[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 18

"If you sit in the gazebo over there, you’ll have a nice view of the flower bed." Jenny pointed to a gazebo with a white roof not far from us, surrounded by various types of flowers. 

"That’s a perfect spot. Thank you, Jenny." I smiled at her, and she blushed modestly. 

"Shall I prepare some refreshments? Having tea while looking at the flowers will enhance your mood." 

"Would that be alright?"  

"Of course. Do you have any preferred tea or dessert?" 

"I’d like some scones, if possible." In my past life, I couldn’t pass a bakery without stopping for a scone almost daily. Since arriving here, I hadn’t had one, and I was practically dreaming of them. What perfect timing. 

"The chef will prepare it right away. Just a moment, please." I silently cheered as Jenny hurried back to the main building. 

As I swung my legs in anticipation, memories of yesterday came to mind. 'What was that all about?' The guardian tree of Jueri was surely a dried-up old tree, lifeless. Why then couldn’t I detach my hand? And what was that excruciating pain that felt like my heart would burst? At that moment, I truly thought the guardian tree was trying to kill me. 'Could it be? Did it recognize that I’m not the real Jueri?' The thought sent shivers down my spine. It was a sacred tree, and knowing it was dead still left me uneasy. If I couldn’t use gem magic, Edwin might kill me, and now even the guardian tree rejected me. 

Feeling gloomy, I collapsed onto the table, and my view filled with marigolds. 'The flower meaning of marigolds is “inevitable happiness.”' Will happiness find me too? Uncertain about the future, I felt downhearted. Feeling like this, I might dig down to the Earth’s core, so I forced myself to stand up. 

"Can I pick some of those flowers?" I asked a maid who had accompanied Jenny, and she ran off to fetch the gardener. Soon, the gardener came with the maid, barely making eye contact and quickly filled a basket with marigolds. 'Oh, I didn’t need this many.' Before I could say it was too much, the gardener had finished and disappeared. 

Staring awkwardly at the basket, Jenny returned. "What’s this?" 

"I asked for a few marigolds because they were so pretty, but the gardener picked so many." I explained with a mix of helplessness and slight irritation, and Jenny smiled gently. 

"I'll put some in a vase for your room. The rest you could use to make a bouquet or a wreath." 

"Jenny—" Impressed by her swift resolution, I grasped her hand, and she looked up, slightly startled, then chuckled and set aside the basket to lay out what she had brought. 

"I’ll arrange the flowers for you, so please enjoy the refreshments first. The scones will get cold." Tea, scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam were laid out on the table. 

'I thought I’d never get to eat you again.' My eyes teared up as I finally faced the scones. I quickly grabbed a scone, generously applied clotted cream and strawberry jam, and took a big bite. 'This dry texture, how long has it been?' The tart sweetness of the jam and the richness of the clotted cream made me smile. I finished with a refreshing drink; it couldn’t have been more perfect. 'This place is a culinary treasure.' 

As I closed my eyes to savour the moment, a sarcastic voice spoke up nearby. "There you are. What could possibly make my bride so happy?" 

The blissful feeling of soaring through the clouds crashed down to the frozen Arctic tundra in an instant. With the half-eaten scone still in my hand, I lifted my eyelids, and an unamused Edwin appeared. 

"Ed? Are you upset because I seem happier now than when I'm with you?" 

With his arms crossed and a slant in his posture, Edwin grumbled. Meeting his unsmiling eyes, the scone in my throat suddenly felt stuck.  

"I was just looking around the garden, and the marigolds were so pretty I decided to have some tea." 

I stammered out the situation, watching his reaction carefully. "So, what did you eat that made you shake with happiness?" 

Edwin approached and sat me down on his knee, asking in a deceptively gentle voice that somehow felt like an interrogation. "S-scones." I offered the scone in my hand, and Edwin glared at it as if it were an enemy. 

"Is this edible? Who would give my bride such a half-made thing?" Unlike the elaborate cakes, the somewhat rustic and plain appearance of the scone made Edwin furrow his brows. Jenny and the nearby maids all tensed up. 

"This is how it's supposed to look. But it's really delicious." Fearing that Jenny and the chef might catch some flak, I timidly insisted, and Edwin's eyebrows shot up, while I shrank a bit. 

Edwin, watching me silently, suddenly took a bite of the remaining scone in my hand. "Ugh, it's dry. How can you eat this?" Grimacing as if he had chewed sand, he looked at me as if I were a curious creature. 

Scones are so plain and delicious even on their own. It's a shame he doesn’t know that. I felt a surge of unjust frustration but couldn't show it. Still, I was hurt that the scones were being dismissed and found myself weakly protesting.