Chapter 9: The Rose Garden

“Your scent has grown lighter. Even when I held you last night, you only smelled of water. Have you stopped wearing perfume lately?”

When Caelan mentioned “last night,” he was referring to before bedtime. The amusing part was that despite her long soak in the bath until her skin had pruned, he had stayed awake waiting for her. Bliss closed her eyes and drew a long, careful breath.

“I applied scented oil.”

Bliss self-consciously rubbed her nape.

“When Jackie tried to add perfume on top of it, I stopped her, so it’s probably different from usual. And I didn’t put on any perfume after bathing either.”

After speaking, Bliss awkwardly turned her head away. Caelan stroked the inside of her wrist with his thumb several times before whispering.

“I prefer this.”

Just as he appeared ready to release her wrist, he instead interlaced their fingers and held her hand firmly. Before the stunned Bliss could react, he closed his eyes and deeply inhaled her scent.

It required superhuman restraint not to push him away.

‘What is this…’

He wasn’t a dog, so why was he sniffing her? Finally unable to endure it any longer, Bliss pushed against his chest.

“Stop it.”

When Bliss gave him a slightly reproachful look, Caelan withdrew obediently. However, his eyes remained fixed on her.

It was perplexing. His gentleness left her mind in disarray. Caelan guided her forward, their fingers still tightly intertwined. Under his affectionate gaze, Bliss followed silently.

“What are your plans for today?”

At Caelan’s casual question, Bliss considered her response. Deciding there was no need to overthink such a simple question, she answered calmly.

“I was planning to explore the mansion.”

“Perfect timing.”

Wondering what he meant, Bliss turned to look at him curiously, only to find his gaze directed somewhere in the distance.

“I wanted to take a walk with you. How about visiting the rose garden together?”

“The rose… garden?”

“Yes. Come to think of it, this will be your first time seeing the roses in bloom, right?”

“You’re right.”

Bliss mentally calculated the timing of her marriage to Caelan. She had married him at the start of autumn, and now they were in their third season together.

“I’ve heard rumors about the garden’s beauty, so I’ve been looking forward to seeing it.”

It was widely known that entering the Adrian family’s rose garden would overwhelm visitors with its intense fragrance. Of course, this information came from Bliss’s memories, and she hadn’t actually wanted to visit.

“It all stemmed from mother’s obsession. I never expected her to plant so many roses.”

Caelan remembered his mother who had tended the rose garden with near-obsessive dedication.

“When I was young, the rose garden wasn’t very large. It was like any other garden. But she became serious about making perfumes and scented oils, so she began planting roses every year.”

A hint of nostalgia colored Caelan’s voice. However, Bliss was too absorbed in her thoughts about the rose garden to notice.

“I see.”

At her terse response, Caelan glanced down at her, but Bliss remained lost in thought, unaware of his attention. Since Caelan had mentioned the rose garden, she had felt uneasy. Unable to identify why, she kept silently repeating the words ‘rose garden’ in her mind.

Her persistence paid off as realization dawned, her expression brightening briefly before turning bitter.

Because…

‘This is where Latte frequently visits.’

She felt uncomfortable about entering the place where Latte and Caelan had shared their secret meetings and whispered words of love in the original story.

Even if Bliss hadn’t died in the original story, she likely would never have been allowed to enter the rose garden. For some reason, the place was strictly off-limits unless Caelan granted permission.

Yet here he was, casually leading Bliss to the rose garden and sharing stories about it.

‘Why is he bringing me here instead of Latte?’

Bliss shook her head, dismissing her concerns about changes in the novel’s plot. It hardly mattered now. The story had already deviated when she survived the banquet, and besides, she had only been a minor character who briefly appeared at the beginning.

The novel never delved deeply into Bliss and Caelan’s relationship. Only a few scattered episodes hinted at their dynamic and foreshadowed her eventual death.

‘Me, in the rose garden…’

She wondered how to interpret this gesture.

As she contemplated the significance of being shown the rose garden, a rich fragrance drifted through the air.

“You’ll be amazed.”

Caelan’s confident smile suggested he was already anticipating her reaction. His playful demeanor made Bliss momentarily forget all her previous concerns.

Everything – the meaning behind the rose garden, why Caelan chose to show it to her instead of Latte – vanished with one look at his expression.

“Don’t close your eyes.”

Caelan guided Bliss by her shoulders, positioning her properly in the garden. As he opened the door, the rose garden gradually emerged from behind his arm.

The first thing that struck her was the overwhelming fragrance, so intense it nearly numbed her senses. It far surpassed the potency of Jackie’s scented oil from earlier.

Feeling as though she had been immersed in concentrated rose essence, Bliss lifted her head. Before her stretched a vast garden of blooming red roses, too expansive to take in at once.

The spectacular display of roses, spreading as far as their overwhelming fragrance, left Bliss stunned. Mesmerized by the beautiful scene, she whispered to herself.

“It’s beautiful.”

Her eyes followed the roses of various colors that seemed to flow like waves. Now she understood why the rose garden’s reputation preceded it.

“I’m glad.”

Caelan’s pleased voice brought Bliss back to awareness of his presence. She turned from the waves of roses to meet his gaze. His warm, affectionate eyes remained fixed on her.

“If I’d known you’d like it this much, I would have shown it to you earlier.”

Watching him smile, Bliss turned away, using the roses as an excuse.

Every inch of the garden held its own beauty. She could have spent all day admiring it. Even after leaving the Marquis’s residence, she knew the rose garden would remain vivid in her memories.

A sudden strong gust of wind made her skirt billow.

As she waited for it to pass with closed eyes, she felt a cool touch on her nape.

When she turned with startled eyes, she found Caelan’s gaze slightly averted. His expressionless face frightened her, causing her to step back hesitantly.

Caelan deliberately tilted his head, and Bliss instinctively leaned away. Though it was merely an observational gesture, she felt too tense to react even when he reached out his hand.

“A petal fell here.”

Bliss noticed the tiny petal in Caelan’s hand. Seeing his slight smile, she felt embarrassed for being overly sensitive.

His hand had touched her neck unexpectedly, causing her to startle and panic unnecessarily.

“Thank you.”

Realizing her heightened sensitivity was due to the necklace, Bliss casually brushed her neck with the back of her hand.

‘Let’s not make a big deal out of nothing.’

Suddenly, the hand holding the petal returned to cup her nape. The movement happened so quickly that Bliss had no chance to avoid it, leaving her neck helplessly exposed to his touch.

Why did his hand keep returning to her neck…

Bliss held her breath as his large hand rested on her nape. When his cool, long fingers wrapped around her neck, she squeezed her eyes shut.

Though she knew she should pull away, fear paralyzed her body and mind.

Caelan chuckled at her tightly closed eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled as her lips pressed together in tension.

This wasn’t her usual confident self. The woman who had never averted her gaze, even while seducing him, now appeared completely tense. The one who had been more cunning than a fox now seemed as delicate as a rabbit.

Opening the rose garden had proven worthwhile. Observing Bliss had confirmed his suspicions. His wife had indeed changed.

Caelan watched her through narrowed eyes before withdrawing his hand.

“Bliss.”

When she looked up at his call, Caelan smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Would you like to try some rose tea?”

“…Yes.”

Bliss nodded eagerly, seemingly grateful for an excuse to escape the situation. Seeing through her, Caelan extended his hand with a charming smile.

“Come here.”

Bliss took his hand with an awkward smile. Led by his grip, they walked to a white table that seemed to belong perfectly in the rose garden.

Time spent with Caelan was… unexpectedly comfortable.