Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 101: Blooming The Cotton Tree.

Chapter 101: Blooming The Cotton Tree.

Afternoon.

Theodore Mansion.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

***********

As Lydia gently cradled the finished jewellery piece in her hands, a sense of pride washed over her. In that moment, she knew that she had transformed not just a gemstone, but a piece of her own soul into a work of art. And as she placed the jewellery on the shelf in her workroom, she eagerly awaited the moment when her people could see it.

The beauty and grace needed to be showcased.

She left the room and started to watch her mansion which was reminiscent of a painting. Lydia moved with poise through every corridor, gracefully she arranged flowers in the vases, ensuring each room of her mansion was adorned with the perfect floral touch, adding elegance and charm to every corner. The parlour of her grand mansion she decorated. The flowers might now bloom much before winter so she was enjoying it.

With gentle hands, she opened the curtains wide, inviting the sunlight to dance across the polished floors.

As she walks around, the fragrance of freshly cut flowers follows her, infusing each room with a delicate perfume. Her meticulous attention to detail ensured that every vase was placed in just the right spot, enhancing the beauty of the already exquisite surroundings.

With a smile, she decided missing Theodore wasn’t that bad, as she got to work a lot now despite the occasional nauseous feeling she had developed.

She strolled to the lake, and each step she takes exudes grace and refinement, embodying the epitome of sophistication in her elegant domain.

Lydia was beautifully noble.

"Hello sister" she heard a light voice behind her making her turn with an unconcealed curiosity.

"Helena!" she squealed.

She didn’t know she needed it but

Helena gazed at Lydia with interest. The lady really is fashionable, she thought.

In a beautiful rare dungaree, Lydia stood with her curves enhanced. The dungaree featured intricate embroidery of gold and silver threads, adorned with precious sapphires gemstones.

The fabric itself is the highest quality velvet, dyed in deep, rich royal blue.

"I did not think you would come" Lydia is saying but Helena is busy registering the clothing the lady of Critic Arley was wearing.

The design was tailored to perfection, with intricate detailing on the pockets, cuffs, and collar, showcasing the skill of master craftsmen. Such a dungaree is a symbol of extravagance and sophistication, reserved only for the elite members of society.

A stunning dungaree crafted by Ms Janet, Helena thought she hadn’t been wrong to write about the woman. The woman was hated for no good reason.

Lydia hooked her arms with Helena’s pulling her closer to the lake as she whispered. "Come let me show you something"

Helena smiled. "I was all alone and I missed you" she confessed.

Lydia nodded, happy to show her the gems she found in the lake. "Do you mind entering a lake?"

"I cannot swim," Helena said in a panic.

Lydia paused. "Oh, okay wait here" she said letting go of Helena’s arm. She elegantly headed for the lake.

Lydia was just about to step inside when she remembered her husband’s words, she had promised to never go into the lake without him. She sighed before turning.

Helena frowned slightly. "What happened, where are you going?"

"I do not have to go into the lake anymore, come with or wait for me" Lydia explained, her hip sashaying as she moved along. Her ebony hair is in a bun.

"I shall wait" Helena muttered. She had put on a shawl over her hair because it became irresponsible to leave it open. It was a mess.

Soon, Lydia was rushing back, she felt nauseous again but her emotions were better now, she brought the pouch of gems and opened it into Helena’s palm. Helena was still standing out there.

She cradled the pieces of gem with her eyes widening narrowly.

"Lydia" she whispered.

Lydia almost jumped out of excitement. "Yes? Tell me" she said breathlessly.

Helena stayed quiet so Lydia prompted. "You know something, what is it?"

"These are magical" Helena whispered, her eyes not believing.

Lydia grinned like a proud parent. "I know, they look so beautiful" she admitted.

Helena glanced at her. "No, I mean it, they have magical hues to them" she clarified.

Lydia paused. "How do you know that?"

"I just know. It shall be a rare find and you just made yourself rich"

Lydia’s eyes brightened. She loved how Helena saw the bright future too.

A movement drew their attention making both the ladies turn to it. It was Dorothy. She bowed quickly. "Lady Theodore, do you mind sitting in the garden?" she said pointing towards that place.

