The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady. - Chapter 28

The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady.

Chapter 28  The Preparation of the Withered Tree Lady

Julia slept on the makeshift bed brought into her room by the servants of the baron’s household that night.

Although the maid offered to stay with Viola, Julia politely declined, thinking that Viola would feel uneasy if she woke up to a stranger by her side.

Nevertheless, the Plant Baron’s family members were so kind, considerate, and attentive. Julia was astonished by the stark contrast to the servants at Earl Woodcliff’s mansion, whom she was accustomed to.

Of course, she had been a guest several times before, but during her short stays, she had not fully appreciated the thoughtfulness and gratitude of these people.

Julia realized that she had much to learn from everyone.

Since Viola hadn’t awakened until morning, Julia was able to sleep soundly as well.

When Julia, who had woken up earlier, stared at Viola’s face, Viola eventually opened her eyes.

However, as Julia had feared, her face was swollen and bruised to the point where it was painful and unrecognizable even when her eyes were open.

“Good morning, Viola-san.”

“◇△☆▷・・・・・”

Unable to speak properly due to her split lips, Viola struggled with words.

It would be quite difficult for her to eat with her mouth in this condition. However, she must be hungry, and she also needed to hydrate.

“Would you like some water?”

In response, Viola nodded obediently.

Julia quickly got up and prepared herself, then opened the door to leave the room. To her surprise, a cart was placed in the hallway.

On the cart, there were two pitchers, which seemed to contain water and orange juice, along with cups and several straws.

They must have left it there so that Julia and Viola could access it whenever they woke up.

Feeling grateful for the maids’ consideration, Julia wheeled the cart into the room.

Viola must have been very thirsty. She eagerly sucked up the water poured into the glass through the straw and immediately finished it. Then she started drinking the second glass and choked on it.

“Take it easy! It would be dangerous if it goes into your windpipe. Drink slowly, slowly. How about some orange juice next?”

Viola, despite her swollen face, had a somewhat happy expression after drinking the orange juice and said:

“This is the first time I’ve had such a delicious drink.”

Whether it was due to her throat being moisturized or not, Viola finally regained her voice.

And upon hearing that, Julia inexplicably had a smug look on her face.

“That’s right, isn’t it? The baron’s beverages, whether it’s tea, juice, or milk, are all homemade and incredibly delicious. Of course, it’s not just the drinks, but all the other meals are also amazingly tasty. You see, it’s not only because the head chef is superb, but also because the ingredients used for the dishes are fresh and of the highest quality. When you have a salad, you can instantly appreciate the excellence of the ingredients.”

“Well, I see.”

“Viola-san, from now on, we’ll be able to enjoy these fresh and delicious meals every day. How wonderful, right?”

“Huh?”

“Viola, the master will hire you here. Of course, you’ll start working only when you’re feeling better.”

“Really?”

Viola widened her eyes. Well, she was probably trying to open them wider, but due to the swelling, they only opened slightly. Nevertheless, her surprised gaze showed a sense of relief.

“It’s true. The baron’s household is different from that earl’s family. It’s like a paradise. It’ll be easy to work here, and there will be a sense of fulfillment. Let’s do our best together.”

Julia said with a smile.

However, even though Viola nodded, she thought that she wouldn’t be working together as before.

In the first place, it was strange for the future baroness to be making beds, doing laundry, and washing dishes with the maids. Moreover, she would never be allowed to clean the bathroom or perform any menial tasks.

Well, it was abnormal for Julia, as the daughter of an earl, to have been subjected to such things until now.

Since Viola said it still seemed difficult for her to consume solid food, Julia gave her pain relievers to take and replaced the poultice on her body.

Viola felt apologetic but said she didn’t want to cause too much trouble for the members of the baron’s household, so she obediently complied.

Afterward, a maid came to escort them, so Julia headed to the dining hall for a late breakfast. Viola reassured her that she would be fine alone now that she was feeling much better.

When they entered the dining room, Kent and Madame Flora were already seated together, apparently having finished their meal. The baron had already gone to the castle for the final preparations for tonight’s party, and Robert had taken Rufie to the costume rental shop.

