Chapter 5
After taking care of Caspian in the morning, Cordelia had nothing else to do.
When she tried to bring him lunch, Catherine stopped her, telling her not to attend to the young master today.
Cordelia didn’t know why, but she obeyed without fuss.
The problem was, as Caspian’s personal maid, she had no work other than serving him.
Staying stuck in her room reminded her too much of waiting aimlessly in that inn room for her mother to return. So she got up and left.
The mansion was huge, but surprisingly few people worked there. Catherine had only introduced her to about ten maids. Even counting the other servants Cordelia had seen, there weren’t more than twenty altogether. She figured it must take a whole day just to clean a house this size.
Wandering into the kitchen, Cordelia helped the other maids with washing dishes and cleaning. Some of them found her helpful and sweet, while others muttered that she was just a filthy Terrion.
Sensing the atmosphere turn cold because of her, Cordelia quietly slipped out.
Back in her room, she scribbled in her notebook, afraid she might forget the Imperial words she’d learned. Then she suddenly remembered—she still hadn’t properly introduced herself to the young master. She’d meant to do it this morning when she greeted him, but with him being sick, it had completely slipped her mind.
Since Catherine told her not to serve him today, she figured she’d have to wait until tomorrow.
…But wait. Catherine said not to “serve” him. She didn’t say she couldn’t meet him, right?
Cordelia replayed Catherine’s gestures in her mind. The meaning was vague. If only she had learned Imperial language better, she thought with regret.
Looking out the window, she saw the sky dyed red by the setting sun, burning like fire. She jumped up, tucked her notebook into her pocket, and went outside.
The garden bathed in sunset looked completely different from how it did under a clear daytime sky. The white flowers glowed faintly red, as if the twilight had seeped into them. Admiring the flowers in their new colors, Cordelia distracted herself from the day’s boredom.
While walking, she noticed a stranger. He had a curled mustache and fierce eyes, and he was trimming trees with quick, practiced snips.
Fascinated, Cordelia walked closer to watch.
“Whoa! You scared me!”
The man jumped back with his arms crossed when he spotted her.
Sorry.
Cordelia quickly wrote the words of apology. The man relaxed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“No, no, it’s my fault. When I focus, I don’t notice anything else.”
Reading her clumsy handwriting, he realized this must be the new mute maid from Terrion.
The servants weren’t really wondering how long she’d last so much as why the head maid had hired her in the first place. Everyone assumed she’d quit within a few days anyway.
The man, however, didn’t care about gossip—he cared only about the garden. Stroking his mustache, he introduced himself.
“I’m Jack, the gardener here. What’s your name?”
Cordelia picked out the word “name” from his speech and guessed his question from his gesture.
Cordelia.
“Nice to meet you, Cody,” Jack said cheerfully, offering a handshake.
Cordelia took his hand, and he shook it roughly with surprising strength. Then he pointed at the tree he’d been trimming.
“What do you think of that one?”
“…”
“I’ve been working on a new design for the trees since last night, you see.”
He asked for her opinion but didn’t wait for an answer—just kept talking. Cordelia’s head spun as she tried to follow his fast Imperial speech.
She stared up at him blankly, but Jack didn’t notice, chattering on.
“I’m the only gardener here. The beauty of this whole garden is in my hands! These other servants? They’re all muscle, no brains, no sense of beauty—completely useless!”
“…”
“This place isn’t like Obenherdt! There, in that frozen land, you can’t grow half the gorgeous flowers and trees that thrive here. And yet, no one here appreciates them…!”
He clicked his tongue and muttered, while Cordelia looked at the neatly rounded tree he’d pointed to earlier. Not a branch stuck out awkwardly—everything was smooth and even. The row of trees beside it was trimmed into the exact same shape.
Noticing her gaze, Jack’s voice rose excitedly.
“See? Isn’t it wonderful? You can’t take your eyes off it, right? Come here, look at these flowers too! I put my heart into making them bloom every year!”
His hands, brushing over a blooming rose, were as gentle as if he were touching a baby.
Cordelia didn’t understand a word of his bragging, but she looked at the flowers and clapped her hands anyway.
By now, the garden was growing darker.
“Cody, you’ve got a good eye! Finally, someone who appreciates the beauty of my garden! Everyone else here couldn’t care less…”
Lost in his own story, Jack swung his arms wide, still snipping with his shears—then accidentally cut something.
Both he and Cordelia turned.
A white rose had fallen to the ground.
“…Ah.”
There was a pause, then Jack groaned, covering his face with one hand.
“My mistake. Working since morning has made me careless… And look, the sun’s already gone down.”
Cordelia picked up the fallen rose. Even in the dim sky, the petals were pure and clean.
She held it out to Jack, but he shook his head.
“No point keeping a flower ruined by my mistake. Just shows my lack of skill.”
“…”
“But it’s too pretty to waste. You take it. In a vase, it’ll last at least two days.”
Jack placed his hands gently over hers, closing them around the rose.
Cordelia looked at the flower in her hand and smiled brightly. Jack’s eyes widened a little.
“You really like flowers, huh.”
He smiled faintly.
Cordelia glanced up toward the second floor of the mansion. She was pretty sure the young master’s room was around there. But the heavy curtains blocked out even the smallest bit of light.
Yesterday, he had looked out at the garden. Was he too sick to come out today? If so, maybe he would like this flower.
Even though this was only her second time in the garden, Cordelia could already tell how beautiful it was. She didn’t need to understand Jack’s words—her eyes were enough.
So there was no way the young master, who had spent so much time at this villa, didn’t love the garden too.
That look in his eyes yesterday—it must have been longing.
Clutching the rose tightly, Cordelia’s blue eyes sparkled with innocent hope.
***
Standing before Caspian’s door, Cordelia took a deep breath.
Catherine had given her permission to bring him the flower, and this time she planned to finally introduce herself.
Her knock echoed in the quiet hallway. Soon, Caspian’s voice called for her to come in.
She opened the door carefully and stepped inside. Caspian was propped against his bed, reading a book. Without glancing at her, he spoke.
“I told you there’s no need to attend me today. Didn’t Cassie tell you?”
He was already changed into fresh clothes. Golden hair fell across his eyes as he looked down at the book.
Cordelia walked closer to the bed. Surprised at her silence, Caspian turned his head—
—and found not a face, but a single white rose held out before him.
He didn’t take it. His gaze slipped past the flower to the little girl behind it, her cheeks tinged pink.
With a snap, Caspian shut his book and slid off the bed.
So Catherine hadn’t sent the child away after all. He’d suspected as much. Maybe she thought if the girl stayed out of sight for a day, his opinion would change.
He didn’t want to know why Catherine was so determined to keep this child by his side.
“From now on, I’ll give you a choice.”
He ignored the rose completely, making Cordelia shift awkwardly, fidgeting with the flower in her hands.
