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Chapter 30: Seeds of the Nightglow Orchid

Dorothy was not as finicky as those highborn ladies, so she took care of trivial matters like drinking water and wiping sweat herself.

In fact, even other noble young ladies, those who brought maids along, were never pampered as meticulously as Nanali was by Ryan.

Dorothy claimed she was jealous for ulterior motives, but the other noble girls truly envied Nanali.

Quite a few young noblewomen had already begun scolding their attendants.

“Look at Professor Ryan: not only is he erudite, he also knows how to look after people, but look at you, you cannot even serve properly!”

Those attendants were on the verge of tears.

“How could I have known the lady needed to be cared for to this extent? I have always served like this!”

“It is all that Ryan’s fault; why does he have to wait on her so thoroughly and ruin the rules?”

Meanwhile, Ryan had already led his horse out of the stable, seated Nanali, and started home.

When they passed the marketplace, the entrance was far quieter than that morning; only a wooden platform stained with dried blood remained to inform passers-by of the earlier carnage.

Nanali cast a curious glance that way, and Ryan calmly placed his hand on her head.

“Ah, the morning performance must have gone awry, so the audience pelted them with rotten fruit.”

Watching Ryan’s deliberate attempt to hide the truth, Nanali could not help finding it amusing.

Although she was only 9, as the daughter of a noble house Nanali had witnessed bloody scenes like that before.

Even so, Ryan still treated her as a child who had never seen such things.

Nanali did not dislike this attitude; on the contrary, she rather enjoyed it.

After letting her mind wander for a while, she suddenly came to herself and slapped away Ryan’s hand that rested on her head.

“I told you not to mess with my hair!”

After riding a bit farther past the market, Ryan and Nanali arrived at the flower shop where Ryan had bought flowers yesterday.

Gazing at the store, Ryan thought for a moment, then lowered his head to Nanali.

“Do you like the Nightglow Orchid I gave you yesterday?”

“It is alright; it is pretty, but it already withered.”

Nanali answered against her true feelings, for in her eyes the Nightglow Orchid was the most beautiful flower she had ever seen.

Unfortunately, the bloom had wilted after just one night.

“Shall we buy a packet of seeds?”

Ryan smiled and said, “We will grow them ourselves, so they will not wither so easily.”

“Grow them ourselves?”

Nanali’s eyes lit up first, then she asked in confusion, “But doesn’t the Nightglow Orchid only grow on the borderlands?”

“We can use magic.”

Ryan laughed and said, “I will teach you a spell that can imbue plants with vitality; with it we can cultivate Nightglow Orchids at home.”

Hearing that, Nanali nodded happily; being able to grow Nightglow Orchids at home and learn a new spell was certainly delightful.

Last time, because Rowan was there, Ryan had left Nanali waiting outside while he bought flowers.

This time only Ryan and Nanali were together, so, after tying the horse, he took Nanali into the shop with him.

Ryan was not worried about the horse; though it looked skinny, it had come from the battlefield and was not easily tamed… any thief risked having a hoof smash a hole through his chest.

After buying seeds and flowerpots, Ryan stored everything in his magic storage space and rode back to the estate.

“Milady, welcome home; the bathwater is ready.”

As soon as they arrived, Darly came forward and bowed slightly to them.

Having served Nanali for a long time, Darly knew she had sword practice every afternoon, so preparing bathwater before her return had become a habit.

Nanali nodded and went off for her bath.

Once Nanali left, Darly and Ryan exchanged a glance, and she winked at him.

“Mr. Ryan, I went to the marketplace this morning; that scene was really dreadful, and you made me watch it.”

Though she spoke that way, a charming smile played on Darly’s face.

Darly was not afraid of such scenes; watching the knight captain being dismembered only made her feel vindicated, and she even lingered until he finally died before leaving.

“That matter is over, not worth discussing; it is time to cook, and you and Daisy must be hungry.”

“Yes, I am indeed a bit hungry.”

Darly nodded and said with a smile, “And Daisy has been clamoring for your cooking ever since lunch.”

She sighed. “I followed your recipe exactly, Mr. Ryan, but Daisy still prefers the food you make.”

“You are so clever that sooner or later you will cook better than I.”

With that, Ryan walked into the kitchen.

“Hmph, Mr. Ryan really knows how to win a girl’s heart.”

Darly narrowed her eyes and smiled, following Ryan inside.

Daisy prepared a fresh change of clothes for Nanali and took away the ones she had worn.

Among them were Nanali’s undergarments, which of course Ryan could not wash.

Even Ryan’s own undergarments were washed by Daisy.

Ryan and Darly prepared afternoon tea in the kitchen, washed the lunchboxes during their spare moments, and, once the meal was ready, Nanali came out of her bath.

With her hair still dripping, Nanali sat in the small chair she used each morning.

Ryan dried his hands and began blow-drying her hair.

When her blonde hair became smooth and soft again, he could not resist rubbing it twice. “All right, time to eat.”

Nanali grunted; those rubs were clearly not part of drying her hair but more head-patting.

After finishing the afternoon meal, she let out a long breath as though a day’s fatigue had vanished.

Then she looked up at Ryan. “Ryan, shall we practice swordsmanship next?”

Although she asked casually, Ryan saw unwavering trust in her eyes.

Yet he shook his head.

“We have just eaten, so strenuous exercise is not ideal; let’s sow the Nightglow Orchid seeds first, and I will teach you the spell.”

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