MVH 35

Chapter 35 – “6. The Meaning of Flowers”:

They must have thought ahead about the trip, because the butler and head maid had already been informed. After a late breakfast, I got ready, unable to hide my excitement.

Even if it was a short trip, it was my first time leaving the capital. And this was a trip prepared just for me by Lucious.

Our very first trip together—so soon!

“All set, my lady.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Head maid Jane stepped back after helping me dress. I took the hat handed to me by one of the maids and looked into the mirror. Since it was our first trip, I wanted to dress up brightly—and it turned out great.

Satisfied, I left the room, descended to the first floor, and stepped outside where Lucious was waiting with the butler and several knights.

“Tiana. You look absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you, Lucious. It’s not too flashy, is it?”

“Not at all. It suits you perfectly. I think it’ll match the atmosphere of our destination too.”

“Really?”

It seemed he still had no intention of telling me where we were going. I stared at him, but he just smiled innocently and took my hand, leading me to the carriage.

“Let me introduce the knights who’ll be accompanying us. They’re from the Grand Duke’s personal guard.”

About five knights stood ready in front of the carriage. The one in front stepped forward and greeted me on behalf of the others.

“I’m Teros de Eltheim, the commander of the escort unit. I’ll ensure your safety throughout the journey, my lady.”

“Please take good care of us, Teros.”

With deep green hair and a solid build, his muscles were visible even through the knight’s uniform—I couldn’t help but admire him. After exchanging eye contact with the rest of the knights, Lucious spoke gently.

“It’s not a long journey, so we’ve kept the escort to a minimum. But these are the elite of the guard, so you need not worry.”

“All right.”

“There’s no reason anything should happen, but if by any chance something does—do not leave my side. Ever.”

“Of course. I’m not letting go of this hand, so don’t worry.”

“…Tiana.”

“You have to keep holding on too, okay?”

“Yes. I won’t let go. Ever.”

We gripped each other’s hands more firmly and smiled as we looked at each other. Then we climbed into the carriage and sat side by side.

“Safe travels,”

said Warren, the head butler, as the other servants saw us off. The carriage slowly set off.

About two hours after leaving the capital, we arrived at our destination. I had been dying to know where we were going. Through the carriage window, I saw a small town that looked like a painting.

From the entrance, the town was filled with flowers and trees. When I opened the window a little, a sweet floral scent rushed in.

“Wow…”

As we entered the town, I noticed that most flower shops had flower fields next to them. More than half the people walking around were holding at least one flower, and the majority of merchants seemed to be selling flowers.

“Is the local specialty here flowers?”

“That’s right. Because of the region’s unique climate, flowers bloom abundantly, and the entire town runs on the flower business. There are rare species too, and the beautiful scenery makes it a popular destination.”

“The whole town is in the flower business? That’s fascinating.”

“There’s a communal greenhouse run by the town that distributes seeds and flower seedlings to merchants. It’s a business model that capitalizes on the town’s uniqueness.”

“I see.”

It was a small town, but very distinctive. Maybe its small size is what allowed such a unified industry to thrive. An entire town operating a single type of business together—that’s rare.

“Why don’t we get down and take a look?”

“Let’s!”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the scenery outside, so Lucious smiled softly and knocked on the wall to signal the coachman. The carriage stopped shortly after, and a knight opened the door. Lucious stepped out first and held his hand out to me.

“Careful, Tiana.”

“Thanks.”

I smiled as I took his hand and carefully stepped out of the carriage. The scent of the flowers was even stronger outside than it had been inside.

I linked arms with Lucious and held his hand tightly as we walked forward. The escort knights followed a short distance behind.

“New Agnea varieties just arrived!”

“How about a Monet bouquet for the lady?”

“Easy-to-grow potted plants for beginners!”

As expected of a flower-centric town, every shop on either side of the street was related to flowers. There were stores specializing in a single flower type, shops selling rare blooms, and places that sold only seedlings or potted flowers.

“Flowers for sale!”

“Roses for sale!”

What really caught my eye, though, were the little girls walking around with flower baskets, selling them one by one. They looked to be around ten years old, wandering between shops with their wares.

“Those girls…”

Following my gaze, Lucious explained,

“They’re either hired by the shops or selling flowers independently. Usually, they sell common varieties.”

“So selling flowers is their way of making a living.”

“Yes. Since this is a tourist spot, the income is more stable than you’d think, and it’s safer work than most.”

“I see.”

