't mean anything else when he said that, so Flower kept it to himself.

"I'm the son of Andlox. Sorted. He adopted me. I wasn't a slave before. ”

"Oh. I wonder if he has a wife who is a thunderbolt. I was a slave for three years, I thought. Three or four. The king cut off my father's head. ”

"Oh," Hana said, suddenly embarrassed. He didn't know what to say.

He hung it in his hall. Sometimes I sneak in to see it, but it doesn't look like it anymore. ”

Flower's anger vanished, and only shame remained. He may have seen the child's father's head hanging on the wall last night. He shook his head, trying to erase the image of Anchors' head tied to the wall from his mind. He opened his mouth and stuck out his old dry tongue, like...

He focused on the bath and tried not to think about anything. The older boy washed down Flore's arm and fingers. He examined all the wounds, but all he found were bruises. "Why were you beaten so badly?"

The flower replied quickly, glad to be talking rather than imagining. "I was going to dance for the king, but his guests threw things at me and turned it into a joke. In the beginning, they just threw things like food, but then they threw plates, cups, and whatever they had. Someone even threw a severed head at me. I'm sure they wanted to see if they could kill me. ”

From another boy telling him about his father without hesitation or emotion, Flower found that he could do the same and just say without feeling embarrassed. Reliving that memory in this way made him feel better, not worse, like some pain came out of his mouth.

"Wow," said the big boy. "No wonder you're getting so dirty. I should have taken you out and bathed you in the river, but then I would have frozen. They won't know. Was Smark there when it happened?"

"Yes," Hana said. He looked down at the ground and felt small. Old flowers. If A

d

Okles don't have a name, Flowe

What is it?" He didn't do anything, though. Just watching. ”

"Then I bet he can't," the boy said. "Wouldn't it be strange if I washed your tail?" Does it hurt?"

"No, it's fine," Hana said. The older boy was more gentle with his tail, but he washed it thoroughly anyway. Such a massage energized him and soothed him at the same time. It's not because he can't do it, though. Dad could kill everyone in the entire fortress if he wanted to. ”

"Since you say so."

"Him".

"Since you say so." Satisfied with the back and tail of the flower, he began to study its feet and legs. He treated them equally thoroughly, discovering more bruises than Flower realized. However, there were no cuts.

The kettle was not half empty, and a whole one had already been placed. The bricks under his toes were hot, and the stove dried the splashes much faster than he expected.

"Have you ever slipped out?" The older boy asked.

"Nope."

"Why not? What do you do all day?"

Flower turned his head away in embarrassment. "I just sat there. I can go out and get water or soil, but I don't have shoes or a coat, so I don't stay outside for long. Sometimes women teach me to dance, but that's about it. ”

The boy was pleased with Hana's toes and began to touch his chest. The rag turned red everywhere it struck, almost as if he had been painted and not washed. Other people's skins have never done this, at least not so much. What if the boy thinks he's weird and starts spreading rumors?" Look, his skin is as delicate as a flower," his old family used to make fun of him. They will say, "Don't touch him, or he'll crack." Then give everyone a hug, except him. Just thinking about that hurt him heartily.

"So you don't do anything because you want to do it?" The boy asked, pausing again. Flower met his gaze and noticed how dark the boy's eyes were. The iris is so dark that it looks black, but maybe it's just due to the dim light of the stove. Still, there are faint little flashes of light in their darkness, like tiny stars.

"What do you mean?" Like finding someone to play with?"

"Well, anyway. I mean, you just want to do something, so you do it. Something no one told you to do. ”

"I can't do anything like that. They were always staring at me, and I didn't have enough clothes to go anywhere. I was stunned. I can't do anything. ”

"I bet you can do it if you want to. Wait a minute," the boy said. He picked up a bucket of charcoal, threw half of it into the open door, then took a metal plucking stick and stabbed it several times. Still, Flower doesn't feel like he's cooling down at all. The water on his skin felt more like sweat, and he was sure that the droplets coming down his back were sweat.

"They also don't give me enough food, so even if I can leave to play, I'll be hungry," Flower added.

"Then let's steal something to eat."

"But if you get caught, won't they smoke you?"

