As soon as they pulled into the driveway and parked, Aconite was already standing by the door, waiting with her usual serene posture.
Before anyone even stepped out, every pair of eyes in the car settled on Dahlia—almost instinctively—as if everyone already knew who Aconite was here for.
"What?" Dahlia blinked. "Relax. She's not going to punish me."
She spoke with the confidence of someone who absolutely shouldn't have confidence, then swung the door open. The others followed her out.
"Hello, Aconite! It's rare to see you away from the garden. Are you waiting for someone?" Dahlia asked in her cheerful sing-song.
But instead of scolding her, Aconite moved straight past her, hooked her arms around Seamus's, and clung to him like a quiet but immovable vine.
"Why did you leave without me?"
"Huh? I didn't know you wanted to come," he replied, genuinely confused. He still had no idea why she kept clinging to him.
