Chapter 15
“Sophia, you’ve been coming to the garden a lot lately, haven’t you?”
“It’s comfortable here.”
“Hmm… Is that because I’m here, by any chance?”
Rune said playfully, smiling brightly amidst the beautiful flowers blooming in full.
“Yeah.”
“H-Huh…?”
When Sophia answered quite seriously, Rune looked like a wind-up doll that had broken down—completely dumbfounded.
His cheeks flushed the same pink as his eyes. He quickly covered his face with his cold hands, but Sophia had already seen what he was trying to hide.
So young and pure.
“U-Um, m-my lady, there’s… a new variety we just planted over there…”
“Okay.”
“If you could, maybe… take a look at it for a moment…?”
“Sure.”
He fumbled over his words, avoiding eye contact clumsily, trying to direct her attention elsewhere to calm himself. Seeing that, Sophia responded obediently.
She walked over to the spot Rune had pointed at and casually struck up a conversation with Deflyn.
“Deflyn, what’s this one? Looks like it’s been newly planted?”
“Oh, yes! It’s something new we planted recently. I’ve never seen this seed before, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
So there are things even Deflyn doesn’t know.
Since she was well-versed in all plants, it was surprising to hear there was something unfamiliar to her. Sophia looked at the spot where the seed was planted. A peculiarly long and slender white sprout was growing there.
“What’s it called?”
“It’s called Salia.”
“The sprout looks really interesting.”
“It’s so white, they call it ‘the flower of snow.’”
When planting a new variety for the first time, it was essential to do the proper research. Deflyn had looked into various resources about Salia and came across an old record, from which she gathered information and explained it to Sophia.
It did feel like a snow-covered sprout. If it bloomed, would the flower be white like snow too?
While chatting softly with Deflyn about Salia, Sophia glanced over at Rune.
When she wasn’t looking, he had quickly tried to cool his face down.
Does he really like me that much? It’s just a fleeting feeling anyway.
Still, if Rune enjoyed spending time with her and having deep conversations before he disappeared, then Sophia was willing to go along with it.
If saying such things made Rune happy and excited, then she would say them.
Because in the end, she wouldn’t be able to save him. So until that day came, she wanted to make sure he lived as happily as possible.
Just as she turned her eyes away from Rune, Deflyn, who had been tending to the leaves, spoke up.
“My lady, by any chance… have you grown close with the young masters again?”
“…What?”
Caught off guard by Deflyn’s sudden question, Sophia frowned.
Close? Me? With them?
“No.”
She shook her head firmly. Deflyn tilted her head.
“Really? I thought you had, since they’ve been making flower crowns lately.”
“Flower crowns? Who?”
“The young masters. They made one when you collapsed, and they’ve come here a few more times since then to make more. You didn’t receive any?”
Sophia remembered the crown that had changed when she regained consciousness. She had assumed that Jules had replaced the damaged one.
But it wasn’t Jules who had made it—it was Benjamin and Joshua?
“…I did get one.”
It felt strange. She never thought they would do something for her. To apologize? To gauge her reaction?
What had changed that made their relationship so different in this life? Was it a fleeting phase, or the butterfly’s wingbeat that would bring a storm?
“You didn’t receive any others?”
“Not after that time.”
She hadn’t received any more. And even that one didn’t feel like a proper gift.
At her words, Deflyn tilted her head again, puzzled.
“That’s strange. I’m sure… Hmm, Rune!”
Unable to figure it out on her own, Deflyn called out to Rune.
While they waited for him to come over, she added an explanation.
“Rune’s the one teaching the young masters how to make flower crowns.”
When Rune hurried over in response to Deflyn’s voice, she asked him directly.
“The flower crowns the young masters are making—weren’t they meant for the lady?”
“Oh, the crowns… They said they wouldn’t give them to her.”
“Huh? Why?”
“They said they couldn’t give her something that wasn’t beautiful enough… So they’ve been coming to practice.”
They wouldn’t give her something that wasn’t beautiful.
She wanted to believe that wasn’t true. But it was Rune who said it—someone who never lied to her.
Sophia, who had quietly been listening to them, spoke with a slightly sharp tone.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in the garden.”
“They only come on days you don’t.”
Sophia always let Rune and Deflyn know ahead of time if she planned to go to the garden before 10 a.m., so they wouldn’t be startled by her sudden visits.
So figuring out the days she wouldn’t be there was as easy as sipping cold soup.
On purpose…
They were avoiding her.
She suddenly recalled what Benjamin had said before leaving her room the day she collapsed.
‘…I won’t do anything. I won’t do anything that would harm you…’
That day, she had clearly shown that she didn’t want to see him. And he must’ve understood that perfectly and was now keeping his distance for her sake.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense to make flower crowns for her while carefully avoiding her presence. Even if they completed the crown, they probably wouldn’t give it to her in person.
Just like they never said a word about the crown placed near her the day she fainted.
“Tell them I don’t like flower crowns.”
So they wouldn’t bother anymore.
She didn’t want to think they cared. She had learned too much from the past to hold onto hope that would eventually disappear.
Not wanting to talk about her so-called brothers anymore, Sophia called out to Lucion.
“Shion.”
“Yes, my lady.”
He rushed over and began brushing the leaves off her clothes and straightening her outfit to escort her out of the garden.
She could feel his hands were gentle, trying to read the somber mood. But she had no energy left to worry about him too.
“Sorry, Rune. I’m not feeling well, so I’ll head in.”
“No, it’s fine…”
Rune could tell the atmosphere had turned tense because of his words. He wanted to apologize again and again but stopped himself.
Sophia didn’t like hearing apologies. She would only feel more burdened. So Rune chose silence instead.
“I’ll be back tomorrow. So…”
Sophia’s violet eyes turned toward Rune.
“You don’t have to feel sorry or worry about it.”
As expected, she cut off Rune’s attempt to say more. Her gaze and voice were more considerate than his.
Rune gave a faint smile in return, as if to say not to worry, and saw her off.
“Yes. I’ll be waiting.”
Back in her room, Sophia enjoyed a quiet moment with tea, letting Lucion, not Lorei, tend to her hair.
He wasn’t as skilled as Lorei, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
“Do you dislike flower crowns?”
Just as she was about to sip her tea, the brushing paused and Lucion asked that question.
“I don’t dislike them.”
No further questions followed. He didn’t ask why she said she did in the garden or what she was thinking.
That was his way of respecting her boundaries.
The brush resumed stroking through her hair, and Sophia calmly inhaled the tea’s aroma and murmured softly.
“Dailros, right?”
“Yes, you’re right. You have a great sense of smell, my lady. I can never tell just by scent, so it’s quite amazing.”
“If you enjoy tea long enough, it becomes second nature.”
How many years had she lived through already? Most of that time had been spent reading and drinking tea. For Sophia, distinguishing teas was child’s play.
There wasn’t a single tea aroma in this estate that she didn’t recognize. None.
She stared silently at the dark brown tea in her cup and ran her fingers along the red petal engraved on the cup.
Then, suddenly, her vision blurred—the single petal split into two, then three, and back to one.
A sharp pain stabbed through her head, making her frown.
Shion, catching a glimpse of her through the mirror, paused and asked,
“My lady?”
“It’s nothing.”
The pain subsided quickly, and Sophia returned to her usual expression. Shion, sensing it had passed, resumed brushing her hair.
Sophia let out a soft breath and took a sip of tea.
She realized—it wasn’t a good sign.
