France, Versailles, Rosier Manor.
The weather was somewhat hot. The trees and plants in the courtyard were lush, and groups of small animals ran around among the patches of greenery. Flowers of all colors bloomed throughout the garden.
The manor was no longer filled exclusively with roses. The seeds Eda had planted last year had blossomed into flowers of all kinds of colors this year.
In front of a large cluster of flowers, Vinda held a small watering can. She was watering the flowers, making them look even more delicate and beautiful.
Standing behind Vinda was Henry Rosier, his robes neatly pressed without a single wrinkle.
"You were living perfectly well in Paris. Why come all the way here in weather this hot?" Vinda said. As she spoke, she did not stop working at all. She put down the small watering can and picked up a pair of scissors, beginning to trim the branches.
"I heard that you had returned from Britain, so I came to see you. I missed you," Henry said. He said it very naturally. Before Eda appeared, he was the only one among the Rosier grandchildren who would occasionally visit Vinda.
"You certainly have a sweet tongue. I wonder how many young girls you've deceived with it!" Vinda teased. "Daniel told you again, didn't he? That old fellow's mouth really is getting faster and faster."
Henry did not answer immediately. After a brief pause, he said, "Yes, I ran into Daniel at the Ministry of Magic. He was the one who told me that you had returned."
"I knew it was that old fellow," Vinda said. "Henry, what do you think of this garden? Is there anything different from before?"
Rosier Manor had a very long history and had always been occupied by the head of the Rosier family. It was only because Vinda's branch had served as the head of the family so many times that this luxurious manor had gradually become a private residence.
Roses that bloomed throughout the year were planted throughout the manor. This was also where the manor got its name, while the everlasting roses symbolized the Rosier family's eternal prosperity.
Now, after Eda had turned Rosier Manor upside down, a large number of animals ran around everywhere. Some members of the family had criticized her for destroying something beautiful by mixing things that did not belong together.
The various kinds of flowers were also condemned as being improper and disrespectful to the family.
Looking at the sea of flowers blooming before him, Henry thought for a moment before saying, "It's quite nice. The flowers are competing to bloom in all their splendor, and everything is full of vitality."
"That's well said." Vinda praised him before continuing, "But have you noticed anything about these newly planted flowers?"
Henry did not understand what Vinda was trying to express, so he chose the safest answer.
He replied, "I really haven't noticed anything. Aren't these flowers, along with these puppies and fawns, all things Eda planted and raised to make you happy?"
"They are indeed meant to make me happy, so I won't stay cooped up indoors all the time and can come outside to move around more." Vinda looked into Henry's eyes as she spoke. "But Eda has another meaning behind them."
A look of astonishment appeared on Henry's face. He asked, "There is another meaning?"
"Of course. Eda is a very thoughtful child," Vinda said. "And she is also a very kind child."
Vinda pointed toward the roses that had originally been planted there and continued, "These roses that were already here represent the members of the Rosier family, while the newly planted flowers represent herself. She is saying that even if the family members do not consider her a rose, she can still grow alongside everyone else, just like this garden before us."
"She won't interfere with the growth of the other roses, and she also hopes that the other roses won't disturb her. Everyone can simply live in peace."
"But this is Rosier Manor to begin with, and the appearance of those flowers has occupied the roses' territory." Henry spoke with an implication in his words. "How can the roses possibly let that go?"
Vinda gave Henry a surprised look, seemingly wondering why he would ask such a foolish question.
Vinda said, "Sometimes flowers grow useless branches. The person tending the flowers has to trim away those extra branches so that the flowers can grow better. People are the same. They need to be trimmed and corrected from time to time."
Watching Vinda trim the branches that had grown out of place, Henry became somewhat lost in thought. He pressed further, "What if the flower cannot be trimmed? What if the person cannot be persuaded?"
"Then it's even simpler. Just pull it out. That way, more soil and nutrients will be available for the flowers that can be pruned." As she spoke, Vinda pulled a rose from the flowerbed out by its roots.
