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

Chapter 62 Julia and the previous Baroness

“But, Hyde, you didn’t accidentally stumble upon this place, did you?”

When Julia stared into Hyde’s eyes and asked, he nodded with a satisfied expression, as expected.

“This place was originally the residence of the previous Baroness grandmother. The renowned Rose Garden, known as the best in the capital, was created by the Baroness. The Baron fell in love with her rose-making skills and proposed to her.

‘I believe that if you marry me, you can freely create roses on a larger piece of land. You can share happiness with many people. That’s your dream, right? Please let me assist you.’

I heard he said, kneeling and looking up at the Baroness.”

Julia couldn’t help but think about how romantic that proposal sounded. However, knowing the results of their married life, she felt a complicated mix of emotions.

After all, the previous lords, especially the great-grandfather, were known for their questionable actions. He engaged in inappropriate relationships with young maids, shirked his responsibilities, and played around while his wife handled the estate.

It was said that he was the epitome of a worthless man, as people who knew him would unanimously agree.

However, according to Robert, while he couldn’t bring himself to like him, he wasn’t a hateful person. Romand also mentioned that his grandfather was somewhat better than his uncle (stepfather), admitting he was foolish and useless but still had some humanity left in him.

“The great-grandfather was truly a foolish man, but he kept his promise with Lady Baroness. The rose production on the Plant Baron’s estate became the best in the country. They improved the varieties, increased the types, enhanced the fragrance, and made them resistant to diseases and pests. Customers were very grateful.

Lady Baroness went through a lot of hardships, but she was glad that she could protect the rose garden. Contrary to what people around them thought, Lady Baroness wasn’t harsh or domineering towards her husband; she only gave him firm encouragement.

The reason Lady Baroness accepted the proposal was that her family had been deceived by a count, losing their land and property. She used to say, ‘My husband is the benefactor who saved me and the roses.’ Her husband, at a young age, was a judge for rose competitions, and he fell in love with Lady Baronesss, who entered her roses. It was his first love, I heard.”

After Lady Baroness passed away, the great-grandfather fell into deep despair and, almost as if following her, succumbed to the same illness. This made it evident that he truly loved his wife. However, Julia couldn’t help but wonder why he engaged in womanizing and even committed heinous acts like rape. Hyde explained with a slightly melancholic expression.

“Lord Baron had a drinking problem. His personality would change when he drank. Aware of this, he tried not to drink, but sometimes he’d accidentally consume it or be intentionally forced to by malicious individuals. There are wicked people everywhere, regardless of gender.”

Ah, so that was it. Julia realized why Hyde had shared such a dark story.

“The great-grandmother created a magnificent rose garden, catching the eye of a wicked individual who took over their mansion and estate. Perhaps that man even tried to acquire the young lady of the house, but she ended up marrying someone else.

After her marriage, the lady started cultivating roses at her new home and achieved success. This might have attracted attention or jealousy from others, leading to malicious harassment.

In both aristocratic society and the business world, as well as the agricultural industry, there are individuals with malice, envy, and greed, constantly trying to trap others. Due to such people, the great-grandparents and Robert’s family were framed.

In essence, since Julia is destined to become Lady Plant, Hyde probably shared this story to impress upon her the importance of being vigilant and prepared. The once nearly bankrupt Plant Baron’s family is now the royal family’s designated estate, with the young heir being friends with the crown prince and planning to marry the daughter of the prestigious Woodcliff Earl.

This would undoubtedly attract envy. Julia now understood that keeping the engagement a secret wasn’t just about protecting herself from the royal family; it was about safeguarding against those who might harbor ill intentions.

“Is Lord Romand also facing danger?”

“Well, I’m not sure how to answer that, but there were many who plotted against him. However, he suffered no harm. If anything, the tables were turned, and it was quite challenging for the other party. Also, Robert had a tough time.”

Hyde muttered with a distant look. Julia tilted her head, wondering why Robert had a hard time.

“Keeping Lord Romand from becoming a murderer was incredibly challenging. Despite his immense destructive power, controlling it was his weakness.”

That reminded Julia of a conversation two days ago. Romand had the power to easily obliterate the royal palace, but controlling that power was difficult. The thought of directing such power towards others made her shudder, so she decided to stop thinking about it.

“However, Robert himself said that being attacked multiple times was meaningful as it allowed him to confirm and test the control of Lord Romand’s abilities. What a positive thinker he is. I thought he was the cautious type, the opposite of my optimistic self, but perhaps Robert is more similar to me than I thought.”

Hyde continued, “To be honest, I’m not overly concerned about Lady Julia being exposed to physical danger. She has the strongest guard, Lord Ruffie, by her side, and she herself is a ‘Green Spirit User.’ However, mental attacks are not so easily countered. That’s why I wanted you to know the reality and prepare before coming here. We’ve had a failure in this regard before.”

“Failure?,” Julia inquired.

“The current Lady, the previous headmistress, wasn’t informed about the story of the great-grandparents. Because of that, she later resented me after learning about it. She took the rumors at face value and treated her in-laws harshly, which she later regretted.”

Ah, I see, Julia thought. From Hyde’s perspective, he couldn’t reveal the personal information of the headmaster and his wife while they were alive. However, the former Lady must have felt regret after learning the truth. She was a kind-hearted person.

Julia felt grateful that she was being informed now.

Even so, Julia thought, Hyde didn’t deceive or cheat to obtain this place. He merely reclaimed it. Directly from the wicked scamming Earl. Legitimately.

“So, the roses blooming in the garden of this mansion now have finally returned home?”

“Yes, they’ve been on a very long journey. First, they traveled from the Lady of the past generation’s family in the royal capital to the Plant Baron’s estate, then to our small garden, and afterward, back to the Plant Baron’s farm. Finally, this land was purified by Lord Romand.”

“Did you move house as well?”

“It’s more like Lady moved our house here as a wedding gift. She said it was a gift, built a flower bed in our garden, and transplanted Plant family roses there. We received the best gift. And in the end, it became a continuation of the Lady’s feelings. Perhaps it was the strength of her determination.”

Hyde said this with deep emotion, but Julia didn’t understand the meaning. So she asked,

“Um… Why is your house included in the itinerary of the roses’ journey you mentioned earlier?”

In response, Hyde wore a troubled, almost pitiful, complex expression and replied,

“Julia-sama, have you forgotten? The previous lord fell victim to fraud, and the Plant Baron’s farm got contaminated.”

“Ah!”

“Come to think of it, when I was saved by Lord Romand and Madame Flora, the Plant Baron’s estate, including the farm and pastures, was completely contaminated, and all the plants were withered. So naturally, the roses in Lady’s garden from the past generation would have withered too.”

Finally understanding, Julia realized the significance of what Hyde had said.

If the roses from Lady’s garden hadn’t been transplanted into Hyde’s house garden, her meticulously nurtured roses would have perished. They wouldn’t be blooming here now.

This realization sent a shiver down Julia’s entire body.