The next morning arrived peacefully.
No explosions.
No mysterious quests.
No accusations.
Arianne slowly opened one eye.
“…”
“…That’s suspicious.”
She remained perfectly still beneath the blankets.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Nothing happened.
“…”
“System?”
Silence.
“…”
“You’re plotting something.”
Still nothing.
Arianne slowly climbed out of bed.
For the first time since arriving in this world…
She had actually enjoyed a full night’s sleep.
It felt…
Nice.
Almost normal.
She stretched her tiny arms over her head before wandering toward the mirror.
The same little girl stared back.
Burgundy hair.
Emerald eyes.
A face that still looked too young to be carrying two lifetimes of memories.
Arianne gently picked up a strand of hair.
Still completely burgundy.
No green highlights.
“…Good.”
So her theory was probably correct.
The changes only appeared while Spirit Gardener was actually being used.
That was a relief.
Walking around with glowing hair all day would have raised far too many questions.
She quietly got dressed before opening the bedroom door.
The Rowland estate had already come alive.
Servants hurried through the hallways.
Knights rotated shifts near the entrance.
Gardeners carefully trimmed decorative hedges outside the mansion.
Everything moved with practiced precision.
“…”
Rich people really did like schedules.
A maid noticed her approaching.
“Good morning, Young Miss.”
“Morning.”
“The family is already having breakfast.”
“I’ll head there.”
The maid bowed respectfully before continuing down the hallway.
Arianne noticed something.
The servants still looked at her differently.
Not with affection.
Not with fear.
Curiosity.
Word about the charity banquet had spread throughout the estate.
Apparently…
Standing up for an orphan in front of distinguished guests wasn’t something the servants had expected from the neglected young miss.
“…”
People really did love gossip.
The dining room was unusually quiet.
Mr.
Rowland was already gone.
Business never seemed to wait.
Mrs.
Rowland quietly sipped her tea while reviewing several documents.
Across from her…
Fiona calmly turned another page of the morning newspaper.
Arianne blinked.
“…”
“You really read newspapers?”
Fiona looked up.
“Of course.”
“You’re eight.”
“…Yes.”
“I watched cartoons.”
Fiona tilted her head.
“…What’s a cartoon?”
“…”
“…Never mind.”
Some things simply couldn’t be explained.
Arianne took her seat.
Breakfast looked incredible.
Freshly baked bread.
Scrambled eggs.
Seasonal fruit.
Warm soup.
Even freshly squeezed juice.
“…Luxury.”
Back on Earth…
Breakfast had usually been convenience store bread.
Or instant coffee.
Sometimes…
Nothing at all.
She silently reached for a slice of bread.
Maybe…
Being reincarnated wasn’t completely terrible.
Fiona quietly observed her.
“You seem happier recently.”
“I like food.”
“…”
“That’s a surprisingly honest answer.”
“It’s also true.”
Mrs.
Rowland briefly glanced toward them.
Only for a moment.
Then she returned to reading her documents.
The original memories stirred.
Long ago…
Breakfasts hadn’t felt like this.
The family had actually talked.
The conversations hadn’t been particularly exciting.
But they had existed.
Before Fiona awakened her extraordinary talent…
Before expectations.
Before comparisons.
Things had simply…
Been ordinary.
“…”
Funny.
Sometimes people didn’t notice they were drifting apart until the distance had already become impossible to cross.
The familiar blue screen suddenly appeared.
[Daily Growth Report]
Arianne nearly dropped her spoon.
“…”
“You do daily reports now?”
The screen shimmered.
Active Seeds
Total: 1
Leon
Growth Status: Healthy
Trust: 16%
A tiny green sprout happily swayed beside Leon’s name.
“…”
“You’re still adorable.”
Another notification appeared.
Healthy growth requires continued care.
“I figured that much.”
The words slowly faded.
Then…
Another message appeared beneath them.
Growth is not measured by trust alone.
Arianne frowned.
“…”
“What does that mean?”
No response.
Instead…
One final message appeared.
A gardener’s greatest strength is helping others bloom.
“…”
“…You’re really committed to the gardening theme.”
The system disappeared without another word.
“…Tutorials in this world are terrible.”
Across the table…
Fiona lowered her newspaper.
“…Who are you talking to?”
Arianne froze.
“…”
“Myself.”
“You’ve been doing that more often.”
“It helps me think.”
Fiona studied her quietly.
“…You’ve changed.”
“There it is again.”
“What?”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“I’ve already explained.”
“You hit your head.”
“Exactly.”
“I still don’t believe that’s the entire reason.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“…”
For a few seconds…
Neither spoke.
Then…
A tiny smile appeared on Fiona’s face.
A real one.
Not the flawless smile she showed guests.
Not the carefully practiced expression expected from the Rowland family’s pride.
Just…
A small smile from an ordinary little girl.
Arianne noticed.
“…”
Interesting.
Maybe…
There was still more to Fiona than the novel had shown.
