How To Give Up On You - ✿ dusk blossoms ✿

Sir Murray was utterly frustrated, but he couldn’t bring himself to mention it, so he just let out deep sighs. Seeing him turn as red as a burning sweet potato made me giggle. Greta, dressed in her knight’s uniform, stood out, which seemed to make Sir Murray even more uncomfortable.

“Thanks for accepting Greta, Ian.”

“……”

“I’m really happy to see her working so hard.”

Ian only smiled in response. As I returned to his arms after a spin, he finally spoke.

“Actually, I should be the one thanking Dame Greta.”

“Why?”

“She’s been the one making you laugh the most lately.”

This time, I was the one left speechless. Whenever Ian said things like this, I found myself at a loss. I couldn’t just say “thank you,” but I also couldn’t tell him to stop. Seeing my discomfort, Ian changed the subject.

“Oh, by the way, I finished it.”

“Finished what?”

“You asked me to look into ways to use roscari in emergency situations, remember? I’ll show you later.”

Ah, that. Ian seemed so eager that I couldn’t tell him it was no longer necessary. And I was curious, too. What he had prepared might still prove useful in a way that differed from the original plan. After the dance ended, Ian led me to the terrace. I briefly lost myself in the view of the garden below.

“Wow.”

The garden was filled with colorful spring flowers, illuminated by moonlight, with a glass gazebo and a white swing. Initially, I had been disappointed when I realized Ian had completely changed the garden I had designed, but now, I couldn’t help but admire it.

“It looks even prettier at night. Is this your taste, Ian?”

“My taste?”

“Yes. It’s more charming than I expected.”

“Ah, the garden isn’t my taste—it’s designed according to yours.”

“What?”

I widened my eyes in surprise, and Ian awkwardly explained.

“Your mother told me that you loved swings like that when you were little. And that gazebo, it was part of the first design you drew when you arrived here, wasn’t it? The gardener mentioned it to me. All the flowers are the ones you specially grew in the greenhouse, too.”

I was astonished by the unexpected revelation.

“I thought you changed the garden because you didn’t like what I designed.”

I had felt resentment. Waking up from a long sleep to find my meticulously crafted garden completely altered, and Ian acting like a different person—it had been overwhelming. Ian’s sudden frown startled me, and I nearly shrank back as he sighed and said, looking a bit wronged:

“Liv, I don’t care much about the garden. If Benjamin hadn’t turned it into a wasteland, I probably still wouldn’t care. But I knew you cherished it, so I tried to restore it. When they told me it would take too long to get the trees, I had no choice but to plant flowers instead.”

“A wasteland?” I stared at him, confused.

“Benjamin tore up the garden during a fight with Crown Princess Eloise… Why would I have any reason to change your garden?”

Ian’s frustration was clear. I hesitantly responded,

“…I thought you hated it because it reminded you of the Keppel estate.”

Ian was momentarily speechless, clearly taken aback by my answer. After a pause, he looked at me and asked,

“Why would you think that?”

“Your mother said that ever since I designed the garden like this, it seemed like you stopped coming home.”

“That…”

Ian sighed deeply.

“It’s not me who dislikes the estate—it’s my mother.”

His expression darkened, and I started to feel uneasy, sensing I had brought up something I shouldn’t have. The garden at the Keppel estate was one of the places I had poured my heart into. Gardens in noble estates require an immense amount of money, more than most would think. Every season, new flowers must be planted, and whenever trends change, more money is spent.

That’s why I’d racked my brains to come up with a design that would maintain Keppel’s prestige without costing too much. I had spent a fortune transplanting evergreen trees from Keppel’s lands to ensure a year-round green landscape. Although it was expensive upfront, it would reduce maintenance costs in the long run. The trees also evoked nostalgia for Keppel, ensuring no one could criticize the design for being outdated. The fact that no other estate had attempted something like this, due to the high costs of moving trees to create a forest-like feel, meant it had also set a new trend.

As a result, my garden was praised for showcasing Keppel’s grandeur while being the most unique and natural-looking in the capital. But just as the garden was completed, Ian had stopped coming home…

“I really liked that garden.”

I was shocked by Ian’s words. He gave a bitter smile and added,

“It was perfect for hiding away.”

“Oh, right. I used to hide there often, too. At first, I just planted all those trees to save on maintenance costs, but later, it became the only place where I could catch my breath.”

