Chapter 46…
“Phew! Have we finally gone all the way around?”
“There are still a few more places I’d like to show you, but yes, I think we’ve mostly seen everything.”
“It’s truly enormous. I bet every young lady in the capital would love to visit here at least once. May I sit for a moment before we continue?”
Cynthia plopped down on a bench at the side of the garden.
Tesion, who had been gazing down at her instead of sitting beside her, soon turned around and said,
“I’ll bring you something to drink, Cynthia.”
“Oh, that’s all right…”
“No. I was so excited to show you the garden that I neglected to take proper care of you. After walking for so long, your throat must be dry and your legs tired. I’ll be right back.”
Before Cynthia could stop him, Tesion was already striding away.
She blinked, watching his figure grow smaller, then lowered her head to check the small wristwatch on her arm.
“Huh? When did it get this late?”
Time had flown by while they were walking all around the vast garden.
Now that she thought about it, she was getting a bit thirsty.
Confirming that Tesion had completely disappeared from view, Cynthia stretched her legs out and got comfortable.
“Phew…!”
Now that he was gone, she finally felt like she could breathe again.
Spending time with Tesion was pleasant, but it always came with a bit of tension.
She never knew when she might make another mistake.
“Still… how many workers does it take to maintain a garden this big?”
Cynthia muttered, gazing at the neatly trimmed trees before her.
The perfectly rounded shapes of the trees were beautiful, but with her deeply ingrained working-class mindset, she couldn’t help but think more about the sweat and labor that went into maintaining them than their aesthetic appeal.
“I hope they’re paid fairly. I wonder how much they make an hour…”
Rustle.
Just then, while Cynthia was idly waiting for Tesion, lost in useless thoughts, she heard something move to her left.
She quickly turned her head toward the sound and saw something shifting in the bushes.
What is that? A small animal? Or maybe a gardener working nearby?
With nothing else to do, she stared absently in that direction. Then, the crouched figure suddenly froze.
Cynthia held her breath, eyes fixed on the spot.
“…”
After a short pause, the figure trembled slightly as if in hesitation, then slowly began to stand up.
As it grew to its full height, Cynthia found herself tilting her head up—farther than she expected.
What the—? He’s huge!
The figure who finally turned toward her was a massive, muscular man.
How had someone that big managed to stay so crouched and hidden?
As Cynthia stared at him in confusion, the man awkwardly scratched the back of his head. She knew that face.
“Huh? You’re…”
“Greetings, my lady. I apologize for startling you.”
The man bowed deeply.
“D-Dominic? Is that right?”
At the sound of his name, Dominic’s eyes widened in surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected her to remember him.
“Yes, Lady Elizabeth.”
“What were you doing here? Don’t tell me… you were hiding?”
At the word hiding, Dominic flailed in panic, shaking his head vigorously.
“I had no strange intentions whatsoever! I was trimming some branches when I found a fallen bird. I was tending to its wounds when I heard the Grand Duke and you approaching. I didn’t wish to interrupt your time together, so I hid in the bushes!”
So… he was hiding.
Cynthia watched him for a moment, then asked again,
“A hurt bird?”
“I swear, I wasn’t trying to deceive you!”
“All right, calm down. Where is the bird now?”
“Please don’t worry! I’ll move right away!”
Flustered, Dominic spun around without even listening to her.
He reached into the bushes where he had been crouched and carefully lifted something out.
When he turned back toward her, a small bluebird lay trembling in his large, calloused palm—its body so tiny compared to his huge hand.
“Oh my…”
Cynthia breathed softly at the sight.
It looked like a baby bird, not yet fully grown. Seeing it injured and shivering like that made her heart ache.
Had it fallen from its nest?
Dominic noticed her sorrowful expression and gently cupped his hand over the bird, as if tucking it under a blanket. Then he bowed slightly.
“Then, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Wait, Dominic!”
Cynthia quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.
Dominic flushed red as her small hand touched his arm, turning his head away.
“Y-Yes?”
“That bird seems very young… If that’s the case, its mother might be watching us from somewhere.”
“The mother?”
“Yes. Mother birds don’t usually stray far from chicks this small. She must be anxious right now. If you take the chick away, she’ll be frightened.”
At her calm reasoning, Dominic lifted his head to glance at the trees. A few birds were circling nearby.
He couldn’t tell if one of them was truly the baby’s parent, but what she said made sense.
“Then… what should I…”
“I’m fine, so let’s treat the chick’s injury and return it to its nest—together!”
“T-Together?”
“Hurry!”
Prompted by her, Dominic bent down and extended his hands toward the bench.
Cynthia pulled a soft handkerchief from her pocket and spread it out on the bench, and Dominic gently placed the baby bird on it.
“Oh dear, its wing looks slightly bent…”
Cynthia spoke softly in pity. Fortunately, thanks to Dominic’s quick first aid, the injury didn’t seem too severe—just enough to make flying difficult.
The bird looked more frightened than hurt.
“Hang in there, little one,” Dominic murmured, moving his large fingers delicately as he straightened the wing.
He dabbed some medicine onto it and gently rubbed it in.
The bird chirped in alarm at first but soon relaxed, realizing he meant no harm. It blinked slowly, resting under his touch.
“Is it all right now?”
“I’ve treated the small wounds and straightened the wing, but recovery is up to the little one.”
Dominic lightly tickled the bird’s soft white belly.
It seemed to be feeling better—it fluttered its tiny wings and shook its head.
“Thank goodness! Dominic, you saved it.”
“N-No, not really…”
Dominic ducked his head, ears red.
It was almost comical—and endearing—to see such a large man blush at a small compliment.
Cynthia stifled a laugh with her hand.
“Then shall we return it to its nest? Do you know where it fell from?”
“This very tree,” he said, pointing to the large one shading the bench.
Squinting, Cynthia spotted a neatly built nest high among the branches.
There it is.
But… she glanced at Dominic.
Even with his height, the nest was just out of reach.
“It’s higher than I thought. I’ll fetch a ladder. Please wait a moment.”
Instead of replying, Cynthia looked up at the anxious bird circling above.
It must have been the mother—hovering restlessly, unable to land while humans were near.
“Dominic, there’s no need for that.”
“Huh?”
Cynthia stretched out her arms with a determined expression.
“Lift me up! I’ll put the baby back in the nest.”
“What? But how could I possibly…”
“There’s no time! The mother’s waiting!”
She didn’t know for sure if that bird above was really the mother, but she couldn’t stand to keep it waiting any longer.
She waved her arms again.
“Hurry, Dominic!”
“But… how can I dare lay hands on a lady’s body…?”
