I woke up on my birthday to the scent of herbs filling the air. Sunlight streamed through the window, warming my bed, and there, right by my pillow, was a bundle of wild camellias, their fragrance sweet and sharp.
The door creaked open. Lucien stepped in with a breakfast tray, his face lighting up when he saw I was awake. "Happy birthday, Lillian."
It hit me then—today was my birthday. Back in the Hawthorne estate, only the dazed, half-lost Theodore ever remembered this day. After that… well, no one else bothered.
"What's with that look?" Lucien set the tray down and brushed a stray tear from my cheek. "Bad dream?"
I shook my head, fingers grazing the soft petals. "I just didn't expect you to remember."
He grinned, pulling a small cloth bundle from his sleeve. "Eat up. I've got somewh
