Chapter 678: The Garden Beds

"Bellflowers," Kael repeated.

Sylphie looked at him.

"What?"

"The name of the flowers you want to plant near the wall. Bellflowers."

She examined the packet in her hands, then looked back at him.

"You were paying attention."

"That’s what I said."

"Yesterday, you called all of them flowers."

"Yesterday, I didn’t know their names."

Sylphie smiled and opened the second packet. Kael leaned forward to look at the seeds, but the elf closed it before he could touch them.

"These need more sunlight. I’ll plant them near the path, where the soil dries a little faster."

"And the last ones?"

"They’re for the garden bed beside that tree."

Kael followed the direction she indicated. It was the tree Eleonor had planted years earlier, with a broad canopy and roots that had already lifted some of the stones along the path. There was an empty space between the trunk and a low shrub, but he wasn’t sure sunlight would reach the ground for much of the day.

"Isn’t it too dark there?"

"It is. This species prefers partial shade."

Kael nodded and took the packet Sylphie handed him. The name was written on a small label, along with instructions about planting depth and the distance between seeds. He read everything before handing it back.

"Can we plant them tomorrow?"

"We can start today, if you want."

Kael looked at the garden bed. The soil appeared dry on the surface, and he hadn’t seen any tools nearby.

"Wouldn’t it be better to prepare the soil first?"

Sylphie rested her elbows on her knees and watched him with interest.

"Do you want to help me?"

"I just asked whether we need to prepare the soil."

"That’s not what I asked."

Kael considered his answer for a moment.

"I do."

She stood and held out her hand to him.

"Then let’s go get the tools."

They didn’t have to go far. The gardener responsible for the south wing kept small shovels, watering cans, and other tools in a wooden shed near the wall. When they arrived, he was cleaning a hoe and stood upon recognizing them.

"Do you need something, sir?"

Sylphie showed him the seed packets.

"We want to prepare three garden beds. Could we borrow two hand shovels and a watering can?"

"Of course. I can do that for you."

"Thank you, but we’d like to do the planting ourselves," she replied.

The gardener seemed surprised for only a moment. Then he opened the shed, selected the tools, and explained which areas had been fertilized that week. Sylphie asked a few questions about the garden’s irrigation while Kael examined the available shovels and chose one with a thicker handle.

The man also handed them two narrow boards.

"You can place these over the path so you don’t step on the freshly prepared soil. It’s a little compacted near the wall."

"Good idea," Sylphie said.

Kael picked up the boards and the watering can. As he turned, he noticed that the gardener still seemed uncertain.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, sir. I just wanted to know whether I should leave the garden beds out of the maintenance schedule."

Sylphie answered before Kael could.

"You can keep taking care of the usual watering. Just don’t plant anything in those three spaces for now."

"Understood."

Kael accompanied the elf back to the garden. When they reached the bed closest to the wall, Sylphie knelt and removed a few dry leaves. He placed the tools on the ground, examined the soil, and began loosening the top layer with his shovel.

After a few movements, Sylphie touched his wrist.

"You’re digging too deep."

Kael looked at the opening.

"I’m loosening the soil."

"These seeds are small. We don’t need to dig a trench."

"It’s not a trench."

She pointed at the hole.

Kael took a closer look.

"All right. Maybe a little deep."

Sylphie picked up the other shovel and showed him the depth she wanted. He began imitating her, breaking up the larger clumps and removing small stones until the area was even. The work wasn’t difficult, but it required more care than Kael had expected. Every time he tried to speed up, he ended up scattering soil outside the bed or digging one section deeper than another.

Sylphie didn’t seem bothered. She simply pushed the displaced soil back into place and continued working beside him.

When they finished the first section, she opened the packet of bellflower seeds and placed a few in her palm.

"Now we need to spread them out without leaving them all in the same spot."

Kael held out his hand to take half.

Sylphie hesitated.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing. I’m just wondering whether I should explain what spreading them out means."

