Chapter 65: Instead of a Bouquet
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: Instead of a Bouquet
“I was actually quite surprised to see the flowers finally starting to bloom.”
Though in truth, I’ve never even seen a spring in the capital.
While I hurriedly fabricated my impressions of the season, Countess Arbor shot a sidelong glance at Baroness Gelfry.
Even though it was only a fleeting look, the Baroness caught it and quickly composed herself, looking cowed.
From what I had heard, it was the Arbor family who had pulled the strings to secure a barony for Lankert Gelfry—who was nothing more than the son of a wealthy commoner merchant—and helped him secure the position of President of the Merchant Association.
In essence, it meant the Arbor family was the one truly pulling the strings of the Merchant Association.
They said the mother and daughter had a tight grip on high society, and they weren't kidding.
Seeing how skillfully she shifted the atmosphere, it was clear that Countess Arbor was a cut above Meisel.
I just want to go back and rest.
Feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me, I took a bite of the refreshments Berni had prepared.
It was only after the tea time ended, when I arrived back at the Grand Duke’s Castle feeling utterly drained, that it happened.
The carriage came to a halt a bit earlier than expected.
What’s going on? We’re still a long way from the entrance to the main castle.
Suddenly, the door opened, and an unexpected face appeared.
“Have you returned safely?”
The Grand Duke offered me his hand with a smile.
Wow, he looks like a literal prince.
His bangs fluttered in the breeze, revealing a clean forehead, and beneath it were sharp eyes that softened slightly at the corners. His long neckline was visible above the cravat I had so carefully tied for him. He wore a dashing suit that perfectly accentuated his frame, from his broad shoulders down to his solid torso.
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the Grand Duke’s silhouette was nothing short of dazzling.
Is it because I dressed him to my own taste? His beauty is really in full bloom lately.
My heart fluttered, much to my own embarrassment. I hid my trembling legs and took his hand, stepping down from the carriage as calmly as I could.
“Where are you coming from?”
There were no other carriages or horses nearby, as if the Grand Duke had been standing in the middle of the road all by himself.
“If you aren't too tired, would you like to walk to the main castle with me?”
Instead of answering, the Grand Duke asked a question of his own, his face looking a bit tense.
“I’d like that.”
Leaving behind a bewildered Tiern and the knights, we began to walk.
“Your Grace, were you perhaps waiting for me?” I asked, curious.
No wonder Cecilia had said she would follow later after tidying up and didn't get in the carriage.
Did she know the Grand Duke would be out here?
His sharp, prominent Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.
“There is something I wanted to show you…”
And what would that be?
I asked with my eyes, but the Grand Duke only parted his lips slightly without saying a word.
My pace was likely frustratingly slow due to my heels, but he walked patiently, matching his stride to mine.
“How was the tea time?”
“It was fine. The weather was lovely.”
“Did anyone give you a hard time?”
“No one. The atmosphere was pleasant, too. Everyone was admiring how beautiful the lake is.”
The Grand Duke nodded, but he seemed distracted. The way he kept his fists clenched was also very suspicious.
Why is he so nervous?
Just as my curiosity was about to outweigh my patience, a faint scent drifted toward me on the breeze.
What is that smell?
I sniffed the air and looked up, only to see the castle gardens in the distance, waving with a riot of colors.
What was I looking at?
“What is that? What’s going on over there?”
My steps quickened instinctively.
“Slow down. You’ll fall.”
Despite the Grand Duke’s warning, I hurried forward. As we drew closer to the main castle, the picture before me became clearer and clearer.
Wow!
A silent gasp escaped my lips.
The once desolate garden was now overflowing with every kind of spring flower imaginable. With the Nephras blooming in the center of the garden as the focal point, pink, yellow, and red flowers boasted their presence in every section where the paths diverged.
On top of that, the golden light of the sunset was slowly settling over them, creating a feast of ethereal colors.
As I took a deep breath while looking at the garden full of life, a scent as sweet as if it had been steeped in sugar filled my lungs.
I turned to my side and saw the Grand Duke watching me, looking incredibly tense. He seemed restless for some reason.
“How did this happen?” I asked, my voice thick with surprise. “There was definitely nothing here when I left earlier.”
I couldn't have been mistaken. It had only been a few hours since I had grumbled to Cecilia while getting into the carriage for tea time about how this desolate garden remained unchanged even in spring.
