Dominating the Love of the Villains

As she walked down the passage leading outside and went down the stairs, a spacious garden unfolded.

“Deflin, Deflin!”

The gardener was called to explain the garden or to guide her, but it was the boy who showed up to her.

“You went to Forn Castle to check the condition of the greenhouse. If you have anything to say, please let me know. I will tell my mother when she comes back.”

After Anthea responded that she was okay to the child’s polite words as she pulled down her straw hat behind her, she turned her gaze to Edmond.

“Edmond.”

“It’s okay. I’m going to explore the garden with this child, so you stay away.”

He was a precious guest. She would gain nothing by not listening to him, so after Anthea nodded her head, she distanced herself from Edmond. After no sound from her was heard anymore, Edmond faced the child properly.

“What is your name?”

“It’s called Rune.”

“Yes, Rune.”

He smiled like a very beautiful flower and slightly bent his knees to make eye contact with Rune.

“Are you the only child in this castle?”

“Yes.”

Rune tilted his head as if he wasn’t sure what the intention of the question was and answered matter-of-factly. Everyone in this city gives such an answer. Because Sophia’s existence must never be revealed.

“You must be lonely because you don’t have anyone to hang out with.”

“It’s okay. I enjoy gardening so much that I don’t even know I’m lonely.”

“It seems like you really like flowers.”

At his gentle question, Rune nodded his head without any hesitation. Then Edmund put his hand inside his robe and pulled out something.

“Plant it in a place where you can see it well.”

“Do you mind if I ask what kind of seed it is?”

“It is the seed of a flower called Salia. It is a flower that grows quickly, so you will be able to see it soon.”

Salia was the first name I heard of her. Rune’s eyes lit up at the realization that it was a flower she had never seen before and she accepted the small bag containing the seeds.

Edmund smiled happily as he looked at her happy face.

“I hope the flowers I gave you will comfort you.”

“Thank you.”

Edmund, who was quietly looking down at the life in his eyes, which looked like a bunch of pink roses in bloom, stretched his legs, stood up, and looked around.

The flowers, blooming brightly without any sense of the season, were in a state that would not be embarrassing to display anywhere. After confirming that his gaze was looking around the garden, Rune asked, pointing towards the inside of the garden with her hand.

“Would you like me to show you further inside?”

“No. I’ve seen everything there is to see, so let’s go.”

Edmond, gently stroking his dark red hair, looked at Antea, who was far away from him.

Antea immediately came to Edmond’s side and guided him to the carriage.

It was not until a long time had passed after Edmond left that Deflin, who had been at Forn Castle, returned to the garden.

As soon as she arrived, she saw Rune tending to her garden without her straw hat on. She quickly put her hat on and scolded her.

“I told you to wear your hat straight. What are you going to do if you get fat?”

“Oh, I forgot.”

Rune adjusted her hat, only now realizing that she had taken it off for a while in front of her guests, but had forgotten and not worn it since.

Then, as if he remembered the seeds that Edmund had given her earlier, she took out the paper bag from his arms.

“What is this?”

“I was asked to plant it in a place where customers can easily see it.”

The customer was a Poweep person who came to trade seeds. Deflin, wondering what kind of seed she had, took the envelope and checked inside.

It looked like a small ball, but the surface was quite rough. It was her first time seeing a seed, so Deflin tilted her head, and Rune said the name of the flower she had heard from Edmond.

“They say it’s Salia… Will it be pretty?”

“Why is it pretty? What are you going to do if you’re pretty?”

“If you’re pretty… Show it to Sophie… .”

Rune’s earlobes and cheeks turned red as if she were embarrassed, and she played with her hands, weaving and untangling her fingers.

Why was it so cute? Deflin laughed cheerfully and pressed Rune’s head under her hat.

“It will be pretty. You and I are raising it, so how can it not be pretty?”

* * *

After hearing that Edmund had stopped by in the garden and then left in his carriage, Bled went to his office. Entering a familiar place where he spends several hours a day, he sat down slightly against the desk with a large window behind him and looked outside.

The vast sky was very blue and the weather was very nice.

