The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady. - Chapter 18
- Home
- All
- The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady.
- Chapter 18 - The Origins of the Withered Tree Lady and the Flower Baron
The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady.
Chapter 18: The Origins of the Withered Tree Lady and the Flower Baron
“But Lord, you’re the Baron’s child. I had no idea.”
“No, that’s not true. My current stepfather is actually my father’s brother, so he’s technically my uncle.
My biological father eloped with my mother, who was a servant in the mansion. However, he passed away from an epidemic when I was young, and I was taken in by this estate, treated as a servant’s child.
However, my cousin, the eldest son of my uncle, grew tired of the debt-ridden Baron household and married into another Baron’s family, abandoning our house and the estate’s residents.
As a result, my uncle severed ties with his own son and adopted me as his heir to replace him.”
“Oh my!”
“After you were gone, I discovered that I also possessed the power of the ‘Green Thumb.’ It seemed like a chance to rebuild the farm.
Shortly thereafter, I developed the ability to communicate with the ‘Green Spirits,’ but I kept it a secret from everyone except for Robert and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I feared being exploited or used for someone’s gain.”
And then, Lord explained to Julia the reasons behind the farm’s dire situation.
The lazy former Baron, wanting to make easy money, fell victim to a swindler’s deceit.
He was tricked into believing that the fertilizer he purchased at a high cost would double the crop yield, and he spread it across the farmland.
However, it turned out that the fertilizer contained harmful substances instead of the promised enhancement, resulting in the withering of not only the crops but also the grazing fields.
The loss of the harvest was a massive blow. However, an immediate solution was needed, especially for the animals’ feed.
Livestock still had to be provided with feed as before.
Moreover, with the grazing fields rendered unusable, the cows, horses, and goats on the ranch were left without grass to eat.
In order to secure funds for animal feed, the Baron’s household humbly approached the neighboring Earl, with whom they had maintained a good relationship.
Through borrowing money, they managed to get by in that desperate situation.
During such a rock-bottom state of the farm, Lord and his mother secretly took care of Julia and her mother.
After spending some time at the estate, young Julia squatted down in front of a field that used to be covered in sunflowers just six months prior.
With a saddened expression, she gazed at the remnants of withered sunflowers, now brown and lifeless.
Then, Julia placed both hands on the ground.
Suddenly, a dazzling light emanated from Julia’s hands, spreading throughout the surroundings.
Both Julia and Lord could only watch in astonishment.
When they shared this with their mothers, they were told that it must be the power of the “Green Thumb.”
Both mothers, having grown up on farms, were familiar with the concept of the “Green Thumb,” although they had never witnessed it firsthand.
The following day, Lord decided to sow some remaining flower seeds as an experiment. To their amazement, the contaminated field sprouted seedlings the next day. It happened in just one day.
While amazed by her own power of the “Green Thumb,” Julia was delighted that she could be of assistance to Lord and the others who had taken care of her.
However, it was Lord’s mother who uttered the following words.
Never, under any circumstances, should you reveal the existence of the “Green Thumb” to anyone. If the Baron were to find out, he would undoubtedly exploit it to the fullest.
Indeed, the Baron was a greedy and shallow-minded individual, incapable of reflection.
Lord’s mother had advised them to leave this place as soon as Julia’s mother regained her health, before the Baron could find out.
That’s why, on the eve of the blooming of the “Lady’s Tears” flower, by unfortunate happenstance, their presence was discovered by the Baron. The following day, after witnessing the blooming of the flower, they fled.
Ordered by the Baron to leave as soon as possible…
“It must have been quite a struggle for Lord to be the heir of that Baron.”
“Well, yeah. But thanks to my stepmother’s protection, we managed to get by somehow. She even got me into the academy in the capital city.”
“Your stepmother? I heard she had a gentle and submissive nature, oppressed by her domineering husband.”
“Yeah, she used to be like that.
However, after my stepfather repeatedly ignored her advice and caused the farm to almost collapse, my stepmother finally had enough. She couldn’t tolerate having a lord who couldn’t even consider the well-being of the estate’s residents and the farm’s workers.
So even before I officially became the lord, it was practically my stepmother and me who were running the Baron household.”
When the Plant Baron’s estate started to thrive, there were instances when the newly married son tried to interfere and make decisions.
But even then, my stepmother declared in public that she had severed all ties with you and considered you a complete stranger, warning you not to get involved in any way.
“My son is Lord alone. I do not consider a man who abandoned his subjects and married into another family as my son,” she proclaimed.
Upon hearing this, Julia felt relieved. She was happy that Lord had someone who stood by him.
She had grown tired of her overbearing father-in-law, but if she could become part of such an admirable family with a remarkable mother-in-law, she thought it would bring her happiness.
“By the way, how is Lord’s mother doing? She’s not working as a servant here at the estate, right?”
Julia asked, and Lord smiled.
“Julia, you’ve met her several times already, haven’t you?”
“Huh? Where?”
“At the café ‘Julia’s Garden’ next to the clothing store ‘Green Fleur’.”
“You mean Madame Flora?”
“Yes, exactly. I never expected my mother to have a fashion sense. She was praised for her dressmaking talent.”
“So when I enrolled in the Royal Academy, we went to the capital together. She started studying dressmaking while working at a dressmaking store. And last year, she opened her own shop.”
“Wow, Lord’s mother is amazing.”
“It’s all thanks to you and your mother. Normally, they wouldn’t hire an inexperienced widow from the countryside. But because she had embroidery skills, she got the job.”
“By any chance, does Madame herself embroider the dresses at her shop?”
“Nowadays, her apprentices do the embroidery, but all the dresses you wear were embroidered by my mother. She’s determined to finish the dresses for her benefactor herself.”
“That’s incredible… Please tell Lord not to let her overwork herself. Embroidery of such intricate beauty requires a lot of effort.”
“Well, she uses the embroidery needle she received from your mother. It’s like a kind of magic that makes the stitching effortless. She said, ‘My daughter enchanted this needle, so it makes embroidery a breeze. Especially when embroidering plants, it turns out lifelike…'”
That’s what she told me, your mother,” Lord shared.
As one truth after another became apparent, Julia entered a state of panic. Her brain’s information processing seemed to falter, overwhelmed by a fatigue that felt like the end of a day’s work even though it was still morning.
Upon seeing Julia exhausted, Lord hurriedly fetched flowers with revitalizing properties such as “Lady’s Tears” from the greenhouse and placed them on her lap. He held her hands and whispered in his heart.
“Spirit of the Green, please revive my beloved Julia. I humbly ask for your assistance.”