I suppose they’re like part-time workers in the modern sense. Compared to how most commoner children make a living—doing chores at shops, taverns, or sometimes not finding work at all—this was a safer alternative.

Because the town was close to the capital and had a unique shared business, even the children seemed to find ways to support themselves.

Seeing pairs of girls selling flowers brought back memories from before I possessed this body. I used to help my grandmother make artificial flower arrangements as a side job.

Watching those small hands work so hard to sell flowers stirred something in me—it reminded me of my own past. They were doing their best, just like I once did.

“Um… excuse me…”

As we stood and watched, two girls cautiously approached from a little distance. They looked alike—probably sisters. The older one hesitated, then spoke in a trembling voice.

“Beautiful roses for sale, milady…!”

She held out a single red rose from her full basket. Her tiny hand was shaking, and her nervous expression made her look even more adorable. I knelt down to meet her eyes and accepted the rose.

“It’s such a beautiful red rose. May I buy a few more?”

“O-oh, yes! Of course! We have lots! My sister and I grew them ourselves!”

“You grew them yourselves?”

“Yes!”

Beaming, the older girl opened the basket. There were roses of various colors inside, and their shades were deeper and more vibrant than typical ones.

Did these kids really grow these themselves? That’s amazing.

“They’re even prettier than the usual varieties. You two raised them yourselves? That’s impressive.”

“We got seeds from the greenhouse. I’m not good at growing things, but my little sister figured out lots of ways to help them bloom better!”

“Really?”

At that, the younger sister flinched and held on tightly to her sister’s arm, hiding behind her without lifting her head. I smiled. I wanted to pat her head too, but she was too far back.

The older girl, still blushing from my praise, carefully reached into her basket and pulled something out.

“Please take this! I think it’ll match your pretty hair color.”

It was a striking, vivid blue rose. Nestled between red and yellow ones, the single blue rose was the most vibrant and beautiful I’d ever seen—even the ducal estate didn’t have one this deep in color.

“You grew this one too?”

“Yes! It’s harder to get blue roses to bloom, but my sister worked really hard, and one finally did!”

“And you’re giving me something so rare? You could get a good price selling this at a shop.”

“It’s okay. Actually… we were watching earlier, and we thought your hair and eyes were so beautiful… and this blue rose reminded us of them. Right?”

“…Yeah.”

The younger girl gave a quiet reply, still keeping her head down, but I could hear her soft voice.

“So please accept it! If we tell the other kids we gave such a pretty noble lady a gift, we can brag a little! Right? That’s okay, right?”

“…It’s okay.”

I smiled, trying not to laugh at the sisters’ dynamic.

“Then I’ll buy some of the other roses, too. But may I also pay for the blue one as I wish?”

“But…”

“I don’t feel right just accepting something so beautiful for free. Think of it as a reward for growing such lovely flowers.”

“Um… okay. Thank you, milady.”

After thinking for a moment, the older girl nodded and selected a few more roses. She carefully arranged the red, yellow, and blue roses into a small bouquet, tying them together with a string before handing them to me.

Red roses on the outside, yellow in the middle, and the single blue one in the center. I smiled brightly and accepted the unique bouquet, patting the girl’s head.

“Thank you. I’ll treasure them and make sure they don’t wilt.”

“Thank you for buying them! Have a wonderful trip!”

The older girl bowed and led her sister away. As they passed by, the younger girl briefly lifted her head and our eyes met. Her deep chestnut eyes lingered for a moment before quickly looking away.

‘What was that?’

There was a sharpness in her gaze. Maybe it was just my imagination.

“What is it, Tiana?”

“Nothing. Anyway, aren’t these roses beautiful? Especially this blue one. The color is so rich, and it smells even better than the others.”

“You’re right. Just like the girl said, it really does suit your hair. Growing a rose like this isn’t easy—her sister must be quite skilled.”

“True.”

Though I hadn’t seen the younger girl’s face, I remembered all the scrapes on her hands as she held her sister’s arm. Thinking of her raising these flowers with such effort made me feel proud of her, even if I was also a bit concerned.

That strange feeling when our eyes met lingered… but maybe she just didn’t like nobles. There are plenty of children who either fear or resent the nobility.

“There’s a lovely café just ahead. They serve rare floral teas—shall we try it?”

“Yes, let’s.”

As I breathed in the scent of roses, Lucious wrapped his arm gently around my waist. Nodding, I clutched the bouquet tightly and walked alongside him.