The old gardener simply smiled.
Before Arianne could ask another question…
A familiar voice echoed across the gardens.
“Lady Arianne!”
She turned.
One of the estate’s maids hurried toward her, breathing slightly harder than usual.
“There you are.”
“Lady Rowland has been looking for you.”
Arianne blinked.
“…For me?”
The maid nodded.
“The guests are still in the reception hall.”
“The Hunter Association requested that all members of the family be present.”
Arianne’s eyebrows rose.
“…Really?”
That was unexpected.
According to the novel…
Nobody from the Association had cared about the Rowlands’ eldest daughter.
Everything had revolved around Fiona.
The genius.
The prodigy.
The A-Rank Fire Elementalist.
Arianne instinctively looked toward the old gardener.
He had already returned to watering the flowers.
As though nothing unusual had happened.
As though he hadn’t just said something that completely changed how she viewed her class.
“…”
She hesitated.
The old man didn’t even glance in her direction.
Almost as if silently telling her…
Go.
The flowers will still be here tomorrow.
Arianne gave a small bow.
“Thank you.”
The old gardener chuckled.
“For what?”
“…”
She smiled.
“I’m not sure yet.”
“But I think I’ll understand someday.”
His weathered face softened.
“I hope you do.”
The words lingered in her mind as she followed the maid back toward the mansion.
The walk felt strangely quiet.
The old gardener’s voice replayed again and again.
Flowers are honest.
People are complicated.
A gardener who understands people…
Can nurture more than plants.
“…”
She quietly repeated the words to herself.
The realization refused to leave her mind.
If Spirit Gardener truly nurtured potential…
Then perhaps…
Everything she thought she knew about the class was wrong.
Not farming.
Not support.
Growth.
That single word seemed to connect every quest the System had given her.
Leon.
The flower.
Even herself.
She wasn’t creating strength.
She was helping it bloom.
“…Interesting.”
The mansion doors opened.
The cheerful atmosphere from the banquet had completely disappeared.
Servants walked carefully.
Their footsteps quieter than before.
Nobody wanted to disturb the important guests.
As Arianne entered the main hallway…
She immediately noticed several unfamiliar uniforms.
Dark blue coats.
Silver shoulder emblems.
The crest of the Hunter Association.
Three men.
One woman.
Each carried themselves differently from ordinary Hunters.
Calm.
Disciplined.
Confident.
People accustomed to standing in front of monsters.
Arianne slowed her pace.
So these were Association officials.
Not combat Hunters.
Evaluators.
Talent scouts.
People whose job was to discover the next generation of powerful Awakeners.
And today…
They were here because of Fiona.
Exactly as the novel described.
She quietly exhaled.
Good.
Some things hadn’t changed.
A servant opened the reception room doors.
“Lady Arianne has arrived.”
Every head turned.
For exactly one second.
Then…
Almost everyone looked away again.
Arianne nearly laughed.
There it was.
The original story.
Fiona sat gracefully beside Lady Rowland.
Her posture was flawless.
Her smile elegant.
The picture of a noble young lady.
One of the Association officials spoke enthusiastically.
“Awakening at eight years old…”
“And an A-Rank Fire Elementalist…”
“Remarkable.”
Lady Rowland smiled politely.
“We’re honored by your visit.”
Across the room…
Fiona’s crimson eyes briefly met Arianne’s.
Only for a heartbeat.
Then…
She smiled.
Perfect.
Gentle.
The same smile everyone else saw.
But this time…
Arianne noticed something different.
Fiona wasn’t looking at her.
She was watching her reaction.
Measuring it.
Almost as if asking…
What are you going to do?
Arianne simply smiled back.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
For the first time…
Fiona’s expression paused.
Just slightly.
Then…
The perfect smile returned.
Neither sister said a word.
But Arianne understood.
The game had begun.
One of the Association officials cleared his throat.
“Our apologies.”
“We’ve been monopolizing Lady Fiona’s time.”
Lady Rowland smiled gracefully.
“It is an honor.”
“The Rowland family is always willing to cooperate with the Hunter Association.”
Arianne quietly walked toward an empty chair.
No one stopped her.
No one greeted her.
She simply…
Existed.
Exactly as she remembered.
The official unfolded a thin folder.
“Lady Fiona.”
“We’ve reviewed the preliminary reports.”
