The project had already been submitted. There were still two weeks left until the so-called award ceremony. Work at the office never stopped, and Arevik was not someone who could sit idle. She continued sorting documents and collecting data, and during her breaks she went down to the garden to help Grish.

  Day after day, the garden changed—becoming neater, as if it were coming back to life. This made Arevik happy.

  There was, however, one part of the garden that no one had touched. While traces of former plants still remained in other areas, this section looked completely untouched, as if time itself had scorched the soil. Curiosity gave Arevik no peace, and one day she finally decided to ask.

  “Uncle Grish, what used to be here?” she asked softly.

  Her interest in this place was not accidental, yet her intuition had kept her from asking for a long time. The frozen expression on Grish’s face made Arevik almost immediately regret her question.

  “Uncle Grish, what happened? I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said hastily.

  “It’s not your fault,” Grish replied, wiping away his tears.

  “You’re very shaken,” Arevik said gently, trying to calm him.

  He remained silent for a few seconds, then began to speak.

  “When the lady and the master were alive, this garden was like paradise. The lady and I took care of it, and the little master used to play here,” he said, pointing to an old sandbox. “The lady planned to plant royal peonies here…”

  His voice trembled.

  “Uncle Grish, you don’t have to continue,” Arevik said, even though she desperately wanted to hear more.

  “No,” Grish shook his head. “I want you to understand what’s happening here.”

  “But promise me—if you feel unwell, you’ll stop,” she said quietly.

  He took a few steps toward the abandoned plot and continued.

  “One day the lady called and asked me to prepare the soil. She was bringing peony seedlings back from a trip. I did everything and waited… and waited. Then I couldn’t bear it anymore and called her. It turned out they had come for business and she had forgotten to leave the seedlings. When I called, they were on the opposite side of the highway. The lady decided to cross the road herself to bring me the flowers…”

  Arevik felt cold all over.

  Please, no…

  “No one noticed the speeding car,” Grish said hollowly.

  “Oh God…” Arevik whispered.

  “If I hadn’t called her… she wouldn’t have gotten out of the car. She would still be alive.”

  “You’re not to blame,” Arevik tried to object.

  “Not to blame?” Grish repeated bitterly. “Less than a month later, the master grew weak and died. The little master saw all of it. And you say I’m not guilty?”

  “It was an accident,” Arevik said softly. “You just loved them too much. That’s why you blame yourself.”

  Grish covered his face with his hands.

  “One day I came here out of my mind and turned the garden upside down. I destroyed everything… erased the last memories of the lady. I will never forgive myself for that.”

  “That’s why you argued with Hayk,” Arevik said thoughtfully.

  “The little master didn’t come here for a long time. Then one day he did—and ordered me to restore the garden. But I wasn’t ready. He said that if I didn’t do it then, he would never allow this garden to be restored again.”

  Arevik sighed heavily.

  “Do you think he’s still angry?”

  “Nothing here is simple,” Grish replied. “I don’t know what will happen when he finds out the truth.”

  “Let’s not think about it today,” Arevik said. “Maybe deep down, he himself wants this to be resolved.”

  “I hope so,” Grish nodded. “You should go. It’s late.”

  “Not this time, Uncle Grish. Today was a hard day. Let’s go home together.”

  He smiled tiredly, and they left the garden side by side.

  The gardener’s story stayed with Arevik for a long time. But her thoughts were no longer about Grish—they were about the director.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  How strong must a person be to endure so much tragedy and still become a leader?

  Now Arevik wanted to restore the garden not just as a project. She wanted Hayk to have a place where he could be himself—to relax, to breathe freely, and, if only for a moment, feel at peace.

  The long-awaited day of the award ceremony had finally arrived. It was scheduled to take place after working hours. The day seemed endless. Arevik waited for the results with growing impatience, though she understood that no matter what happened, the work on the garden still had to be completed.

  After the workday ended, everyone headed to the hall together. The archive staff were visibly nervous—for the first time in their history, they were not merely observers but actual participants in the competition. If before they had only watched from the sidelines, now a true competitive spirit had awakened within them.

  Arevik sat with her colleagues at the back of the hall. The stage was clearly visible from there. She had chosen the seat deliberately—she wanted to clearly see the person who would be standing on the stage. A few more minutes passed, and the ceremony was officially announced open.

  When the host of the competition was introduced, Arevik felt a flicker of disappointment. The host and announcer of the winners turned out to be the director’s assistant. However, Anna led the program so confidently and professionally that Arevik quickly changed her mind and even found herself impressed. Winners were announced one after another, and the closer the ceremony came to its end, the more tense Arevik became, gradually sinking into despair.

  “In truth, it was very difficult for me to choose the winning project,” Anna began. “There were many worthy works, and for that I sincerely thank you. But the winner of this year has been determined and will receive full funding from this year’s foundation…”

  “A-ah… Mr. Shalunts, have you decided to join our event?”

