The Engagement of the Baron of Flowers and the Withered Tree Lady. - Chapter 5

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

Chapter 5: The Father of the Withered Tree Lady and Her Fiancé

As the carriage glided past the market, the once bustling place had now become sparsely populated.

“Do you visit the morning market every day?” Robert inquired.

“I go every day except for Fridays,” Julia replied.

“Do you attend church on Fridays?” Robert asked.

“No, I don’t. However, my escort, Ruffie, faithfully attends church. It seems he found solace there after losing his parents,” Julia shared Ruffie’s poignant backstory.

When Ruffie was ten years old, he tragically lost both of his parents to chest illnesses one after another.

With no siblings or relatives to turn to, he was taken in by an orphanage affiliated with the church. It was there that he received his first lessons in reading, writing, and basic manners.

Three years later, he caught the attention of the Order of the Knights, and he became their apprentice.

He traveled the world alongside the knights, honing his skills in combat and protection. It appears that he learned the art of battle and the techniques of guardianship during his time with the knightly order.

However, about two and a half years ago, in a distant foreign land far from this country, Ruffie became involved in a conflict between followers of different faiths and suffered a severe injury. He was left behind by his comrades.

At that critical moment, by sheer coincidence, he was rescued by Count Woodcliff, who happened to be visiting that land for business purposes and shared the same homeland as Ruffie.

Grateful for the assistance, the count not only saved him but also offered him a new job opportunity. However…

“I have acted ungratefully towards my lifesaver. My sincere apologies, young lady.”

A few days ago, right after leaving the mansion, Julia was taken aback when Ruffie knelt down at the roadside and apologized. She couldn’t understand the reason behind his apology.

Although he had interfered with her attempts to escape a few times, Julia understood that it was his duty and couldn’t be helped.

From her perspective, she didn’t harbor any consciousness of him doing anything cruel to her.

Upon hearing Julia’s story, Robert became convinced.

“Ah, I see. So he was part of the Order of Knights… That explains why he became such a rough man,” he remarked.

Nevertheless, why would they choose such an insensitive man as their daughter’s guardian?

Perhaps they were fond of his character and protective abilities, but if they didn’t give more specific instructions, he wouldn’t be of much use in that mansion.

He sighed, thinking about Count Woodcliff.

In fact, it was Robert who initially encountered the Count, not Lord Romand himself.

Being older than the Lord, Robert had a deeper understanding of the Count’s character compared to Lord Romand.

*     *      *     *     *     *     *

Three years ago, the Plant Baron’s estate was facing a critical situation at their operated farm. The growth of high-end potted plants was so successful that unless the shipment quantity was reduced, the domestic prices would plummet.

However, they couldn’t bear the thought of disposing of these beautifully grown potted plants after putting so much effort into their cultivation.

These potted plants were nurtured with utmost dedication by the horticulture team. They had even received the blessings of the Green Spirits. It would be disrespectful to discard them.

Yet, the question remained: What could they possibly do to address this issue?

One day, while Robert was deep in thought about various matters alongside the Lord, who was still a student at the academy, he happened to spot a renowned figure at a hotel he visited for business.

It was none other than the illustrious Count Woodcliff, who had gained fame in various fields of trade and was known for his remarkable success.

Despite feeling audacious, Robert mustered the courage to approach the Count on the spot, bowing respectfully and earnestly seeking his guidance.

To his surprise, the Count graciously responded to the consultation of an unfamiliar young man.

The Count Woodcliff was not only a highly regarded nobleman, even respected by royalty, but he also had a remarkably friendly and approachable demeanor.

Furthermore, he even went as far as introducing Robert to wholesale flower traders from various countries.

Thanks to this, the Plant Baron’s estate was able to sell all the carefully nurtured potted plants without having to dispose of them.

Moreover, as a result of the Count’s connections, the Baron’s family established valuable contacts in many countries, allowing them to expand the distribution channels for their agricultural products.

The Plant Baron’s family received an immeasurable debt of gratitude from Count Woodcliff.

Moreover, they have maintained a close and cordial relationship with him and the Lord ever since. It is truly something to be grateful for.

However, now comes the proposal for the engagement.

When Romand expressed his desire for the Count to marry the young lady, Robert couldn’t help but think that Romand was audacious.

