The sun shone brightly over the gardens of the estate, bathing them in warmth as it dappled the trees with half-shadows and filtering through as a soft wind stirred the leaves. The fragrance of fresh blooms hung in the air, their scent soft but somehow. not quite right.
Liora slowly strolled along, her robes of silk floating behind her, following the cobblestone walkway. Mira and Lily, who were too anxious to wait, had already sprinted ahead of her, soft giggles chasing them as they knelt among the flowers, inspecting each one closely.
Liora's eyes followed them, and presently something caught her notice.
All of the flowers in the garden were white.
Roses, lilies, chrysanthemums, even the tiniest flowers, were all white, untouched by any other hue.
Mira, who was still hunched over a group of fragile petals, appeared to be in a daze.
Liora cocked her head a little, observing her. "What is it, Mira? , Mira got up, brushing her hands before looking over at Liora. "Madam, there are flowers of all sorts here… but not one of them is colored. Why is that?"
Liora blinked.
And now that she looked more closely, Mira was correct.
Lily, who had been quietly watching, nodded in concurrence. "That's right! Not a single one of red, pink, or blue anywhere."
Curiosity gleamed in Lily's eyes as she faced the servant, who had been silently keeping pace with them. "Why is the garden like that? Why just white flowers?"
The servant paused for an instant before speaking. "The white garden is Sir Lucien's choice."Curiosity flashed in Liora's eyes as she gazed upon the seemingly boundless expanse of pale flowers.Her eyes wandered past the neatly maintained flower beds, and that was when she saw something strange.
The other half of the garden was vacant.
The flower beds were present, defined by nicely set fencing, but no flowers had been planted. The ground was cracked, the wooden trellises naked, as if something had once thrived there but had been intentionally left to dry.
Liora swung back around to the servant. "And what of that section?" she gestured towards the dead part. "Why is it in such a condition?"
The servant tensed marginally.
"I... cannot answer you, madam."
Liora's eyebrows puckered. "Why not?"
The servant did not reply, his head slightly bowing. Clearly, he would not continue.
Liora didn't prod. She just turned back to the view in front of her. Nothing more was said as the tour proceeded. The servant then escorted them down the corridors, opening up a succession of rooms to them.
The library was humble; it was not so large as the royal records but still with shelves of books piled neatly against the walls. The kitchen was abuzz with activity and had the comforting aroma of fresh herbs and stewing broth.
They walked past a number of guest rooms, storage areas, and, at last, something that surprised them.An entertainment hall.
The moment the servant said it, Mira, Lily, and Liora looked at each other.
Lily was the first to express her curiosity. "Does that mean Sir Lucien is fond of dance and music?"
Liora kept silent, but she, too, was curious about the existence of such a room.
The servant replied briefly. "Madam, dancers and musicians come to the estate quite often."
Liora's fingers swept over the softness of her sleeve, replaying his words in her head.
It wouldn't have shocked her; he was once a prince, after all. A man with such status, even when shamed, would still enjoy the privilege of access to certain vices.
Something about it just stuck in her head, however, more than it ought to have.
Liora strode through the hallways again, her gentle steps ringing off the slick floors. Mira and Lily escorted her as they trailed after their escort, the servant drawing them deeper within the estate.
All of this in this building was huge, but suffocating too. The corridors went on endlessly, while in the way the servants hid their eyes when the trio took a halt to ask questions, some of those doors were very firmly closed.
And so they ran into one of those doors.
This time Liora slowed her steps and then stopped in her tracks. Mira and Lily, their attention caught at the sudden standstill, faced the direction that Liora was staring in.
A room lay before them, its doors shut, its existence silent yet heavy, for it bore the weight of something indiscernible.
Liora looked towards the servant. "What is this place?"
The man kept his head lowered. "I cannot say, madam."
Liora knit her brows in a hint of displeasure but did not pry.
Mira and Lily exchanged a glance; however, before Mira breathed softly, "It's restricted, isn't it?"
The servant paused, and then he gave a low nod. "Yes, madam."
Comprehension fell among the three women.
Liora turned and resumed her promenade. "Let's not dwell on it, then."
The tour went on until they had seen most of what the estate had to offer.
By its conclusion, Liora let out a soft sigh, turning to the servant.
"I think we've seen enough for today. We can continue tomorrow."
The servant bowed.
"As you wish, madam."
With that, he departed.
As they walked back toward Liora's quarters, Mira grumbled, folding her arms. "Isn't it strange? So much of this house is off-limits."
Lily agreed, her voice softer. "I think there are more closed doors than open ones."
Liora, though, was still contemplative. "At least the gardens are accessible to us."
Mira scoffed. "What is the point of having a house this large if half of it is restricted?"
Liora laughed softly at her irritation before shaking her head. "Let's not waste our time pining for what we can't go into." She leaned to the side, her head tilted. "Now, then should we look for something productive to do, or will we just sit idle?"
Before anyone could respond, they came to Liora's chambers.
As Liora was reaching for the door, another one opposite them swung open.
A figure emerged, the one to whom that room belongs., Lucien.
Wearing a midnight blue robe, his stance was still effortlessly relaxed as he exited his room. Rowan was just behind him, closely following Lucien. His face was showing no emotion at all; his eyes were fixed straight ahead on his way as he seemed to be in a hurry. But he did not glance at Liora, and this very thing was deliberate.
He did not even care to give it a look. Liora parted her lips, involuntarily raising her hand a little as if to welcome him or to greet him, but he was already gone.She noticed Rowan, who greeted her in the morning, followed his master.
She remained stationary while looking at Lucien's back, observing him as his form disappeared down the corridor. and Rowan, too, spoke nothing.
Liora dropped her hand, tucking her fingers into her palm.
It's okay, Liora.
She reminded herself of that.
She reminded herself that it didn't matter.
But behind her, Mira and Lily were already sharing a look; their eyes were talking more than words that they would ever say to each other.
Feeling their unspoken conversation, Liora turned, shaking her head softly. "Come inside."
The moment the door closed behind them, Lily clapped her hands together, her voice rising. "Shall we go through the other presents from the Queen Dowager?"