"So don't get caught. I do this sometimes, but never get caught. ”

"I'm not good at things like that. Pepper is, but I'm not. I can't even hide it well. ”

"Then you sound like a born slave. Stand up," the big boy said. He bathed the flower and sat it down. "You don't have any wounds at all, so I can give you back the medicine. It's good because I hate touching those things. Smelled all day. You still have some water in your jug, do you want me to pour it into your neck?"

"Is it still warm?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

The boy struggled to lift the almost empty jar because it was almost half his size, but he lifted it high enough to pour it out. Hana closes her eyes and enjoys the warm water that runs down the back of her head, shoulders, and back. It felt better than anything he remembered.

The older boy put the pot down as carefully as he could, not letting it break, and then he pushed another pot out of the doorway. He stuck his finger in the water and smiled innocently and eagerly, and Flower noticed that his teeth were good. "Well, you can be me now," the boy said. "I haven't showered since the fall. I washed my face a few times and that's it. ”

Flower had never bathed anyone before, but he got the hang of it at the beginning. However, the boy was so dirty that he couldn't get any dirtier. It was hard to tell in the soft red glow of the fire, but the big boy was absolutely dirty from head to toe. Some are soot, some are dirt, and some are just dirt. Before Flower could shave his bald head, the rag turned black and he had to start using another one. Luckily, there's a whole bunch.

"You say I'm a natural slave. What's that?" Hana asked, rubbing the rag up and down the boy's back with both hands.

That refers to people who are born slaves. It's in their nature. Just like you, you do whatever they tell you to do. If you're hungry, you won't even try to get more food. But I'm not. My father lost to the king, but I was only a slave because I had nowhere to go. Someday, I'll run away, or they'll let me go. I do not know. But until then, I'll do what they say and not get in trouble, and that's okay because I'm still free at heart. I'm still doing what I want to do and they don't have my whole life. The eldest son said. His hands and feet are almost completely still, which makes it harder for Flower to read his body language. But judging by his tone, he tried to make himself sound like it was a completely normal thing, something that had already been decided. It didn't sound like he was trying to convince Flower at all; More like he was trying to convince himself.

Furious fire burned in Flower's chest, and he scrubbed as hard as he could, as if he wanted to peel off his skin. "I wasn't born a slave. I'm stuck now, but that's not where I belong! I sang better than anyone else, and when I got to Degaya, my dad said I would be famous. ”

"Can you sing?" So. If it's up to you, you'll always be here. Being a slave doesn't mean you're not good at something. You can be a blacksmith or jeweler, but still a natural slave. What matters is what you think inside, not whether you can do things or not. Some people just aren't fit to dominate their lives, so others have to do it for them. Did you sneak out to meet your dad? Smear?"

Flower found himself clenching his fists and trying to punch the big boy, but it was stupid. This is the first person to be nice to him in this time. There was no malice in the boy's voice. There is nothing malicious. He's just talking. He probably didn't realize how hurtful it was to hear those words, especially after last night.

Part of Flower's anger was triggered by feelings of shame and helplessness, so she took a few deep breaths to calm down. When he was ready, he poured a glass of water on the boy's arm, and by the time the water reached the ground, it had become cloudy. "If I did, they said they would hang me upside down naked and spend the day outside in the cold. It's easy to say you're not a real slave, because probably no one cares what you've done, as long as you keep the stove burning during the day. Someone kept an eye on me. They kept me in the most heavily guarded place, and I don't know if they were doing this to keep Dad from coming in or to keep me from going out, but as soon as I slipped out, someone would know. ”

The boy smiled playfully at Flower and held out his fingers so that he could take a better bath between them. "Do you think anyone noticed you're missing?"

"What do you mean?"

"No one told me to bathe you. After seeing you last night, I thought about it myself. You look miserable, so I decided to do it. You slipped out. You're missing. ”

Flower paused for a moment, staring at the big boy who wasn't lying. Flower will see. "Didn't anyone tell you?" Then why did you smuggle me out? They're going to beat me to the point of bleeding!"

"No, they won't. Look, it's not dawn yet. They weren't even awake, except for a few guards where we could lie to them that I should. You're all clean, aren't you?"

