GDASP 06

Chapter 06…

When she finally arrived at Grand Duke Lumanov’s mansion, Cynthia began to realize just how crazy the thing she was about to do really was.

“But if I don’t get that five million mint, my life from now on won’t be any better than living in a prison.”

Now that escaping the novel by letting the heroine die was no longer an option, the money was desperately important to Cynthia, who still had mountains of debt to repay.

“We’ve arrived, my lady.”
“Huh? Already?”

At the maid’s words, spoken from the opposite seat, Cynthia—lost in thought—snapped her head up. Outside the carriage window, the Lumanov estate slowly came into view.

Her carriage rolled past the main avenue, circled the grand fountain in the garden’s center, and came to a stop. The fountain at the center sprayed clean water into the air in time with a gentle melody, and the well-kept garden between the roads shimmered with a lush green.

“Wow… it’s exactly how I imagined it.”

Cynthia couldn’t tear her eyes away from the window, silently admiring the sight.

At last, the carriage stopped in front of the mansion’s grand entrance. Without realizing it, Cynthia tugged her hat down lower over her face.

After a brief wait, one of the servants waiting outside stepped forward and opened the carriage door for her.

“Welcome, Lady Elizabeth.”

Standing beside the servant was none other than Grand Duke Tession Lumanov, leaning lightly on a cane adorned with an intricate violet gemstone.

With his free hand, he extended a hand toward her. Even without sight, his gesture was firm and graceful.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation, my lady.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Your Grace.”

Cynthia took his hand and stepped down from the carriage, glancing around the magnificent garden.

“The garden is truly beautiful.”
“There’s still some time before dinner. Would you like to take a walk around?”
“May I?”

Cynthia looked up at Tession as she asked.
He gave a polite smile and nodded.

“I’ll give you a personal tour. This way…”

Tession extended his arm toward her.
Understanding his meaning immediately, Cynthia lightly linked her arm with his.

“Oh! Thank you.”

He turned naturally and began leading her toward the garden. His movements were fluid and practiced—clearly a man accustomed to hosting guests.

From time to time, he tapped the ground ahead of him with his cane to gauge direction.

“I hope I didn’t trouble him by asking for a tour…”

Cynthia walked beside him, sneaking glances his way.

Then she noticed a fist-sized stone lying in the middle of the path ahead.

“At this rate, His Grace might kick that stone…”

And if that happened, it might fluster him.

Cynthia hesitated for a moment, wondering how to naturally steer him away from it, then decided, Oh, whatever, and kept walking as she was.

Three seconds to the stone… two… one…

Now!

Cynthia quickly stretched her foot out and kicked the stone off to the side.

It was a precise move—just enough to send the stone flying away without even brushing the Duke’s shoe.

“Phew!”

It was quick enough that he surely hadn’t noticed—
—or so she thought, until a quiet chuckle escaped from beside her.

Startled, she turned her head and saw the Duke’s face, smiling faintly with an expression that said you’re impossible.

“Huh?”

Cynthia blinked, confused. The Duke, still smiling, spoke.

“Ah, forgive me. I was just… surprised by your actions.”
“…Pardon?”
“You kicked away the stone on the path just now, didn’t you?”
“Uh… well, yes, I did…”
“I couldn’t see it myself, of course, but your considerate little gesture was so quick—and so endearing—that I couldn’t help but laugh.”

Tession’s tone was soft, and his smile lingered.

Though blind, he was perceptive—keenly aware of the world around him.

“Was he always this smiley of a character?”

Feeling oddly flustered, Cynthia turned her gaze toward the tall trees in the garden.

Let’s just… look at the garden.

Then she spotted a charming arched bridge in the distance.

“Oh! There’s a bridge over there!”

When she exclaimed, Tession’s relaxed expression stiffened slightly.

“Ah…”
“Can we go there? There’s even a pond!”

Oblivious to the change in his tone, Cynthia asked again, eyes bright with curiosity.

“Well…”

Tession hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.

He guided her toward a sunlit pond on one side of the garden. Together, they stepped onto the small arched bridge spanning it.

Excited, Cynthia unconsciously tightened her grip on his arm.

On the other side of the bridge, a small field of blue and white flowers came into view, swaying gently in the breeze.

“Wow…”

Cynthia couldn’t help but gasp.

The short blue flowers and the taller white ones bent and swayed together, like ripples spreading across a lake.

“It feels like… a lake!”
“…You sound just like my mother.”
“Huh?”
“She used to visit this place often.”

Tession’s calm face darkened slightly as he closed his eyes.

Cynthia looked up at him quietly.

“Tession’s mother… took her own life, trapped in a marriage she never wanted.”

Knowing that, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.

Unable to think of anything appropriate to say, she simply turned her eyes back to the flower field.

“…Does it still feel like an abyss to you?”

His voice came softly beside her.

“My mother always said this flower field felt like a deep, blue abyss. That sitting here made her feel as though she were sinking into a lake she could never escape.”

Though his tone was calm, it carried a quiet loneliness and sorrow.

Cynthia imagined his childhood—perhaps before he lost his sight completely—when little Tession stood beside his mother, seeing this field not as bright and full of life, but as a dark, cold lake.

She released his arm and gently took his hand instead, guiding him to crouch down with her.

“My lady, what are you…”
“Here. Try touching it.”

Cynthia brought his hand close to the flowers. The soft petals bent delicately under his touch.

“How does it feel?”

Tession hesitated, then brushed his fingers across the petals again before answering.

“…It tickles.”
“Does it feel unpleasant?”
“No… rather, it feels light. Warm, even.”

Cynthia smiled faintly.

“Right? It’s light and warm. Soft, and pleasant. When I said it reminded me of a lake, I didn’t mean a dark abyss. I was thinking of a lake sparkling under the sunlight—bright and full of life.”

At her words, Tession furrowed his brows, as though struggling to recall an image of such a lake from long ago.

“A lake so dazzling it almost hurts to look at it—so beautiful it fills your heart just by gazing at it. That’s the kind of lake this flower field reminds me of.”
“…Is this place truly beautiful?”
“Yes! Incredibly so! It’s the most breathtaking garden I’ve ever seen.”

His expression remained unreadable.

Perhaps, to him, this had always been the darkest, coldest place of all.

“Bright… warm… beautiful… so that’s what this place really is.”

At last, after a long silence, he spoke again.

Without thinking, Cynthia squeezed his hand tightly and nodded with conviction.

Even though he couldn’t see it, she somehow wanted him to feel it.