Chapter 6: Rose Garden

Today is a beautiful sunny day with birds singing and flowers blooming. The gardens of the Duke's Palace are magnificent and beautiful. The garden I'm in is full of flowers, with dozens of species decorating the flower beds with lush greenery that is a real treat for the eyes.

This is the view from where I started my jog.

After ten minutes of running, the sun became blindingly hot, the pleasant chirping of the birds became extremely loud in my ears, and the scent of the flowers became pungent. I don't know when it happened, but the originally colourful flower beds gradually became monotonous, full of gorgeous red roses. I collapsed on the lawn, out of breath.

There was no way around it: I had to choose between diet and exercise, and the diet option was already blocked.

I'm very greedy, but even more deadly is Sharon's ever-expanding motherly love for me. She often finds all sorts of desserts and snacks for me and I can't help myself when she feeds me, I always eat too much.

She really has become more and more kind to me, which I'm very touched by. Just now she even offered to go jogging with me to keep me safe, but after a while she was called away by the head maid to help.

When she left, she asked the other maids to look after me, but they all said they were busy - even though it was obvious they had nothing to do. I didn't want to make Sharon's life difficult, so I said I'd rather have some peace and quiet. She left with the head maid, looking worried and reluctant.

It's really great having Sharon as my maid. When I think about it, I really am very lucky.

Also, it was mentioned in the novel that Inette, although she appeared to be the Duke's daughter, actually lived in the servants' quarters in the corner of the building. She was a good girl who never strayed from her duties and never met the duke or anyone else. She just grew up quietly like a little flower in the corner.

Since I can't meet these people, my life is still very comfortable and peaceful. What danger could there be?

It's that dream again.

I don't really remember much about my past life, but there are always some fragments that I can't forget, and they keep appearing in my dreams.

Once, when we were on a school trip, the girls in my class locked me in the tool shed of the Scenic Area cleaning staff. When the door was opened a few hours later, I found that the school bus had already left and no one had noticed that I was gone, so of course no one came looking for me.

This used to happen to me all the time. My bag was also stolen, so I had to walk home. The road was very cold in the early morning and it was still dark when I arrived. My flatmates were getting up one by one to wash and get ready. My head was spinning and my face was white from the cold.

In the morning I went to school as usual. My teachers and classmates didn't say anything. Did they not know or did they not care?

Sometimes I wonder if I could disappear forever and no one in the world would notice.

**

I frowned in my sleep and someone poked me in the face.

What a nuisance! I turned to avoid it and my nose caught the fresh smell of grass.

Who are you? Why are you in my garden?

A woman's impatient voice came from above. I opened my eyes slightly and what I saw was a lush green meadow. I had fallen asleep in a garden!

I woke up suddenly, sat up sharply and a young girl crouched in front of me. I almost hit her chin.

How can I describe her beauty?

Her light brown eyes were like crystal clear amber, the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, making this soft colour even more enchanting and moving. She looked at me without a smile, her fair cheeks with a healthy blush, her thick burgundy hair the colour of the roses in the garden, dazzling and enchanting like flames.

There is no mistaking this face. There is only one person in the whole book who is so fierce and beautiful. She is the Duke's eldest daughter, the notoriously evil maid of the Nigel family, Claire Nigel.

When the girl saw that I was just staring at her without meaning to speak, she became even more impatient and looked down at me condescendingly:

'Are you the servant's child? Answer my question.

I replied hastily, for fear of offending her: 'My name is Inette. I was adopted a month ago. I'm sorry, but I seem to have lost my way and can't find my way out.

This Claire is a thorny rose. The word 'thorny' does not do justice to her dangerous nature. A rose with a sickle, anyway, I can't afford to offend her.

She is as beautiful as she is crazy.

Who adopted you?

'The Duke.

As soon as I finished, Claire's face turned dark. What a person to show her emotions! But she is much better than Elio, a smiling tiger. At least I don't have to guess what she's thinking.

She's angry. Doesn't she know she has a new sister?

She opened her mouth to speak, but in the distance came Sharon's frightened cries.

Miss! Miss Inette!...'

Saved!

Sharon finally saw me and ran to me panting, leaning on her knees to catch her breath. After a long time she raised her head and said helplessly,

Miss Inette! Why are you here...'

Then she saw Claire standing next to me and her voice immediately dropped: 'K, Miss Claire, I'm very sorry to have disturbed you!

Claire didn't say a word, her warm brown pupils full of anger. She turned and walked away, her long hair sweeping over my arm like flames, giving me the illusion that I was being burned.

After Claire left, Sharon took a long breath. She knelt down to fix my skirt for me, sweat beading on her pale forehead.

"Miss, this is the late Duchess's rose garden. Don't ever come here again...'

I took a small handkerchief from my pocket, with a cute little white bear embroidered on it by Sharon. I used it to wipe the sweat from Sharon's brow.

She looked at me in surprise and stopped in the middle of a sentence.

Was Sharon looking for me?

Sharon smiled helplessly, 'Yes Miss, I was worried to death and ran halfway across the estate.

'...'

She was a little worried when she saw me silent and unresponsive, so she lifted my arm and checked it, 'Miss, are you all right? Has my lady hurt you?

She really cared for me. I couldn't believe it. Someone cared so much about finding me.

I'm fine.

I held out my hands, and Sharon understood immediately and picked me up. Her embrace was warm and comforting. I pressed my cheek against her neck and felt inexplicably at ease.

'Sister Sharon, thank you for coming to see me.

'Of course I'm coming! You're so cold and you smell of grass. Did you fall asleep on the grass?'

I was a little embarrassed. 'Well... I've caused you trouble.

What trouble? Let's hurry back and take a hot bath so you don't get sick!

She picked up the pace as she carried me, and from the top of the castle, in front of the rose garden where the Duke's office was, I saw a figure walking out of the window.