After reading 《Pedro and Ines》, I formed several hypotheses. One was that these books might be like prophecies from other worlds. If they recorded future events, though there might be some variations, the content wouldn’t change completely.

‘Then another Great Blooming will probably happen too. Or it might change to a different event instead.’

Lost in deep thought, I nodded to myself in understanding.

“The Great Blooming is a good thing, right?”

“Usually.”

“Then what should I do? Since it’s the Penvernon family’s Great Blooming, I feel like I should do something.”

“Just make a donation to the temple. The temple will handle the rest.”

“How much should I donate?”

Rashid unusually took a moment to think.

“Well. Since the last Great Blooming was so long ago… Perhaps 100,000 freti would do.”

“100,000…?”

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand… 10 billion? My eyes widened.

“Is that too little? Then 1 million……”

“No!”

I hurriedly waved my hands in protest.

“Isn’t it better to give more?”

“That’s too much!”

“I thought you would like it.”

He chuckled while tucking my hair behind my ear.

“Let’s say I donated because of you. Then things will go as you wish.”

“No, still…… No.”

“You don’t want that?”

“No! If people hear you made a large donation because of me, everyone will think we’re close. So we can’t!”

“That’s why we can’t?”

“That’s why we can’t!”

I repeatedly emphasized that it absolutely cannot happen.

At my strong insistence, Rashid’s golden eyes disappeared behind gentle curved lines.

* * *

The Great Blooming of camellias was the talk of not just Granrose but all of Grandia. Whenever two or more people gathered, they all talked about Penvernon.

The conversations went like this.

In a noble’s reception room:

“The Great Blooming! I don’t know how long it’s been!”

“I wonder what good fortune awaits House Penvernon?”

“Speaking of which, did you hear? They say Duke Penvernon is so weak for his wife.”

“Impossible! That cold-blooded man?”

“My maid heard it from their maid. They say his devotion is incredible!”

“Oh my, so that’s why that wife’s spending increased. It must be because she receives her husband’s affection.”

“Should we try to get closer to her now?”

“What kind of charm does she have?”

The noble ladies laughed brightly. Love stories were very enjoyable topics. Especially plots where a noble and attractive man falls for an ordinary woman.

The gentlemen at the club also added comments while sipping wine.

“The Great Blooming of camellias, Duke Limnike must be dying of envy.”

“What better fortune could come to House Penvernon?”

“Who knows. Maybe an heir will come.”

“Well, it’s been over a year since they married? It could happen.”

“Didn’t those mines the wife bought increase in value? Though that’s probably nothing to Duke Penvernon.”

“I heard she even paid the Magic Tower to make magical tools using ore.”

“The Magic Tower? That’s unusual. Never thought of that.”

“I heard Her Highness the Princess also sponsors through that duchess’s introduction.”

In a tavern in the capital’s bustling district. When a waitress with her hair tied tight let out a deep sigh, a middle-aged man with a red face asked.

“What’s wrong? Got worries?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I want to visit the Grand Temple this time but I’m too busy…… I’m upset that I can’t find time to go.”

“Come to think of it, why are you working alone? Where’s Mary?”

“Don’t even mention it! That girl ran away!”

“What? Ran away?! With whom! Where to?”

“I don’t know! That’s why it’s called running away.”

At the waitress’s irritation, a man sitting nearby butted in.

“Isn’t she with Jess from the blacksmith? Haven’t seen him lately either.”

“Oh my, really? I didn’t know they were like that.”

“It’s obvious since they disappeared around the same time. The owner there was furious. They said that guy came to the capital to make money, but who knows where he went now.”

“Kids these days have no grit. They all run away at the slightest hardship. When you look around, there are quite a few who’ve disappeared. My relative also lost contact about half a year ago.”

“Come to think of it, Ellie’s youngest daughter disappeared too, while still so young.”

“She probably got attacked by beasts while going to the mountains.”

“Shouldn’t we report the missing persons to the authorities?”

“Oh dear, tsk tsk. How unsettling.”

Countless words surfaced and sank.

* * *

The Duchess of Penvernon who had left the capital during winter returned.

The Blue Crystal Order of the Grand Temple was on high alert regarding her movements.

