Chapter 53
Green Grapes
Yeah, this should be fine.
I placed the Rundra ceramic figurine among the daisy flowers. The black dragon blended well with the white and yellow daisies. Rundra of the daisy garden.
I took a few steps back, narrowed my eyes, and imagined in my mind the picture of this greenhouse completely filled with plants.
The other pots that would be delivered in a few days would fill it even more. The tall trees would take some time to grow.
How long would it take for it to become the image I was imagining now? More than three years would have to pass before the greenhouse truly took shape.
I wouldn’t be able to see the completed greenhouse, but Cedric—the master of the ducal estate—would.
Perhaps even after a very long time had passed in the daisy garden, he might occasionally remember me, a guest who had stayed at his estate for only a short while.
I chuckled softly to myself, like a mischievous fairy again. I would leave a trace of myself here. I wanted to remain a good guest to Cedric until the very end.
I left the greenhouse. As I opened the door to step out, I noticed a flowerpot I hadn’t seen before at my feet, along with a note.
Another daisy?
— I was sure I’d bought all of Arsène’s daisies, but there were more at the market today. I couldn’t leave them behind. —
The handwriting was neat and old-fashioned. It couldn’t have been anyone but Cedric. No matter how I tried to remember when he’d bought it, I couldn’t recall. I lifted the daisy pot. I was about to take it back into the greenhouse, but I changed my mind and headed toward my room instead.
I showed the daisy pot to a passing maid and asked her to bring a ceramic pot to my room to plant it in.
It was the tail end of summer. You could feel autumn approaching. It was still far from the season of autumn leaves, but even with the sun overhead, sweat no longer beaded on my skin.
Under a sunshade the maids had set up, I spread out a checkered picnic mat and draped a thin knitted blanket over my knees, enjoying a picnic by myself.
On one side of the sunshade, I hung lace fabric left over from the congratulatory party for Nanesha and Yuri’s wedding. The lace pattern cast delicate shadows onto the grass.
On the mat were chilled mulled wine, plump cookies made generously with strawberry jam by the chef, and seasonal sweet green grapes and figs. I also placed a low table and set a memo pad and pen on top.
I rolled a single round green grape around in my mouth. In season, the grapes were wonderfully sweet.
I read a novel borrowed from the ducal library, then set it down. I remembered something Butler Mason had told me a few days earlier.
Cedric’s birthday was said to be in late autumn. Mason had added that Cedric didn’t place much importance on celebrating birthdays, and that he didn’t hold birthday parties either.
So what should I do?
I wrote “How?” on the memo pad and drew several circles around the word. I added a few more circles, then triangles and squares, but no good idea came to mind. I closed the cover for now.
As I set the memo pad back on the low table and continued thinking, another long shadow fell beside the shade’s shadow. I looked up—it was Cedric.
“Good afternoon, Duke.”
“Good afternoon, Princess.”
Cedric placed one hand on the sunshade pole and bent at the waist to peer inside. When he met my eyes, I raised one hand and waved lightly from side to side.
Soon after, Cedric lowered himself and sat on the picnic mat. His long legs stuck out beyond the mat, neither fully folded nor stretched. Sitting together like this felt cramped, so I slid the mulled wine cup, cookie plate, fruit basket, and novel to one side. Seeing this, Cedric picked up the table and moved it aside.
With more space, I felt comfortable and smiled broadly at him. His neat, cherry-colored eyes met mine.
“The temperature has dropped quite a bit.”
“Yes! There’s a cool breeze today.”
“I’m glad to see you enjoying a picnic again, Princess.”
I’d spent most of the summer indoors—in my room, the greenhouse, enclosed spaces. That must be what he meant.
“You thought it was autumn because I came outside, didn’t you?”
“That’s correct.”
Cedric slowly turned his head, surveying the picnic setup, then stopped his gaze on the low table.
“Were you taking notes while reading?”
“No, I just brought it to write down any thoughts that came to mind.”
“I see.”
True to his gentlemanly nature, Cedric didn’t ask further. He didn’t say anything at all. His expression was as composed as ever. Still, for some reason, I felt like he was curious about the memo pad.
I reached out to grab it, but it was a little far. As I leaned slightly, Cedric picked it up and handed it to me.
“Would you like to see my memo pad, Duke?”
“It’s your personal memo pad. Are you sure that’s all right?”
I opened the cover and looked at the first page. Aside from the single word “How?” and the circles, triangles, and squares drawn around it, there was nothing. From the second page onward, it was blank.
I suddenly felt playful. After staring at the first page for a moment, I said,
“Do you want to see it?”
“Yes.”
Cedric replied while looking at the memo pad in my hands. I deliberately flipped through the second and third pages as if examining them. The pages fluttered softly.
“Why does a gentleman want to see my secret?”
Cedric glanced at the memo pad again before speaking.
“It seems I’m not a gentleman.”
“Then who are you, Duke?”
“A villain.”
It seemed Cedric remembered the conversation we’d shared in the Grace family’s garden during the last ball. I didn’t hold back my laughter.
“Then what am I?”
Cedric looked at me quietly. His cherry-colored eyes were clear and beautiful.
“A princess captured by the villain.”
“Well, that’s not exactly wrong,” I said, laughing again.
I handed the memo pad to Cedric. He opened the cover, flipped past the first page immediately, then kept turning pages—again and again. After flipping several more times, he looked at me.
I didn’t even look his way. Pretending not to laugh, I popped a green grape into my mouth and chewed slowly. I could feel his gaze fixed on my cheek as I swallowed.
I picked up another grape and brought it right in front of Cedric’s face, intending to change the subject.
“Would you like a green grape, Duke?”
Cedric stared at me in silence for a long moment.
“…Yes.”
The grape in my hand disappeared into his mouth in one swift motion.
His expression remained perfectly composed.
Gradually, the days when I took walks or shared meals with Cedric increased. If I was having a picnic in the back garden, Cedric would arrive at just the right time; sometimes I would visit his lounge instead. Very naturally, our time together continued.
I went to see Cedric in his lounge to suggest an evening walk. When I knocked, Cedric—wearing glasses—opened the door.
“Princess.”
“Good afternoon, Duke.”
A book lay open facedown on the tea table.
“Good afternoon, Princess.”
As I sat on the sofa, Cedric took out a piece of frichtiri from the magical freezer. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should eat it so close to dinner, then popped it into my mouth. Ah—sweet.
“I came to ask whether you might have time to take a walk with me before dinner.”
“Of course.”
Cedric closed the book on the tea table.
“How about the walking path behind the annex?”
“I’ve never been there before!”
“There are many tall trees along that path.”
“Oh?”
Cedric stood and offered his hand. I placed mine in his.
We descended the stairs while chatting casually. I usually spoke first, with Cedric responding—about the maids starting to subscribe to a new newsletter, or how it might be nice to change the curtains for autumn. As always, Cedric replied with composed “I see” and “Indeed.” When I asked whether the curtains in his lounge were still the summer ones, Cedric admitted he didn’t really know.
“They’re definitely summer curtains. My eyes don’t lie.”
“I see.”
“Then should I choose new curtains for your lounge when I change mine?”
“Thank you. Baroness Knox will assist you.”
Stepping outside through the back door of the main building, we found the sky clear and high, without clouds. The breeze was cool and fresh.
It was autumn now.
