The Echanting Duchess

Chapter 4: Pink Everywhere

With the sweet, high-pitched humming of the birds outside her room, Atallie woke up early in the morning, just as she usually woke up in a bright, peaceful morning on the mountains side.

She truly enjoyed waking up early and having a morning stroll as she breathed in the cool and fresh morning breeze.

All was good and great in her simple life, not until she found herself being kidnapped by her own father.

Yes, that's right.

Atallie was completely aware that her own father was the one who impenitently abducted her after getting ahold of something valuable concerning her and using it for his own selfish cause.

If not the count himself, Atallie knew that no one woul,  and no one could do such thing.

Just thinking about it first thing in the morning, even with the fine tune of the humming birds outside her windows, made Atallie's mood sour already.

To clear her head from the gloomy mood, she walked towards the cloak room and grabbed a coat before heading towards the balcony.

With still hazy eyes, Atallie quietly yawned as she looked onto the calming and soothing pastel hue of sunrise on the horizon. As she gazed on it, the more awake she became.

A faint smile appeared on her dreamy, beautiful face, as sweet as the nectar of the Jungle Geranium.

Atallie shifted her eyes to the surroundings of the estate. Looking over the landscape of the mansion, Atallie couldn't help but be impressed on how well-tended the massive garden was.

She could even see a green house not far from the main mansion where she was staying. The garden was filled with not so many colors from different flowers. Instead, it was filled with only four colors - blue, white, yellow, and red. Aside from different green shrubs, the garden was so neat and pleasant to look at as the flowers were uniformly and beautifully grown and arranged.

For some reason, it was akin to the taste of Atallie.

Atallie didn't like for too many colors to be mixed together. It looked so cluttered and chaotic for her. Even the arrangements of different flowers with different colors wwerealso a big no-no for her.

Thus, being impressed by the beautiful garden just outside her place and being attracted by the inviting smell of the morning dew along with the flowers, Atallie decided to have a morning stroll. She grabbed a longer and thicker coat before heading out.

Since the duchess' room was located on the opposite wing from the duke's room, Atallie didn't have to worry about seeing the duke first thing in the morning and out of the blue.

Thus, she nonchalantly went out and blissfully strolled in the garden with complete satisfaction - although it could not be seen on her face and nothing has even changed from her usual frosty and impassive expression.

Before the sun completely rose and the surroundings became bright, Atallie carefully picked a few blue and white flowers before she walked back towards her room.

Just as she was getting inside the mansion, Atallie felt a familiar piercing gaze from someone. A while ago, she also discovered that her seemingly private stroll has already been found out by someone. But since Atallie's mood was uplifted by the charming garden, she chose to disregard it completely.

Although not seen on her face, she happily went back to her room with the blooming white and blue flowers on her hands.

---

On his way back to his study room from his early morning training, Duke Calex clearly saw the duchess walking around the massive main mansion's garden. At first, the duke thought that he was just mistaken about it, considering it was still very early in the morning, and the sun is not yet fully rising. Besides, the new duchess just arrived yesterday and it was never in the expectations of Duke Calex to see the new duchess so early in the morning, taking a stroll alone in the garden as if it was her own when she just actually arrived in the estate yesterday.