Chapter 66

Life at the villa wasn’t bad. I would open the windows wide each morning to let in the fresh air. As cold as it was, the northern wind was perfect for shaking off any lingering drowsiness.

As I looked out the window, wrapped in a blanket, I could see the cute little flowers growing in clusters. It felt admirable that flowers could bloom even in such cold weather.

Woof!

Woof? I blinked, leaning against my wheelchair.

Woof!

Once again, I heard a loud barking sound. I craned my neck as far as possible to look below the window. A familiar dog was standing on its hind legs, resting its front paws against the wall.

Startled, I tried to stand up but could only sink back down with a groan.

“Oh my, my lady!”

Anna rushed over, alarmed, but I quickly settled back down and urged her.

“Anna, is that Duke outside? Let’s go out quickly!”

Anna covered her mouth with a laugh and began pushing my wheelchair. She had become quite skilled at maneuvering it by now. I felt sorry, thinking about how much trouble I was causing her.

We needed the servants’ help to get down from the second floor. I felt incredibly guilty when even the elderly caretaker came to help move my wheelchair.

“I told you it would be easier to stay on the first floor.”

Feeling embarrassed, I grumbled, but the caretaker brushed it off, saying it was out of the question.

“Oh no, the first floor doesn’t have any decent rooms. This villa doesn’t have many rooms, and the one you’re staying in, where the former duchess stayed, is the best.”

“Even so, it seems like a lot of trouble moving me up and down. I feel so sorry.“

“Trouble? Not at all! It’s much more enjoyable than when we had nothing to do.”

The caretaker was indeed a good-natured person. The other servants nodded in agreement with him. I had no choice but to thank them for being so kind.

As we headed to the back garden, Duke came running toward me. This intelligent dog, seemingly aware that my leg was injured, clung to the side of the wheelchair instead of jumping up like usual. I bent over as much as possible and kissed Duke on the nose.

“My sweet Duke. How did you get here, huh?”

I let Duke lick my face as much as he wanted, showering him affectionately while the caretaker looked on with a pleased smile.

“A carriage from the main residence arrived early this morning. This big, adorable dog came with it.”

At that, I quickly lifted my head. Of course, Duke wouldn’t have run all the way here by himself. Someone must have brought him in the carriage. I tried to act casual, asking as nonchalantly as possible.

“Who brought him?”

“Why, a servant from the main residence, of course.”

The caretaker responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Right, that makes sense. Julian was too busy to come all this way just to bring a dog.

The caretaker seemed to realize he might have misspoken and quickly added,

“How much must the Grand Duke care for you to send your beloved dog?“

“Yes, I know. Thank you.”

Julian had mentioned feeling “lonely“ when left alone. Perhaps, thinking of his loneliness, he assumed I would feel the same. That must be why he sent Duke. I felt as if his kindness was slowly overwhelming me.

‘No! I need to stay sharp. If I let my guard down, I might fall for him!’

I shook my head quickly and patted Duke on the cheek. As I strolled through the garden, Duke stayed close by my side, matching my slow pace.

I tried my best to think of other things, but I couldn’t help but be reminded of Julian, who had always walked in step with me.

Fortunately, the caretaker began speaking first, following close behind me.

“Are you planning to explore the garden today as well?”

I nodded. The garden was my favorite part of the villa. While small compared to the Grand Duke’s central garden, it was significant relative to the size of this house.

From the garden’s layout, I could tell that Julian’s mother had intended to create a particular atmosphere in this home. The garden’s colors changed with the seasons, and in the morning, when I opened my bedroom window, I could immediately smell the flowers.

As I rubbed a flower petal between my thumb and forefinger, I suddenly noticed something strange and looked up.

“But I don’t see the gardener today.”

It felt empty without the person usually so dedicated to tending the garden. The caretaker, as if suddenly recalling something, explained,

“Oh, today is his wife’s death anniversary, so we gave him the day off.“

“Is that so?”

After a moment of thought, I carefully asked,

“Would it be too much if I sent him flowers?“

“They might be slightly surprised, but they’ll like it. After all, who doesn’t like a gift?”

That was true. I owed the gardener a lot of thanks. He had given me plenty of advice on how to tend to the garden at the villa. It wouldn’t hurt to give him a small gift.

