Disclaimer: D. Gray Man belongs to Katsura Hoshino.

Timeline: Before Alma Karma's arc

She was Camellia
Scarlet, vivid, beautiful
She was beauty and grace

She bloomed in the light
She illuminated the darkness
She was a strong little flower

As all things come to an end
As all flowers bloom and wilt
She would eventually fade into oblivion

Act 1: The Flower under the Night Sky

"Look at you, you are so so beautiful!" Sherill gleamed with adoration as he smothered Tyki in a tight embrace. Sherill was, as usual, fawning over his younger brother's debonair appearance while dressed in similar white tie and tails.

Tyki sighed in revulsion, noting that it would be yet another long and exhausting evening, even without his brother adding onto his misery.

"You are suffocating me." Tyki pushed Sherill away, his brother was always too alarmingly close for comfort. Personal space was non-existent to Sherill, the Noah of Desires.

"Tyki, you look great." Road commented with a small smile.

Road appeared behind Sherill, dressing delicately for the evening in her short white gown, playing the part of a minister's daughter in graceful perfection. There was a hint of concern in those large eyes of hers as she glanced at Tyki's wounded chest from his previous battle with Allen Walker.

"Yes, yes. Shall we get going?" Tyki trudged off, leaving Sherill behind while taking no notice of Road's anxious glances.

Sherill was still in the midst of praising his younger brother's refined appearance to Road. "He is just like a diamond. Once the edges are polished, look at how charming he can be! Do you still remember how repulsive he was, always dressed like a homeless grime? Oh dear, this reminds me of Wisely when we first met him as well! How terrible! I am so glad these nightmares have finally come to an end!"

"I agree with that, Father. Tyki, he… I believe that he deserves happiness more than anybody else."

Road gave a whimsical smile before following her family to the resplendent venue.

Road was the closest to Tyki amongst the Noah family and she was well aware of the torrent of pain he was in.

Tyki was surrounded by women as soon as they stepped into the ballroom. The evening ball was a charity event hosted by Sherill Kamelot, administering his facade as the minister.

Men and women of power and status were congregating and enthusing over Sherill's wonderful work as a government official. Well-wishes and words of appreciation were honeyed as many tried to earn Sherill's favour.

It was almost pitiful to think that they were all merely stringed puppets in the Noah's hands.

Meanwhile, Tyki was fulfilling his promises to many ladies for a dance, with a slightly tired smile plastered on his face. After the incident in the ark, he had cut off contact with his miner friends for fear of losing control of himself. At times like this, Tyki wished that he was still with them, gambling and living his life carelessly and freely.

Wisely had reunited with his family in the event hall after attending to some business for the Millennium Earl, and Road was quickly joined by Wisely at the dining table. Sherill was entertaining his guests with a pleasant smile while his two adopted children were demolishing the sweets and pastries at an astonishing rate.

The evening was seemingly perpetual for only one man.

"This is exhausting…" Tyki sighed silently to himself as he bowed to his final dance partner. It was a rather difficult task to escape the ladies and being the gentleman that he was, he was unable to reject the ladies' endless invitations.

"It would be nice to have some fresh air without anyone jumping on my tail…"

Tyki sauntered to the balcony, noting the deserted sanctuary with utmost pleasure. A sharp pain then erupted throughout his body, his chest was still throbbing over Allen's cut. It was difficult to endure the pain and to suppress his inner Noah at the same time, who was attempting to devour him whole as well.

"Guess I am not as invincible as I believed, huh."

Tyki stood at the balustrade, gazing at the night sky that was dotted with coruscating stars. His hand was still clutching his chest, the pain was finally subsiding. It was a nuisance to deal with these sudden bouts of pain, and he wished Sherill would leave him alone, envious of how the similarly injured Debitto and Jasdero, who were secluded somewhere in peace.

Tyki could distinguish the constellation Sirius, and while pinpointing the stars in ennui, he suddenly caught sight of a lone figure hiding behind a large marbled pillar at a corner.

Tyki was a little irritated, he was enjoying the quiet ambiance by himself but there simply had to be an intruder to his reverie - or was he the one intruding?

He turned to the lonesome figure and noticed that it was a woman of considerable height. She was deep in thoughts, her doleful eyes were gazing at the night sky, and yet it was obvious her mind was elsewhere. That woman had such a pale complexion that it was a stark contrast to her long ebony hair.

Tyki noted that the woman must be a member of the gentry, with her elegant cream dress, and the way she had carried herself, standing formally under strict upbringing. Similar of age, and even more so in mind, her red lips had parted ever so slightly to let out a soft sigh.

The noblewoman was brooding, just like Tyki was.

Tyki was gazing at her involuntarily; momentarily captivated by her appearance - how those dark eyes of her spoke of melancholy in deep depth. She was charmingly beautiful, but there was something sorrowful about her.

It was as if she was a flower, a flower that had not been showered with love, and her petals were slowly wilting, decaying in hues of gray.

Then Tyki spoke unknowingly, his baritone voice jarring the silence, surprising even himself.

