Larissa is Jefferson's fiancée. They were betrothed when they were children, and now they're forced to marry for business reasons. Jefferson has never loved Larissa because he sees her as boring and rigid. Although she appears graceful to him, he can't give her his heart.
Jefferson had always appeared sweet to Larissa. But he was actually trying to escape the awkward situation, as it made him uncomfortable. Therefore, whenever Larissa visited him on her day off, he always felt angry.
Jefferson was forced to approach the uninvited guest who was waiting for him in the living room. As usual, he relied on his forced smile to make Larissa appear happy in front of him.
"Larissa, I didn't expect you to come to me on a holiday."
Meanwhile, Larissa nodded, sitting next to the man she liked. "Actually, I missed you. That's why I wanted to go on a date with you today."
"But, weren't you busy shopping with your friends today? I heard a report from your assistant."
"It's true that I'm supposed to be with them today. But I don't want to."
"Why? Haven't you always loved shopping with your friends?"
Larissa's expression was pitiful, as she hadn't expected Jefferson's answer to be so different from what she'd expected. It was unusual for Jefferson to give an answer that seemed to be pushing her away. However, she maintained her elegance, ensuring their relationship continued to run smoothly.
"I love shopping with them. But it would be boring if we did it all the time, wouldn't it?"
Jefferson nodded and rested his chin. "There is some truth to what you said earlier."
"Today I want you to take me out to the shopping mall all day."
This was the first time Jefferson was unsure how to answer. He had already decided to move into his new home with Carabella. Should he flatly reject his fiancée's invitation and say he already had a date? He was worried that Larissa would ask him further questions and belittle Carabella.
"By the way, instead of walking around the mall, how about we have a date in this backyard? The flowers are blooming beautifully. I'd love to pick some for you."
As usual, Larissa was very fond of Jefferson's sweet and simple gesture. Although he rejected her advances, this rejection only made her like him even more.
"You're suddenly acting so romantic like this, what's wrong with you today?" Larissa asked, embracing her fiancé's hand affectionately.
"Because I wanted to give you flowers today." Jefferson took a moment to pick at a strand of dust from his fiancée's hair. "Besides, I don't want my fiancée to be extravagant before we're married."
Larissa lowered her head in embarrassment, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "So, do you like women who aren't wasteful? I'll improve my behavior from now on."
"I'm not stopping you from going shopping. But I don't want you to keep wasting your money on your days off. Going on a date doesn't mean you have to go to the mall all the time; I can accompany you somewhere else."
"Okay, I'll listen to your advice. Since we're getting married soon, I want our relationship to get even closer."
Jefferson smiled faintly as he looked at Larissa, who was gazing at him in adoration. He desperately hoped she wouldn't become too obsessed with him, as he didn't want her to regret it in the end. However, for now, he had to keep up the act to avoid being reprimanded by Larissa's strict family.
"Actually, I wanted to take you shopping on a weekday so you wouldn't have to work all the time."
Larissa laughed softly, patting her fiancé's arm. "You're so considerate, Jefferson. I guess I should treat you better."
"By the way, would you like to go for a walk in the park now? It's quite hot outside."
"Don't worry. I can wear my hat."
"The hat I gave you last?"
Larissa wore a hat decorated with a pink ribbon. "That's right. I only like this hat because it's the only one you gave me."
"I admit, this hat really suits you. I didn't make a mistake in choosing it for you from the start."
*****
Meanwhile, Carabella remained locked up in her room. Hearing the news of Larissa's visit today terrified her. Larissa hadn't actually scolded her, but her overly elegant demeanor made her seem incredibly arrogant. When she first met Larissa, their encounter had been so bad that Carabella wanted to forget about it.
Carabella continued to sit in thought, staring out the bedroom window, wondering what the couple was doing. Just as she was about to lie down on the bed, the head housekeeper suddenly entered the room.
"Carabella, you have to work now."
"What should I do now?" Carabella replied with her head lowered.
"Today we have a special guest, and Mr. Jefferson would like to give his special guest some flowers. Could you help him pick the perfect rose?"
Carabella could already guess who the special guest visiting today was. It was the woman she hated and Jefferson's beloved fiancée. She was forced to obey the housekeeper's orders, having been assigned to be the gardener from the start.
"Okay, I'll go to the backyard now."
The sun was quite hot outside. Carabella wore a flower hat Alexander had given her to protect her face from the heat. The garden looked deserted, so she relied on her tiny hands to pick the beautifully blooming roses one by one. Carabella hoped for a speedy escape from this situation.
It didn't take long to pick the roses. Carabella immediately put all the stems in the basket and then walked leisurely to the living room. She had already mentally prepared herself to face Larissa.
However, after only a few steps onto the grass, she ran into Larissa, who was holding hands with Jefferson. This situation made Carabella want to avoid them all along. However, she couldn't do so because she was the gardener in this house.