A servant hurried into the dining room.
“My Lady.”
Mrs.
Rowland looked up.
“The representatives from the Hunter Association have arrived.”
The room fell silent.
Arianne slowly looked toward the front entrance.
Hunter Association…
That wasn’t something she remembered happening.
Or perhaps…
It had always happened.
She simply hadn’t paid attention.
Back then…
She had only cared about the main story.
Now…
Every small event could change her future.
Somewhere deep inside…
A strange feeling told her…
Today wasn’t going to stay ordinary for long.
The Hunter Association.
Arianne quietly repeated the words in her head.
One of the most influential organizations in the country.
Hunters registered through them.
Guilds reported major Gate activity to them.
They handled investigations.
Disasters.
Rank evaluations.
Everything.
In the original novel…
They were everywhere.
Yet…
Very few of them were actually good people.
At least…
Not the important ones.
Mrs.
Rowland calmly stood from her seat.
“I’ll receive them.”
She looked toward Fiona.
“You may accompany me.”
“Yes, Mother.”
The two left the dining room together.
Arianne remained seated.
“…”
Nobody invited her.
Which was perfectly normal.
The original Arianne had rarely been involved in matters concerning guests.
Especially important guests.
A maid approached.
“Young Miss…”
“Would you like dessert?”
Arianne immediately looked up.
“There was dessert?”
“…”
“There is.”
“I’ll take two.”
The maid smiled despite herself.
“Very well.”
Arianne happily accepted a small slice of strawberry cake.
“…”
Life really did become easier with cake.
Halfway through her second bite…
The system appeared.
[Nearby Opportunity Detected.]
“…”
“That sounds dangerous.”
No response.
Another line appeared.
Distance: 68 meters
“…”
Inside the estate?
Arianne frowned.
The marker wasn’t inside the dining room.
It pointed somewhere outside.
Toward the gardens.
“…”
She looked toward the doorway.
Then toward the remaining cake.
“…”
“…”
“…I’ll come back for you.”
With great determination…
She abandoned the cake.
Outside…
The morning air felt pleasantly cool.
Birds chirped from nearby trees.
Servants busied themselves maintaining the gardens.
Everything looked peaceful.
Too peaceful.
The system marker continued moving.
“…”
“Wait.”
“It’s moving?”
Arianne followed the floating indicator.
Past the fountain.
Past the rose garden.
Toward one of the quieter sections of the estate.
Eventually…
She spotted someone.
An old gardener.
He slowly watered a row of flowers.
Nothing unusual.
At least…
At first glance.
“…”
The marker pointed directly at him.
Arianne blinked.
“…Another Seed?”
The system remained silent.
The old man hummed softly while trimming a small bush.
He looked completely ordinary.
Gray hair.
Simple clothes.
Wrinkled hands.
Nothing about him resembled the powerful Hunters described in the novel.
Then…
Without warning…
He spoke.
“You’ve been staring at me for quite a while, Young Miss.”
Arianne nearly jumped.
“…”
“I thought you hadn’t noticed.”
“I noticed.”
He smiled kindly.
“I simply wanted to see how long you would continue.”
“…”
That was embarrassing.
“I was…”
She searched for an excuse.
“…Inspecting the flowers.”
The old gardener looked around.
“Interesting.”
“They’re behind me.”
“…”
“…Details.”
A chuckle escaped the old man.
A genuine one.
Not mocking.
Simply amused.
“You remind me of someone.”
Arianne tilted her head.
“Really?”
“Someone who also believed flowers could solve most problems.”
“…”
“I like that person already.”
“So did I.”
The old gardener gently placed the watering can aside.
“Flowers are honest.”
“They bloom when cared for.”
“They wither when neglected.”
“People…”
He smiled faintly.
“…People are far more complicated.”
Arianne quietly listened.
For some reason…
His words felt heavier than they should.
Almost…
As if they carried years of experience.
The system suddenly chimed.
[Hidden Condition Satisfied.]
Arianne blinked.
“What condition?”
Another message appeared.
A gardener who understands people…
…can nurture more than plants.
“…”
She slowly looked back at the old man.
“…Were you part of the tutorial?”
The system ignored her.
Again.
Naturally.
Footsteps echoed from behind.
“Young Miss.”
A servant approached hurriedly.
“Lady Rowland is looking for you.”
Arianne looked between the servant…
And the old gardener.
“…”
When she turned back…
He was already watering the flowers again.
As if nothing had happened.
“Thank you.”
She wasn’t entirely sure why she said it.
The old man didn’t look up.
Instead…
He simply smiled.
“The flowers will always welcome visitors.”
Arianne hesitated.
Then quietly followed the servant back toward the mansion.
Behind her…
The old gardener continued humming the same gentle melody.
The system remained silent.
But somehow…
Arianne had the feeling…
She had just taken another small step toward understanding what it truly meant…
To become a Spirit Gardener.