TLDKBD 20

TLDKBD ≈ Chspter 20

Posted by Dustin, Released on July 21, 2026

Chapter 20

‘What is it? It’s a red rose, right?’

Right in front of my nose, red roses bloomed in clusters like clouds.

No matter how you look at it, it is red, not pink?

I poked my head out over the well-groomed rose bushes.

I saw Countess Ghiberti wheezing with her hands on her hips, and the elderly gardener with his head bowed like a criminal.

But then.

“You’re a gardener and you get paid every day, but you can’t even plant a single rose properly!”

With a shrill cry, the countess kicked the gardener’s shin vigorously.

Puck!

“Agh!”

The gardener’s body swayed greatly.

‘Hitting people?!’

I was appalled.

That figure, still lowering his head, unable to open his mouth despite the opponent’s nonsensical accusations.

At the same time, anger rose up from the depths of my heart.…… Because he resembled me when I was imprisoned in the demon castle.

But Countess Ghiberti went one step further.

She raised her index finger and poked the gardener’s forehead.

“I gave you money, didn’t I?”

Puk.

“Then you should pay for the money, huh?

Puk, puk.

The gardener’s wrinkled face flushed red with shame.

‘Wow, I can’t stand this!’

I reflexively looked around and found the right object just in time.

It was a watering can full of water.

‘Great.’

I walked stealthily near the watering can, and immediately overturned the watering can.

Clack!

Cool water poured down from the overturned watering can.

It must have been water mixed with fertilizer, because the water that soaked the Countess’s feet was light yellowish brown. A musty smell wafted out.

“Kyaaa!”

Surprised, Countess Ghiberti jumped up from her seat.

The shoes, which looked classy at first glance, were drenched without knowing it.

I didn’t know for sure, but the water must have flowed into the shoes too, right?

Suppressing the evil laugh that kept coming out of my lips, I hit the ball even further.

“Ah, did your feet get wet because of Tati?”

“Are you just saying that now?!”

The countess glared at me with a ferocious gaze.

“What are you going to do with these shoes? Do you have any idea how expensive they are?!”

Oh wow, it is true. Are you even going to hit me right now?

I clicked my tongue inwardly, pretending to feel nothing on the outside.

“But the manager dirtied the clothes of the gardener.”

“…….”

For an instant, Countess Ghiberti’s face contorted.

Why? Do you feel resentful when you get stabbed in the face by me, who you usually ignore?

The countess gritted her teeth and turned around quickly.

On the gardener’s shin, the shoeprint from where the countess had kicked was clearly visible.

“It was wrong for Tati to dirty the manager’s shoes, but,” I tilted my head and met the countess’s bloody gaze before continuing, “Did the gardener do something wrong to the extent that you dirtied his clothes?”

“…….”

“Then, if Tati apologizes to the manager, is the manager also going to apologize to the gardener?”

“…….”

Apparently, Countess Ghiberti was at a loss for words at my miraculous logic. Seeing how she gnashed her teeth, but couldn’t really refute me.

Hey, that will hurt your molars. Do you know how precious teeth are?

I added one more sarcastic remark.

“And to Tati’s eyes, it’s not a pink rose. It looks like a red rose, doesn’t it?”

“W-what?!”

“If you can’t even tell the difference between colors, shouldn’t you be wearing glasses? Tati is very concerned about the manager’s eyesight…….”

As I deliberately said that in a worried voice, sparks flew from the Countess’s eyes.

I’m really not bad at this. If you get involved with me further here, you will naturally have to apologize to the gardener.

But hasn’t the Countess also worked as a manager for a long time?

She didn’t cross the final line.

“Hmph!”

She turned around.

“If I mix words with a kid who doesn’t know anything, I’m the only one who will be frustrated!”

After winning a mental victory like that, she disappeared.

What, is it going to end like this?

I turned to the gardener.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Ah, Miss……!”

The gardener, at a loss for what to do, squatted down and met my gaze.

Oh, Grandpa. You don’t have to. You’re old, so what if your knee hurts?

At the same time, the gardener bowed his head at me.

“Thank you so much!”

“Eh? Didn’t Tati just make a mistake with the manager?”

“You didn’t do that on purpose for me, did you?”

“Isn’t that the case? Didn’t you use me as the gardener as an excuse for an apology from the manager?”

I was ashamed of myself for no reason, but the gardener only smiled softly as if he knew everything about me.

Just then, Nora hurriedly ran this way.

“Miss!”

Then he looked back and forth at the watering can thrown on the floor and the shoe marks left on the gardener’s trousers.

She frowned.

“Did the manager find fault again?”

“Still, the lady handled it well, so it was no big deal.”

“Yeah, but this is really…….”

Nora sighed and glanced back at me.

She seemed to think that she couldn’t gossip about the manager in front of me.

Then I saw her stretching out her arms to me with a smile on her face.

“It’s dangerous to run like that alone. What are you going to do if you fall and have to lie down?”

“Um…….”

I only rolled my eyes.

No matter how old I am, I have my mental age as well. I can’t believe I’d fall down while running.

But with the frail body of a four-year-old, my legs throbbed after running just a few steps.

“Mhn.”

Instead of refuting Nora’s words, I quietly hugged her.

At the same time, the gardener hurriedly opened his mouth.

“Thank you very much, Miss. I must give you something in return…….”

“No, I don’t need anything.”

Still, I was restless, because it looked like he wouldn’t be at ease if he didn’t give me something.

‘Well, is this why good people really have a hard time living?’

Do you feel a burden on your heart just because of something like this?

Shaking my head inwardly, I pointed my finger at the roses that had bloomed in clusters.

“Then for me, that one.”

“You mean the roses?”

“Yes. One piece.”

“Yes, I understand. I will take the prettiest one and cut it for you.”

The gardener, who had cut off the most desirable rose, meticulously trimmed the thorns on the branches.

Then he carefully placed the rose in my hand.

I buried my nose in the rose and inhaled the scent deep into my lungs.

It smelled sweet.

Well, that wasn’t a bad feeling.

***

A few days later.

I was in trouble, chewing on the cookies that came up to my room.

“Come on, Nora.”

“Hmm?”

“Why do you keep giving me sweets from the kitchen?”

I pointed to the cookie bowl I was holding in my arms. It wasn’t the first day I received the cookies and that I ate them.

As two, three, even four days passed, various sweets came up, so I couldn’t help but notice them.

They were baked in the kitchen and sent to me every day.

Then Nora suddenly looked worried.

“Are the sweets not to your liking?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

To be honest, the sweets were very delicious.

Have you ever seen a child refuse cookies?

Originally, I liked sweet things, so it was a lot of fun to see the colorful sweets that changed every time.

But……

I glanced at the table top out of the corner of my eye.

These days, fresh flowers were put in my vase every day. Today it was a yellow dahlia. It was very pretty to see the tips of the petals dyed in light orange.

.…Were the flowers sent every time by the gardener?

“Then why do you say that?”

“Everyone must be tired and having a hard time because of me.”

It wouldn’t be easy to bake cookies and sweets every day, pick flowers from the garden, and send them off.

Then Nora straightened up.

“What? Don’t think like that, miss.”

“Still, they say everyone is busy….”

Unable to overcome the remorse of conscience, I mumbled my speech.

Nora smiled as if telling me not to worry.

“It’s because everyone likes you.”

“Me?”

I opened my eyes wide.