"No I am fine" she waved the maid off.

Dorothy frowned, the lady would get exhausted if she kept walking around like this, she already had been acting a bit different since yesterday and they wouldn’t want it to worsen.

"Lady Theodore your hand fan" she changed direction, at least the lady should be comfortable.

"Thank you" Lydia whispered taking the fan from Dorothy.

She turned to Helena who was now looking at the lake suspiciously. "I made a necklace already, let me show you," Lydia said.

"You should put the gem in a box instead to save it from scratching itself" Helena called out as Lydia turned to leave.

She could send her maids but she was just too enthusiastic.

Helena smiled, loving the energy Lydia was giving. She decided to rest on the solitary cotton tree, its branches barren and leaves withered from the relentless sun whilst she waited for Lydia.

She didn’t feel like going inside as she needed this scenery and breeze.

Her fingers brushed against the rough bark of the tree, a simple touch to rid the surface of dust so she could rest her back.

Helena’s eyes widened as she started to look around. Because suddenly, a wave of magic surged from her fingertips, coursing through the tree’s trunk like a bolt of lightning.

In an instant, the tree responded to her inadvertent magic, as if awakened from a deep slumber. From its gnarled branches burst forth a profusion of delicate blossoms, each petal unfolding in a symphony of colour and fragrance.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of cotton flowers as the tree transformed before the witch’s astonished eyes.

Her breath hitched. Where once stood a desolate, lifeless tree now bloomed a magnificent spectacle of nature’s beauty.

She stood in awe, and slight fear at witnessing the miracle she had unknowingly summoned, a cotton tree reborn in full splendor from the touch of her fingertips.

She didn’t want to be caught in the Theodore mansion by being this reckless.

She had never done magic this immense and obvious before. Her forehead glistened with sweat.

"Oh, the tree bloomed!" Lydia squealed in surprise when her gaze caught the blooming tree.

Helena turned and decided to hide a small amount of truth.

She must have a history with this plant and only one was plausible.

"Ahh yes, I think I planted this" she said.

Lydia’s smile dropped. "Did you ever live in Critic Arley?"

"I told you that I and mother travelled around Critic-Ishire a lot" she responded tersely.

Helena had never known stability or peace which was why she had always craved to marry a noble who could give her that. She and her mother would always run away from one location to another around the empire because like her mother always said. ’Father is coming and we need to be faster’. They ran but soon enough mother gave up and that was when she found the family she had but she also had to leave because her powers attracted trouble and she needed to continue her mother’s run.

"I wonder if Theodore knows about the tree, I wonder why it suddenly bloomed" Lydia murmured, her eyes gazing at the tree.

The cottons were all ready for the picking.

Helena remained silent wondering how the lord would take this information.

Lydia shook her head. "Well here is the neckpiece I made today" she showed Helena. Raising the artwork.

Helena gasped. Wonderfully shocked. "This is beautiful, when did you learn?"

"I had a few books" Lydia replied with a shrug.

"And you are fast" Helena continued twirling the work in her delicate palm.

"Thank you," Lydia said humbly.

Helena returned it to Lydia "You should make more pieces and start to market them" she advised.

Lydia grinned. "I shall do business!" she squealed.

Lydia’s excitement was infectious making Helena grin too.

"Yes, you shall, I wish to find something I could do too" she ended the sentence with a sigh. She could not live off Conan like that and suddenly always had money to spend.

Lydia nodded. She understood what Helena must be feeling. She had felt it before too. "Yeah we shall think of a couple of things, let us go inside" she invited.

Helena shook her head reluctant to go inside. "Can we use the garden, I feel hot and cramped inside" she explained with a grimace, she hated to complain unnecessarily. That is not true with Conan she has realized.

Lydia frowned. "That must be scary, the mansion is large and cold" so it was ironic that Helena felt that way in the mansion.

"You are funny" Helena commented with a giggle. "Let us design more works for you"

They sat in the garden and started to sketch as they had lunch together talking about all the things Lydia had never seen and the things Helena wished she had never seen.

(If you wish to support me)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nanafirdausi

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.