  All eyes immediately turned to the director, who had just entered the hall. He scanned the room attentively, as if searching for someone. Spotting the person, he was looking for, Hayk smiled faintly and, with a restrained bow, approached Anna.

  “It seems I arrived just in time,” he said, glancing at her. “So I’m to announce the winning project.”

  “We would be glad to hear your words,” Anna replied, looking at him in surprise.

  “Actually, I have a few questions for the author of one of the projects. If you don’t mind,” he said calmly.

  “What are you doing?” Anna whispered, covering the microphone. “I chose exactly the project you wanted,” she added, guessing his intentions.

  “I don’t want the choice to be made based on my preference,” Hayk replied quietly. “It’s important to me that you are convinced of its value yourselves. Trust me.”

  Anna exhaled.

  “Well then, Mr. Shalunts, which project are we talking about?” she asked, having resigned herself to his game.

  “I would like to ask a few questions to the author of the archive project,” Hayk said, turning his gaze directly toward Arevik. He already knew where she was sitting.

  “Arevik, please come to the microphone,” Anna said, following Ayk’s gaze and locating her in the hall.

  Arevik’s heart had started racing the moment Hayk entered the room. But when he announced that he wanted to question her, she froze completely. Astghik, sitting beside her and assuming Arevik hadn’t heard, gently nudged her with her elbow—bringing her back to reality.

  Arevik stood up and slowly made her way to the microphone. Her legs were trembling, and every step felt heavy.

  “Hello. My name is Arevik. I’m an employee of the archive department,” she began.

  “We’re glad to have you, dear Arevik,” Anna said, trying to ease the tension. “I’d like to note that your project is one of the few that made it to the final round.”

  Then she leaned slightly toward Hayk.

  “Mr. Shalunts, please.”

  Arevik’s gaze shifted from Anna to Hayk.

  “I must admit, the project is truly interesting,” Hayk said. “But I’d like you to explain, in just a few words, what its core idea is.”

  By his look, it’s clear he already understands everything. Then why ask? flashed through Arevik’s mind. But since the director had asked, she gathered her strength and answered.

  “The project reflects the operating principles of an online library,” she said confidently. “Digitizing archival data allows us to actively use information while preserving the original documents from wear and damage.”

  “Thank you,” Hayk nodded and glanced at Anna. “And one more question—why does the project include restoration kits and additional systems?”

  “I believe that regardless of the level of digitalization, the original source must be preserved,” Arevik replied. “Security is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.”

  She paused for a moment, unsure whether she was understood, but noticing Anna’s and Ayk’s approving gestures, she continued:

  “Given the scale of our organization, even recent documents eventually become part of the archive. Protecting them makes the project more sustainable and accessible.”

  Hayk looked at Anna again. She leaned toward him and whispered softly:

  “You’re right. The project is very well developed,” and nodded.

  “Considering the enthusiasm with which you speak about the archive,” Hayk said, “I am confident that the main prize of this year’s foundation can be entrusted to you. Congratulations.”

  He began to applaud.

  Arevik’s first reaction was tears. She didn’t cry, but her eyes shone like stars—and Hayk noticed it.

  “Thank you… thank you very much,” Arevik murmured, bowed slightly, and returned to her seat.

  The last words were spoken, warm wishes and congratulations exchanged, and the meeting was officially declared closed. Arevik accepted congratulations from her colleagues, but she didn’t linger long—soon she left, or rather, almost ran, eager to tell Grisha what had happened.

  “I’m grateful to you for choosing exactly what I wanted this year,” Hayk said when he and Anna were alone.

  “I didn’t choose anything,” Anna replied calmly. “I decided to support the archive myself. I only announced the result.”

  Anna smiled. Hayk returned the smile and didn’t ask any more questions—he knew he wouldn’t get to the full truth anyway.

  “But did you see her eyes?” Anna continued in surprise. “The tears… It’s the first time I’ve seen someone genuinely happy for the institution, not for themselves.”

  “Something’s not right here,” Hayk said thoughtfully, his gaze drifting to the window. “And I’m becoming more convinced of it. Look.”

  Anna leaned closer and saw Arevik and Grisha hugging, celebrating as if they were children sharing a small victory.

  “She’s a very strange girl,” Anna said.

  “‘Strange’ isn’t the right word,” Hayk smirked. “Anna, if I don’t find out what’s really going on here, I’ll die of curiosity.”

  He paused for a moment, then added:

  “I can’t leave this to anyone else. They’d just misunderstand me.”

  “You want me to figure it out myself?” Anna caught the hint but asked anyway.

  “Would you do it?” Hayk asked, almost like a child pleading.

  Anna rolled her eyes but smiled.

  “Alright, I’ll dig around. I’ll try to find something out,” she promised.

  “Then let’s go,” Hayk said joyfully.

  “Go where?” Anna asked, puzzled.

  “What do you mean, ‘where’?” He looked at her with genuine bewilderment. “To celebrate our projects, of course.”

  “Wait, I’ll take the documents to the office—and then we can go,” Anna said, smiling.