The moment it left the magical soil, the rose that had been so fresh and beautiful only moments ago quickly began to wither. Its tender green leaves turned yellow and fell away, while its blooming flower wilted and withered.
The sight made Henry's heart tighten. He was not a foolish person without any depth, but even he was startled by Vinda's ruthless treatment of the flower. She had pulled the rose out of the soil without the slightest hesitation, despite the fact that it had once been carefully tended by Vinda herself.
That rose could have been Alain, it could have been Vincent, it could have been anyone. The soil and nutrients it left behind would be given to those who were obedient.
"I understand, Grand-Aunt," Henry said respectfully. Only at this moment did he truly experience the decisiveness of the older generation when it came to killing and eliminating threats. Only then did he understand why his grandfather was so afraid of Vinda.
Vinda put down the scissors in her hand. She casually tossed the withered rose onto the ground, where it was trampled into the soil by the small animals chasing each other, eventually becoming nutrients for the other flowers.
"Henry, you're still young, and you lack experience. There are some things you cannot see through yet. But that's fine. You still have a long road ahead of you. You can take your time looking and learning." Vinda walked as she spoke. "Once you've learned seventy or eighty percent of what Thierry knows, you'll be a qualified head of the family."
Her words were earnest and full of weight. Among the members of the Rosier family, Vinda only had confidence in Henry.
This was not nepotism. It was not because he was Thierry's grandson, with Thierry personally teaching him and offering advice and strategies. It was because Henry truly had the potential to become something great.
As for Hector, he was just a brat with nothing but romance and love on his mind. He was not capable of shouldering any great responsibility. Hector's parents were even worse, blind donkeys who could not tell right from wrong, a pair of fools who could not distinguish good from bad.
After walking for a while, the two arrived beside a fountain. Vinda leaned against the fountain to rest, while Henry stood beside her somewhat stiffly.
"Eda likes you quite a lot, her cousin. She will support you just as I do," Vinda said. "When the time comes, you will handle things within the family and take care of the family's affairs. Eda will handle things outside the family and do whatever she wants to do. The two of you can support each other, and the Rosiers will only become better and better."
Henry did not feel the slightest bit of joy at Vinda's words. His expression became solemn as he asked, "Grand-Aunt, has You-Know-Who really returned?"
"That old fellow Daniel even told you about this?" Vinda said. "Yes, Voldemort has returned. Eda saw him with her own eyes. There is no reason for Eda to lie about this, and neither does Dumbledore."
The first Dark Lord and the second Dark Lord were completely opposite in this regard.
Grindelwald's influence had never extended into the British wizarding world, even at the height of his power.
Voldemort's rule, on the other hand, had never extended beyond the British wizarding world, even at the height of his power.
But there was one thing they had in common. The person who stood in the way of both Dark Lords was Dumbledore. The only person in the world capable of doing so.
On the European continent, although Voldemort's reputation was not as great as Grindelwald's, people were still filled with fear of him.
After all, if Dumbledore could no longer hold him back, Voldemort could cross the sea at any time and spread his terror across the European continent.
"What can I do to help you and Eda?" Henry continued asking.
"Hmm... Let me think." Vinda thought for a while before saying, "Keep an eye on those members of the family who aren't well behaved. I don't want anyone stabbing Eda in the back. I don't want to see something like that happen a second time."
After agreeing to this, Henry left the garden and departed from Rosier Manor.
Watching Henry's retreating figure, Vinda was somewhat dazed. She murmured, "He really looks like him!"
"Looks like whom?" Laura suddenly appeared beside the fountain. In her arms was a Corgi with an especially large backside and extremely short legs.
Laura's sudden appearance did not startle Vinda. Not only was Vinda not startled, she reached over and snatched the little short-legged dog from her arms.
While petting the dog, Vinda said, "His back looks very much like Thierry's when he was young. Even his nervous mannerisms are similar, as if they were carved from the same mold."
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