Chapter 21
Meanwhile, the murmuring voices were growing louder.
It seemed more people were gathering to witness the situation in the rear garden.
The chatter buzzed around Cyrus’s ears like an annoying ringing sound.
Without even bothering to shake off the water dripping from his black hair, Cyrus grasped his worn-out bag tightly and strode toward the bedroom with long strides.
A few maids, who had been standing near the duke’s bedroom window watching from outside, gasped and quickly bowed their heads.
Cyrus’s deeply furrowed brow made him look like he could cut someone down at any moment—his presence was terrifying.
Bang!
Slamming the bedroom door open, Cyrus tossed the old bag aside and walked straight toward the balcony.
If all of this turned out to be nothing—
He wanted to kill every last one of them.
That’s how he felt—undoubtedly.
But then…
Cyrus’s violet eyes filled with the bluish light of the breaking dawn.
“…What is this…”
As the winter mist slowly lifted, a quaint, natural garden was revealed.
There were none of the usual expensive trees or extravagantly fragrant flowers, nor the ornate embroidered flower beds typical of a grand estate’s rear garden.
Instead, wildflowers and grass-like plants had bloomed naturally, blending together into a vibrant display of colors.
Pale yellow, deep pink, steel blue, violet, green, and white.
The garden, awash in a blend of every hue, radiated a lively and cheerful atmosphere.
It was just like…
“Hoo, I thought my back was going to break.”
…that gardener.
The gardener, who had carved a winding path from the garden’s entrance to a cluster of Peculium flowers, stretched their back and gave it a few pats.
In their hand was the now-familiar shovel.
Even among the countless flowers, the gardener’s hair stood out the most.
Shining carrot-orange hair, tightly braided into two pigtails.
Despite transforming the entire garden in just one day, the small and adorable gardener didn’t seem remotely proud.
“…Crazy.”
With his brows furrowed even more deeply, Cyrus muttered in irritation.
The maids nearby shrank back with pale faces, but Cyrus didn’t care. He was too busy trying to shake off the throbbing headache that surged like a wave.
“Crazy.”
No doubt—he had lost his mind.
“May I come in?”
“……”
Bernadette Ward, the head butler, pursed her thin lips as she stared at the calmly inquisitive moss-green eyes.
“I was hoping for a snack.”
The automatic reply, “She’s not inside,” almost slipped out, but today, she couldn’t say that.
After all, it was this tiny gardener who had miraculously transformed the dreadful garden into something breathtaking.
Perhaps she was a disguised wizard.
Otherwise, how could anyone plant so many flowers in a single day?
That thought made Bernadette shake her head.
Before planting all those flowers, the small gardener had spent three days shoveling soil.
There was no way a precious wizard would be doing that, so clearly she wasn’t one.
‘Then what is she…?’
Bernadette’s gaze drifted past the gardener to the garden.
Just yesterday, it had been filled with overturned dirt and dead plants. Now, it looked as if spring had come early—overflowing with flowers and evergreen shrubs.
The northern wind blew harshly, as if to remind them it was still winter, yet the wildflowers did not uproot or bend. Instead, they swayed with the wind like a cheerful wave.
The fresh, delicate scent tickled her nose and warmed her heart in a strangely comforting way.
“……”
Bernadette’s steely blue-gray eyes turned back to Lizi.
She still hadn’t erased all doubts about the gardener who had appeared out of nowhere.
After all, even long-time maids had been caught poisoning the duke’s dinner for money.
But still…
Maybe a snack wasn’t too dangerous.
“…Come in.”
Lizi clenched her fist discreetly at the dry, emotionless voice.
One week after getting hired as a gardener, she had finally stepped foot inside the mansion.
‘Oh Lord above…’
Honestly, being a druid, the after-sales service was just too much.
If she didn’t genuinely enjoy tending gardens, she would’ve quit everything and gone back to the farm long ago.
Letting out a short sigh, Lizi followed the butler down the stairs toward the kitchen.
The mansion’s staff quarters were about half a floor above the basement—more like a semi-basement.
At the far end of the garden, the kitchen had large windows, a red door for receiving ingredients, and a staircase that led directly out to serve food.
Following Bernadette through the red door, Lizi stepped into the kitchen and looked around in awe.
“Wow.”
It was at least six times the size of the shed in the garden. Five chefs were bustling around, preparing the next meal.