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"I know how to scatter seeds."

"Great."

He placed the first portion on the soil, leaving a reasonable gap between each tiny seed. Sylphie watched, satisfied, and finished the rest of the bed. Together, they covered everything with a thin layer of soil and watered it slowly so they wouldn’t displace what they’d just planted.

Kael stared at the damp soil.

"And now?"

"We wait."

"How long?"

"It depends on the temperature and humidity. Maybe two weeks before they start appearing."

"You bought seeds without knowing exactly when they’ll sprout?"

Sylphie turned her head.

"Yes, Kael."

He thought for a moment.

"Fair enough."

A voice came from behind them.

"What are you doing?"

Seraphine was walking through the garden with the nameless man. He carried the animal book under his arm and had changed out of the shirt he’d worn on the outing into a looser one. The two stopped near the garden bed when they noticed the freshly turned soil.

"Planting flowers," Sylphie replied. "Would you like to help?"

The man looked at the prepared area, then at the tools.

"I’ve never done that before."

"We can show you," she said.

He placed his book on the bench and approached. Seraphine stood beside him, but they both waited while Sylphie explained what she intended to plant near the path. Kael brought over the tools and showed them how to loosen the soil without striking the roots of the plants already growing there.

The man tried to repeat the movement. On his first attempt, he held the shovel too close to its metal blade. Kael showed him where to place his hand, and he adjusted his grip.

"Like this?"

"Like that. You don’t need to use much force. The soil is already loose."

The man worked for a few minutes, then handed the tool to Seraphine. She prepared the other half of the bed and removed two small, dried roots she found near the edge.

When Sylphie handed over the seeds, the man seemed surprised by their size.

"They’re very small."

"They are."

"And they’ll become flowers?"

"If they grow well, yes."

He examined them for a few more seconds before beginning to plant. He placed each one so carefully that it took him almost twice as long as Kael, but no one tried to hurry him. When he finished, he covered the soil and stepped back to observe the result.

"How will we know which part is mine?"

Sylphie looked at the garden bed.

"We can mark it."

Kael picked up one of the small boards they’d brought from the shed.

"Will this do?"

The man nodded. Kael rested the board on the bench and looked for something to write with. Umbra emerged from the shadow cast by the tree and placed a piece of charcoal beside him.

"Where did you get that?" Kael asked.

"From the shed."

"Did you ask?"

"Yes."

Kael picked up the charcoal and handed the board to the man.

"Write whatever you want."

He stared at the wood.

"My name?"

"If you want."

"I haven’t chosen one yet."

"Then something else."

The man thought for a moment. Then he carefully wrote two words and showed the board to Seraphine.

MY GARDEN BED.

She smiled.

"That’s perfect."

Kael placed the board near the section the man had planted, pressing its end into the soil until it stood firmly. The man crouched to check that the wind wouldn’t knock it over, then retrieved the book he’d left on the bench.

"Can I come look at it tomorrow?"

"You can," Sylphie replied. "But nothing will probably have sprouted yet."

"I know. I want to look anyway."

Kael returned to the tree, where the last seed packet remained. He and Sylphie began preparing the garden bed while Seraphine and the man sat on the bench to examine a few illustrations in the book. Every now and then, he looked up at the small board he’d just placed in the soil.

When they finished, Sylphie put away the remaining seeds and took the tools back to the shed. Kael was responsible for the empty watering can and the boards they hadn’t used. The gardener checked the returned equipment and asked whether she wanted to add the new garden beds to the maintenance records.

"Yes. But leave tomorrow’s first watering to us," Sylphie replied.

The man noted the instruction.

Kael looked at her as they walked away.

"You’re arranging a task for tomorrow."

"I am."

"One that doesn’t need to be finished today."

Sylphie smiled.

"You can keep helping, if you want."

"I want to."

She made no comment about that. She simply took his hand as they walked back along the gravel path.

