What Remains in the Damaged Place - Chapter 43

“Who is he?”

As Lirette returned to her spot in the corner of the kitchen, she quietly asked Del, who stood beside her.

“Oh, right, Brilline. This must be the first time you’ve seen him,” Del murmured, as if just realizing that fact. She glanced back at Segen, standing behind them.

“He’s an assistant gardener. He’s really good at his job and has a great personality—kind and easygoing, so everyone likes him. He used to work here before the head gardener, Mr. Ripolli, was transferred to the duke’s estate. Segen moved with him but now they’re both back.”

So that’s it, Lirette thought.

She followed Del’s gaze to Segen for a brief moment before losing interest and returning to her task.

After finishing the remaining vegetables, they had a quick lunch in the back of the kitchen.

Later, Lirette and another maid were assigned the task of collecting dry laundry from the outdoor lines, heading toward the laundry area by the woods.

Although she hadn’t been doing this job for long, this time felt strangely familiar to Lirette.

It reminded her of the time when, confined in the annex, she had started using the maids as her way of reaching out, discovering them during their laundry runs.

“I’ll take care of the rest,” Lirette said after noticing the other maid’s basket was already full. The maid, without much hesitation, nodded and headed back down the hill.

Now alone, Lirette stretched out her stiff body, letting out a long yawn.

As she stood at the top of the hill, the view caught her attention.

It was beautiful.

If peace had a shape, it might look like this scene.

The crisp air filled her lungs with every breath, while the perfectly balanced lines and curves of the estate buildings blended harmoniously with the vibrant greenery around them.

The freshness of summer had fully replaced the fading charm of spring, and this place felt like a paradise.

Though Lirette had once lived among gold-lined courts, oddly, this view seemed more dazzling to her than those grandiose halls ever had.

It felt like proof that no human creation could outshine the beauty of nature.

‘It’s almost nostalgic,’ she thought.

To find peace within the bounds of Justitia’s territory—that was something she had never dared dream of.

This freedom, this tranquility was new to her. And while it felt unfamiliar, it wasn’t unwelcome.

The landscape, with the soft summer breeze caressing her cheeks and the sun beaming down on her head, was not at all unpleasant.

In this lively, breathing place, Lirette could feel her own pulse more keenly, as if the vitality of summer was running through her, too.

After gathering the last of the laundry, Lirette slowly descended the hill.

With the work now familiar to her, it was time to shift focus to her true objective. The estate of Justitia was vast, and there were likely many paths that could lead her out if she ever needed to escape.

It was essential that she start to memorize at least one possible escape route.

“Ah?”

As she walked down the path that led from the hill toward the garden, a surprised voice called out, catching her attention.

In the next moment, she noticed a head of chestnut-brown hair swaying in the breeze.

It was Segen, the man she had briefly seen in the kitchen earlier.

Like Lirette, who was carrying the laundry, he seemed to have started his gardening work, holding a pair of pruning shears in his hand.

Even though Lirette had stopped in her tracks, Segen quickly closed the distance between them, walking toward her without hesitation.

“What brings you here?” he asked, his tone friendly and easygoing, just as Del had described.

Lirette simply held up her laundry basket in response.

“Oh, the laundry.”

“Yes.”

After the brief exchange, an awkward silence descended.

Lirette, not wanting to waste time, gave a slight nod to indicate she was leaving. But just as she was about to take a step, Segen’s voice came out quickly, stopping her.

“Oh, I didn’t get a chance to properly introduce myself earlier!”

“…”

“I hadn’t seen you around before, so… you must be new?”

“Yes, it hasn’t been long.”

“You look about my age… Do you mind if I speak casually? I get along with the other maids too.”

It seemed that speaking formally felt strange to him, given their similar status, and he scratched his cheek awkwardly. Lirette saw no reason to reject his offer, so she nodded in agreement.

Segen’s face lit up instantly.

“I’m Segen.”

“Brilline,” Lirette said, introducing herself with a small smile.

She realized she had grown quite accustomed to introducing herself with a false name by now.

