Chapter 89

I explained every precaution to the farmers without missing a single detail.

 

“This is a crop that bears fruit in the ground. You can eat it raw or boiled, but you must never eat the stalks. Even if you do eat them, they must be boiled thoroughly to remove the toxins.”

 

“T-toxins, you say?”

 

“You don’t need to be so afraid. Think of it like the weeds in the mountains—they cause a minor stomachache if eaten raw. It’s about that level.”

 

At the mention of “toxins,” they tensed up instantly. When I moved on to the part about the flowers, they pricked up their ears, determined not to miss a word. They pulled out small notebooks and recorded every instruction I gave.

 

I distributed several batches of seeds to them. Watching them discard the withered crops to plant the new seeds, I couldn’t help but smile warmly.

 

“Evan, you should rest too.”

 

“Shouldn’t it be you resting, Lep? You’re going to work in that state?”

 

As I rolled up my sleeves and grabbed a bag of seeds, Evan scanned me from head to toe. I suppose working like this wasn’t ideal. I’d be lucky if I didn’t trip and roll on the ground.

 

I shed the extra layers of clothing I had been wrapped in. They had absorbed a good amount of water, so I felt less heavy than before. The hem of my dress was still cumbersome, so I tied it in a knot to one side and pulled my hair back tightly with a string.

 

“Isn’t this fine?”

 

“Not fine at all. Your neckline is exposed.”

 

‘Wow, are you a total prude?’

 

Just because I tied my hair back… and my clothes are practically dry now anyway.

 

I thought I looked okay, but Evan’s brow was deeply furrowed.

 

“But I came all this way to help. Every bit of work here is an investment. And Evan, isn’t this better than going over there?”

 

I pointed toward the shade where Bastien and Fedeshar were resting. He fell into deep thought as if it were the dilemma of the century. Is it really that hard to choose?

 

“Then I’ll help you, Lep.”

 

I guess it’s better to get it over with quickly.

 

Evan started planting seeds alongside the other farmers without hesitation. The farmers, who had been working silently, were horrified when they saw him.

 

“Heavens…! Your Grace, we will handle it!”

 

“It is fine. I am doing this for Lep, so pay me no mind.”

 

Perhaps because they felt they couldn’t let the young lord’s hands get dirty, the farmers’ speed increased significantly. It looked like the work would be finished in no time.

 

Since Evan was working so hard, Count Delta and I felt awkward just watching, so we joined in. I had plenty of experience growing herbs, but Count Delta was a total novice and quite clumsy.

 

He didn’t know how deep to plant them, so he buried seeds far too deep; he didn’t know the spacing, so he dug holes right next to each other, insisting that “the more, the merrier” as he shoved five seeds into a single hole. Considering the size of the seeds, it was enough to make me shake my head.

 

“Count, you’ve done enough.”

 

“B-but…”

 

“Please go over there and check on His Highness’s condition.”

 

Count Delta brushed the dirt off his hands and retreated, looking a bit sheepish.

 

Once I finished my share, I straightened my back and stood up. My shoulders felt stiff from the unaccustomed labor. As I moved to check on the others, I lost my footing.

 

I stumbled heavily for a moment but managed to catch my balance. Even though my shoes had low heels, they kept getting caught in the cracks in the dry earth. My dress was still damp and sticky, and after working in multiple layers, beads of sweat had formed on my forehead.

 

“Phew… I want a bath. What a mess I am….”

 

“Good work. Are you done now?”

 

As I caught my breath, a cool breeze brushed past, cooling the sweat on my brow.

 

“Yeah. For the most part.”

 

Now all that’s left is to monitor the situation and wait for them to sprout.

 

“Let’s go wash up quickly. I feel so sticky.”

 

Soaked by rain, then soaked by sweat—it was the absolute worst. I naturally started walking toward Evan, then stopped dead in my tracks.

 

I held out my hand to stop him, maintaining my distance. I suddenly remembered how terrible the smell is when rain-drenched clothes dry on your body and mix with the scent of sweat!

 

“Evan, don’t come any closer. I probably smell like sweat.”

 

Evan looked so shocked he couldn’t even speak, stuttering like a broken wooden doll. Sorry, but please understand my situation….

 

As soon as we arrived at the Count’s estate, I practically shouted for a bath. The lukewarm water wrapped around me, making me feel like I was melting. Only after slathering my hair with fragrant oils did I finally feel refreshed.

 

As I left the bathroom and walked down the hall, someone suddenly hugged me from behind. Seeing the shimmering silver hair, I knew immediately it was Evan.

 

“Evan, you’ve been hugging me a lot lately.”

 

“It’s because you won’t hug me first, Lep. You used to hug me all the time….”

 

His voice sounded a bit resentful.

 

‘Did I?’

 

Well… I suppose I did. I thought I had to protect him because he was “weak.” We always held hands, and we hugged in bed….