It seemed like returning a favor with ingratitude, or rather, shamelessness.

However, Romand was desperate.

You see, Julia was his first love, the one he had been searching for all this time.

At the time when Romand and Julia met, Robert lived in a separate building a little distance away, with different responsibilities.

Therefore, Robert only came to know about Julia after she was driven out by the former Baron along with her mother.

Furthermore, it was all thanks to that young girl that the land of the estate was purified and crops started to grow again. The fact that they were granted an extension for debt repayment was also because of her.

Romand desperately explained his relationship with Julia. And when Romand mentioned the name of the estate where Julia had been taken care of until she was adopted by the Count, it seemed that the Count finally understood the truth in his words.

The Count had kept the young lady’s past a secret.

Romand pleaded that he would do anything if he could be forgiven for his involvement with Miss Julia. To which the Count responded.

“If my daughter agrees, I can forgive you. Furthermore, I wouldn’t mind giving her away in marriage instead of taking a son-in-law.

However, I expect you to take over my work. If you cannot do that, then I will reject this proposal.”

“I will certainly follow the Count’s instructions. Therefore, please grant me your forgiveness.”

Romand replied promptly.

“Oh no, how could you respond without even knowing the details of the Count’s work!” Robert, who was both the secretary and a close friend, silently exclaimed in his mind, but it was too late.

For the Lord, marrying his first love, Julia, was his greatest desire, and everything else seemed trivial to him. Robert realized this.

However, Robert was puzzled as to why the Count readily accepted the proposal from a lower-ranking Baron. Even though Romand was exceptional and the most promising figure in the current aristocratic society, it still seemed surprising.

However, the reason became clear soon enough. The Count had recognized a certain ability in Romand. It turned out that his role as a trader was merely a disguise, and his true profession was a government official of the country.

Not only that, he held a high-ranking position as the head of a department responsible for the country’s security. Romand’s power was indispensable for his actual occupation.

Furthermore, it is said that the Woodcliff Count’s family and the Plant Baron’s family share a distant relative.

The Count’s grandfather’s sister married the great-grandfather of the Baron.

To put it in simpler terms, the Count and Romand’s father, the former Baron, become second cousins.

“Quite close to being a stranger, I must say,” Romand chuckled, but the Count replied with a serious expression, “Not quite so,” he said.

The reason being that Romand’s unique ability stems from the bloodline of the Woodcliff  Count’s family, or so it seems.

“The problem is that this ability doesn’t necessarily manifest in direct descendants. It happened to appear in the direct line for several generations, including my father, brother, and myself.

But it’s actually quite rare. None of my brother’s four children inherited the ability, as evidence of that.

This ability is crucial for the defense of our country.

That’s why it’s one of my significant responsibilities to identify individuals with this ability from within my family’s bloodline and educate them.

I’ve had my eye on you for some time as well. Well, the encounter with Robert was truly a coincidence.”

“How do you manage to find individuals with that ability?”

“Well, it’s quite common to come across people like you who work with plants.”

“I see.

But then why did the Count let go of his own precious daughter, who possesses such a valuable ability?”

“…

We weren’t formally married with my wife. Her being a commoner, my father didn’t grant permission, you see.

If Julia were a boy with that ability, she would have been easily accepted.

That power mostly manifests in males.

It’s rare for a female to possess that ability. Occasionally, you come across someone like the ‘Green Thumb’ owner.

I was desperately fulfilling the missions given by my father to earn his approval.

But he grew tired of my indecisiveness, I suppose.

Suddenly, my wife vanished with our daughter.”

‘Green Thumb’ refers to someone skilled in nurturing flowers and plants.

“When I met Julia-sama, she already possessed that ability, but you were unaware of it, Count.”

“I didn’t know… or rather, I rarely had the chance to see my daughter.

When we parted, she was only seven years old, and I never imagined that her ability had already manifested.

Usually, abilities bloom around the age of ten.

Of course, I believed there was a possibility it would manifest in the future…”

“So that’s why you went to that farm, right? You heard a rumor about a girl with the ‘Green Thumb’ ability in a farm that was thriving just like ours…”

“That’s right,” the Count nodded.

Romand had also heard that rumor and found Julia before the Count did. However, due to his delayed actions, she had vanished. It took him another year and a half to finally locate her.