Radilt greeted him by lightly holding the hem of her skirt, as Lady Roud had taught her. A servant opened the door of the greenhouse. Pendlore extended his hand to support Radilt.

“This greenhouse is maintained at a constant temperature. In winter, fires are lit to push in heat, and in summer, that frost flower spring releases coolness.”

Following the elegantly connected round, flat stones, a pure white spring appeared. Faint patterns were engraved on the white bricks that surrounded the clear spring like a small, low well.

“It is said that in the past, in an age without stars, everyone could use magic.”

At Pendlore’s words, Radilt nodded and continued the story.

“Yes. But at some point, all the magic in the world rose to the sky and became stars.”

It was an old history that sounded like a fairy tale everyone had heard at least once as a child. The moment the age of magic ended and the age of holiness, shining like stars, began.

Humans who had believed in their own power abandoned that arrogance and humbly bowed their heads to the highest god. Thus, humans came to follow and serve the divine.

“But traces remain everywhere. Though not comparable to magic, mystics also continue their lineage.”

“I know that too. So perhaps those who honor the stars created this spring?”

“Yes. A mystic who was acquainted with my mother placed a fragment of an ancient relic, a frost flower petal, in the spring and engraved patterns on the bricks to create a spring as cold as winter even in midsummer.”

Pendlore explained that thanks to this, the former Countess Duston was able to grow beautiful spring flowers year-round. Radilt quietly imagined the noble lady who had possessed this small, perfect nest of spring.

She must have been a beautiful and lovely woman. Lightly draped in innate dignity incomparable to herself, she would have strolled through the greenhouse of spring made just for her.

“I have prepared a place over here.”

A table and chairs were set up on one side of the greenhouse. Radilt sat in the chair that Pendlore pulled out for her himself. The knocking sound of raindrops could be heard pleasantly through the glass surrounding them.

A servant first brought out refreshing drinks to stimulate the appetite. Radilt took a sip of the aperitif while looking around. Among the rare plants she was seeing for the first time, for some reason, there was an empty patch of land. It was quite spacious, too.

Her head tilted in curiosity at the sight that seemed out of place in this greenhouse, which had been meticulously maintained despite losing its owner long ago. Were they planning to transplant new plants? House Duston was famous for trade, so it might be plants from distant foreign lands.

Meanwhile, the appetizers arrived. Biscuits topped with honey-preserved berries and rich, milky mousse. Freshly harvested asparagus and thinly sliced duck br*ast. Clear fruit juice was poured into glasses filled with ice.

The lunch was much better than she had anticipated. Pendlore was not rude, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. Radilt brought her fork to the newly served dish with satisfaction. The thinly shaped honeycomb sugar crumbled with a crisp sound.

“I would like to apologize for yesterday’s incident.”

Pendlore’s voice was heard softly. Simultaneously, Radilt’s fork paused with a slight jerk. Understanding the man’s words a moment late, she raised her wide eyes to look directly at him.

“……Pardon?”

“I was too hasty. I apologize for the delayed apology.”

Pendlore spoke calmly, slightly bowing his head. Radilt, who had been staring at him blankly as if frozen, blinked her eyes.

“Oh, no, it’s fine.”

Dear God, was what I just heard real?

“I also lied first without properly explaining to you.”

To think that man would apologize so readily. And so respectfully and honestly, too.

The corners of Radilt’s lips rose slightly. The already delicious food seemed to melt on her tongue even more.

“So I should apologize too, Lord Duston. From now on, I will try to explain my circumstances more honestly.”

“Thank you for your generous words, Lady Brill.”

So he did feel sorry.

Radilt held a silent laugh as her eyes curved prettily. It seemed that man didn’t completely disregard her. The thought that he did respect her to some extent made her anxious heart melt away.

“As a token of apology, I would like to give you a gift.”

“What? No. It’s fine. What I’ve received so far is more than enough.”

Radilt shook her head briefly. She didn’t want material help from Pendlore. It was already overflowing. She would be satisfied if he just showed a respectful attitude like today.

“That’s why I brought you to this greenhouse.”

Pendlore continued while skillfully moving his knife.

