The Dandelion System

Chapter 29

Before the plan, I visited Otto's tower again. I walked through the snow, which had stopped falling, leaving a trail of footprints. When I finally reached the tower my teeth was chattering from the cold and my fingers were numb from pulling my cloak tightly around me.

I walked up the staircase to the tower and then opened the unlocked door, and peered at the figure closely to see who it was. He was sitting on the bed and turned to me.

"It's me."

The deeper, solemn voice told me the answer.

I sneaked in and closed the door behind me. The roomed was warm and bathed in yellow light. He sat up from the bed and turned to face me.

"Oscar." I said. "It's you again."

"Who did you want to see?" He teased. I didn't feel embarrassed anymore.

"I want to see you, Oscar." He frowned.

"Did something happen?" I laughed at his obvious confusion.

"No—but something is happening. Tonight me and Oda will try and catch the murderer."

He stood up.

"You're insane!"

"I'm not." I shook my head. "The Royal Family isn't doing anything. Everything will be buried up at this rate. Like they did to you." He fell quiet.

"How—how are you going to catch the murderer?"

"Don't worry," I said. "There's seven of us in total, my friends and their lady in waitings."

"You are girls!" He stepped forward and held onto my arm. "What can you girls do against a murderer? What if they are backed by by another group, a noble family—or a whole other kingdom?"

His eyes were narrowed and he's scared. For me. It made me feel different.

"Nevertheless, we will try." I took his hand, which were grasping my arm, and held them in my hands. They were warm.

"You told me once, Oscar," I whispered, "that if there was even one person who cared about you and didn't let them do what's they did to you back then that you wouldn't be like this. Trapped. Otto too. And all of us girls." I smiled.

"Yes, I said that," he said softly. He remembered.

"Maybe I'm too late to save you, Oscar, or the two girls who were murdered, but I want to save Otto, and the girls who are still alive." I looked down at our two clasped hands, his pale ghostly ones and my darker ones with frozen pink fingertips. "Maybe, just maybe, I can change the future."

"Karlina," he whispered.

"That's all I have to say." I let go of his hands, slowly, unwillingly. "I'll be going, then."

I turned and started to leave, but then he reached out to grab my wrist.

"Karlina, I want to say—I want to say—" he struggled, his grip growing tighter, until he closed his eyes, lashes fluttering against his ivory skin. "I want to say that I didn't understand love and I still don't—"

I only smile. "I understand. I won't tell you to say it."

"No." He stepped forward to me and his hand is on my waist. He pulled me to him, and hugged me tightly, and my chin rested on his shoulder. For a moment I think I'm dreaming.

"But if someone like me is capable of love, I want to say I love you."

I closed my eyes and smiled.

"You are capable of love." We pulled part, and I touched his cheek. "You made me dare to change myself and the parts of the world I hate. It's all thanks to you."