Chapter 60

As if the world turned upside-down, my vision flashed black before returning.

[Olivia!]

I managed to keep my balance, feeling drained. “What was that?”

[Olivia, are you okay?]

“Hng, I might be sick..” I mumbled, a little dizzy—though fortunately I didn’t feel like blacking out anymore.

Inhale. Exhale.

I straightened as I saw Lennox walk out of the store.

He slowly scanned the garden until he found me, smiling softly when he did and striding rapidly with long legs. “Do you like the bouquet?”

Right, I had to stop him.

“Why did you buy the entire flower shop?”

“You said you wanted to receive the largest, most colorful, and most expensive bouquet in the world.”

“When did I say that?”

In the midst of my frustration, Ash encouraged Lennox rather than dissuade him, [Not bad. Good job.]

“Ash!”

He pretended not to listen and looked at me nonchalantly.

How reckless of him.

I gave up on him and decided to try and convince my husband. “This is too much. There won’t be any space to put all of those flowers. It’s not too late, so please..”

Lennox replied glibly, “You’re not going to tell me to make the flowers disappear, are you? Or pretend that they don’t exist?”

I was at a loss for words.

“If you do that, I’ll be really upset, Olivia.”

[He’s being sincere, so just accept them, Olivia.]

I couldn’t respond when both of them were being like that. I approached the cart slowly and looked down at the flowers.

White, yellow, pink, purple.. A quiet sweep of dewy petals.

A whiff of the fragrant scent made me smile. It was the first time I’d received flowers, and warmth spread from deep in my chest, slowly replacing my mortification.

“Thank you.”

The corners of Lennox’s mouth quirked up in a gentle smile.

“Thank you so much.. I feel like I’ve received all the flowers I’ll ever receive in my lifetime.”

“No need to overstate it. You’ll receive countless bouquets like this in the future.”

“Thank you for giving these to me.”

“You also might end up telling me to stop giving you this much because it’ll get annoying.”

I burst into giggles at the affectionate joke. I felt like the pain of my dark past was being washed away.

“Excuse me..” A voice broke through my thoughts, from a passing man, “Can’t you sell me some flowers?”

Although his clothes were a little out of fashion, he was very neatly dressed.

“I want to give my wife some flowers as a gift because today is our anniversary, but I was told that all the flowers were sold out..”

“Ah..” I turned around to see people leaving the square empty-handed, throwing me envious glances. “Lennox,” I then looked at my husband.

The quick-witted man already knew what I was going to say. “Do as you please,” he replied.

“Will it be okay?”

“Of course.”

I’d thought that it might be rude to give away the flowers that were given to me, but Lennox was surprisingly amenable to the idea.

“Since you accepted them graciously, they have fulfilled their role as my gift to you.”

I nodded with a smile.

Just in time, the employees of the flower shop arrived with more cartfuls of flowers.

“Would you please give away some of these flowers to those who need them? I’ll compensate you fairly.” I held out some silver.

Their eyes widened. “Yes, ma’am.”

But their luck didn’t end there.

“I hope that my wife’s generosity will be known far and wide.”

Their already-wide eyes nearly popped out of their heads at the flash of gold from Lennox’s breast pocket.

“Leave it to us!”

“In a few days, the whole of Elysium will be praising her kindness!”

I blinked. “Lennox, this isn’t necessary..”

The employees called out to me urgently, hands clasped and eyes shining earnestly. It was an appearance that I couldn’t say no to.

“Good deeds are supposed to be talked about.”

[It’s the right thing to do,] Ash said with conviction.

Once again helpless against the two, I ended up nodding.

“Thank you!”

“I’ll do my best!”

The employees began to prepare for distribution.

“Oh, wait!” I picked flowers from the cart according to type and color. “I can help too.”

“So can I.” Lennox bent down and helped me.

Even though there were so many, the one in my hand seemed exceptionally beautiful. I looked up at my husband, who asked me a familiar question.

“Do you like them?”

This time, I answered joyfully and without hesitation. “It’s the prettiest, most sincere bouquet I’ve ever received.”

Lennox stared at me, reaching for my face to tuck loose strands of hair behind my ear. His large hand brushed my earlobe, seemingly coincidentally. The friendly smile on his face made my heart stutter.

“The gifts you will receive in the future will be as numerous as the stars.”

I looked into his eyes.

“Use me to enjoy all that Kravant has to offer. You will not lack for anything,” he whispered, sweetly, terribly.

Lennox didn’t know about my past, when I was poor and lonely and someone else, but it felt like he did and was comforting me.

My heart ached.

I had thought he was a cold, indifferent man when I met him for the first time, but now that I had come to know him, I knew that that wasn’t true at all. He was always alert to my feelings, my needs and wants—it was almost uncanny.

Maybe it was because I was shaken, but I blurted my thoughts out, “I think the person who will marry you later will be really happy.”

Lennox paused.

“I mean, the real duchess, the one you’ll marry because you really love her.”

His eyebrows twitched. He seemed a little uncomfortable.

I sighed. I shouldn’t have said anything. His life after our divorce was none of my business. I was not in a position to talk about whom he would meet and marry.

It might be an unpleasant subject for him.

“I’m sorry, I’m just thinking out loud. Don’t think too much of it.” I averted my eyes, shuffling my feet in the dirt.

“..”

One day, our contract would be terminated. I used to be confident that we could wrap our business up neatly and say our farewells with a smile.

But now.. Would I really be okay with breaking up with Lennox? I could no longer imagine a future without him. I was no longer content with being alone.

How had it gotten this far?

“Olivia.” His hands cupped my cheeks, lifting my gaze. “You are my wife.”

His red eyes were warm, like the sun delivering heat and light to the world.

“You are the one I’m married to.”

He was being so sweet that it was breaking my heart.

I knew that he was doing his best, just as he’d promised me before our wedding. As my contractual husband, he did not lose any of the affection and respect we agreed upon. He accepted my ridiculous whining, making even me feel self-conscious.

I actually wanted to ask him every time why he was being so nice to me, but I couldn’t bear to ask because I was afraid of the answer.

Rendered silent, I resorted to hugging the flowers closer to my chest.

Lennox pulled me into his arms, a hand patting my back so gently that it made me cry.

***

“They’re so pretty.”

The flowers in the vase were blooming more radiantly than yesterday. I drank in their scent, my lungs expanding to their fullest.

I looked at my husband. “Do you want to smell them?”

“If you wish.” He approached and put his face close to the flowers.

His beautiful face and the beautiful bouquet made a beautiful scene, one that took my breath away.

“It smells good.” Lennox looked up at me, smiling.

I smiled back.

Perfect. It was a perfect view.

Then I remembered the contract again and felt as if cold water was poured water on me.

[By the way, Your Grace, is there anything other than flowers?]

I was so intoxicated by the warm atmosphere that I forgot that the world was not just for us two. I turned to Ash, who seemed to have entered through an open window.

[Won’t you buy her something else? Dresses, jewelry, shoes, things like that?]

What in the world was he talking about?

His demands continued, [You didn’t think it would end with just a bouquet, did you?]

My jaw dropped.

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Lennox. He had a slight frown, but I couldn’t read his thoughts.

It was then that a direct provocation came, [If you’re a duke, it’s only natural that you give gifts on your honeymoon—Khhk!]

I hurriedly closed his beak, pretending not to notice his sounds of protest.

“You really do just say the obvious, you foolish bird,” Lennox said blandly. “Today’s itinerary was supposed to be going to the boutique.”

Wait, what?

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