Book 3: Chapter 258: The Fading Wind Chime Flower

Lady Edeline was a Third Tier gardener, able to cultivate all the wind chime flowers in the entire garden to above First Tier, with even a small number of Second Tier fine specimens. If she were younger, she might have attempted to push one or two of the plants up to Third Tier, but now she no longer had such energy or mental capacity.

Walking through the sea of flowers, the two chatted idly.

"It's so beautiful, it reminds me of my own family. My mother also loved aster flowers and would plant many of them in her garden." Sylutia spoke of the past.

"I see." Lady Edeline nodded, understanding now why this young lady, despite being a mage, was so fond of plants and flowers.

"If aster flowers are cultivated well, their blooming period can be very long, and when a stretch of blooming asters connects together, it looks absolutely stunning." Lady Edeline spoke more than usual, probably because this young lady suited her tastes quite well.

If only her own daughter had been this intelligent, obedient, and fond of her mother and of flowers like this... At the thought, Lady Edeline's expression dimmed somewhat.

Arriving before a wind chime flower that had reached Second Tier quality, Sylutia bent down, inhaling the floral fragrance up close. A few strands of hair slipped from her shoulder, and combined with her slender waist, it created a strangely harmonious beauty.

After a moment, the young lady straightened up, about to say something, when she noticed Lady Edeline's gaze was frozen, staring at the spot where she had just smelled the flower, as if lost in some memory.

"The way you cupped the petals with your hand just now... it was very beautiful." After a long while, Lady Edeline said this, then returned to normal.

The two continued walking through the garden, though they spoke less now. Lady Edeline was frequently immersed in memories of the past, while Sylutia, during the flower appreciation just now, had discovered that Lady Edeline's techniques for cultivating plants bore many similarities to the skills imparted by Lady Franne.

Combined with her appearance and the rumors heard previously, Sylutia could now be certain that Lady Franne was most likely the youngest daughter who had left the Duran family, and Lady Edeline was her mother.

Though she hadn't found Lady Franne herself, this counted as an unexpected gain.

After touring the garden, the two returned to the tea room's side hall. Seeing how much Sylutia loved wind chime flowers, Lady Edeline thought for a moment, then had a maidservant prepare to transplant one of the Second Tier wind chime flowers from her garden into a pot, to gift to this young lady.

"This... is rather precious. Actually, I came on a whim this time and didn't prepare any gift." For Sylutia, a Second Tier plant was nothing special, but for the elderly Lady Edeline, this was likely one of the few quality possessions she had left.

"No matter. There are plenty more in the garden; losing this one won't make a difference." Though Lady Edeline was strict with her family, she still placed great importance on the dignity of the old nobility. Since she had already spoken, she would not take it back.

Hearing such a reply, Sylutia no longer declined. After a moment's thought, she reached a hand behind her head toward the Seven Blossoms Hairpin.

A faint glimmer of light emerged, and between her fingers appeared a silver-purple orb, which she placed on the tea table.

"This is a piece I crafted during practice. I hope Lady Edeline won't mind it."

[Aster Orb] (Third Tier·Rare); Made from Rui Sea Pearl as the base material, combined with a small amount of Chromium Silver, carved into an aster flower's hollow floral ornament as the encasement. When activated, it can manifest a protective barrier that blocks attacks, and can emit a disorienting spiritual ripple. (Protection +6, Mental Impact +2, Uses Remaining: 3/3)

Compared to a Second Tier plant, this orb's value was several times higher. Even someone like Lady Edeline, who didn't understand orb quality, could sense that this item was no ordinary treasure.

And so, shortly after exchanging gifts, Sylutia took her leave with the wind chime flower, and Lady Edeline accompanied her all the way to the manor's main gate before turning back.

Returning to the carriage, Sylutia placed the potted wind chime flower on the table, examining it closely, while Brielle across from her was also quite curious.

"Was that cultivated by the owner of the manor back there, Lady Brielle?"

"Yes." Sylutia nodded in reply.

"So beautiful. After hearing about that lady's past, I thought she'd be a very difficult person to get along with." Brielle recalled the rumors heard in Collin City.

"Perhaps so." Sylutia thought for a moment.

"Some parents are like that. They're very polite and tolerant with outsiders, but quite strict with their own children."

"If you were just a guest, you'd probably think they were wonderful. But if you became their child and lived with them long-term, the experience would be completely different."

"Huh, is that so?" Brielle was somewhat puzzled. Her family atmosphere was relatively relaxed. From the fact that she traveled and played freely without much restriction from her parents—only being told not to spend money recklessly and having a certain allowance limit from Silius—she could tell.

After putting away the wind chime flower, Sylutia turned her gaze back to the window. Lush forage grasses grew freely under the azure sky, undulating gently like ripples on water.

These forage grasses wouldn't receive the care of the delicate flowers in the garden, and could be bitten or trampled by livestock at any moment. But they did indeed gain freedom, growing freely without restriction.

It was hard to say which choice was better. Different people simply made different choices. One person's poison might be another's honey—that was roughly how it went.

Long after the carriage carrying Sylutia had departed, a faint, blurry figure appeared on a distant hill outside the manor. She held an ornate parasol adorned with golden flowers, her silhouette graceful and elegant, gazing from afar toward that estate.

After a long while, the figure vanished once more, leaving only faint traces of trampled grass in the spot where she had stood.

After touring the Wind Chime Grass Plains, Sylutia failed to find a suitable gardener to help manage things, because the gardeners here were generally of mediocre skill, and most were only adept at cultivating flowers and plants, with little understanding of grain crops.

Though the gardener prospect hadn't panned out, other aspects of cooperation had been successfully negotiated. With the mediation and coordination of Brielle's father, Mage Nandri, Sylutia, representing the Mishil District, purchased a large quantity of wheat and reserve grain. In exchange, the Mishil District would, over the following months, ship a batch of advanced agricultural machinery to assist in the production of the vast tracts of farmland there, boosting yields.

Shortly after this cooperation was finalized, it was announced in the Alliance's newspaper bulletin, earning considerable praise. Subsequently, a vigorous campaign was launched within the Mage Alliance—industrialized regions were to go all out in the coming months to increase agricultural machinery production, then ship them to areas suited for agriculture and animal husbandry, in exchange for grain or to reserve the following year's output in advance.

Such win-win cooperation was widely welcomed, quickly receiving official recognition and promotion, and rapidly spreading across the land.

And so, just as Sylutia had finished her negotiations and was preparing to return and depart from the Perika District, someone suddenly reported a matter to her.

"Lady Hedra, a gardener wishes to visit you. She heard that you've been looking for a suitable gardener to tend to an estate."

"Oh? What sort of skill level does she have?" Sylutia asked curiously.

"She should be above Fourth Tier. She's a rare gardener with the Scorching Sun aspect. The aura she emanates is like summer breezes and warm sunshine—there's no mistaking it."

"I see. Bring me to her. By the way, did she give her name?"

"She did. She said her name is 'Franne'—from the looks of her, a very beautiful woman."

"Ah..."