“Then send a bouquet in my name.“

“Yes, My Lady.”

The caretaker quickly withdrew. For the remainder of the time, I strolled through the garden with Duke, reflecting on what I had accomplished and what still needed to be done.

Kazak had fled to a distant place. Although I had hired people to track him down through Anna, it seemed they hadn’t found him yet, as there was still no news.

Prince Cain was eventually imprisoned. Attempting to frame the crown prince chosen by the emperor was close to treason.

However, since he was imprisoned in a place reserved for the royal family, it was hard to say he had no chance. If Prince Cain were entirely alone, his chances would be slim, but…

“Prince Cain has Princess Abigail.”

Princess Abigail was the emperor’s most favored, intelligent, and ruthless child.

If the note Nife had retrieved for me was entirely truthful, then Princess Abigail had manipulated Prince Cain like a puppet by using her subordinate, Ari Eriant.

Kaizak once said:

“Ah, Ari! Since that woman arrived, Prince Cain began coveting the throne.”

That implied Prince Cain had not originally had the ambition to become emperor. Princess Abigail wanted Prince Cain on the throne, so she sent Ari Eriant as a secret mistress to persuade him.

If that’s the case, the real danger isn’t Prince Cain but Princess Abigail.

I lowered my head to Duke, who seemed eager to lick my cheek, and whispered,

“How can I make Julian believe me?”

If I had witnessed the relationship between Princess Abigail and Ari Eriant with my own eyes and come forward as a witness, Julian would have believed me.

But the only evidence I had was what Nife had brought me, so I could understand why Julian might not trust it.

But why did I still feel so upset?

And why did I foolishly get my hopes up when I saw Duke?

As I was lost in thought, Anna spoke to me.

“Oh, My Lady, Duke is doing something unusual.“

“Hm?”

I turned my head toward where Duke was lingering. He had stopped before a tree and dug furiously at its roots with his front paws. I was startled, worried he might harm the tree, and quickly called out to him.

“Duke, stop!”

At my shout, Duke immediately halted, though he kept glancing back at the tree roots as if he was reluctant to leave them. His tail drooped low, making him look both funny and pitiful.

“What’s got you so interested there, huh?”

I gently asked as I moved my wheelchair closer to the tree. In the brief time he dug, Duke unearthed some of the tree’s roots. I was about to tell Anna to cover them up when I noticed a faint mark on the trunk.

Could it have been made by a wild animal? At first glance, that seemed possible. But upon closer inspection, it looked more like… an arrow pointing downward. And it was carved very neatly, as if with a knife.

“Anna, look at this. Doesn’t it look like an arrow?“

“Hmm, it does, sort of.”

A faint mark carved into the tree—how exciting! It felt like there might be treasure hidden there. I asked Anna with a pounding heart.

“…Shall we dig?”

Anna covered her mouth and laughed softly.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you this excited. I doubt there’s any treasure, though…“

“But aren’t you curious?“

“Alright then. I’ll go get a shovel.“

“Thank you, Anna.”

While I kept Duke calm, Anna hurried to get a shovel. She carefully gathered her skirt and squatted down.

“I wish I could help.“

“Oh, My Lady, you still think you’re a child, right? With your leg like this, you should just stay put.“

“It seems like you’re the one who sees me as a child.”

We shared a laugh. Since I had become the Grand Duchess, Anna had treated me with much more formality. After all, she now had to address me as the mistress of a noble house instead of just a young lady.

However, since coming to the villa, she has treated me more casually again. Sometimes, it felt like we had gone back to when I lived at Winsley Manor, and I didn’t mind that.

Anna carefully dug around the roots to avoid damaging the tree. The soil wasn’t too soft, but it wasn’t overly complicated either.

It didn’t take long before the shovel hit something solid, making a dull sound. Anna said excitedly.

“The shovel hit something.“

“Really? Let’s dig it up quickly.“

“Hold on.”

Anna began digging more carefully, and soon, the buried object started to reveal itself.

“It looks like a jewelry box.“

“Really? Could there actually be treasure inside?”

If it were the previous Grand Duchess’s belongings, I had no intention of keeping them for myself. Instead, I thought Julian might be pleased to see them. Anna dusted off the box and handed it to me.

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.