After several consecutive days of torrential rain, the sky outside was exceptionally clear, as though it had been washed clean, revealing a beautiful blue. A few white clouds drifted across it, adding a touch of decoration to the lovely scene.
Although the maze garden out back was not yet finished, the front garden was still beautiful. Li Wei and Sophie walked through it, but the girl always seemed a little uneasy around him. She watched him cautiously, occasionally lowering her head to stare at the tips of her shoes.
Li Wei, however, seemed entirely oblivious to Sophie's unusual behavior. He simply walked through the garden with his cane, commenting on the flowers and praising their beauty.
"Count Cromwell certainly has excellent taste. You can tell these flowers are very well tended. Do you like flowers, Miss Sophie?"
"Y-yes, I love flowers, Lord Li Wei."
At Li Wei's question, Sophie hurriedly nodded and answered in a quiet voice.
"So do I. They're beautiful. The world would lose much of its joy without flowers."
As he spoke, Li Wei stopped beside a flower bed and looked at a little flower. It was delicate, with five small white petals blooming around its center, seemingly having opened only after the rain.
"This flower is lovely."
"Th-this is a white fragrant orchid, Lord Li Wei."
Sophie began to explain.
"It's a very interesting flower. Although it isn't particularly eye-catching, it always stays quietly in a corner. But it can soothe people's hearts. I've always loved this flower. I even used one as a bookmark before..."
At that point, Sophie abruptly stopped and fell silent.
"What's wrong, Miss Sophie?"
"Nothing, Lord Li Wei."
Sophie shook her head.
"I'm just a little... envious."
"Envious?"
"Yes. Flowers are simply flowers. All they need to do is bloom and