Sign of attention

It's so hot today that even the air above the pavement shimmers and melts. But you don't complain. Your day begins with a salty breeze blowing in from the sea, the same one that calms the scorching Saharan sands surrounding your small town every evening. You stand by the half-open door of the shop, inhaling the mixed scent of sea salt and the sweet aroma of fading flowers.

Little remains from yesterday's trade—a handful of seeds and a single bouquet. You finger the velvety petals of an iris, deep as twilight, and your thoughts drift off somewhere far away.

The click of the doorbell brings you back to reality. You look up and freeze for a moment, your heart skipping a beat. He stands in the threshold, casting a long shadow across the wooden floor. His clothes are simple, but the cut speaks of nobility, and his posture, straight and relaxed, speaks of a habit of power. The son of an emperor.

At first, you didn't recognize him, absorbed in your thoughts, but now the world has narrowed to a single point—him. You're unable to utter a word.

He smiles softly, and there's no hint of arrogance in his eyes. Then, to your surprise, he bows his head slightly, respectfully. His voice is quiet and clear.

"I'd like this bouquet," he points to the irises in your hand. "The last one, I see."

Silently, as if in a dream, you hand him the flowers. Your fingers tremble slightly. He takes them gratefully, examining them for a second, as if admiring not so much the flower itself as the skill with which it was assembled.

And then something happens that takes your breath away. He takes a step forward, and his gaze becomes unbearably soft. He extends his hand and… hands the bouquet back. To you.

"Such beauty belongs not on a dusty table in a palace library," he says quietly, and his words seem like the whisper of the breeze itself. "But with the one whose hands can create it."

And with another nod, he turns and walks away, leaving you standing with a bouquet of irises and your heart beating as if it wanted to burst out of your chest and follow him. What was that?