CHAPTER 44

As we entered one of the manors, I glanced around in awe. I felt that I was within a fairy tale, and that I was the main character. There were a lot of furnitures throughout, and in the center of the first floor was a large piano that I believed still worked.

It was immaculately clean, despite its obvious age.

Jo showed me my room; it was upstairs, which meant I would still have to use the stairs. I silently ascend while still glancing around; there were numerous paintings and they were all unfamiliar to me.

“Here we are.” I immediately returned to reality when I heard Jo’s voice. We came to a wooden door that resembled the door to my bedroom in our house.

I shivered when I heard the sound of the door opening when Jo used the key; it sounded like doors in a horror film.

When we entered, I was greeted by a comfortable room. The window was big, as though it were the sole source of lights when the lights were turned out. Additionally, the window served as a pathway to the balcony; it featured sliding doors that might be locked at any time. The longer the curtains, the more it resembled a regal room.

“This is your room. Simply call me if you need assistance. I’ll descend,” Jo bid farewell. I chose not to respond and moved over to the bed.

The place was immaculately clean; despite the old furniture, I didn’t notice a single bit of dust. The housemaids appeared to take excellent care of this manor.

Everything was antique here; it appeared more regal due to the fact that this manor appeared to have been constructed during the war.

I was curious whether there were any ghosts here.

I sank into the plush bed and stretched my body. Additionally, we had just returned from a lengthy trip, so my body was a little bent. I was not drowsy, but I felt really exhausted.

The sunshine was strong but did not overheat the room. Due to the size of the windows, the cold air from the outside also came in strongly.

I didn’t bother to eat breakfast due to my body’s exhaustion. Even if I was hungry, I felt like my body would not cooperate. I was too lazy to stand up.

That morning, I did nothing but sleep, and mommy and Sev made no attempt to disturb me. I was sure they were exhausted from the long trip as well.

I awoke from a deep slumber in the afternoon, and the room was orange because of the setting sun. I headed to the window that served as a pathway to the balcony; the cold air greeted me immediately upon my arrival.

From here, I could view the entirety of our hacienda. Even in the afternoon, I noticed a lot of gardeners. I was curious as to when they wood quit working, as they had been there since this morning.

“Ma’am Aurora?” I heard Jo say from outside the room. “Madam Aliana is calling you downstairs; she’s going to have a snack.” Her voice was loud so I could still hear her from here. I took another look around the hacienda before I returned inside and opened the door.

“You don’t need to wait for me; I can walk downstairs alone, I’ll just fix myself.” I closed the door without waiting for her to speak. I would not go downstairs with this look; I just woke up and my hair was still somewhat unkempt.

When I went to change my clothes, my brows immediately rose when I saw that they were all already in the cupboard, neatly placed. Even my personal possessions had been heaped inside.

Did they arrange it earlier while I was asleep? I didn’t recall arranging it before going to bed.

Whatever. Thank you, I guess.

I hastily did my make up before descending. I’d been quite hungry since earlier because I skipped lunch.

I was unsure where to go due to the abundance of rooms when I arrived on the first floor. I had no idea where the dining area was because Jo made no mention of it.

I wondered where to go for a few minutes before a maid passed by. She was holding a pot. Additionally, she was holding a pot holder that served as a protection against the pot’s heat.

“Um, where are mom and Sev?” I inquired as she walked past me. She came to a halt and appeared even more taken aback by my appearance.

Did I really look like a white lady?

It was a good thing for me to live here in this manor, I could be a ghost for people.

“Oh, it is you, ma’am Aurora! Come, follow me!” As she stated, I did exactly that; I followed her wherever she went.

We entered a room that I had overlooked previously. I quickly noticed Seven speaking with mommy when the door opened. Jo was at his side, laying a plate in front of Sev.

This, I supposed, was the dining area.

The table was long enough to accommodate a large family. A chandelier was hanged from the ceiling, providing illumination for the room.

