The Garden of Whispers
Good heavens. The room had become a ribbon-filled wonderland.
Matilda, who had slipped into Vivienne’s room for a brief moment during her duties, let out a startled cry at the changed scenery.
“Vivi. What on earth is all of this?”
“I tried practicing because it didn’t turn out right. I wanted to tie it as beautifully as you do.”
Even the curtain ties were knotted into ribbons, and ribbons adorned the canopy over the bed, the chairs, and her hair. The only flaw was that her hands were still somewhat clumsy, leaving everything a little fuzzy.
“Look. Tie it like this.”
“Yes.”
“Pull gently while shaping it properly.”
“Can I try it on you, Matilda?”
“Yes. Well….”
“Turn around, Matilda.”
Vivienne stepped close behind her and began retying the apron with a ribbon knot. Of course, it was a ribbon.
“How is it?”
“…It doesn’t show me very well.”
“Ah, of course. It’s pretty.”
Of course the ribbons were behind her, so she couldn’t see them. Vivienne realized she couldn’t show off her own work and let her face fall.
“Just a moment.”
Matilda brought over a hand mirror and stood with her back to the full-length mirror.
“It looks better than what I did.”
“Really?”
“It’s too beautiful.”
“Wah—thank you, Matilda!”
Vivienne, unable to contain her joy, threw her arms around Matilda from behind.
She had been clumsy at first, but once Matilda showed her the tricks, she quickly learned. She had heard that Theodore wanted to learn writing from Vivienne. When the master returned, she would tell him right away.
Even learning something small like this brought her great joy.
“Matilda, there’s something I want to give you.”
“What is it?”
“Here.”
Vivienne extended her small fist. As soon as it was taken, a single white seashell rested in her palm. It was round, smooth, and white. It looked as though she had picked it up herself.
“Thank you for teaching me how to make ribbons. All the other things too.”
“My, how adorable. Did you find it on the beach?”
“Yes. Isn’t it pretty?”
The way she smiled brightly looked like an eager puppy waiting for praise. It was so cute it was almost painful. After all, Vivienne was waiting for someone.
Since Kian had ordered him to look after her, Theodore had been away from the estate for days. He had only said it would take a few days, but a full week had already passed since the master left.
Because of that, this naive girl seemed to be passing the time each day waiting for him. In this house, her purpose had narrowed to only serving the master.
“Um, Vivi.”
“Yes?”
“Do you like the master, Vivi?”
It was a somewhat impulsive question. After all, she had worked as a maid for a long time, and among them there were those who became the master’s woman and those who did not.
“Yes. I like Kian.”
Vivienne smiled brightly.
Of course. How could she not like him to behave like this?
On the fourth day, when Vivienne asked where Kian would be arriving, he said the master would come by carriage. When she asked from where, he told her the entrance road. Maybe it was pointless, but she kept staring at the entrance road all day long.
On the fifth day, after giving her the accumulated newspapers, she cut them exactly to the third page that Kian read and piled them in one place.
On the sixth day, when she had a moment, she showed her the newspapers and asked what they were about and what was the most important content.
On the seventh day, today, Vivienne had finally received her medical treatment and unwrapped the bandage on her ankle. The wound had healed beautifully. Matilda watched as Vivienne muttered that she wanted to show the master. It was so painful to watch.
Vivienne was tying the newspapers she had gathered with lace ribbon strings into a pretty bundle. Had she been practicing for this? It was probably a gift for Kian.
“Um, Matilda. May I go for a walk with Theo?”
Still, she had been taking walks every day. She even asked for permission in advance. It seemed a little awkward to speak directly to the now rather blunt Theodore.
Matilda understood Theodore’s intention to keep a certain distance because she was the master’s woman, but it weighed heavily on her heart that Vivi seemed to notice.
She had allowed it because it was better to breathe fresh air outside than to wait only for the master inside the room. But today the sky was completely covered with dark clouds.