 

I shook my head and took his hand, leading him along.

 

“It’s not like you hate it, right? More importantly, the Count said he prepared a banquet. Let’s go.”

 

Evan tried to hide his pouting lips and followed me to the dining hall.

 

 

***

 

 

“Thank you so much for today. Our chef has prepared a banquet to express our gratitude.”

 

Count Delta couldn’t stop grinning. I cut into a delicious steak and took a bite. A feast after hard labor tasted even better.

 

“Master….”

 

Just then, the butler approached and whispered something in Count Delta’s ear. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a dark, flustered expression as he glanced at us nervously.

 

“Is something the matter?”

 

“……Ah, it’s nothing, it just seems my wife has returned.”

 

‘His wife?’ Shouldn’t that be a reason to be happy? I didn’t think much of it.

 

However, I was forced to change my mind when I saw the Countess and a young lady enter.

 

Count Delta spoke in a somewhat cold tone, clearly displeased by their visit.

 

“Didn’t you say you would stay at your family home? To return so suddenly without a word—what is the meaning of this?”

 

The Delta territory had been on the verge of ruin due to the drought. It seemed she had fled to her maiden home because she couldn’t maintain her lavish lifestyle here. Moreover, looking at the beautiful young lady standing next to the Countess, I could immediately tell why she had returned. I could feel Count Delta nervously checking the reactions of Bastien and Fedeshar.

 

For young ladies, it was common to dream of elevating their status by marrying a good husband and helping their family. I respect the effort they put in, but this was just too blatant. For someone who “just returned from her family home,” she was dressed far too flamboyantly, clearly intending to show off for someone.

 

“What is so wrong with me coming back to my own home?”

 

The Countess spoke slyly as she pushed her child forward.

 

“My apologies. I worry we have interrupted your meal. Had I known the Crown Prince and the Prince were here, I would have come to greet you even sooner….”

 

The girl looked to be about sixteen. Her eyes darted around nervously, but she offered a greeting. Her intention to catch the eye of Bastien or Fedeshar was plain as day.

 

“I have finished my meal, so I shall take my leave.”

 

Bastien stood up first, looking as though he was sick of this situation. As the young lady’s face fell, Fedeshar fortunately humored her with some light conversation.

 

Count Delta couldn’t bring himself to stop Bastien and let him go. The Countess had missed the “best fruit,” but she seemed content to let her daughter continue talking with Fedeshar.

 

“Evan, were people like that with you too?”

 

“There’s no way I would talk to other women.”

 

“Right?”

 

I’m certain that if we had been a moment later, Evan would have been caught in that woman’s net too. Even now, she was stealing glances at him regretfully.

 

‘Evan and I are going to have a covenant ceremony soon!’

 

When I glared at the Countess to warn her not to get any ideas, she lowered her eyes. I let out a sharp huff. Don’t even think about it.

 

Beside me, Evan let out a chuckle.

 

“I’m not interested at all. Don’t be so prickly.”

 

“Evan, you never know what people might do.”

 

Count Delta looked like he had a headache as the dinner turned into an impromptu debut for his daughter. When he stood up to leave, I hurriedly stopped him.

 

“Lady Clies?”

 

“Count Delta, don’t you have something to discuss with me?”

 

I smiled slyly at him. Count Delta looked puzzled but nodded.

 

*Now, shall we see how the numbers add up?*

 

 

***

 

 

“Whew…… that was tough…….”

 

They had lost so much over the years that they didn’t yield easily in the negotiations. Even though I held the advantage, the deal only mattered if it actually went through.

 

“Still, the contract was a success. I should let Eldan know.”

 

The Delta family, having suffered from crop failure for so long, didn’t have the funds to buy all the seeds. So, we settled on a deal: in exchange for providing the Bellian seeds for the next few years, I would receive a portion of the profits from the harvest sales, and the Grow Merchant Guild would be given exclusive rights to sell the goods to other regions.

 

It was a trade where my side stood to gain much more. However, considering that only the Grow Merchant Guild could supply Bellian seeds, it was a mutually beneficial contract.

 

“It’s already dark.”

 

I was looking out at the dimming night sky when I noticed a flurry of movement in the garden.

 

I looked down and saw the Delta young lady running away in tears. And there stood Bastien, roughly brushing his hair back.

 

“Ah….”

 

“My Lady?”

 

Bastien and I locked eyes. He looked quite flustered to have been caught in that moment.

 

“Could we talk for a moment….”

 

“No, I’ll pass.”

 

I cut him off firmly. I didn’t want to engage in conversation out of some half-baked sense of politeness. Especially not alone at night. It would be troublesome if he harbored any false hope.

 

“Not even for a second?”

 

“No. I am Evan’s fiancée, so I cannot accept your feelings. Please sort them out on your own. I don’t want Evan to get hurt.”

 

I wouldn’t let anything hurt Evan.