Led by the elderly butler, Alphonse.
The group crossed the courtyard, at once familiar and unfamiliar, toward the Main House.
Its layout was familiar; its scenery was not.
Cui Ciyou's gaze swept casually over their surroundings.
Yet his powerful mental power had already taken in every detail.
In his memories, both sides of this path.
Should have been lined with the exquisite gardens Madam Hilda took such pride in.
Rare flowers and exotic plants gathered from across the world had grown there.
Several gardeners had tended them meticulously, offering different sights with every season and endless delight.
Now, those rare varieties were nowhere to be seen.
In their place were ordinary flowers found everywhere in the Asla Kingdom.
Though they, too, were neatly tended.
They had ultimately lost that distinctive splendor.
Only the stone-paved path beneath their feet, leading to the Main House.
Was still swept spotless, without a single fallen leaf.
Heh, she really is...
A flicker of amusement passed through Cui Ciyou's mind.
This mother-in-law of mine.
It seems that, whatever circumstances she finds herself in.
Her pursuit of beauty is etched into her very bones.
That leisurely inclination to rebuild a garden atop the ruins really was...
"Young master, you have no idea, these past three years..."
Alphonse spoke as he walked ahead of them.
"Master Sauros's temper has grown worse by the day."
"But every morning, he goes to the eastern city wall himself and stands there for an hour."
"And madam... she misses the young lady so terribly that she often tosses and turns through the night."
"As for Master Philip, alas, rebuilding the territory and finding homes for its people..."
"He hasn't had a peaceful night's sleep in months."
"Several times, I've gotten up in the middle of the night and found the light