He was just looking at the sky, thinking it was far away, when he heard a knock on the door.

“Lord Seong.”

It was Dane, his personal servant. Dane, who entered the office after hearing Bled’s permission, bowed his head in greeting and then delivered the news.

“Miss Sophia has collapsed.”

“…The status is.”

“Rep. Serita is confirming it, and as of now, it is said that it is probably due to fatigue accumulated in her body.”

Bled let out a small breath. It was a breath of relief.

“Keep watching and posting.”

‘Until Sofia gets better.’

Bled said that resolutely, but the moment he turned to sit in front of the desk, he dropped the book that was on the desk. Dane’s eyes turned to the book that had fallen to the floor due to an uncharacteristic mistake.

[Sky where the moon rises]

A book containing the story of Selwithen, a famous tourist town, with ribbons beautifully decorated around the edges. He knew who it was prepared for without even having to ask. Just like Dane, Bled looked down at the fallen book from a distance and picked it up later.

He put it back on the desk and ordered Dane to do it.

“I’m fine, so go.”

Even as he said that, his hands were shaking slightly.

* * *

A calm night came, but Sophia could not fall asleep easily. She looked like that because she had a long sleep while she was lying down. Even though Roy had told her to stay up all night, she couldn’t help it today.

Sophia lifted her body slightly from where she was lying down and sat down, leaning against the head of her bed. She was about to read a book when she saw that the sky outside was cloudless and very bright with only the moonlight.

She felt it would be a waste to spend a night like this in her room, so she got off the bed and put on her cardigan.

She took the lantern and carefully left the room when she ran into Jules, who was on patrol.

As soon as he faced Sophia, he smiled naturally, and when he saw the lantern in her hand, he approached her at a quick pace and bent her knee.

“Miss? Where are you going?”

“I want to go to the garden for a while.”

“No. The night air is very cold and you need to rest now.”

“I’ll be back for a moment. It’s because I’m so frustrated.”

Jules, who continued her words in a worried tone, began to hesitate little by little at Sophia’s last words.

“Still… At least I’ll follow you.”

“I’m just going to take a breather. Are you going to follow me?”

“But…”

“It’s okay. I’ll be back soon. If you don’t come after 10 minutes, you can come pick me up in the garden.”

Jules eventually nodded her head, straightened her bent knees, and stood up as she gently persuaded me.

“I’ll come back.”

“Have a safe trip.”

Sophia waved her hand and left her seat, and Jules picked up her pocket watch, which she kept in her arms, to check the time. 10 minutes. To count exactly 10 minutes, she did not take her eyes off her watch as she went on patrol. Sophia, who succeeded in reaching the garden thanks to Jules’ consideration, went into the garden.

The garden she saw at night was still and darkly green, but not dreary. It’s probably thanks to the freshness of the beautifully bloomed flowers.

There was a bench to sit on along the walkway inside the garden. It was a favor prepared by Chase for Benny, who was not in good physical condition.

As she entered the walking path through a tunnel made of roses, something other than plants caught Sophia’s eyes.

“…Joshua?”

When she chanted the other person’s name in a low voice, the person who heard Sophia turned his head to her.

Joshua was already sitting on the bench where Sophia wanted to sit. He had no desire to sit down, although there was still a seat left next to the long bench.

Joshua, who found Sophia standing still a little far away, stuttered and listed the sounds of her words.

“Why are you here… Ah, this is a place I come often.”

Her hair, which swallowed the night and glowed vaguely blue, swayed in the wind, and her golden eyes filled with darkness seemed to be dark and cool. But the words he spoke were very kind.

“Shall I go, shall I?”

It’s not a sarcastic tone, it’s simply a question asking if she wanted him to go.

Sophia took a step forward, wondering if it was because she was too far away to hear his voice well, and even though the moonlight was shining brightly, she thought it was because there was not enough light to see his expression clearly, so she took another step forward. And she was finally able to confirm that Joshua had a really gentle face towards her.

He had a sharper personality than Benjamin, and he always ignored her and showed his anger.

 

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Translator Note: