The Cornflower Witch

Chapter 52: Taking care of the flower field

After school, standing before the quiet mansion door, Sylutia took out her key, opened the side entrance, and slowly walked in. When she stood before that imposing and elegant Western-style building, she still found it somewhat unbelievable that she actually lived in such a place.

Stepping inside, before she could return to her bedroom to change clothes, that mysterious maid called out to her.

"Miss Tia."

Walking with steps that seemed unhurried but were actually not slow at all, the maid approached Sylutia.

She looked to be around 19 years old in appearance, had pale blonde hair, wore a delicate maid's headband, and the black-and-white maid uniform she wore was exceptionally well-fitted and proper. Upon closer inspection, the fabric's texture was also remarkably good.

"What is it, Lining?" Sylutia tilted her head curiously.

"You cannot wear such plain dresses at home in the future," she pointed out the issue with the young lady's attire.

"This..."

The girl blinked. Apart from that plain white dress, all her other clothes would probably be considered 'plain' in front of this maid.

"Whether at home or when you need to go out for activities requiring ease of movement, I can prepare specialized clothing for you," she continued to inform the young lady."Ordinary fabrics can hinder movement due to friction and texture, but some specially made fabrics do not." Lining seemed slightly disappointed that Sylutia didn't understand these things.

"Please follow me." Subsequently, the maid led Sylutia to a building at the rear of the mansion. From a sealed metal box there, she took out a stack of smooth, uniform fabric.

[Fine Snow Gauze Fabric] (Excellent): An exceptionally smooth, soft fabric that does not hinder movement and is extremely resistant to pilling and fuzzing. It is a high-quality product among fabrics.

"Additionally, if you need to tailor combat clothing, there is also this type of fabric." Then she brought out another stack of snow-white fabric with a silvery sheen.

[Silver Snow Gauze Fabric] (First Tier · Verdant Nectar): Professionally tailored by seamstresses using the power of the 'Verdant Nectar' Aspect, selecting cotton of transcendent quality, extracting its fibers, combing, and weaving it. Possesses excellent toughness, is smooth and stain-resistant, can deflect arrows and insufficiently sharp weapons, and resist penetration.

"Such fabric... it seems even Viscount Xuefeng hasn't worn it," Sylutia was somewhat surprised.

"No, Viscount Xuefeng's household definitely has it. He just usually can't bear to take it out to wear, only using it on formal occasions," Lining refuted Sylutia's guess.

"After all, sewing one piece costs nearly 20-30 gold coins. Viscount Xuefeng, whose tax revenue isn't high, naturally finds it painful." It seemed she was very clear about Viscount Xuefeng's financial situation.

"Although the income from Viscount Xuefeng's territory is considerable, his various expenditures are also many," Lining explained slightly.

"But there's no need to worry on Madame's side. Her pocket money has always been more than she can spend."

"If you become a gardener like Madame in the future, you'll probably also have money you can't finish spending."

"Compared to other professions, gardeners skilled in cultivation are always welcomed by everyone. The various things they produce are always needed by someone."

"These exquisite cotton fabrics were gifted by another gardener friend of Madame's."

No wonder that lady was so generous to her, and this mansion was so luxurious, Sylutia thought to herself.

In the evening, Lining drew hot water for Sylutia, allowing the young lady to experience the mansion's truly luxurious bathtub for the first time.

Bathing, soaking in the warm water, Sylutia felt the minor wounds from the daytime slowly healing. It was probably because the water was rich in the vitality of the 'Blazing Sun' Aspect. She looked at the pale golden flower petals floating on the water's surface. These petals were given to her by Lining before the bath.

Soaking in the water, they not only emitted the vitality of the 'Blazing Sun' Aspect but also maintained the water temperature, preventing it from cooling down quickly.

After bathing, Sylutia changed into the snow-gauze nightgown prepared by Lining and walked along the mansion's corridors. Gusts of evening breeze blew, making the nightgown's fabric flutter slightly, bringing a gentle and comfortable sensation.

There was still a long time before sleep. Sylutia saw the lit candle lamps in the dining room and walked inside. Dinner was already set for her there. However, what made her slightly uncomfortable was that in the vast dining room, beside the long table that could seat nearly twenty people, there was only one seat set, and it was at the head position.

Lining was already waiting in the dining room at this moment. When Sylutia walked past her, the maid respectfully bowed and then followed, arriving beside the young lady's chair to introduce today's dinner.

"The main course is Summer Wind Grilled Steak. The side dishes are Onion Soup and Stewed Potatoes. The beverage is Red Chrysanthemum Cointreau."

After the introduction, Sylutia began to enjoy the meal. The taste of these dishes was no worse than what she had eaten at the Grelia Restaurant; in fact, the ingredients were slightly better.

"Is Lady Franne not coming back for dinner today?" She had seen Lady Franne just yesterday.

"No, Madame went on a long trip today. She asked me to inform Miss Tia that she will probably not return until about a week later."

"So long?" The young lady thought the lady's trip would only be for a day or two. But then it occurred to her that this wasn't Earth with developed transportation. Going out for a week was indeed relatively short.

Originally, she had wanted to discuss advancement matters with Lady Franne today, but she didn't expect the lady to have left today.

However, a week's time wasn't considered long either. She could wait.

"Tomorrow, Lining, accompany me to inspect and tend to the flower field," the young lady remembered her duties.

"Yes, Miss Tia." Lining bowed slightly in acknowledgment. Although her tone was occasionally cool, in her conduct, she had always been very respectful.

...

The next afternoon, Sylutia and Lining walked through that sea of tender yellow and golden sunflowers. Accompanied by the autumn wind's blowing, large swathes of flowers and leaves undulated like waves, presenting a magnificent beauty.

"For such a large area, how do you usually irrigate it?" Sylutia was curious.

"Of course, there are convenient tools." Lining bent down, brushed aside some soil, and revealed root-like water pipes beneath. These peculiar roots were distributed in the soil. When Lining took out a bell and shook it, a clear, pleasant sound rang out, and the surface of the roots also began to exude dew.

"Water-absorbing roots have been planted here for Madame. They can draw water from deep underground rivers to irrigate the sunflowers."

"What about Verdant Dew Water?" the young lady asked curiously. Wasn't Verdant Dew Water used for assistance?

"No need. Sunflowers are plants of the Blazing Sun Aspect and can directly absorb the weak Aspect power from sunlight," Lining shook her head.

"However, if this absorption occurs spontaneously, it is very slow. It requires an experienced gardener standing in the flower field to guide and regulate it." No wonder Lady Franne often walked through this sea of flowers holding a parasol. Sylutia suddenly understood the reason for the lady's strolls.

And so, Sylutia spent the entire afternoon checking the growth of the sunflowers while listening to Lining explain and slowly learn about sunflower cultivation matters.

The next day, after checking the irrigation situation, she began using the scissors Lining gave her to prune the sunflowers in the flower field.

This task was more time-consuming, requiring exceptionally meticulous completion. However, Sylutia also enjoyed it. Through repeated observation and pruning, she became increasingly familiar with the temperament of these sunflowers.

If given a handful of seeds now, she was confident she could also cultivate a sea of sunflowers. However, getting all these sunflowers to reach the First Tier standard would require immense effort, after all, she wasn't a practitioner of the 'Blazing Sun' Aspect.

In the future, she would probably also plant a sea of cornflowers. If standing in the flower field, a gardener's strength would also be maximized.