“Vivi, it’s better if you stay in the room today. Looking at the clouds, it looks like rain will pour down soon.”
“…Yes.”
Matilda’s heart ached at the gloomy answer. She came up with a plan for this Vivi.
“What about the glass greenhouse? There it doesn’t rain. It would be good for a short walk.”
“Where there are rose flowers?”
“Yes.”
Vivienne’s face darkened slightly. The glass greenhouse was the place where she had served the betrothed of the master.
“Um, Matilda.”
“Yes?”
“…Never mind.”
She had almost asked if the master would marry his betrothed. But she knew that unless asked directly by the person involved, it was meaningless.
“The master likes the roses there.”
“Kian likes roses?”
“Yes. That’s why we kept only the roses in the greenhouse.”
It wasn’t a particularly good memory, but since the master liked flowers, she couldn’t leave it as an unpleasant memory.
“I’ll tell the gardener. We’ll make flower arrangements and bring some to stick in vases. We’ll decorate Vivi’s room too. What about putting some in the master’s room?”
“That’s fine.”
She gave her the newspapers and placed the roses. She didn’t know how it would end, but what Vivi wanted right now was simple. For Kian to return home and rest comfortably.
***
It was the first time the estate had been left empty for so long without training. Dante had been adamant about waiting one more day, saying it was raining. Even the hotel suite was boring now.
The noisy cityscape. The smoke that had become part of her body. The strange hangover that hadn’t completely disappeared since that day. Even the opportunists in the salon who wanted to make connections with her. All of it felt like unnecessary noise.
The raindrops on the carriage window had thickened. The coachman was driving slowly, not risking danger. Perhaps because it was raining, the fog was thick. The always clear sea had become hazy and dark, flickering.
Kian felt nausea rising and quickly averted his gaze. He was glad he had come before sunrise. That was all he thought about.
It had been a week since he left home. During his absence, Kian often recalled the woman he had left in his room.
Strangely, she had fallen asleep in the bathtub. After all the playing she had done on his palm. The moment he tried to grab her, she slipped away like water. Kian let out a dumb laugh as if he were a child trying to catch water.
He had taken off her clothes and put a large shower robe on her. Then she would be completely tied up in the bedroom. The maids would discover her, and there would probably be a commotion.
He didn’t need to stay. As soon as the sun rose, he would go out and handle the deferred work. It was a perfect solution with no need to chew on it.
Yet, despite the distance, why did that image suddenly come to mind? The absurd sight of her trapped in the large shower robe wouldn’t leave his mind. Without any context or reason. Just an impure thought.
Anyway, the purpose of making her appear to be his mistress had been achieved, but the unpleasant feeling still lingered.
Silence was a kind of punishment. Kian hadn’t said what he wanted to say yet, and she would naturally become curious as time passed.
Kian knew it well. He knew that only unresolved issues could move the other person.
Thinking about it, it was even funny. Why put in so much effort to seduce her? She was nothing more than a woman to use for this matter. Nothing more, nothing less. There was no reason to keep her by his side once her needs were met.
Cheap lust was the most unnecessary part of this matter.
“We have arrived, Master.”
The coachman slowed down and announced arrival. As the carriage entered the estate entrance, the servants came bustling to greet them.
When he stepped down from the carriage, a servant immediately offered an umbrella. Kian moved his feet slowly.
He planned to handle the accumulated work first and see how she looked after a few days. He wanted the worn-out woman to come to him of her own free will.
But he saw a woman carrying an armful of roses. She was smiling happily at the servant who had held the umbrella for her, saying thank you.
Without a bandage, where had she gotten those strange shoes? The sight of her walking with light steps made his blood boil.
“Enough.”
Kian roughly pulled his hand away from the servant’s hand, which had been holding the umbrella carefully so the rain wouldn’t splash on him.
He turned his steps impulsively. He needed to walk a little.