禁忌之恋：树与蝶 Forbidden Love: The Tree and the Butterfly

在树庭的友爱之馆中发现的一册闲书，分类为「历史言情」。 A leisure read discovered in the Library of Philia in the Grove, classified in the historical romance genre.

她漫步于花海中，试着搜寻那翩翩蝶翼的一隅，却未能如愿。

She wandered through the flower sea, searching for a glimpse of those fluttering butterfly wings, but without success.

「希，听说…每朵花都有花语。」

"Cer, I've heard... that every flower has its own floriography."

「大体上，这个认知没错。」

"Generally speaking, that perception is correct."

只闻其声，却不见其人，可瑟希斯并不在意，她悠闲地回应着她最特别的学生，一边四处张望着。

She heard the voice but couldn't see the speaker, yet Cerces paid it no mind. She calmly responded to her most special student while scanning her surroundings.

「你的花语是什么？」

"What is your floriography?"

「很遗憾，我不是花，而是树。」

"I'm afraid I'm not a flower, but a tree."

「唔……」

"Hmm..."

显然，这个回答并没能让对方满意，一声夹杂着不满和遗憾的顿音传来，她只得再补上一句。

Evidently, this answer failed to satisfy the other party. A sound mingled with dissatisfaction and disappointment reached her ears, prompting her to add another remark.

「呃，如果只是打比喻…应该是『知性』吧。」

"Well, if we're just speaking metaphorically... I suppose it would be 'Intelligence.'"

不过，目的差不多也达成了。大概就在这附近？接下来，就该找个饵把她钓出来了。

However, her objective was nearly accomplished. It should be around here somewhere. Now, she just needed to find some bait to draw her out.

「…明明是知性，却又很浪漫？」

"...Intellectual, yet also romantic?"

「那…也许是因为我会…冬眠？你瞧，在长梦里，我曾和无数情种许下诺言哦。」

"Perhaps... it's because I... hibernate? You see, in my long dreams, I've made promises to countless lovers."

「……真的吗？」

"...Really?"

蝶翼少女从瑟希斯面前的树丛中咻地起身，让她惊讶了一下。毕竟此时，二人间的距离，几乎为零。

The butterfly-winged girl suddenly rose from the thicket before Cerces, startling her slightly. After all, at this moment, the distance between them was virtually nonexistent.

近距离注视着墨涅塔的面容，放任唇角的反光掠过眼底，瑟希斯的脸上闪过一丝旁观者难以觉察的绯色。

Gazing directly at Mnestia's face, allowing the light reflecting from her lips to pass through her eyes, a hint of crimson flashed across Cerces' face — almost imperceptible to onlookers.

当然，动摇只有仅仅一瞬，随后，瑟希斯便将双手环过少女的腰，然后像是拔萝卜一样，轻轻地将她从花丛里拔了出来。

Of course, her composure wavered for only a moment. Then, Cerces wrapped her arms around the girl's waist and, as if pulling up a radish from the ground, gently lifted her from the flower thicket.

「当然是假的，抓到你了。」

"Of course not. Caught you now."

将她放在地上，巨树的化身用叶沿轻抚蝶翼，断定对方状态正常后才缓缓撤开。

Placing her on the ground, the giant tree's incarnation gently stroked the butterfly wings with the edges of her leaves, confirming the other's normal state before slowly withdrawing.

「所以…现在，你愿意说了吗？为什么要躲着我？」

"So... now, will you tell me? Why have you been avoiding me?"

「……」

"..."

「你们，能不要在我家的安提灵园里打闹吗？」

"Would you two please refrain from frolicking in my Antila Garden?"

一道冰冷的声音不合时宜地打断了二人的思绪，诚然，对花海的主人，冥亡的化身而言，这种鲜活的氛围属实是类似于天敌一样的东西。

A cold voice unseasonably interrupted their thoughts. Indeed, for the garden's master, the incarnation of death, such lively atmosphere was truly something akin to a natural enemy.