“Given your personality, I’m sure you haven’t even tried opening the greenhouse door until now.”

“……I, honestly speaking, am just a passing guest.”

Even though Pendlore had given her exclusive use of the annex, she had never once thought she could truly use it as she pleased. She was just someone who would stay briefly and leave without a trace.

“I guessed you would think that way, so I decided to give you that flowerbed as a gift.”

Pendlore’s gaze turned toward the empty land that fully exposed the soil. It was exactly the place Radilt had found curious.

“For the duration that the annex is given to you, please use it freely.”

“But, even if you say to use it……”

“You may plant whatever you wish. Also, there is no seedling or seed that the gardener of this house cannot obtain. Please freely request anything you need.”

The gray-blue eyes looked at Radilt again.

“Even spring flowers whose season has passed will bloom fully here.”

“……!”

Radilt’s cheeks flushed slightly at what those words implied.

It’s a small piece of land. But plants planted there would grow vigorously under professional care. Moreover, being House Duston with its trading fleet, they could obtain extremely rare seeds.

If she planted seedlings, some flowers would bloom within a month. Precious fragrance ingredients that Radilt could use freely.

‘With land that size, I could produce enough for me to practice alone.’

Using bases that could be purchased from the fragrance market without spending much money, and planting only the main flowers. Ones that would bloom before two months passed.

“Since it’s already…… an empty plot, yes. I’ll gladly borrow it.”

Even beyond fragrance ingredients, growing flowers with the help of skilled gardeners was good study in itself. With that experience, she could do more than just watering at the workshop’s greenhouse. Someday, she might even be able to create her own small garden.

“Thank you for your consideration, Lord Duston.”

Pendlore looked at the brightly smiling Radilt as if observing a curious creature. Was such a small plot of land, and one she would only borrow for two months, enough to make her face so bright?

Though the carefully chosen gift had worked properly, he felt a strange feeling.

“You truly have no greed.”

“Rather than having no greed, I just try not to forget my position. If I truly had no desires, I wouldn’t be going to the workshop either.”

Radilt happily cut the cake that had been served as dessert with her fork. The pure white whipped cream slid into the reddish opening. Seemingly quite pleased with the cake, she unconsciously licked the tip of the fork slightly.

Quietly observing this, Pendlore suddenly spoke.

“……It would be better not to eat cream cake in public.”

“Pardon? I couldn’t eat it anyway. The only desserts available were cookies made from fallen fruits that were sold cheaply after harvest season. They weren’t even this sweet since they didn’t contain sugar.”

Unless it was the abundant autumn season, it was hard enough just to have regular meals, let alone expensive cake that was difficult even to see. When Lushen was alive, she had received chocolate as a gift, but after losing her husband, what were desserts? Her poor household was busy patching up holes here and there.

Listening to Radilt’s words, Pendlore quietly pushed his plate toward her.

“Please have mine as well.”

“Aren’t you going to eat it?”

“I don’t particularly care for cake.”

That stiff face certainly didn’t match with sweet cream. Radilt unhesitatingly brought her fork to Pendlore’s cake. During her monthly cycle, she often craved sweets, so despite being full, she ate it well.

Thinking that he was unusually kind today, Radilt kept smiling.

If only every day could be like today. Then the remaining two months would pass peacefully.

But as the sun set and evening came, Radilt had to return home. To that old mansion where her mother-in-law would be waiting with burning eyes.

* * *

“Now you’re rolling around with that man every other day.”

As soon as she arrived home, a fierce scolding fell upon her. The heart that had been warmly filled with comfortable rest instantly cooled. What happened before entering the door seemed like just a dream.

“……I’m sorry.”

Even if she explained that nothing happened with Count Duston and that she truly rested because she wasn’t feeling well, no one would believe her. So Radilt bowed her head like a criminal.

It was a matter to be quietly overcome by piling up empty apologies of wrongdoing. That’s what she always thought, but…

“I suppose you’re trying not to miss the chance to get pregnant.”

“……What?”

Merdea lightly crossed the line. With her three-inch tongue, she grabbed Radilt’s hair and violently threw her into the mud.