They looked like a member of a royal family.

“Come here, sweetie. Let’s eat; how was your sleep?” Mommy rose to greet me and offered me a chair. She seated me next to Sev, who had also just awoken.

Thus, we spent the entire morning sleeping, huh?

“Yes, I slept well. I’m hungry, though. What are we gonna eat?” Although numerous dishes were placed in front of us, I had no idea what they were. They were all covered, as if the maids didn’t want us to see what was inside.

“They’re going to serve it. Just wait a little longer.”

I ceased speaking and simply waited. I was hungry, but I did nothing till they served it to us one by one. All of them looked delectable; looking at the foods made me even more hungry.

“Is this, indeed, Aurora, Aliana?” I raised my eyes when I heard another voice. It was an elderly woman dressed in a black top and a long skirt that probably reached to the ends of her legs.

Who is she? She appeared to be conservative.

“Yes, indeed, manang. Aurie, she is manang Lydia, this house’s butler. She has been employed by your father’s family for decades,” mom introduced. Despite the fact that I was unfamiliar with her, I still smiled. She looked nice; I was just not used to interacting with strangers.

“Aurie, you’ve matured! Your last visit here was when you were seven years old. You know, when your mother called and stated you were already awake, I desired to immediately travel to the city. Regrettably, I am too preoccupied with your family’s business.”

“Oh, yeah?” I wanted to slap myself for the response I gave. I appeared to be disrespectful because of what I just said.

“Oh, she’s just awoken, manang. She still can’t speak properly because her other brain cells are still asleep,” Mommy joked. I overheard the two of them laughing with the housemates on the side. Even Seven’s feeble laugh didn’t escaped my ears.

Funny “Where have you been, manang? You were not here when we arrived earlier,” Mommy asked. Manang Lydia snatched up a chair and sat beside mommy. They appeared to be close, but then again, everyone connected to daddy was also connected to mommy. Daddy used to bring her wherever he went.

“Just on the other manor. I fixed the reservation because there will be guests arriving in three days. All of the manor rooms will be used.”

“Oh? Are those tourist? Foreigners?”

“Ah, no, they live here in the Philippines as well. They will study the flowers we have; the person who booked earlier stated that they will stay for three days because there are many of them, which comes in different batches each day. This happens every year, Aliana.”

“I see. I’m sorry; I haven’t here in years; I have no idea what’s going on here. I was too preoccupied with Aurie at the time.” I continued to listen while eating, as did Seven, who appeared to like the food prepared by the housemaids.

To be fair, the dish was cooked to perfection.

Speaking of cooks, I was reminded of Iris once more. How is she doing? I was desperate to see her. Even though I continued to dine at a few restaurants and private residences, she remained the best cook for me. Nothing could change that fact.

“Is this Seven? What a handsome man. I’m sure a lot of ladies are after him, am I right? I wouldn’t be shocked if he has a girlfriend already.” The quiet Sev nearly choked on his name. I was tempted to chuckle aloud in response to what manang Lydia stated.

Girlfriend? I was sure he’d wed a dictionary.

“I’ve been uninterested in entering into any type of relationship since then.

I’m concentrating my efforts on becoming a physician,” Seven nicely responded. Lydia’s face was flushed with disappointment as a result of what she had heard.

Even I had similar reaction when I knew that Seven had not yet found a girlfriend. He was already old.

It was just unfortunate that I would never know who he would marry in the future. I was interested in getting to know her because I was sure she would be a decent woman. Knowing Seven, he would never want to spend the rest of his life with a problematic woman.

“Numerous new flowers and plants have been added, Alliana, and your family’s business has developed dramatically over the years, to the point where we became the primary supplier to some of Asia’s largest marketplaces.”