“However…”
“We’d like to conduct another aptitude examination before officially registering your Awakening.”
Fiona nodded politely.
“Of course.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“…”
Even her answer sounded perfect.
Almost rehearsed.
The official smiled.
“Excellent.”
“Your future is very bright.”
“We expect great things from you.”
Lady Rowland’s expression softened with unmistakable pride.
“You honor our family.”
Arianne quietly reached for a cup of tea.
No one offered her one.
She poured it herself.
“…”
Some habits really didn’t change.
While the conversation continued…
She observed the Association members instead.
Three men.
One woman.
The oldest among them seemed to lead the discussion.
The youngest…
Looked exhausted.
Arianne frowned slightly.
He couldn’t have been much older than twenty.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes.
His uniform was neat…
But one sleeve was torn near the shoulder.
His left hand remained hidden beneath the table.
“…”
Injured?
Nobody else seemed to notice.
Or perhaps…
Nobody cared.
The senior officials continued praising Fiona.
Discussing future academies.
Guild invitations.
Scholarships.
The young evaluator quietly organized documents.
Whenever someone requested a report…
He immediately stood.
Fetched it.
Then returned to his seat.
No complaints.
No conversation.
Just work.
Arianne watched silently.
“…”
He reminded her of someone.
Herself.
Back on Earth.
Always helping.
Always overlooked.
The realization left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.
One of the senior officials suddenly frowned.
“Where’s the third report?”
The young evaluator immediately stood.
“I…”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“I’ll retrieve it immediately.”
“You misplaced it?”
“…No, sir.”
“I believe I left it in the car.”
The older man’s expression darkened.
“Incompetent.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’ve delayed this meeting long enough.”
“I’ll deduct today’s evaluation from your record.”
“…”
“Understood.”
The young man lowered his head.
Not once…
Did he defend himself.
Arianne frowned.
That wasn’t right.
He had organized everything else perfectly.
One missing document.
And suddenly he was worthless?
“…”
Office politics.
Even another world wasn’t free from it.
The young evaluator quietly excused himself.
As he passed behind Arianne…
She noticed it.
His hidden hand.
Red.
Swollen.
Fresh burn marks.
Her eyes widened.
“…”
He wasn’t clumsy.
He was injured.
No wonder he’d been struggling to organize papers.
The System suddenly appeared.
[Observation Successful.]
Arianne blinked.
Another line appeared.
[Potential often hides beneath what others dismiss.]
Her heartbeat quickened.
“…”
The old gardener’s words.
The System’s message.
They matched.
Almost perfectly.
Flowers are honest.
People are complicated.
She slowly looked toward the closed door.
The young evaluator had already disappeared.
Nobody inside the room mentioned him again.
The conversation simply continued.
As though someone invisible had left.
“…”
Arianne quietly placed her teacup down.
She understood now.
Spirit Gardener wasn’t asking her to look at the strongest.
It wanted her to notice…
The ones everyone else overlooked.
The room erupted in polite laughter.
Apparently Fiona had answered another question flawlessly.
One of the officials nodded in admiration.
“Extraordinary.”
“Not only talented…”
“But mature as well.”
Lady Rowland smiled proudly.
“My daughter has always exceeded expectations.”
Across the room…
Fiona’s eyes briefly drifted toward Arianne again.
Just for a moment.
Their gazes met.
Unlike before…
This time…
Fiona wasn’t measuring her.
She was watching where Arianne was looking.
Toward the hallway.
Toward the young evaluator who had left.
Something flickered behind Fiona’s calm smile.
Curiosity.
Why would Arianne care about someone so insignificant?
Arianne smiled pleasantly.
Then looked away first.
No reason to reveal anything.
Not yet.
The System quietly chimed.
[Growth begins with noticing.]
Arianne froze.
No reward.
No quest.
Just…
A sentence.
Almost like advice.
She slowly smiled.
“…”
“I think…”
“I’m finally starting to understand you.”
The blue screen disappeared.
Leaving only the faint reflection of her own face in the untouched tea.
Outside…
The young evaluator continued walking alone.
Completely unaware…
That someone had finally noticed him.
The meeting lasted another twenty minutes.
Arianne learned very little about the Hunter Association itself.
Most of the discussion revolved around Fiona’s future.
Recommended academies.