“Do you… perhaps not like it?”
Anxiety clouded the Grand Duke’s face as he awkwardly brushed back his bangs.
“Fixing up the garden as I pleased without telling you…”
“No! I love it! I love it so much!”
“Truly?”
“Truly. I had no idea it could be this beautiful.”
I nodded, my eyes crinkling into a smile, and only then did the tension melt from his stiff features, replaced by relief.
“…I’m glad.”
“But why did you suddenly change the garden?”
The Grand Duke hesitated, cleared his throat softly, and spoke.
“Well, between the orphanage and everything else, I’ve been indebted to you quite a bit lately. I simply wanted to repay you.”
“Repay me?”
I mean, what did I even do?
“Please just think of it as a small gesture from your husband.”
So, this entire garden was a gift for me?
I was speechless. Even though I had planned so many events in my life, this was the first time someone had ever held an 'event' for me.
“I thought you might prefer a flower bed over a bouquet…”
The Grand Duke trailed off awkwardly at my dazed expression.
“Would a bouquet have been better after all?”
“…No.”
I brushed my hand against the flowers, and the vibrant petals flowed softly over my fingers.
“I like seeing them like this, living and breathing in the earth, much more.”
Aside from the fact that I had never received flowers as a gift, flowers hadn't exactly been a pleasant thing for me. Perhaps it was because I had seen them being thrown away so many times after events.
Flowers that had been shoved into styrofoam or had their stems wrapped in tape and crammed into vases were usually tossed into trash bags the moment a ceremony ended.
But seeing these blossoms swaying in the wind in this wide-open garden made my heart swell with something indescribable.
Perhaps the reason I was reincarnated wasn't for some grand purpose. I wasn't anyone special, after all.
Maybe a higher power had taken pity on my previous life and was being generous, giving me a chance to enjoy a bit of small happiness for once.
Right now, it didn't matter if this moment was an illusion or a dream. I had gained the most precious memory of my entire life.
Suddenly, I felt like I might cry.
“I really love it. Thank you, Your Grace.”
I gave the Grand Duke a sincere smile.
*
Watching the Grand Duchess repeatedly inhale the scent, Loik let out a silent sigh of relief.
A moment ago, after letting out a short gasp upon seeing the garden, the Grand Duchess had been silent for a long time.
— “How did this happen?”
Instead of saying she liked it or hated it, she had simply stood there with wide eyes, and he couldn't describe how panicked he had been.
I’m glad I listened to the maid.
He had intended to flatly ignore his aide’s meddling when the man suggested he give the Grand Duchess flowers as soon as he got to work. But he couldn't just brush off advice that came from the Grand Duchess’s own maid.
His heart had grown even more uneasy when he heard that the Grand Duchess had been feeling gloomy.
She never once showed it to me…
Just imagining a shadow falling over that small face made his heart sink.
I have to make her smile, no matter what.
But the Grand Duchess didn't seem to like bouquets very much.
Loik recalled the time she had been so happy to see the Nephras in his mother’s greenhouse for the first time. Back then, when he offered to make her a bouquet if she wanted one, she had declined with a troubled look.
— “They’re so pretty, it would be a waste to pick them.”
He had thought it was very like her to care even about the act of picking a flower.
Recalling that moment, Loik had looked out the window at the barren garden where green was only just beginning to peek through in sparse patches.
She said she likes looking at flowers.
In that case, what if he planted a whole lot of them? If that vast garden in front of the main castle was filled with flowers, wouldn't it be worth looking at?
— “I… beg your pardon?”
— “Three hours. Fill the entire place with flowers while the Grand Duchess is out.”
— “No, what I suggested was definitely a bouquet… How does that turn into a garden?”
Perel had grumbled, his face turning pale, but in the end, the garden had been transformed into a beautiful sight right on time.
Seeing the Grand Duchess so happy, her eyes curving into crescents, the corners of his own mouth turned up instinctively.
“Your Grace, this is the work of a mage, right?”
I mean, there’s no way this many flowers could be planted in such a short time if it wasn't a mage.
As he followed the Grand Duchess, who was walking excitedly to look at the flowers, Loik bit his lip slightly.
He decided he would have to make sure everyone was sworn to secrecy about the fact that every single servant in the castle had been sweating over planting seedlings until just moments ago.