Ch#65
“The blossoms are only just beginning to unfurl—I was caught off guard by that.”
In truth, I’ve never witnessed spring in the capital before.
Scrambling for words about the season, I caught Countess Avoir casting a fleeting glance toward Baroness Gelfry.
The brief exchange didn’t escape notice. Baroness Gelfry shifted her demeanor in an instant.
I’d learned that Rancart Gelfry, once merely the offspring of a prosperous trader, owed his baronial title and leadership of the Merchant Guild to the Avoir family’s influence.
In reality, Countess Avoir held the reins of the Guild.
Rumors claim the mother and daughter duo dominate high society outright.
Observing her deftly steer the atmosphere, I could see she outshone even Lady Meisel in finesse.
I hope I can retreat to rest soon.
Exhaustion mounting, I savored a morsel of the confection Berni had crafted.
Tea concluded, and I arrived back at the Grand Duke’s castle utterly spent.
Yet the carriage halted prematurely.
What? We’re nowhere near the gates.
To my astonishment, the door swung open, revealing an unforeseen visitor.
“Your Grace?”
“Did you enjoy yourself?”
The Grand Duke offered a warm smile, extending his hand.
He resembles a fairy-tale prince.
A gentle breeze teased his fringe aside, exposing a flawless brow and keen eyes softened at the edges.
The crisp line of his neck emerged from the cravat I’d knotted with care.
Broad shoulders filled his tailored coat impeccably, his silhouette impeccable from every angle.
Bathed in the sunset’s tender light, he radiated an ethereal allure.
Perhaps because I styled him to my taste, but his appeal sharpens daily.
My pulse quickened, a flush of delight.
Masking my unsteady knees, I accepted his hand with composure and alighted.
“Where were you headed?”
He appeared to linger there solo—no other vehicles or mounts in sight.
“If you’re not exhausted, care to stroll back with me?”
His query came with a hesitant edge, sidestepping my own.
“Certainly.”
Tierne and the knights gaped as we departed on foot.
“Were you… waiting for me?”
Curiosity prompted the question.
Cecilia had mentioned trailing behind after tidying up. Perhaps she’d anticipated his presence.
The Grand Duke’s throat bobbed.
“There’s something I’d like you to see…”
What could it be?
My gaze urged him on, but he merely worked his jaw silently.
Heels surely chafed, yet he paced himself to mine without complaint.
“How was tea?”
“Pleasant. Fine weather.”
“No one troubled you?”
“Not at all. The lake vista captivated them—they called it stunning.”
“Good to hear.”
He dipped his chin, though his mind wandered elsewhere.
Fists balled at his sides. Tension etched his features.
What has him so on edge?
Impatience nearly overtook me when a delicate aroma drifted on the air.
That fragrance…
I inhaled sharply, glancing ahead. The distant castle gardens burst with vivid hues.
“Huh?”
What lay before me?
“What… what’s that?”
Unthinkingly, I quickened my stride.
“Easy now—you’ll trip,” the Grand Duke cautioned, but momentum carried me.
Nearing the castle, details sharpened.
Oh…
A hushed exclamation escaped.
The desolate plot now teemed with vernal blooms.
Nefras dominated the heart, spokes of pink, yellow, and crimson radiating outward.
Sunset gilding lent enchantment to the palette.
I drew in the air, syrupy sweetness flooding my senses.
Beside me, the Grand Duke observed anxiously, fingers twitching restlessly.
“What’s all this?”
Awe laced my words.
“There was nothing here when I departed.”
The morning’s stark emptiness lingered in memory—I’d lamented its barrenness to Cecilia before the tea party carriage.
“Do you… dislike it?”
He swept back his hair, unease plain.
“I altered it without consulting you…”
“No! I adore it! Truly!”
“Honest?”
“Yes! I never imagined such splendor.”
My broad grin eased him at last.
“…Thank heavens.”
“But why the sudden transformation?”
He paused, coughed lightly.
“With the orphanage and recent matters… I’ve accumulated debts of gratitude. This is repayment.”
“Repayment?”
What had I done to warrant it?
“Simply a token from your husband.”
The entire garden—for me?
Words failed.
I’d orchestrated countless affairs, yet no one had ever crafted such a gesture solely for my sake.
“I figured a living expanse might suit you more than a mere posy…”
He murmured, clocking my daze.
“Would a bouquet have been preferable?”
“…No.”
Fingertips grazed a petal—velvety, vibrant.
“Far superior, rooted and thriving.”
Truthfully, cut blooms had never stirred me.
Events left them discarded—wedged in oasis, affixed to urns, then consigned to rubbish once fanfare faded.
But this vast tapestry, petals dancing in zephyrs… an inexplicable fullness swelled within.
Perhaps reincarnation held no lofty purpose.
Perhaps some compassionate force merely sought to sprinkle joy into my prior existence.
Dream or reality—did it signify?
I’d claimed life’s most treasured recollection.
Tears pricked unexpectedly.
“I cherish it deeply. Thank you, Your Grace.”
My smile beamed genuine warmth his way.
Loic exhaled softly, relief washing over him as the Grand Duchess inhaled the floral perfume with evident rapture.
Her initial glimpse had drawn a sharp breath, followed by prolonged silence.
—“What happened here?”
That wide-eyed shock, inscrutable for pleasure or dismay, had unraveled him.
I’m grateful I heeded her attendant.
He’d brushed off Perel’s initial pitch for floral tribute to the Grand Duchess.
Learning it stemmed from the maid herself changed that.
And discovering her melancholy…
She concealed it from me…
The mere notion of gloom shadowing her delicate features plunged his chest.
I must coax her joy, come what may.
Bouquets, however, held little appeal for her.
He recalled her awe at the nefras in his mother’s conservatory.
When he’d proposed gathering some, she’d faltered.
—“They’re exquisite… plucking them feels wrong.”
Such delicacy deepened his esteem.
Gazing out then, he’d noted green shoots piercing the vacant garden.
She favors gazing upon flowers.
Why not flood the expanse entire?
A blooming foreground would surely enchant.
—“Pardon? What was that?”
—“Three hours. Blanket the garden in blooms while she’s away.”
—“Hold on—I meant a bouquet… how did it escalate to the whole grounds?!”
Perel had balked, incredulous, yet the feat stood complete.
The Grand Duchess’s saucer-eyed wonder drew an unwitting smile from Loic.
“Your Grace, did a mage weave this spell too?”
“….”
Indeed. Only sorcery could seed such abundance so swiftly.
Trailing her eager dash amid the petals, Loic quelled a burgeoning grin between bites of his lip.
He’d ensure the staff held their tongues on the frantic planting frenzy mere hours prior.