"Why is a beautiful lady looking so sorrowful and glum?"

The woman had turned around so quickly in obvious astonishment that Tyki was slightly amazed that she had not snap her neck in reflex. "Are you speaking to me?"

Her melodious voice came out timorous as she glanced around, capturing Tyki's eyes with her own. She was only a head shorter than him, and she had only stared at the latter for a few seconds before turning her gaze to the white tiles, hoping for the ground to swallow her at once. It was clear that she was oblivious to Tyki's presence, and she was like a deer caught in the headlights.

Tyki was surprised, partially taken aback at her silly question and at how she had not behave like the ladies he had met before. Some of the noblewomen in the ballroom were brave, or their parents had been, insisting Tyki to take them for a dance.

This woman, however, seemed to be eager to get away from him.

"Yes. There's nobody else here, am I right?"

If Tyki was not a sagacious Noah, or if he had been a gullible fool like the exorcist Lavi, he could have mistaken the woman for being an apparition with her almost sickly complexion. The impression of this queer woman was deteriorating quickly and Tyki wished he had kept his mouth shut.

With the prolonged stifling silence, Tyki's train of thoughts then landed on the conversation with Sherill and Wisely a few days ago. Sherill had been bothering Tyki to get married, hopefully soon, since he was of the appropriate age and Wisely, well, he just had to read Tyki's mind.

"For someone who looked suave, Tyki, you are beyond hope." Wisely muttered unkindly when Tyki was pondering on the reasons as to why women loved to flock to him like bees to honey. "For Adam's sake, you are the Noah of Pleasure."

"Women approach you because they like you. You are attractive as a male partner. Why else do you think they follow you around? For food? You think they are like the gluttonous twins who follow anybody who feed them with candies?"

Wisely's words had offended three Noahs, with Jasdero and Debitto instantly ending the conversation with their guns pointed to Wisely's head. Tyki was feeling more confused than ever. He was a frivolous man, even as his coal miner self, he loved to flirt with women but it had always ended with words.

Tyki had never thought of courting a woman; and yet it was the first time he had felt genuine curiosity about somebody that was not his family nor the exorcists.

"Well, you don't have to answer." Tyki sighed, breaking the stifling interstices as he ruffled his hair in slight irritation. The strange woman was still staring intensely at the floor.

This whole masquerade play was putting a strain on him, and as much as he had loved living his double lives and his family, the social etiquette was an annoyance. His long hair was an annoyance too. Road was an even bigger annoyance for not letting him cut his hair.

As Tyki moved to put more distance between him and the woman, she started to speak. Quietly and quivering, almost as if she was confessing something unforgivable.

"I apologize for my lack of manners, but I don't want to be here."

"Me neither." Tyki replied in agreement, turning to stare at the woman, they had shared the same plight. She was a little stunned at Tyki's quick reply and how carelessly he had spoken of his lack of enthusiasm.

The woman was presumably forced to attend this social event, just like Tyki was. It was all Sherill's fault, Tyki determined, wanting to organise some pointless event.

"My name is Mikk, Tyki Mikk." Tyki introduced himself, and at once, he regretted doing so. He was probably making the woman feel even more miserable, having to associate with the organiser's brother, while adding unnecessary trouble to his plate.

"Tyki Mikk? The younger brother of Minister Kamelot?" The woman finally made eye contact with the taller man, her eyes widening in surprise.

It made Tyki wonder if there was something else she knew about him, and if he had to kill her to silence her.

"What is someone like you doing here?"

"Oh. Escaping, just like you." As soon as Tyki ended his answer, the woman scoffed indignantly, sending the former into confusion once more.

"Oh, you couldn't be."

Then, it could be the bachelor rumours that Sherill was graciously committed to spread amongst the single noblewomen in their high society. Or as Jasdero and Debitto had nastily added on afterwards, the "Getting rid of nuisance for good" project. It was not a wonder at all as to why Sherill had adamantly refused their inauguration to the Kamelot family.

"I am not sure what you've heard but I am not like what they say."

"I heard you are a ladies' man."

"And I see that despite your mannerism and your posture, you speak nothing like a nobility."

At once, the woman covered her lips in embarrassment and looked away apologetically.

"Well, I guess you can't help it. But I don't make promises to ladies that I can't keep. I have honor too, you know." Tyki waved his hand nonchalantly, feeling more at ease now that his acquaintance had spoken with such an impudent tongue.

Then, Tyki took out his cigarette box, suddenly feeling a need for a smoke in this suffocating situation. It was already unpleasant that he had to escort many ladies for the evenings, and now he had to be slandered with such lies too. However, his actions had not help his image either.

"Hey!" The woman coughed in chagrin when Tyki sent a ring of smoke in her direction. "Even I know that it's not allowed to do something so impolite in the ballroom." She then frowned in resentment at Tyki, whose 'Prince Charming' image was ruined instantly, earning a slight chuckle from him instead.

"You have many expressions." Tyki was amused by her antics, she was shy and reserved, and yet she was bold and fierce. It was intriguing to watch her speak. "It's alright, isn't it? We are not in the ballroom. You should try one, smoking relieve stress. At least for me, anyway."