"But why would you do that?"

"Just because I want to. I told you. You look miserable, so I decided to do something for you. I said I wasn't born a slave. Whenever I get the chance, I do what I want. I'm living my own life. ”

Flower gritted his teeth and continued to do the laundry while trying to sort out his chaotic feelings. Pour, wash, pour, wash. It took a long time because the boy was dirty. Dirtier than in a place that makes you sweat all day. He was angry at the thought of it. The older boy wanted to take a bath, so he found someone who could convince him to give him a bath, probably because he knew how hard it was to get a bath.

But that's not the case. He wasn't mad at the other boy. He was just ashamed that the other boy was better than him. Maybe he'll be a better son than Flower. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like a presbyopia—maybe he was born a slave. Who has ever heard of someone who doesn't even love his own mother? She must have seen him for what he really was. She knew how useless he was, and so did his original family. They treated him the way he deserved.

The older boy didn't speak for a moment. Instead, he relaxes and enjoys every minute of the shower with a satisfied look on his face. It's been really a long time and he needs it. Perhaps Flower was right to do this, and a servant was right to do so. He can find a place in the world, under everyone. He can hide in a safe place.

The older boy was finally washed from head to toe, he stretched, sighed, and said, "Thank you." It feels really good. Now I don't get my food dirty just by picking it up. ”

Flower smiled at him too, but his heart wasn't there.

The older boy noticed and said, "You still want to be a natural slave, do you?"

Hua nodded. His ears drooped on their own.

"Well, don't worry too much. If you weren't born a slave, then you decided not to be a slave. It's as simple as that. If not, that's okay too. You're still one of us. ”

"What do you mean by deciding not to be a doctor?" Hua asked, still not looking up.

"Do you have any nature?" Do you know what this is?"

Flower looked up and found that he was again attracted by the boy's gaze, and he was startled by his black eyes, which had star-like white spots. "I don't know."

"That's like living like you don't have any nature at all, you have to create it in life." If you don't, others will do the same. That's how you become a born slave. At least, that's what I thought," the boy said. He fidgeted for a moment, as if trying to pat Flower on the head, or grab him by the shoulder, or something like that. But he didn't. He just said, "You don't have to be an old man forever. You have to decide for yourself. ”

Flower nodded, but his calm appearance didn't reflect the boy's words slicing through his heart like lightning, as if he somehow knew how painful Flower was so he said the right thing. Give him a bath and make him feel better. Clean. Fresh.

The boy's words did affect him. Maybe it's only temporary, but all the bad feelings inside him are gone, and there's hope in their place. Hope and confidence, as long as Xiaohua continues to work hard, he will be able to recover from all this.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You don't want to run back naked. Here are the clothes I bought for you. The slave leader had a cabinet in which these things were kept. If he asks, just say it's a slave for you, but you don't know who. ”

"What's your name?" Flower asked.

"If I tell you, you can't say you don't know who it is. Anyway, come back soon. If you lie down before they wake up, I bet they'll never notice you're gone," the big boy said. He helped Flower put a clean woolen shirt and pants over his wet body, and led him out of the open doorway.

The sky was getting brighter and brighter, almost until the sun was rising. Morning came into the world, and into his heart. The flower sped across the frozen ground, along the bumpy, icy road, through the fortress back to the house where the king's women slept. Hana didn't feel cold at all - his body was still warm after sitting in the furnace for so long. His mind became active and bright as he thought of the various ways in which he could become a "new flower", even in such a place, even though everyone was forced to be slaves until Daddy freed them.

Maybe he can do something about it too. Maybe he sang well, and the king and prince would do him a favor. He is not powerless. He has a choice. He just needs to believe.

Flower turned and ran back to the smelter to thank the boy, but he was so surprised by what he found that he had to blink five times before he believed it was real. The large kettle was placed against the wall, containing charcoal, and the bucket they had just sat on was placed next to the stove, which was piled up with light gray rocks and looked a little metallic. The brick floor was completely dry, with no traces of dirt scraped off the bodies of Flower and another boy.

The boy himself disappeared without a trace. Only the clean new clothes on Flower show that this did happen.