“It’s nothing… The dresses are exquisite. I love them, so please don’t trouble yourself further.”
“I see. That’s good. Do you need anything else?”
“No, my maids are taking excellent care of me. Thank you.”
“Alright then.”
That was the extent of their conversation.
Cornelia found herself marveling at him.
She had never met a man quite like him before.
For the first time, she thought—if only the duke could live a long life, I wouldn’t mind staying here.
Living in this household was far more comfortable than returning to the Rosenblatt estate.
But Cornelia knew better than anyone that human lives were not so easily controlled.
So at the very least, she resolved to devote herself wholeheartedly to the task at hand, just as she had done for her two previous husbands.
“The weather is lovely today. The sky is completely clear.”
“The courtyard visible from this window is quite beautiful. A rainbow has formed over the grand fountain.”
“Oh, it seems we have a visitor. A gentleman in a silk hat has arrived.”
“The birds are noisy today. Perhaps their chicks have hatched.”
Every day, Cornelia murmured quietly about the scenery outside the window, as if speaking to herself.
She didn’t know whether the duke was awake or asleep, listening or not.
For days, there was no response.
Then, one day, she noticed something in the garden—
“White anemones have bloomed. My childhood home had many of them as well.”
She was reminded of the days when she had dreamed of a happy future.
“Before my first marriage, I had someone I exchanged letters with. We had promised to plant anemones in our garden when we wed. But that dream will never come true now.”
For the first time, the duke responded to Cornelia’s murmured words.
“Those anemones… Amanda brought them when she married into this house. She loved white anemones and planted them in the garden herself.”
The duke’s voice was soft, as though reminiscing.
“Lady Amanda… Do you know the meaning of white anemones? ‘Truth,’ ‘Expectation,’ and ‘Hope.’ Perhaps she carried such feelings when she entered this house.”
“The language of flowers, hm…? I never discussed such things with Amanda. I was always too busy. And in her later years, I didn’t even take the time to listen to her properly. Only after losing her did I realize how much she meant to me. If only I had known sooner…”
The duke’s voice faltered as if struggling to hold back a sob.
“I believe Lady Amanda understood your heart, Your Grace. The anemone garden is well-tended, just as it was when she planted it. Her love has not faded.”
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