Julia was surprised to see Kent, who was usually shy around strangers, engaged in lively conversation with Madame. Truly a professional in hospitality. No, perhaps it was her maternal instinct.

Madame’s gaze directed at Kent was not the same as the one she directed at customers; it was filled with warmth that she extended to Romand and Julia.

“Good morning, Flora-sama. I apologize for being late.”

“Good morning, Julia-sama. I heard it was quite a difficult day for you yesterday. Did you manage to get some rest? How is Viola-san feeling?”

As Julia took a seat in front of Madame, she informed her of Viola’s condition this morning. Madame’s expression clouded.

Having experienced constant violence from her intoxicated father during her childhood, she knew the pain and suffering all too well.

Madame forced a smile and spoke to Julia.

“I’ll be accompanying Viola today, so please don’t worry and enjoy the evening party.

Tonight is a once-in-a-lifetime debutante day for Julia-sama, so you shouldn’t be concerned about us here.”

“That’s right. The Baron is also looking forward to it, so Julia-nee-sama mustn’t have a gloomy face.”

Even being supported by young Kent, Julia nodded and made an effort to lift the corners of her mouth.

*     *     *     *     *

After having brunch, preparations for Julia’s evening party began.

It seemed that it wouldn’t usually take so much time, but since Julia had never taken care of herself before, it needed to be done thoroughly. Hearing this from the head maid, Julia felt apologetic and became a little disheartened.

“It would be troublesome if you get tired, so please relax and let us take care of everything. Please trust us wholeheartedly.”

Julia was told this by the head maid. Of course, she trusted the servants of the Baron’s household. She did trust them, but she wasn’t accustomed to being taken care of by others.

She had never experienced having someone wash her body while she was naked. Plus, she couldn’t just stay still due to her sense of shame.

She shouted, “I can wash my own body!”

The bathtub was in the corner of the room, surrounded by curtains. Julia’s voice could be heard clearly by Viola, who was lying in bed. And vice versa, Viola’s voice from beyond the curtain could be heard.

“Oh my, the floor is all wet. Cleaning that up seems like a lot of work…”

Upon hearing that, Julia fell silent immediately.

She vividly recalled the daily struggle she had with cleaning the bath after her stepsisters used it back at the Woodcliff household.

A water-soaked floor… Cleaning up afterward was a nightmare. She had to repeatedly wipe and wring out the cloth over and over again. Her back would ache, and her hands would swell.

“I’m sorry…”

Julia murmured, and the maids, wearing puzzled expressions, comforted her in the following manner.

“In this guest room, we have a drain just like in the bathroom, so unlike other estates, cleaning is easy. Please don’t worry, young mistress.”

“Young mistress…”

Julia blushed even more at those words and sank into the bathtub.

Afterward, her body and hair were thoroughly washed, she had her hair dried, received a full-body massage, and then changed into a dress.

Yes, it was Madame Flora’s carefully crafted white dress for the debutante.

The silk dress had a pleasant texture, with a subtle sheen and a simple yet incredibly beautiful design.

The white fabric was adorned with delicate embroidery, sewn with white thread by Madame, and adorned with numerous pearls.

Overwhelmed by the opulence and beauty of the dress, Julia couldn’t help but wonder who would be paying for such an expensive garment, and her mind wandered.

Sensing Julia’s thoughts, Madame spoke up.

“Isn’t it a lovely dress?

It was a request from Count Woodcliff himself. He wrote a letter saying that he didn’t mind how much it cost, he just wanted the perfect dress for his daughter. And that’s when I replied to the Count like this:

‘If you can provide 375 pearls, I will gladly accept your order.’

And you know what? Ten days later, a magnificent set of pearls arrived at the shop. That’s why I took on the request.

Of course, even if the pearls hadn’t arrived, I had planned to use 375 beads as a substitute.”

“Is there a specific reason for the number 375?”

“The number 375 is Julia’s lucky number.”

“A lucky number?”

It was an unfamiliar number to Julia, but she wondered what significance it held.

She tilted her head in curiosity.

However, upon learning that her father was the one who commissioned the dress, she felt a small sense of relief and excitement simultaneously.