19 Melody

Blooming beautifully in the summer, the Rose Sanctuary, as the name implied, had a variety of roses, coming in all shapes and sizes.

The garden literally had every color of the rainbow, intricately planted to complement each other.

While I was not aware of every species growing here, I knew that it must have taken a lot of effort to cultivate such a magnificent landscape.

Which was highly odd, now that I noticed it again.

Because out of the many places in the garden, only this bed of roses was left mostly untouched, other than the occasional pruning and watering.

If I recalled correctly, I hardly saw anyone pass through here, which was such a pity because the roses were breathtaking.

While it was accessible to anyone, the whole area was clearly avoided as if it were some sort of prohibited enclosure.

Even Mr. Garrison, the Head Gardener, avoided this area like the plague. And if he did go, which was very rare, he waited until the family was out of the residence before he even took a step inside.

I wanted to ask the reason why, but I respected his privacy just as he respected mine, so I kept quiet.

And even if I did open my mouth, he wouldn't say a word about it unless he had permission to do so.

Despite his many years working here, Mr. Garrison took his job seriously, no matter how menial the task at hand was. That was one of the many reasons why the family appreciated him. Not only for his loyalty but also because Mr. Garrison never took liberties with the trust given to him by the family.

After all, his employer was a big shot, or so I heard. I mean, if the Head of the Family was able to keep his end of the bargain, I'm guessing he must have some level of influence.

If not, how else could the deal be made?

Finding a spot along the roses, I picked up the tools and slowly pruned the roses while carefully avoiding the thorns.

Although I had never pruned roses before, I had experience in pruning other plants as taught by Mr. Garrison, so I got the gist of it.

It took a while to get the rhythm down, but before long, I was snipping away like a pro.

While I was engrossed with the job at hand, I didn't know what overcame me, but I heard a melody playing in my head.

I wasn't about to break into song. Hell, no. Besides, all I knew was the melody. There weren't any lyrics of any kind, just the sweet melody which kept replaying in my thoughts.

The more I hummed it, the more soothing it felt to me. Despite being under the hot sun, it was more cooling than ever as the gentle breeze swept through me.

It was from this calm wind that the violent storm approached me.

"What are you doing here?" 🌹😡

I froze at the sound of her voice. Turning slowly, I saw Lady Vivienne standing there, her greyish-silver eyes glaring at me. Her long, wavy strawberry blonde hair flowed with the wind, giving her an almost ethereal look if not for the scowl on her face.

"Just pruning the roses," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Who gave you permission to touch these roses?" she demanded, stepping closer.

"Mr. Garrison," I said, standing my ground. "He asked me to help out."

Her eyes narrowed. "This section of the garden is off-limits to you."

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Because I said so," she snapped. "These roses are special. They don't need your meddling."

I bit back a retort, knowing it would do no good to argue with her. Instead, I gathered my tools and stepped away from the flower bed.

"I was just trying to help," I said, keeping my tone neutral.

"If you really want to help," she said coldly, "stay out of my way."

"Fine. I'll stay out of your way."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. As I walked away, I could feel her gaze burning into my back.

Once I was out of sight, I let out a shaky breath. The melody that had been so soothing moments ago was now drowned out by the tension of the encounter.

Felix found me a few minutes later, concern etched on his face. "What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Lady Vivienne," I said simply. "She wasn't too happy about me pruning the roses."

Felix winced. "I should have warned you. That area is kind of her sanctuary."

"Yeah, I figured that out," I replied, forcing a smile. "It's okay. I'll just find something else to do."

He nodded. "Let's head back. There's still plenty of work to be done."

As we walked back, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Lady Vivienne's anger than just territoriality. There was a history in those roses, a story I wasn't privy to. And while I respected Mr. Garrison's silence on the matter, I couldn't help but feel a growing curiosity.

But for now, I had to focus on the task at hand and try to stay out of trouble. At least until the next melody called to me. 🎶