Chapter 10
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#10.
Lady Lorke's eyes were already ablaze with competitive fire.
Had the Grand Duke been present, she would have been so excited that she wouldn't have cared about propriety—she would have grabbed his hair and shaken him.
It had been a full three years. Surely one should exercise restraint for at least a month, shouldn't one?
Unable to contain herself any longer, Bestia rose abruptly from her seat and spoke.
"Lady Marnie, I'm terribly sorry, but I must take my leave today. I completely forgot I had an appointment to keep."
"Is that so? What a shame."
Lady Marnie nodded readily and began to excuse herself.
Yet even as she did, she lingered nearby, listening intently to what Lady Lorke and the maid were saying.
"We're going to the Seed Farm. Have the carriage brought around."
As expected, Lady Lorke couldn't suppress her anger and seemed intent on meeting the Grand Duke.
Lady Marnie, having achieved her purpose, boarded the carriage with a pleased step.
It was several hours later when Lady Lorke encountered the Grand Duke's son and his wife.
* * *
Upon entering the Seed Farm, the farm manager came out to greet Arkid and me.
"We received word of your arrival beforehand. I am Mac, the manager of this Seed Farm."
"Good to meet you, Mac."
"Thank you for welcoming us so warmly, despite our sudden visit."
As Arkid and I responded in turn, Mac addressed me.
"This is your first visit since last year, correct?"
"Hmm? I've been here before?"
I tilted my head at this unfamiliar information. Arkid, equally puzzled, asked me.
"Did you come here last year?"
"Well, I suppose so. My memory is rather hazy on it."
When I vaguely deflected, claiming my memory had faded with time, Mac spoke up.
"You likely don't remember because you only came briefly, following the Grand Duchess."
"Ah, yes, that must be it."
"Was there nothing amiss that day? The Grand Duchess looked terribly displeased, and I was quite worried."
"Mother?"
"Yes. The Grand Duchess left without a word that day, and the Grand Duchess was absolutely furious."
"What? I left without saying anything?"
I cried out before catching myself and covering my mouth in shock.
'Rhoena, you really did get up to all sorts of things.'
But still, leaving without a word and skipping out entirely was rather extreme.
Since I had no knowledge of what happened last year, I could only speculate based on Mac's account.
It did seem true that I had visited the Seed Farm with the Grand Duchess to inspect the seeds.
Given her temperament, she likely couldn't have stayed long in such a tedious place.
'She probably seized an opportunity to escape. As a result, the Grand Duchess had to handle everything alone.'
On top of that, she had even ruined the flower festival that year, so it was only natural that she had earned the Grand Duchess's displeasure.
'This time, I really must do well.'
With that resolve, I spoke to Mac with a determined expression.
"I've cleared plenty of time today, so please show me everything without leaving anything out."
"Of course. Then shall we first look at the flowers we've cultivated? These are demonstration flowers we've been growing in advance in the Greenhouse. If you'd like, I can provide explanations along the way."
"Oh, I'd be grateful for the explanations!"
"This year, the Delus flowers have turned out particularly beautiful in color. If we plant them, you should be able to see the Delus flowers in full bloom around mid-year. Of course, it's also possible to accelerate the blooming period using magic."
Mac guided me to the flowering area with a warm smile, pointing out each flower bed and explaining about the flowers.
"These flowers have very light seeds. Occasionally you'll find ones with rounded edges—those are defective and should be set aside separately."
I diligently took notes whenever Mac explained something about the seeds.
Arkid seemed puzzled by my obvious enthusiasm, but he matched my pace and interjected with additional comments here and there.
He appeared to have studied extensively as well, knowing quite a bit about seeds.
"I've heard stories about how versatile the Grand Duke's son is, but I didn't know you had such interest in landscaping as well."
When Mac praised him warmly, Arkid looked away, seeming embarrassed.
Shortly after, Mac guided us to a certain door and caught his breath.
"Here is the place where I've been cultivating the Delus flowers I mentioned earlier."
My ears perked up at the mention of Delus flowers. I was already familiar with them.
'Delus flowers—those were the first flowers Arkid gave to Mabel as a gift.'
Delus flowers were a rare species that bloomed only here, and they were also the symbolic flower of Delus, the territory of Hadelus.
For him to gift Delus flowers was not merely an expression of affection.
'Only the Grand Duke or the Grand Duke's son gives such flowers to their wives.'
But Mabel had never been to Delus, so she hadn't properly understood the meaning.
'She simply said thank you and that was the end of it.'
While I was thinking such thoughts, Mac opened the Greenhouse door.
Immediately, a colorful field of Delus flowers spread out before us.
"Wow."
My mouth fell open involuntarily at the beautiful sight.
True to their nature of blooming even in cold winter, the flowers displayed beautiful, vibrant colors.
"Take your time and look around leisurely since you're here."
"I will."
"I have a kit I left behind, so I'll go fetch it quickly."
Mac hurried away with those words.
