Chapter 22 - Crocamishu (2) (1/2)

Chapter 22 – Crocamishu (2)

The cause of her surprise rushed to her side and helped her up. She looked up and found the gardener nervously brushing the mud off her dress.

“Oh, it’s alright.”

She reassured the anxious gardener as he fumbled to pick her up her umbrella, an unreadable expression gracing his face.

“You—”

“Yes?”

Rei wasn’t paying him much attention before. She was busy squeezing the water out of her hair. But upon hearing the gardener’s reply, she gasped loudly.

“This is my first time hearing your voice!”

“Uh… Yes.”

“I have so many things to ask you! How did you grow this blue rose?”

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Do you…”

“Are you asking me if I like it?”

The gardener’s ears flushed red with embarrassment when Rei smiled at him.

“I love them…like a dream come true.”

“This…is…for you.”

He secretly peeked at the mesmerized look on her face. His feelings for her weren’t that apparent. His admiration for her formed when she offered him sandwiches every time they met. She took special care to not damage the flowers he worked so hard on and didn’t even look down on him for living in the outhouse.

To someone else, these things might’ve been insignificant. But the gardener had been starving for humane affection, and after meeting Rei, his decade-long thirst was finally assuaged.

“Is the blue rose a variety?”

“That…”

A human couldn’t grow it. The gardener was only able to gain the skill after begging his master for a long time. But it was difficult for him to lie to her, especially after looking at the twinkle in her eyes. So, he chose to keep his mouth shut.

“Rei!”

Mary yelled out in an alarmed voice as she stuck her head out the window. Rei was drenched from head to toe, and her dress was so muddied that she couldn’t even recognize it anymore. It was almost as if she was a mischievous two year old child playing around in the mud. Rei flushed red with embarrassment as she realized the state she was in.

“Please come back in, right now!”

Mary rushed down to the entrance and glared at the gardener. She silently warned him with her eyes, ‘You’ll pay for this.’ The gardener could only avoid her gaze and retreat in silence.

“Mary, it was my mistake. I lost my balance and fell down.”

“Ah, look at your clothes, Lady!”

“It’s fine, I have extra clothes with me.”

“Don’t go out when it’s raining the next time. You’ll end up catching a cold.”

Mary closed the door shut with a firm thud, not forgetting to give one last glare to the gardener.

“Is he trying to dig his own grave?”