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

Chapter 29: The Withered Tree Maiden and Her Mother’s Thoughts

“The patron who ordered this dress is none other than your esteemed father, Count Woodcliff. And it was designed by your mother, Lady Margaret.”

“In other words, this dress encapsulates the heartfelt intentions of your parents. It is brimming with their love for their beloved daughter, Julia…”

Madam Flora’s unexpected words left Julia wide-eyed and astonished. She understood that her father had commissioned the dress for her, but what did it mean for her mother to have designed it?

Her mother had passed away over three years ago, and since their separation nine years ago, neither her father nor Madam Flora had seen her mother. How could her mother have played a role in this?

Curious and full of questions, Julia’s doubts were met with Madam Flora recounting precious memories involving Julia’s mother.

Julia and her mother, Margaret, had spent a mere three months at the Plant Baron’s farm, but those months held immense value for Madam Flora.

Flora had lost her mother at a young age. Her father, drowning his sorrows in alcohol, had become an abusive man.

As a veterinarian himself, her father possessed considerable intellect. He personally taught Flora various academic subjects, but otherwise neglected her.

In a household engaged in dairy farming, the position of a veterinarian held great importance. If a cow or horse encountered a difficult birth and there was no veterinarian available, not only the offspring but even the mother’s life could be lost. It would be a significant blow.

Therefore, in families with talented children or servants, they would spare no expense to educate and groom them into veterinarians, ensuring that they remained within the household. Veterinarians were highly valued. Hence, despite her father’s alcoholism, as long as he fulfilled his veterinary duties, no one dared to question him.

However, it was only natural that people would avoid and dislike him, not wanting any involvement with him.

Consequently, no one sought to get close to Flora. As a result, she received no guidance in the etiquettes, household chores, or needlework that were expected of young women.

Flora had to learn everything on her own through observation and imitation.

Because of this, she was always ridiculed and laughed at by the children of the farm’s workers, who mocked her inability to embroider or sew properly.

Abused by her father and bullied by her peers…

In such circumstances, the one who always protected and defended Flora was the second son of the baron, her childhood friend.

Though it was rumored that they had eloped, the truth was quite different.

To begin with, her father’s violence had escalated, and Flora, feeling her life was in danger, had decided to leave home alone. It was by chance that her childhood friend happened to find her in that moment. That was the turning point.

Initially, the young boy had merely sympathized with Flora and offered to assist her in escaping from the farm.

Indeed, Flora had feelings for him, but he only saw her as a childhood friend; it wasn’t romantic love.

He had merely intended to assist Flora until she could stand on her own.

However, as they supported each other and spent their days together, they truly fell in love, and that’s how Lord was born.

Occasionally, Flora would apologize and cry, blaming herself for changing his fate.

As the second son of the baron, he knew that his options were limited to either being treated as a labor force or becoming an adopted son-in-law of some other wealthy merchant or baron.

He believed that living in the confines of a loveless marriage, constantly pleasing an unwanted partner, would be more suffocating than the happiness he found in living with his beloved wife and child.

They considered themselves a genuine married couple, and everyone around them thought the same.

However, they were not officially married because aristocratic children needed the approval of the head of the family to marry.

That’s why Lord carried his mother’s surname, Karler.

While raising their child, Flora worked alongside Lord. Life was far from easy, but compared to the days of abuse and bullying, living with her beloved husband and son felt like being in heaven.

However, as Flora interacted with other mothers who had children the same age, she began to realize her lack of essential skills as a woman.

Feeling guilty towards her husband and son, she diligently sought knowledge from acquaintances and desperately learned those skills.

As someone who had always self-taught herself, Flora found great joy in learning from various people and acquiring new knowledge and skills.

For the curious-minded Flora, meeting Julia’s mother, Margaret, was a fateful encounter.

Although her beloved husband had passed away, Flora had always wished to be a wife who would make him proud.

Once a lady’s maid in a certain marquis’s mansion, Margaret was a perfect lady. Moreover, it wasn’t just a facade for noble young ladies; she possessed practical skills as a working woman.

“Where did you learn these skills, Margaret-san?”

“I received a scholarship and studied at a specialized maid training school. The noble family I served was very kind, and I learned a lot there. Especially the Lady of the house, she was very skilled with her hands, not only in embroidery but also in sewing. She even taught us maids. She told us that once we got married, we should be able to make simple clothes for our husbands and children. That way, our families would be pleased, and we would find happiness.”

Margaret spoke nostalgically with a gentle smile.

“Well, then, is the dress Julia-chan is wearing also handmade by you? It suits her so well, and I thought it was adorable.”

In response to Flora’s question, Margaret nodded happily and shared this story.

“All of that child’s clothes are handmade by me. So, her father was always frustrated. He wanted to give Julia dresses as gifts, but nothing surpasses what you make. That’s why he started giving fabric instead. He wants you to make the best dresses for Julia.”

Then Margaret took out a sketchbook from her travel bag and showed Flora a design for a dress on one page.

There, a charming dress design was drawn, unlike anything they had seen before.

“Oh my, how lovely it is! Is this perhaps a design for Julia’s wedding dress?”

“It’s too cute for a wedding dress, so I’m thinking about it for Julia’s debutante ball. Hehe… It’s still a long way off, so by then, it might become an outdated design…”

Margaret said, but it has been almost ten years since then, and even now, the design remains innovative and fashionable.”

Flora took a step back, surveying Julia’s dress, and nodded with agreement as she said those words.

“I mean, back then, I knew nothing about high society, so I didn’t even understand the meaning of debutante. That’s why it took me so long to realize that Julia-sama is a noble young lady. If I had known that earlier and told her, maybe she wouldn’t have agonized so much about becoming an adopted child of the baron’s family. Oh? But then again, the difference in social status between the baron’s family and the earl’s family was too great. Would she have still been troubled either way? Well, it’s too late now, in any case. I’m just so happy that Julia-sama chose that child. Thank you very much.”

“I’m grateful that you were able to find us. But did Mother intend to return to Father eventually?”

“I honestly don’t know, but at least she seemed to want Julia-sama to make her own choices. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have designed a debutante dress.”

Ah…

“But Flora-san, you remembered Mother’s design very well.”

“When it comes to dress designs, I never forget them at a single glance. But I didn’t remember the exact number of pearls or the intricate embroidery details. However, when I received the order from the earl, there was a design sketch enclosed with it. Margaret-san had sent it to the residence where the earl and his family used to live in the harbor town, just before she passed away.”

Julia widened her eyes and looked at Flora.

It seemed that their father had kept the old mansion intact, allowing Julia and the others to return at any time.

Whether Mother knew about it or it was a gamble, it’s unclear. But she had sent two design sketches there.

The sender’s name and address were not written, and there was no accompanying letter.

However, Father immediately recognized that the design sketches were drawn by Mother and understood their intended meaning.

“This is a design sketch for Julia’s debutante and wedding dresses. Please prepare the fabric and materials for these dresses. Pearls are gemstones that bring happiness to young maidens. I intend to decorate the dresses with pearls in an amount corresponding to her lucky number. Thank you in advance.”

When Father saw the arrow pointing to the pearls and the number 375 written in small letters, he was convinced that it was what his wife had said.

“Why is 375 my lucky number? Who decided that?”

Julia looked puzzled. What was the basis for that decision?

At that moment, Viola, who had been lying on the bed and gazing dreamily at Julia, kindly explained.

“Miss, a lucky number is a combination of your father’s birth month, your mother’s birth month, and your own birth month. The Earl was born in the third month, your mother in the seventh month, and you were born in the fifth month, correct?

You were born because your parents were born… That’s why that number is your lucky number.”