I stepped into the flower field. The colors of the Delus flowers were remarkably diverse.
Gazing upon a rainbow display of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. What was particularly striking was how they formed colorful clusters.
"They're truly beautiful."
I wanted to touch them, but fearing they might be damaged, I only gazed with my eyes.
Then Arkid approached my side and spoke.
"I thought you didn't like Delus flowers, madam."
"Me?"
"Don't you remember? At last year's festival, you told me to throw away the flowers I gifted you."
"...."
"So I thought you disliked flowers...."
"I don't dislike it!"
I blurted out the denial in surprise. It seemed Arkid thought I'd rejected his gift and wanted me to throw it away.
"I... I'm sorry. I was far too harsh back then."
I mumbled apologetically, knowing my contrition was woefully insufficient for the situation.
At my dejected expression, Arkid blinked his clear blue-grey eyes.
"I'm relieved you don't dislike it."
He offered gentle consolation, a faint smile gracing his lips. For a moment, it seemed as though a halo shimmered behind him.
'This man truly transcends mortal beauty.'
I stared at Arkid with a dazed expression. I still couldn't believe I had become his wife.
Then Arkid asked with a languid smile.
"If there is a flower that pleases you, do tell me. I shall have it sent to your room."
"Oh, then I would choose Del—"
Delighted by his offer of a gift, I was about to select a Delus flower.
"Wait just a moment, Lady Marnie! We have a guest at present, and if you enter—!"
A commotion erupted from beyond, and a familiar woman burst through the door, adorned in her finest.
"Lady Lorke?"
I murmured softly, bewildered by this unexpected visitor.
Lady Lorke's sharp eyes darted about before she spotted Arkid and me, striding toward us with purpose.
"Where is the Grand Duke?"
"How discourteous."
Arkid drew me behind him and spoke coldly to Lady Lorke.
But Bestia, who had long dismissed Arkid, scoffed at his warning.
"So now you're using your own son as a smokescreen?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Tell me plainly. I came here because I heard the Grand Duke was present!"
Bestia shrieked. I regarded her with bewilderment as she suddenly appeared and shouted at Arkid.
Hmm, it seemed my turn had come.
Having resolved myself, I was about to deploy my specialty—sharp wit—to deflate her arrogance.
'What...?'
Suddenly, my vision began to spin.
A high-pitched ringing filled my ears.
The tinnitus that followed made it difficult to hear what Arkid and Lady Lorke were discussing.
'Why is this happening? Did I eat something bad?'
I was alarmed by the sudden signals of distress from my body.
Muffled voices seemed to bore into my ears as if someone were speaking to me.
Cold sweat streamed down my face. My sense of smell seemed paralyzed—I could no longer detect the fragrance of flowers.
Dizziness overtook me, and I leaned my face against Arkid's back.
"My lady?"
Arkid called out to me in a startled voice at the sudden contact. But I had no strength to respond.
"Arkid... please..."
I barely managed to call out his name before my body swayed violently and my legs gave way beneath me.
Arkid caught me as I collapsed, crying out in alarm.
"My lady!"
"Ahhh! The Grand Duchess!"
The Farm Staff member who had been restraining Lady Lorke shrieked in horror.
"Ma'am... come to your senses...!"
Arkid shouted something at me, but his words came in fragmented bursts. Soon, even that sound faded away entirely.
'What is this? Am I dying like this, as Rhoena?'
Could it be that because I wasn't truly Rhoena's soul, her body was rejecting me?
In the original story, Rhoena had been in perfect health until she contracted the plague, yet here I was, losing consciousness.
I tried to force my eyes open and regain awareness, but it was futile.
Through my dimming vision, I caught a glimpse of Arkid shouting urgently and Lady Lorke's face drained of all color. Then everything went black.
* * *
Arkid carried me on his back and arrived at Hadelus Castle.
"Asil!"
At Arkid's urgent cry, the butler Asil rushed out immediately.
"Young Master, what is the matter... Oh!"
Asil's face went pale when he saw me collapsed.
"How... how did this happen...?"
"Asil, fetch the Physician for me. Right now!"
Arkid gave the order curtly, as if there was no time for explanations.
"Yes, yes! Understood!"
Asil rang the bell in a flurry to summon the Physician. Arkid headed straight for my bedroom.
My breathing was ragged and labored. My body burned like a furnace, and cold sweat poured down continuously.
'Was I already unwell before going to the farm?'
Arkid's mind was in turmoil over my collapse. He hadn't noticed any signs of illness at all.
It had been our first proper date, and the atmosphere had been wonderful.
Moreover, Rhoena in the flower fields of Delus had been gasping in delight and blushing so prettily—she hadn't seemed like someone who was ill.
'Why all of a sudden? What could be the cause?'
Arkid threw unanswerable questions at himself as he pushed open the door.
"Young Master?"
Hannah looked up in confusion while arranging the bedding.
Then―
"Miss!!"
She let out a piercing cry, unable to tear her eyes away from my collapsed form.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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