“Reward me…” At the abrupt request of the man, Idel fell into brief contemplation.

“What kind of reward would you like? I was actually thinking of giving you a special bonus.”

The man gently released the hand he was holding, rising from his position.

“Well. I would rather… receive something other than money.”

“Tell me. If possible, I’ll give you what you want.”

For a moment, the man who had been stroking his chin wore a meaningful smile, as if something had occurred to him.

“Then, would you mind brewing a cup of tea for me? Specifically, with your own hands.”

“Tea…?”

“There’s nothing more valuable in this world than a cup of tea brewed by a beautiful lady.”

Idel nodded slowly with a peculiar expression. To value a cup of tea over money…

Accepting his request for tea, she found such a man intriguing.

On the other hand, the man disguised as a gardener, Shade, was taken aback by her unexpected response, and his smile froze for a moment.

‘Usually, they would be thrilled at such a request…’

When he asked a woman to serve him tea as a reward, most would blush shyly in response. They understood the implication of a private tea time together.

Yet, no trace of the emotions Shade had anticipated could be seen on the face of the prospective Duchess, which was clearly filled with a strange expression.

She is a woman full of surprises.

Shade chuckled at the sudden recall of Caeron’s words. The first encounter with the prospective Duchess was indeed as interesting as expected.

“Follow me. It’s just the right time for afternoon tea.”

Idel, gesturing with her head, started walking towards the opposite side of the mansion. Shade, who had put aside his clothing for a moment, took over holding Idel’s parasol as he moved to her side.

“I will hold the parasol.”

His gentlemanly escorting demeanor seemed incredibly natural. Even his stride matched hers, exuding an effortless dignity.

Caught off guard by the sudden feeling of strangeness, Idel closely observed the hand that was holding the handle of the parasol.

‘Something is off…’

His hands were impeccably clean, not a speck of dirt on them. Finally, she asked, with a hint of suspicion.

“Are you really a gardener?”

“Hmm… I have taken care of many different flowers. Recently, I even had a chance to look at the flowers of the Lysandro Empire.”

Raising his eyebrows, Shade responded with a teasing smile in his voice.

‘So he even studied abroad…’

Confusion mounted in Idel’s mind over the increasingly mysterious identity of the gardener, and her eyes slightly creased.

“Can you explain what the white flower blooming over there is?”

At the sudden quiz, Shade smirked. He found her adorable, questioning him with doubtful eyes about his identity.

Hmm… I should meet the expectations of the prospective Duchess, shouldn’t I? Shade leveraged all the knowledge about flowers he had accumulated from gifting them to women.

“Do you mean the flower over there with a richly layered, round petal structure and serrated edges? That’s an Anemone.”

Idel’s eyes widened as the unexpected answer smoothly flowed from the man’s mouth.

“But, if you’re considering giving that flower to someone, I wouldn’t recommend it. The flower’s language is a bit sad.”

“What’s its language?”

“Unrequited love. It means, even though you don’t love me, I love you.”

Such a meaning… Upon realizing the meaning of the flower she had admired during her walk, its appearance somehow seemed sorrowful.

Seeing her clouded face, Shade pointed to the flowers blooming in the next section to change the mood.

“If you want to give a gift, I recommend this pink flower. It’s a Lisianthus, signifying enduring love. The Hyacinth next to it has a similar meaning.”

“You know a lot about flowers.”

Surprised, Idel responded, to which Shade chuckled mysteriously, whispering lowly.

“The Duchess should also know well about flowers.”

“The Duchess?”

“Because you’ve acquired such beautiful flowers.”

His deep violet eyes focused on Idel.

“Especially how to bloom flowers at night… I’m worried.”

“Blooming… flowers at night?”
Idel tilted her head at his enigmatic words.

Shade curled his red lips into a captivating smile. His voice lowered, becoming more secretive.

“Indeed. Flowers that bloom at night are especially beautiful and fragrant. The sight of a bud, once closed to a tender touch, slowly blooming is magical.”

At his words, Idel imagined the Duke coming out to the garden on a dark night and gently touching the flowers. The entirely incongruous image made her burst into laughter.

“Pfft… I can’t imagine that.”

“Neither can I, truthfully.”

The two, painting completely different pictures in their minds, looked at each other and laughed.

Just then, someone called her urgently.

“Miss Idel!”

It was a maid who had set out to find Idel to announce the guest’s visit by Marilyn’s order. Having heard she had gone for a walk in the garden, the maid had hurriedly set off, only to find her.

“Uh… Lord Shade?”