The gardener who had found Lily that winter day—Neil—came in through the servant's door, hanging his sunhat onto a hook. He was going up the stairs to the Marquis's office when he ran into the human holding a stack of towels.

  "Neil!" she greeted. "You don't have to be worried now. Marchioness Margaret feels well again."

  "The Marquis doesn't. Apparently, I am his emotional support. Since when, I don't know."

  Lily couldn't help cracking a smile. She was sure Neil wasn't trying to be funny but he always was. 'Good luck.'

  'I will be needing it.' He quietly let out a huff before strolling off. Lily knocked on the state chamber's door before letting herself in with the assumption the Marchioness had told her, 'You can come in.'

  It worked rather well nine times out of ten.

  Lily held the towels by the wall at the ready while watching through her lashes at the scene with fascination. The Marchioness's inner arm plate was opened, inside copper wires and gears exposed while she laid on the magenta couch. It was an intricate piece of art as her lady maid carefully tightened the loose strings.

  "Ah, look at this mess, Berta. Terrible things like this don't just happen to me," wailed the matriarch, her bronze metallic skin waiting to be polished. She clenched her teeth. "I bet it was that Duchess stick-up-her-nose Charlotte who had poisoned me."

  'Oh, my…..' thought Lily until she caught how it sounded too much like Marquis Remington.

  Maybe she really was in on the mind connection.

  The glimmering wires stretched like intricate spider webs with each fix. Suddenly, Marchioness Margaret glanced at her. "Lilia, I am flattered by your curiosity but perhaps you shouldn't be staring."

  "Oh, I apologize, Madame!" Lily cast her gaze away. It seemed like inside business was a private ordeal.

  Half-an-hour passed before Marquis Remington barged in.

  "My loveliest dear! How are you feeling?!" he cried out and that was when Lily ran out.

  While passing down the long hallway, she admired the mizzle outside of the endless rows of windows. Allowing herself the joy, she opened one and took a moment to breathe in the dampened soil smell. She kept blissfully gulping in the fresh spring weather before a cough burst its way out of her throat. The junior of the big winds twirled past, causing Lily to shiver.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  'Maybe I should go rest….' Lily went down the stairs and notifying the head maid, went to get a shut eye.

  When she woke up later in the afternoon, stirring under her warm quilt, Lily still felt tired and now weaker. She opted to stand up and drink rejuvenating tea but when she made her way towards the galley, one of the servants came to her.

  'You have a visitor.' She gestured a tall silhouette before pointing at one of the waiting rooms on the other side of the walls.

  'Who?'

  'You should see for yourself….' She started leading her and they entered the room to a certain Duke sitting on one of the couches with the Marquis. The waiting room was in pastel blue, a calming atmosphere which glowed from the shy drizzle outside.

  "Lily!"

  He was holding a small bouquet of lavender flowers.

  "Cedric—!" Lily halted at others in the room. "Duke Cedric! What a surprise!"

  "Isn't he so thoughtful?" Marquis Remington clapped, expression delighted. "Duke Cedric came here to check on us—"

  Cedric noted her paler skin. 'Mostly on you.'

  "—even cheering up my Marchioness with flowers. Then he told me about how you two know each other. Lily, are you sick?"

  Lily jolted at such an abrupt question, before, in her haze, realizing he was talking about her cold. "Oh, I am okay now, it's really nothing-"

  "That's how humans worsen their condition." Cedric abandoned his seat and reached her side. He smelled of petrichor—quaint and assuring, luxurious and calming like the post-storm outside. "Please accept these from me."

  Lily tenderly accepted the bouquet before spotting another package on his other hand.

  "Is that—?"

  He straightened up, raising the paper bag. "Human medicine. You were soaked the other day and it was cold so I thought to come prepared just in case."

  Her eyes widened. "You really didn't have to."

  "I wanted to. I went to the human pharmacy. I think you would have really liked it. It smells so interesting!" He gave her the bag and she opened it for the smell of the herbs to waft out. "The scents were beautifully earthy and aromatic. Very bitter too. I hope they won't taste too unfavorable for you."

  "I'm glad you had a good time there." Lily smiled. "Thank you. You're very considerate."

  He earnestly wished, "Get better soon."

  "I will."

  When Lily went to bed at night, her roommates quiet around her, she smiled at the vase of lavenders on her bedside.