Just like the mansion’s extravagant exterior, the walls were lined with colorful patterned tiles, plates, silver trays, dozens of copper pans and cast-iron pots, and all kinds of teapots and cups.
Golden trim on the plates sparkled under the sunlight streaming through the windows. The wooden counters were stacked with fresh preserved vegetables.
From the cast-iron pot over the hearth came the bubbling sound and delicious aroma of soup.
Lizi stared blankly at a cake layer being pulled from the oven, but then felt several stares and lifted her head.
“……”
All the chefs had paused, their eyes on her.
“That’s…”
“Yeah, that gardener…”
They whispered among themselves. Their eyes showed curiosity, suspicion, rejection—and surprisingly, a hint of awe.
But Lizi simply wiped her mouth with her dirt-stained hand.
‘Wait… was I drooling?’
At that moment, the butler stopped walking and said,
“Wait here. Don’t touch anything.”
With a firm look, Bernadette spoke briefly to a busy chef.
It wasn’t a difficult request, so Lizi quietly stood in a corner of the kitchen.
Until she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“So, are you betting again?”
It was Jeffrey Carver—the servant who had once come to the garden.
The voice came from the dining room adjacent to the kitchen.
“Of course we are!”
A young woman’s voice answered brightly.
“There’s no better entertainment during the slow winter season!”
“You really do love betting, huh.”
With a chuckle, Jeffrey asked,
“Who made the longest bet this time?”
“Me!”
A deep voice answered.
“Your luck is ridiculous, seriously.”
A woman muttered, handing something over.
“It’s not luck, it’s skill.”
Clink, clink.
The sound of metal coins clashing rang out.
“Hm.”
Raising her brows, Lizi crept toward the slightly open dining room door, her eyes glittering with interest.
Inside was a long table. Five servants and maids were seated.
At the head sat a woman with long, curly brown hair, holding a pen.
“Alright, place your bets again, Paxton. Let’s see if you’re still lucky.”
Paxton, a burly man, said,
“Me? Same as before—five days, 7 silver. The gardener was too busy revamping the place, but once things calm down, the rumors and chaos will start bothering her.”
“I’m betting two days, 5 silver. Those flowers will die soon, and the gardener will get kicked out with them. I don’t know where she got those seedlings—probably from a greenhouse—but who the hell plants fully bloomed flowers outdoors in winter?”
The sharp-eyed, honey-blonde woman clicked her tongue in disgust.
“Okay, Paxton five days, Gwen two. Elder, what about you?”
A cold-faced man leaning against the wall replied,
“One week. 1 gold. No reason.”
“One gold?! My god, Elder. You swimming in money or what? If you are, let me know first.”
To that, Elder coolly replied,
“If you stop gambling, your money piles up. I’ve already exceeded the maximum pay a servant can get.”
“Yeah, well, it’s just death money anyway! With those terrifying blades flying around, we could die any minute—so why not gamble!”
Elder shook his head in disbelief. Meanwhile, the woman continued writing.
“Elder, 1 gold… Jeffrey?”
“Hmm…”
Jeffrey hesitated, then flipped his red hair dramatically and said,
“Two weeks, 7 silver. I think she’ll last that long. No way she’s an ordinary person.”
“Right? She didn’t fall for your cheesy flirting. Seems like she’s got some backbone.”
“She does. Wanna keep pushing me?”
Ignoring him, the woman jotted down ‘Jeffrey: 2 weeks, 7 silver’ and asked,
“Anyone else?”
She already knew there were only five people in the room. Asking was just habit.
In other words, she never expected an answer.
“Lizi Atkins. Over two weeks. 10 gold.”
“Lizi Atkin… Wait, what?!”
Startled, the woman shot up from her seat.
Standing in the slightly open doorway was a small girl with carrot-orange hair.
She wore an unbelievably outdated dress, a gardener’s apron, and boots up to her knees.
“Wah!”
“W-what the—?!”
The entire room jumped, startled by her sudden, silent appearance.
Even Elder, usually the calmest of the group, clutched his chest in shock.
But Lizi simply smiled brightly and said,
“I’m Lizi Atkins, the new gardener.”
“……”
“……”
No one responded.
“Hmm, more enthusiastic than I expected. Thanks for the warm welcome.”
With a shrug, Lizi pulled a jingling pouch from her dress pocket and placed it on the table.
Exactly 10 gold coins.
