Sunflowers

But Benjamin didn't return until noon; that's what Samuel informed her.

"That means you have your own space to do whatever you want," Samuel smiled after saying that.

But aside from approaching Benjamin, Jacqueline couldn't think of what she could do. If it were any other day, she would be working now.

Jacqueline realized her life was only dedicated to work and studies.

"It's just... hard for me to figure out what I would do," confusion showed on her gentle face and in her voice.

Her answer surprised Samuel. He had met wealthy people who always knew what they needed to do to enjoy life so much that he couldn't anticipate her confusion and uncertainty.

But a smile immediately appeared on his lips. Making his Lady happy was a butler's job, he thought.

"Well, of course, because there are plenty of things to do in this mansion. Painting, reading, taking care of plants, swimming, watching movies... Lady, I know," Samuel said.

Jacqueline laughed; her confusion was humorously shattered by Samuel.

"I feel interested in taking care of plants, can I?" Jacqueline asked.

Samuel smiled, "Always, Miss. But can you wait for a few minutes for the preparation? I don't think your delicate hands can handle a crude pair of garden shears."

Jacqueline nodded, "Waiting is necessary to enjoy interesting things, right?"

"Great!" Samuel said, "In the meantime, I'll bring you some books about plant care."

A few minutes later, the books were brought in. The books were printed on premium paper, and Jacqueline felt the softness of the pages as she touched them. They weren't just text-only books as she thought but had many illustrations and simple content.

Jacqueline immersed herself in the books while Samuel instructed the household staff to work as efficiently as possible to please their Lady.

After ensuring that everything was almost ready, he had to welcome an unexpected appearance, Helena.

"Oh wait, are you helping the Master solve his problems?" Samuel reminded.

"And...?" Helena replied as if his inquiry was meaningless. "He can handle everything on his own. And you, what are you preparing for the Lady?"

Helena observed the items in the hands of the maid, then raised an eyebrow and said, "Gardening tools? Does she want to take care of plants?"

"Yeah, all done, and I have to leave here," Samuel said and left before a word could escape Helena's mouth.

Helena rolled her eyes; she hadn't had a chance to ask him about the shipment of weapons they had just received three days ago. Without Samuel's help, she would have to check it herself. But knowing that he was trying to please the Lady, she felt it was worth it.

Under the guidance of the elderly gardener, Jacqueline quickly became familiar with plant care and found joy in it. It helped her escape from obsessive thoughts about her mission.

Samuel, always watching them from a distance, was pleased to see a faint smile on Jacqueline's lips.

She worked enthusiastically even as the sun rose high in the noon, stopping only when Samuel advised her to take a break and have lunch.

After a short nap, Jacqueline went to the West garden of the mansion and waited for the elderly gardener.

"Oh, little girl, you're here too early," the old man said when he saw her sitting on a wicker chair from a distance. "Have you been waiting for long, in the scorching sun?"

"I just got here, and I'm wondering what flowers we'll plant in this garden," Jacqueline replied as she approached the old man.

He put down his tools, "Any flower you want, we'll ask Sam for the seeds."

As Jacqueline seemed not only interested in caring but also in planting flowers, in the early morning, while she was tending to the plants in the East garden, Samuel had instructed the other gardeners to remove the rose bushes in the West garden so she could plant any kind of flower she wanted. Of course, Jacqueline was never aware of this.

"So, have you thought about what flowers we'll plant?" The old man asked while putting on gardening gloves.

"Hmm, sunflowers, I think they suit the weather here," she said after a few seconds of contemplation. "What do you think?"

"So, you've heard it, our butler," the old man said.

"I'll prepare it immediately," Samuel's voice echoed, and Jacqueline recognized that he had appeared behind her.

"Thank you, Sam. What about your Master, should we ask for his opinion first or not?" Jacqueline spoke with a hint of confusion in her voice.

She still believed that her opinion was just for reference, and the decision-maker should be Benjamin.

"Of course not. My Master loves surprises, especially from you," Samuel said before leaving.

Everything happened too quickly, and she couldn't catch up with everything. Jacqueline stood there with a worried expression.

"Don't worry, little girl. Samuel is Ben's right-hand. If he's not concerned, then you have no reason to worry," the old man said.

Jacqueline didn't expect her confusion to be so evident. She quickly adjusted her expression.

"If you're worried that the last incident would make Ben angry, no, he doesn't seem to care about it," the old man said.

"The last incident?" It seemed like he was talking about something she didn't know.

"Of course, when you left the engagement ceremony without any notice, Ben was extremely angry at that time. But when you came back, he became happier," the old man recounted what he knew. "I don't think it should worry you that much. You are the little apple of Master's eye."

Jacqueline realized he was talking about her twin sister, Jasmine. Benjamin's indulgence towards Jasmine surpassed anything she could imagine. He even treated Jasmine well even after she betrayed him.

Samuel brought the seeds, and Jacqueline started the first steps to create a sunflower garden.

As the sunset arrived, Jacqueline sowed the last seed into the ground. Sweat dripped down her forehead, but her face was radiant.

"Thank you, Mihawk," Jacqueline stood up and gave her elderly friend a grateful smile.

Mihawk looked contentedly at the garden; he also wanted to thank Jacqueline for working with him today. He didn't realize how lonely he was until she appeared this morning. Enduring loneliness had eroded him.

But ultimately, he decided not to speak it out because he would do something else for her in return.