A duchy is a place where the duke is practically a king. There were more restrictions on actions there than in the capital, making it very difficult to track what the duchess was doing.

Therefore, the Grand Temple had to gauge her activities solely through reports from the Western Temple and notices from spies planted in the vicinity.

The Duchess of Penvernon mostly stayed inside Camelli Castle. One day when she headed somewhere with the duke’s secretary, they followed her but somehow lost her midway and couldn’t track her to the end.

According to rumors, she was badly injured shortly after and was ill for several days. All they knew was that she stayed at a mountain villa with hot springs with the duke because of this.

Except for the untrackable outing, the duchess’s winter was uneventful.

However, that suspicious outing was the problem. What exactly did the Duchess of Penvernon do during that time?

The spies’ failure to track her was likely due to a barrier using magic power. What was the reason she had to go to a place protected by such a barrier?

The High Priest read the report lost in worry. Once their suspicion began, everything looked suspicious.

Did Duke Penvernon know about this, or was he knowingly letting it be?

If the Duchess of Penvernon was a witch, they couldn’t let her roam freely in the capital.

Witches were uncontrollable beings who used magic power borrowed from divine power while escaping national control and disobeying the temple. They always brought discord, so they were thorns that needed to be nipped in the bud early.

Now was the opportunity, as the Duchess of Penvernon had returned to the capital, making it much easier to watch her.

The earlier you cut off rotting flower branches, the better. That way disease doesn’t spread through the garden.

So all of this was to protect God Morea’s beautiful garden. Recalling his righteousness, the High Priest drew divine protection.

The Great Blooming of camellias had come just in time, surely this too was divine revelation. The prophecy that Penvernon would drive out evil and stand righteous seemed to ripple outside the window.

* * *

The Grand Temple’s garden was full of camellia flowers. People flocked to marvel at the winter flowers blooming in late spring.

The camellias blooming during the Great Blooming came in various colors—not just red and white, but also blue, yellow and purple. It was God Morea’s mysterious harmony that could only be seen during the Great Blooming.

“The Great Blooming! How long has it been? And it’s Penvernon’s Great Blooming which makes it even more delightful!”

Karla was unusually excited and making a fuss.

“I went to see it, and it was incredibly beautiful. I thought this must be what a paradise of flowers would look like. Have you been, Alisa?”

“Not yet. I’ve only heard about it.”

“Oh my! When are you going?”

“I plan to go once before mass to have some discussion.”

“Ah, right! Yes, we need to prepare for the Great Blooming mass.”

Rashid said we just needed to make a donation, but it turned out that wasn’t all. A mass was scheduled to celebrate the Great Blooming, and Rashid had to declare the donation during that mass.

Moreover, they said we needed to perform a walk through the Grand Temple’s garden as the Duke and Duchess of Penvernon. The reason was to publicly display our gratitude to the divine and the happiness it brought.

I was completely overwhelmed with the preparations. We needed clothes and accessories fitting the formality, and when making the donation we couldn’t just give money but had to prepare some kind of offering, and they said we needed to send thanks not just to the temple but also to the imperial family.

‘This is no different from wedding preparations.’

It’s a complicated world. I tried to live comfortably but that’s not easy either.

While talking about various things with Karla like this, Rashid came to the reception room.

“Alisa.”

“You’re back already?”

I approached the doorway where he stood. Rashid exchanged eye greetings with Karla who stood up from the sofa.

“You had a guest.”

“Yes. You met before, right? This is Countess Spendal.”

“Yes. Please continue your conversation.”

He gently caressed my cheek before leaving.

“Oh my, Alisa. His Grace is handsome today too. Though he always has been.”

Karla laughed softly. I might be immune since I see him often, but his face is shockingly handsome.

“You two look close, it’s nice to see.”

“We’re just normal.”

“I think you say that because you don’t know what normal really is.”

Is that so. So to others we look quite intimate.

Of course, it would be a lie to say I don’t notice Rashid’s goodwill toward me. I’m not that stupid or oblivious.

The nights we spend together, the warmth we share on those nights, the breaths mixed with that warmth, the countless conversations we have before morning comes…

‘Alisa and Rashid were originally married after all.’

Such things aren’t unnatural. Even when we were distant with each other, we shared the same bed several times.