Happy Birthday, Leica!

There was a present on his desk.

Is it explosive? Is it going to be a death threat? Poison? A curse? Someone's finger? No, none of his men went missing lately. Poison?

Nivelir stared at a neatly wrapped box. It came with a ribbon. And a few butterfly weed flowers. And a little note stuck to it, saying 𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓢𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽 𝓐𝓭𝓶𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓻 in the most formal and exact calligraphic writing. Admirer his foot, who would send a gift of admiration along with such a threatening flower?!

...poison?

Well, aside from the fact that the plant was mildly toxic. Should he ask Doctor Soxhlet to come over? Or, no. Better idea.

He went and fetched Lilac.


"So, you found it like this. And your office was locked. And the guards and servants didn't see anyone come in?" he asked, looking at it from all angles.
"Yes. "
"Shouldn't we leave this to Hexkey? I don't want to deal with this, I'm busy."
"Hexkey isn't a mage, unlike you. And I do not wish for more people to get involved."
"Then go get Rose, he could see if it's glowing or not."
"He is in the city today. Coterie business."
"Then wait for him to come back. I'm not getting involved in your love affairs."
"I need to work," Nivelir said, spreading his arms and getting between him and the door.
"Take the day off. Rose will be happy."
"Lilac!"
"You're serious. Nivelir, I can snap you in half."
"So can Captain Vervain. You're not special." He stared the short man down, waiting.

Lilac pinched the bridge of his nose, deeply annoyed. "Fine. But only because you're my friend. Get me a piece of paper."
"Thank you," he sarcastically said, finding him a few empty sheets while staying as far away from the box as possible. Lilac started drawing something he immediately recognized and snatched it out of his hands.
"Hey!"
"If you burn down my table, you're buying the new one!"
"It's the most efficient way to dispose of it!"
"I don't want it disposed of, I want to know if it's dangerous! And besides, what if it's gunpowder? Black fire? Or something poisonous?"
"Oh. I didn't think of that."
"You idiot."
"Well, if I'm an idiot, I suppose you'll have to find someone else to figure it out," he replied with a shrug. He turned around and headed for the door.
"Lilac, please-"
The mage couldn't help it, he started laughing. Nivelir realized he was messing with him all along and decided he was not amused.

"You're so easy to rile up. How do you know it's not just a late birthday present?" he asked.
"Because of the flowers!"
"Gods, Nivelir, not everyone knows the flower language like you do. Maybe it's just a mistake." That... was a surprisingly good point. "Besides, why is such a pretty flower supposed to mean something bad?" he said brightly.
Wait no, it wasn't a good point. "How did it get into my office, then?"
"Ah. Hmm... If the delivery boy was Ekliptik, they'd probably pick a lock and leave it here before locking the room again."
That was a very good point, actually. Damn it. Was he acting paranoid?

Maybe.

Lilac let out another laugh, probably mocking his confusion. "Get me a pencil, I'll be your meat shield."
"Thank you, please go ahead," he said, handing him one.
"I am the son of an earl," he reminded him, gently pushing the flowers off the package with it. "Also, if it is supposed to be a dangerous item, why would they warn you in flower language while inviting you in writing?"
"They could be trying to make me think it's harmless after all. Or to make me think it's dangerous and laugh when I cause a scene over nothing. Or have me cause a scene, and then it really is something dangerous. And then I die along with a group of innocent bystanders."
"Gods, you are paranoid." He managed to use the pencil to undo the ribbon and the wrapping. After some careful tinkering, he undid the latch and opened the box. "Oooooh, shiny."

The box was filled to the brim with golden accessories. Some were shaped like stars, some like circles, a few like the crescent moons. It took Nivelir a moment to realize all of them were clips for hair such as his. He reached out for one and realized it was pure gold by weight alone, masterfully crafted into these shapes. They were beautiful.

"See? Perfectly harmless, I told you it's your birthday present. Why did you get so upset? You can't tell me it happened before."
He glared at him and Lilac's expression froze. He even dared to look uncomfortable. Prick.
Lilac cleared his throat. "Are you going to try them on?"
"Can you test them for curses first?"
"Sure."

He tiredly sat down in the armchair while Lilac painstakingly drew another magic circle and tested the jewellery, along with its box. And the card. And the wrapper and the ribbon and the flowers, just to be sure. All of it was safe. Or maybe it was laced with poison... No, no it wasn't. He touched one already and he was fine. And Lilac went through all of them without noticing anything strange. If he couldn't notice a mundane poison, he'd be a pretty terrible alchemist.

This was just a present. That was all.

"Should I get a maid to help you with your hair?"
"No need. I only want to try a few."
"Are you going to wear them to the inauguration party?"
"I don't know. I don't know who sent them. If I wear them, they could think I accept their feelings."
"So turn them down if they approach you. Gods, why do you and Rose always complicate things?"
"Need I remind you he is constantly wearing a cravat pin he got from the Pirate Queen?"
"And we both know it doesn't mean anything. Her smug face whenever she sees it is annoying, but it's not as if she gave it to him knowing the meaning. Or that he took it that way."
"Fine. My present came from nobility, though."
"How do you know?"
"This is pure gold."
"Oooh, can I have a few?"
"Maybe find your own admirer. Not that you could, with that nasty personality of yours," he said coldly.
"Rude. And I came all this way for this. I should go back to work."
"Tell me how I look first," he said, turning around. The clips were hanging off his dreadlocks, glimmering in the light. He liked them.
"You look as posh as ever. They fit you like a glove. Magnificent. Stunning. Dazzling," Lilac said in his flattest voice, sarcastically clapping for him. "Wear them to the ball, you look good."
"Do you really think so?"
"Hey, you know you're asking the wrong person," he said, playing with a crescent moon. "I suppose that if whoever sent them acts obnoxious, you can always take them off. Or return the gift. But admiration doesn't need to mean romantic interest, right?"
"These are very expensive. It is hard to see it any other way."
"Save any lives recently?"
"Not that I remember. Or- hm. Ekliptik started collecting stray cats that wander on our property. Do you think this is a present because I helped out?"
"Wouldn't that mean these are all stolen?"

That uncannily agreed with the facts. After all, what noble wouldn't know the flower language, and what commoner could afford so many gold items?
"...maybe I shouldn't wear them."
"I can't believe I agree."


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So, to recap, Lilac reported Nivelir got some pretty little trinkets.
Adanita reported some pretty little trinkets went missing from her cabin.
And Ekliptik reported the news that a few jewellery stores in the Capital were eased of a few items.

Rosamund buried his face into his hands.

Teodolit, that idiot.

Should he actually arrest him? Should he let it slide? Nobody but him and Adanita could put two and two together, probably. Could anyone recognize the stolen goods should Nivelir choose to wear them? He wanted to strangle the stupid twink. And maybe he should.

Although, honestly, it was a sweet gesture. Pretty romantic.

The pirate witch was starting to court his secretary, it seemed.

He told Adanita before that he wasn't going to get involved. He wished them both luck, and he really didn't want to have to go back on his word. Maybe he should just ask her to give him a stern talking to. Or maybe not, that would also mean getting involved. Ah, damn it all, Nivelir was a grown man. He could manage his own little criminal admirer, he had all the authority to arrest him if he decided to be a total stickler for the rules too. And it's not like the jewelleries couldn't afford such a light hit. It was just some hair clips. The man didn't steal from some poor widow or something, he robbed a nobleman's shop. At some point, they became fair game in his mind.

This was fine.