As she smiled, Segen’s eyes softened, and he returned her smile, his features blending seamlessly with the picturesque garden behind him.

“You’re working in the garden?”

“Yeah, I’m helping Mr. Ripolli. You heard about that, huh?”

“Yeah, it surprised me a bit. I thought you worked in the kitchen when I saw you carrying the food supplies this morning.”

“Haha, no, I was just helping out because one of the kitchen staff was struggling with it.”

“That’s kind of you.”

The casual compliment slipped out naturally, but Segen seemed flustered, clearing his throat softly. His face, already warm from the summer sun, flushed a bit more as he ran a hand through his hair.

Lirette thought for a moment about his job.

“Since you work in the garden, I guess you know the layout really well?”

“Of course.”

Lirette deliberately slowed her gaze, taking in the garden around them.

“This garden… it’s really beautiful.”

“…”

“With such a vast and complex garden, I’m afraid I might get lost if I wander too far,” Lirette said, voicing her subtle concern.

Segen’s eyes lit up immediately. “If you have the time, I could give you a tour!”

“Really?”

Just as she had hoped, Segen took the bait.

Exploring potential escape routes wouldn’t be a problem. The real issue was the sheer size of the estate. Trying to figure it all out on her own would take an unnecessarily long time.

But now, she had someone who could help her solve that problem. Segen, knowledgeable about the garden and the estate’s layout, was the perfect guide. She could gather valuable information efficiently without having to waste much effort.

Segen, who seemed to have done this many times before, naturally led the way. As they walked through the carefully maintained sections of the garden, he enthusiastically explained various areas.

“By the way, do supply and delivery wagons come through here? I saw you bringing something to the kitchen earlier,” she asked casually.

“Huh? Oh, no. The wagons come through the back gate near the rear garden. I just happened to be outside running errands when the delivery arrived, so I helped out.”

So, the back gate is near the rear garden, Lirette noted to herself, mentally marking the direction he pointed out.

If that’s where the supply wagons entered, then it must be a discreet entrance—perfect for a potential escape route if the need ever arose.

“Wait… what’s that?” Lirette suddenly stopped as something caught her eye.

Between the neatly trimmed topiaries, she noticed a pile of flower stems, all cut and discarded in a heap. It looked like a large bouquet that had been left carelessly on the grass. The sweet fragrance seemed to waft toward her with every breeze.

“Oh, that?” Segen crouched down and gathered a handful of the cut flowers.

“If you’d like, you can take some. These will just be thrown away anyway, so feel free to take as many as you want.”

“Thrown away?” Lirette, surprised, took the flowers from Segen and examined them.

“Why would you throw these out? They look perfectly fine.”

“The stems were damaged. Part of our job is to prune them properly.”

Damaged stems?

Lirette cast her eyes over the pile of flowers again. She trusted Segen’s expertise, but to her, the flowers looked too pristine to be considered “damaged.”

Still, all these perfectly good flowers being discarded seemed like such a waste.

“They’re still good for decorative purposes, though. It’s just the stems that are the problem,” Segen added, smiling as he watched her inspect the flowers.

“What are these called?” she asked, curious.

“The ones you’re holding are called delphiniums.”

Lirette looked down at the flowers in her hands. The pale blue and deep purple hues were mixed together, like the clear summer sky blending into twilight.

They were vibrant, perfectly suited to the lively summer atmosphere.

She lifted the bouquet to her nose, taking a deep breath. The fresh, cool scent filled her senses, as if she were inhaling the very essence of a summer breeze.

As she was lost in the scent, she looked up and realized that Segen was staring at her, watching her closely.

“Why are you looking at me?” she asked.

“Oh, uh, n-no reason!” Segen straightened up awkwardly, his movements stiff.

“It just… suits you.”

What does? she wondered briefly, but decided not to press further.

With her arms now full of delphiniums, she resumed walking, the fragrant scent following her like a shadow and lifting her mood.

Of course, that pleasant feeling didn’t last long.

Bang!

The sharp crack of a gunshot echoed through the air.