To Tyki's utter surprise, the woman held her hand out, requesting for a smoke. "Then I will have one." After Tyki handed her a lighted cigarette, she was quickly spluttering and choking with a single inhale.

"This is disgusting."

"And you are strange."

The evening soon turned to a loud raucous night as Tyki laughed at the sullen faces she had made while commenting about how smoking was unpleasant. Then her giggles intermingled with his when he entered a coughing fit from laughing too much.

Then Tyki began to probe for answers, after all, she had yet to answer his question. "You have not explain to me as to why you are in such a foul mood."

Her face turned sullen at once. "My father says that I am way past a marriageable age for respectable lady. He wants to marry me into an influential family as soon as he finds a suitable candidate that benefits him."

That was when Tyki found out that she was only a few years younger than him, and the only child of the Stanford Family. He had heard of how unscrupulous her father could be, and the imperious measures he was willing to take to achieve his goals.

It came as no surprise to him that the old man would use his own child as a tool in politics as well.

"I guess I was a letdown. My father had really wanted a male heir."

Sherill only wanted a daughter, Tyki compared in silence, the circumstances that surrounded everyone was vastly different.

"But you know, all I want to do is to be able to marry a man I love."

Tyki contemplated on the notion of love, and how ridiculous the idea was. He loved his family, his coal miner friends, and he loved Tease - if those murderous butterflies counted as sentient beings.

However, Tyki simply could not comprehend the idea of loving a person wholeheartedly, having a life partner, and dedicating his entire life and purpose to her. It was easier to drown himself in the ocean of bloodlust than to imagine himself living a life of romance and passion, no matter how hard Sherill had tried to paint him a beautiful picture.

"I don't believe that true love exists." Tyki asserted aloud, challenging the woman to state her viewpoint. There was something strange in the way she had described 'love' that piqued his curiosity.

"It does."

The woman was firm when she spoke, before continuing with a hint of exasperation, "That is because we have both yet to meet the right person."

Tyki thought of how the future would be bleak for his lover, or even for himself. The war with the Order would culminate, especially since that the Fourteenth had made his appearance. He had no time for such trivial affairs, he had to put the task of finding the Heart at the forefront.

"You have never loved somebody before, have you?"

The question struck a chord in Tyki's heart. It was true. He couldn't fathom the love Sherill had for Tricia, a facade it might be, but there were times when Tyki saw true affection when Sherill was speaking to her. There's also Road, whose reluctance to hurt Allen Walker was seeping in her actions that Tyki was almost afraid to think of the consequences she would have to face.

"Life is only full of despair and misery."

The woman could almost taste the bitterness in Tyki's voice. Perhaps there was more to be seen in this dapper gentleman. She was regretful for delivering judgement on Tyki's character basing on only the rumours she had heard.

Before the woman could rebuke Tyki's forlorn words, the bell had struck twelve, indicating the end of the ball. Soft piano music began to play in substitution of the initial orchestra's songs, and a man dressed in black suit appeared looking for his mistress.

"Don't be a silly fool, the world is full of hope and love. You have to open your eyes and see with your heart. I believe, so you have to, too."

Tyki noted that this noblewoman was, while so optimistic and wise at times, actually capable of some rather disrespectful words when he overheard her mumbling under her breath. It was actually amusing and entertaining to contend with her, even if they had vastly different viewpoints.

"Wait, what is your name, Lady Stanford?"

The woman was already turning to leave with her butler, and the question stopped her in their tracks.

"The name is Camellia," The woman curtsied in false politeness, as if suddenly remembering the comportment of a nobility. "Camelia Stanford. Thank you for spending your valuable time with me this evening, Sir Tyki."

The pretense was almost comical and Tyki had to stifle yet another laughter.

"Goodbye, Lady Camellia. I do hope to see you again."

Tyki gave a smirk as he whispered in her ears, making his grand exit as well. "If you do still wish to meet a nincompoop, such as myself, who is an absolute pessimistic and a stubborn man."

Camellia simply shot him a withering glare and left promptly afterwards.

"What a beautiful name… and a strange person." Tyki chuckled to himself.

"Where did you go, Tyki?" Road asked, when they were back in the Kamelot mansion.

"Yeah, where did you go, Tyki?"

There was an addition of two unwelcomed guests in the mansion, the twins had generously invited themselves to the after party. Jasdero and Debbito were seated on the sofa, their bandages were stained with dirt, and so were their clothes. It was obvious that they had ran out of food, or whatever they had needed to survive.

"Hehe, Tyki is out playing with women again, right Debitto?"

Wisely gave an all-knowing glance at Tyki, and smiled widely when Tyki made a rude gesture at him. "Well, you are not all wrong, Jasdero."

"Leave me alone."

Tyki warned as he ambled to the stairs, making a quick escape to his room. There was a small smile as he reminisced the day, and the time he had spent with Camellia Stanford.

"It wasn't all that bad, I suppose."