Early that evening, Kael stopped by Amelia’s office to let her know he would be leaving the mansion the following morning if Sylphie decided to buy any materials for the garden beds. Amelia listened while signing an access authorization for the Valgrin team.

"You don’t need to tell me every time you go out."

"I know."

"Then why did you come?"

Kael thought for a moment.

"I wanted to know whether you need me tomorrow."

Amelia set down her pen.

"Not for the audit."

"Great."

"But there’s something I’d like to discuss with you once you’ve fully recovered."

He looked at the folder on her desk.

"Related to the First Archive?"

"Indirectly. We’re deciding who will be responsible for overseeing the agreements with the cities and maintaining the complexes. I don’t want every administrative decision to depend on summoning you."

Kael nodded.

"Neither do I."

Amelia seemed satisfied.

"Then, when you’re feeling better, we can set aside an afternoon to decide which responsibilities stay with me, Irelia, and the local administrations."

"An afternoon?"

"Maybe two. No portals, combat, or investigations."

Kael considered it.

"That sounds acceptable."

"Go get some rest."

He said goodbye and returned to the residential wing. In the corridor, he encountered Eleonor leaving the library with a book under her arm. She looked at his shirt sleeves, which were still marked with small patches of dirt.

"Have you been digging?"

"Planting."

"With Sylphie?"

"Yes."

Eleonor examined the stains.

"She managed to get you working in the garden."

"I volunteered."

"That’s even more surprising."

Kael looked at his grandmother.

"Did you know the tree near the south wall was planted by you?"

"I should hope so."

"Why?"

"Because I bought the sapling."

"I meant why you chose that tree."

Eleonor slowed her pace. For a few seconds, she seemed to search for the answer among memories she hadn’t revisited in a long time.

"It would grow large enough to shade the path during summer. The garden was more open back then, and no one could sit near the pond after midday."

Kael remembered the broad canopy and the space where they’d planted the last seeds.

"It worked."

"Naturally."

Eleonor took a few more steps and added:

"You used to walk beneath it when you were little. Then you started using the indoor corridors and hardly ever returned to the garden."

Kael looked at her.

"I don’t remember."

"You had more interesting things to do."

"Probably."

"Now you seem to have found other things."

She continued toward the library before Kael could answer.

When he reached his room, he found Sylphie near the window, organizing the leftover seed packets. Umbra was sitting on the windowsill with the last piece of the pastry bought at the bakery.

Kael pointed at the wrapper.

"You still haven’t eaten all of it?"

"I’m saving it."

"It’s been two days."

"It’s still mine."

Kael raised his hands.

"I’m not going to argue."

Sylphie looked up.

"Does Amelia need you tomorrow?"

"No. She said we’ll talk later about dividing up the audit responsibilities."

"After you’ve recovered?"

"Yes."

She nodded and put the packets into a small box.

Kael walked over to the window. From there, he could see part of the south garden and the canopy of the tree Eleonor had planted. The new garden beds were hidden by the low wall, but he knew exactly where they were.

"My grandmother planted that tree because the path got too hot in summer."

Sylphie approached.

"That makes sense. She chose well."

"She said I used to play beneath it when I was a child."

"Do you remember?"

"No."

Sylphie stood beside him, looking at the tree.

"We can sit there tomorrow, after watering the seeds."

Kael thought about the suggestion. Amelia would take care of the audit, the nameless man would probably return to the garden to check his bed, and Seraphine had bought enough books to spend an entire afternoon reading. There was no need to add anything else to the day.

"We can."

Sylphie rested her head on his uninjured shoulder.

"Did you like planting?"

"I did."

"Even though you have to wait two weeks?"

"I can wait."

She smiled, but this time she didn’t comment that he was changing or learning something. They remained by the window until the light began to fade. Then Sylphie put away the box of seeds, and Kael went to change his shirt before the dirt stains reached the bedsheets.

The next morning, he would have three garden beds to water.

It was the first task he’d chosen for the day himself, and he didn’t need another.