Potential instructors.
Guild sponsorships.
Exclusive training programs.
Every sentence painted the same picture.
Fiona Rowland was destined for greatness.
No one questioned it.
No one doubted it.
When the meeting finally concluded, the Association officials rose from their seats.
Lady Rowland personally escorted them toward the entrance.
Fiona followed beside her with practiced elegance.
Just before leaving the reception room…
Fiona slowed her steps.
Only slightly.
Enough for Arianne to catch up.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
Then Fiona smiled.
The same perfect smile everyone admired.
“Sister.”
Arianne looked at her.
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
Her voice was warm.
Gentle.
Exactly what anyone nearby would expect from a caring younger sister.
Then…
Without changing her expression…
She lowered her voice.
“So…”
“You’ve finally decided to stop making trouble?”
“…”
The smile never disappeared.
It remained flawless.
Beautiful.
Almost angelic.
Anyone watching them would have seen nothing but sisterly affection.
Arianne, however…
Saw the challenge hidden beneath it.
She smiled just as pleasantly.
“I don’t remember causing any.”
For the first time…
Fiona’s eyes narrowed.
Only slightly.
Interesting.
That wasn’t the answer she expected.
“Good.”
“I hope it stays that way.”
Then…
As though nothing had happened…
She walked away.
“…”
Arianne watched her leave.
Yep.
There she was.
The Fiona from the novel.
Not openly cruel.
Not loud.
Not reckless.
Simply…
Someone who always made sure she looked innocent.
Arianne almost admired the performance.
Almost.
Once the guests departed…
The mansion slowly returned to normal.
Servants began clearing teacups.
Documents disappeared.
Conversations resumed.
Arianne quietly slipped into the hallway.
Instead of returning to her room…
She walked toward the estate entrance.
The young evaluator had gone this way.
For some reason…
She couldn’t stop thinking about him.
“…”
Maybe because she understood what it felt like.
To work hard.
To be invisible.
Outside…
The Association’s black SUVs were still parked outside the mansion.
Several employees were packing up after the inspection.
Near the back…
The young evaluator reached for a heavy equipment case.
He managed to lift it.
Almost.
Halfway to the trunk…
His injured hand trembled.
The weight shifted.
He gritted his teeth and caught the case before it fell.
“…”
No one moved to help him.
They simply watched.
Arianne frowned.
Then…
Without thinking…
She walked over.
“Here.”
The young man blinked.
Before he could react…
Without a word, Arianne stepped forward and supported the other side of the equipment case.
The young evaluator blinked.
The weight shifted just enough for him to regain his balance.
“…Thank you.”
His voice carried genuine surprise.
“I should be thanking you.”
Arianne tilted her head.
“For what?”
“For not pretending you’re fine.”
The young evaluator froze.
His gaze dropped to his injured hand.
“…”
“No one noticed.”
“I did.”
Silence.
Then…
A faint, tired smile appeared on his face.
“…You’re observant.”
“No.”
Arianne smiled.
“I just pay attention.”
The moment the words left her mouth…
The familiar blue screen appeared.
[Growth Recognized.]
Her breathing caught.
Another notification formed beneath it.
[Passive Skill Acquired.]
[Gentle Hands]
Those who receive your sincere care recover faster from physical fatigue and minor injuries.
The effect is strengthened by trust.
Arianne stared.
It wasn’t a healing spell.
It wasn’t combat support.
It was…
Nurturing.
Exactly like the old gardener had implied.
Exactly like the System had hinted.
She slowly looked at the young evaluator.
“…May I?”
He blinked.
“My hand.”
“You should treat it.”
The young man hesitated.
Then nodded.
“…It’s only a burn.”
Arianne gently placed her small hand over his.
Warm green light flickered between their fingers.
Soft.
Almost invisible beneath the afternoon sunlight.
The pain faded.
Not completely.
But enough.
The young evaluator stared in disbelief.
“It…”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Arianne smiled.
“I’m glad.”
The System chimed one final time.
[Growth Complete.]
[A gardener’s greatest strength is helping others bloom.]
This time…
Arianne finally understood.
A gardener didn’t choose the brightest flower.
A gardener noticed…
The one everyone else forgot.
And perhaps…
That was exactly why the Spirit Gardener class had chosen her.
END OF CHAPTER 13