“That’s wonderful to hear. I was afraid that no one would look after mama’s business after Arthur died. We’re fortunate to have you, manang. Oh, and speaking of flowers, Aurie wants to try gardening. That’s one of the reasons we came here. Is there still space here for her to garden?” Mommy drew my attention with what she said. Apart from visiting my father’s grave, it was all I desired to accomplish. Our home had a vast garden, but virtually all of the space was already taken up by various plants.

“The farmers have already taken over the fields here, but fear not; there is still enough area for her to use; it’s large enough that she won’t have any difficulty moving. The only problem is that the location isn’t here, Alliana; it’s inside our tourist attraction.”

“It’s fine. As long as I have my own space, I don’t mind. They won’t cause any trouble, will they?” Mommy and her looked at me as if they were surprised I had joined their talk.

I had been quiet for a while and had done nothing except eat, that’s why.

“Of course. That land is fenced up, so you won’t have to worry about tourists. You may visit tomorrow morning; the sun is setting today, and you won’t be able to appreciate its beauty if you’re gonna visit now.” I smiled cautiously and nodded at her. Even though I had been silent for some time, I was still filled with enthusiasm.

They should be grateful to God that I was hungry right now, because else, I might force them that we should go to that place immediately.

I had no idea what our business looked like because I hadn’t seen it yet. All I knew was that they had a plethora of plants and flowers.

As manang Lydia stated, we went to the area where she indicated I might plant the following day. We were about to enter the large gate that separated the two manors, so I hadn’t seen anything yet.

The two guards greeted us as we entered the large gate.

Behind the massive gate was a lengthy road that was surrounded by high trees, which meant that even if the sun was shining brightly today, it would not be too hot.

When we reached the end of the road, my eyes nearly popped out at because of what I saw. A very wide acreage covered with a variety of flowered and plants. It was organized in a variety of forms and landscapes, making it quite breathtaking to look at. Throughout the grounds, there were numerous meticulously kept plants and grass. There were a few tourist taking photographs, but they were limited in number due to the fact that the sun was still rising and many of them were undoubtedly still asleep.

The area contained glasshouses, which I was sure were used to house the unique flowers and plants.

This was surreal. I would never grow bored of this place, even if I chose to live here for the rest of my life.

The breeze was refreshing because of the abundance of leaves; also, I could smell something pleasant while strolling due to the combined aroma of flowers.

“We’re here.”

We passed a row of daisies and came to a huge expanse of land. It was sandwiched between two glass houses. It was surrounded by trees, providing a haven for those who were bored of gardening.

“Did you like it?” I looked around; the area was well-equipped for planting. They were stacked against one side, as though anticipating my arrival. Additionally, there were several types of seeds, which might provide me with an option if I wished to plant something. Not only were there tools, but there were also numerous pots filled with miniature flowers that appeared to be quite young and in need of good care.

“Of course; I love it.”

I approached one of the containers and brushed the violet orchid softly. Although it didn’t yet have many flowers, the brilliance of its color was noticeable.

The flowers here were so vibrant. They were very different from the flowers I planted at home.

“I’m going to leave you here; I have to attend to something in a manor.”

“I appreciate your bringing me here,” I said as I returned my focus to the orchids. I was quite impressed with the individual who cared for this bloom; it still appeared to be in its infancy, but I could immediately envision the outcome. Perhaps they employed a professional plantsman to look after the plants in this area.

I tied my hair and wore a pair of gloves. Fortunately, the color I was wearing wasn’t particularly bright at the moment, so it wouldn’t be immediately noticeable whether or not it was dirty. I was wearing a plain black dress that was no longer than knee length, so I was not concerned if it fell to the ground.

I began digging with a tiny shovel. I was quite fortunate that the soil wasn’t dry and hard, as I had no difficulty plowing.

“Yuck,” I exclaimed when I saw a worm beneath. It was natural to see a worm beneath the soil; I caught worms a few times while I was still planting in our house.

After preparing the soil, I prepared the ones that would be used for planting one by one. I was sure what to do next because I spent last night watching videos on how to plant various types of plants and flowers.

“All right, let’s get this started!”