I hadn’t expected to form a connection with Ian over the garden I’d designed, so it felt strange. But just like the garden that no longer existed, our relationship would likely come to an end, too. Ian, sounding a bit regretful, said:

“Judging by your reaction, it really isn’t to your taste, huh? Still, I thought you’d like that glass gazebo. Don’t you remember? I built it exactly as you designed.”

Of course, I remembered. I had modeled it after the glass pavilion from ‘The Sound of Music’.

“I do remember. I gave up on it because they said we could plant 20 trees for the cost of building that. But seeing it now, it really is beautiful.”

I spoke quietly, as if confessing a secret.

“To be honest, those flowers aren’t really my favorite. They’re just expensive ones. It was too costly to keep buying them from flower shops for decorations, so I decided to grow them myself in the greenhouse to save money.”

“…Really?”

That must have been an idea Ian had never considered. I felt a little proud of surprising the wealthiest man in the empire.

“You have to buy new flowers each season, but trees are cheaper to maintain, which is why I planted so many. As for the swing… well, I liked it when I was a kid.”

The swing at our estate had been built by my father himself. He had always enjoyed seeing me sit on it. Not wanting to brag about my memories to this pitiful man, I quickly changed the subject. And before I could get too emotional, I hurriedly asked:

“So, what about roscari? You said you were going to show me.”

“Oh, right. One moment.”

Ian pulled out a small case from his jacket pocket. When he opened the simple rectangular box, I was surprised to see what was inside.

“Cigarettes?”

They looked exactly like modern cigarettes from my past life, though the geometric patterns drawn on the white paper were somewhat striking. I hadn’t expected Ian to bring something like this. He took one out and explained:

“They’re inspired by the cigarettes soldiers use. There’s a magic circle on the paper, so you don’t need to light them. Let me show you.”

He placed the filter end to his lips and took a puff, and the magic circle glowed blue as smoke began to rise.

I stared at him, dazed. Standing on the terrace at night, he looked like the protagonist of a noir film. His gaunt face added a certain melancholic allure.

Suddenly, guilt washed over me. He hadn’t smoked before—I felt like I had led him down a bad path. Shaking my head, I spoke firmly.

“Thanks, but I don’t need it.”

“What?”

“I know someone who makes an instant remedy with roscari. I can introduce you to them later. You just chew and swallow it, and it suppresses magical energy within minutes, much more effectively than burning it for the scent.”

As I smiled, Ian awkwardly stubbed out the cigarette on the railing and said:

“I wanted to be of help to you… but I’m glad there’s a better solution.”

“Yes, it’s fortunate. So just… give it away to someone. Benjamin, or Lord Oran inside, or even Prince Raphael. Gift it to someone.”

Give it to anyone—just don’t smoke it again. I almost fell for it because of how you looked, but I really don’t like men who smoke.

We awkwardly returned to the hall where the party was in full swing. Ian remained silent, but his expression, though neutral, seemed somewhat disappointed. In hindsight, he must have put a lot of effort into this despite his busy schedule, and I had just bluntly told him it was unnecessary. I should’ve thanked him and accepted it—why did I say that… But now it felt too late to apologize, and I couldn’t think of a good excuse.

Unable to bear the uncomfortable silence, I glanced around and spotted Theodore and Benjamin talking nearby. As the hostess, I had a duty to speak with all the guests, so I immediately walked over to them.

“Ah, Duchess. Your Grace.”

Theodore Wilson greeted me first. I smiled.

“Mr. Wilson, we’ve already greeted each other. There’s no need to be so formal twice.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry. It’s my first time at such an event…”

There was nothing to apologize for. But if I told him that, it might fluster him even more, so I simply smiled.

“Ben, thanks to your recommendation, the lawyer’s handling everything smoothly.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“How do you two know each other?”

“We prepared for Cadia Academy together a while back.”

I waited for a more detailed explanation, but Benjamin said nothing, his face expressionless. With no choice, I looked to Theodore, who gave a sheepish smile and explained:

“Cadia Academy has a difficult entrance exam, so it’s common for current students to help out. That’s how we met.”

“Oh, so you were Ben’s tutor?”

“In a way, yes.”

Thankfully, the conversation picked up.

“What kind of student was Ben?”

Theodore looked even more uncomfortable at my question. He hesitated, glancing between me and Benjamin, until Benjamin grumbled:

“Just say it.”

“…He didn’t seem very interested in the entrance exam. Looking back, it seems he had plans to study abroad.”

Theodore hadn’t lost his smile, but he looked increasingly uneasy, likely because of Benjamin. I turned to Benjamin and asked:

“What were you two talking about?”

“Not much.”

“Well, what was it?”