Meeting Prime Minister

Horarium

"Where's the Lord's library?" Chu Feng asked. 

"I'll bring Lady there right now." 

Cloudy took in a huge amount of air and exploded. Black clouds quickly filled the room.

When the clouds disappeared, piles of books and endless shelves appeared. They were in the library.

"Does Lady need anything else?" Cloudy asked.

Chu Feng nodded as she looked through the piles of books, "Help me find books about any dark violet flowers or about time. I don't have much of a descri-"

"Ah! Lady, you're looking for the hourglass!" Cloudy excitedly exclaimed. It was glad it can help the possible future madam.

"Yes?" Is that the name of the flower?

Cloudy flew to the middle section of the library and brought back a few books. 

It said, "These have everything on the hourglass. Master has more but they're in his room."

"Ok."

Chu Feng picked up the first book and flipped it open. On the first page, the flower was there. Everything was exactly the same, however it had a lot more petals than the one she seen. 

Below it was a description: "Horarium, a rare type of fragrant less flower, has blood violet petals placed in an ornate structure. It has a long velvet stem without leaves. Although it has no fragrance, it's bright and attractive which brings them pollinators."

After a while, she finished the first book and moved on to the second.

The second book started with a similar introduction as the first: "Horarium, a rare type of strongly scented flower, has blood violet petals placed in an ornate structure. It has a long velvet stem without leaves. It's bright and attractive which brings them pollinators."

Confused, Chu Feng looked at the dates of the books. Luckily, they were there and hasn't disappeared yet. The first book was dated a hundred years after than the second book. 

So was it scented or not?

Floating around the Chu Feng, Cloudy said, "Lady, the books are old. There aren't any present information about the hourglass. The most recent one is the blue book but it's in master's study. Its dated about six hundred years ago."

"Your master is interested in it?" Chu Feng asked.

Cloudy quickly refuted, "No, master has it since it has the winter jewel."

It didn't think twice since its master said to answer any questions the Lady had with its knowledge. Also, in Cloudy's view, Chu Feng was the future madam.

"Ok. I'll ask the Lord about it then."

Chu Feng was about to leave when Cloudy hurriedly stopped her.

"Master isn't here. No one can go into the study. No one has the key but master."

"Where is the Lord?"

Although she could guess where Lord Wang went, she asked for confirmation.

"Master left to find the winter jewel."

"Ok, I'll wait until the Lord comes back then."

Sadden at its inability to complete Chu Feng's request, Cloudy quickly thought of something.

"Master will be back tonight. I will find if there are other books about it."

Chu Feng nodded and picked up the third book. The information on the flower was different each time. Only a few of the information was the same.

Was someone trying to cover it up? Or was it that no one really knows about it?

All three books described the name and the appearance of the flower in the exact same way.

However, when it comes down to where the flower could grow, its environment, and what it could do, the information were different.

One said horarium grew in a the deepest parts of the forbidden forest, the other said it grew in the endlessly snowy mountains, and the last one said it grew in the abandoned scorching hot desert.

Was it really so?

All three places were inhabitable places.

Reading the other books that was left, she gathered a few more information. Although, they weren't too reliable.

Chu Feng sighed. In a day's time, she finished reading the books Cloudy found for her yet little information was known.

Would the Lord know about it?

Just when she thought of that, Cloudy said, "Master's back".

"His timing is really right," she said to herself then left the library.

The only places Cloudy couldn't transport her directly to was Lord Wang's study and bedroom. So, she could only walk her way there.

Led by Cloudy, Chu Feng quickly reached Lord Wang's study.

However, before she could go in, Lord Wang opened the door.

"The blue book," he said as he handed her the book.

"Thank you."

Though she didn't know how Lord Wang knew she guessed Cloudy could have told him through their master and servant contract.

Lord Wang seemed to be in a good mood. He said, "If you want more information about it, just ask me directly."

He must have confirmed the location fo the winter jewel already.

"What do you know about horarium?"  Chu Feng asked.

If he knew, it was better to get some information too.

Lord Wang smiled brightly and opened the doors.

"Come in," he said.