「对不起…我们这就离开。谢谢你愿意听我倾诉，塞纳托斯女士。希，我们先回树庭吧。」

"Sorry... we'll leave at once. Thank you for listening to my troubles, Madam Thanatos. Cer, let's return to the Grove."

「嗯……抱歉啊，塞纳，给你添麻烦了。」

"Mm... sorry, Than, for troubling you."

「你们这两个家伙，真是…唉。那什么，瑟希斯。」

"Honestly, you two are... alas. But, Cerces."

「……？」

"...?"

「…你差不多，也该意识到了吧？」

"...You must be aware by now, right?"

苦涩感再度蔓延在口中，瑟希斯无言，只是点点头，向老友告别。

A bitter sensation spread in her mouth once more. Cerces remained silent, merely nodding as she bid farewell to her old friend.

回树庭的路上，墨涅塔一言不发。瑟希斯一次寻问无果后，也再难以找到开口的时机，只好专注于脚下的道路。

On the way back to the Grove, Mnestia remained completely silent. After one unsuccessful attempt to question her, Cerces struggled to find another opportunity to speak and simply focused on the path ahead.

——议论声传来，令人烦躁。

—Voices of gossip reached them, causing irritation.

「天才…又如何？她就像是……」

"A genius... so what? She's just like..."

「好可怕…」

"So terrifying..."

一位凛然者快步走来，那是███，令人烦躁的源头。

A stern figure approached rapidly — it was █████, the source of the irritation.

墨涅塔向瑟希斯露出一抹笑容，随后便转身离去。

Mnestia offered Cerces a smile, then turned and walked away.

███向蝶翼少女离去的方向投去锐利的目光，随后将视线转回瑟希斯身上。

█████ cast a sharp glance in the direction of the butterfly-winged girl's departure, then shifted his gaze back to Cerces.

先是事务性的汇报，毫无生气的闲聊，随后上升到人身攻击般的争吵——

First came perfunctory reports and spiritless small talk, then escalation to arguments that resembled personal attacks—

「你究竟懂……」

"Do you truly understand..."

「我不需要懂，我就直说了，瑟希斯——」

"I don't need to. Let me be direct, Cerces."

「与学生，甚至是自己的造物谈情说爱，你就不觉得诡异吗——！」

"To romance a student, even your own creation, don't you find that perverse—?"

「啪！」

"Pow!"

这是理性的化身第一次放任感情支配自己的头脑，手掌遗留的触感，仿佛要灼伤树心一般疼痛。

This was the first time the embodiment of reason allowed emotions to govern her mind. The sensation left on her palm felt as if it would scorch through to the heart of the tree.

不远处，熟悉却又陌生的奔跑声传来，瑟希斯本想立刻追上去，回响耳畔的话语却将她的脚步绊住。

From nearby came the sound of running footsteps — familiar yet somehow strange. Cerces wanted to give chase immediately, but the words echoing in her ears tripped her steps.

她的确有些魂不守舍，一遍又一遍让少女的身影在脑海中浮现，随后再度隐去。

She was indeed somewhat distracted, allowing the girl's image to surface and fade in her mind repeatedly.

当她下定决心为此间落定，已然是第三个幕匿时之后。

When her resolve crystallized, the third Curtain-Fall Hour had slipped by.

巨树化身走向金色的茧居，呼唤着重要之人的名字，随后，动作如冰结般凝滞。

The personification of the giant tree approached the gilded chrysalis, cried her beloved's name, then stilled, as if she had frozen.

——蝶翼少女曾经居留于此的痕迹，已然不剩一点。

The traces left by the butterfly-winged girl who'd dwelled here were all but erased.

叶桌上的文字，是少女为她写下的第一封，也是最后一封情书。

Upon the foliate desk lay words: a maiden's first and final love letter.

「我爱你，希。毕业贺礼我已经拿到了，所以，请你忘记我吧。」

"I love you, Cerces. I've already received the graduation gift after all. So, forget me."