“I’d like to prepare a hearty dinner for you as well, but you said it would make you feel bloated, which is a shame. If I had my way, I’d like to serve you three abundant meals a day…”

Ena left the dining room, showing reluctance until the very end.

It seemed she had developed a sense of responsibility for food after I fell ill once.

But wait, if it was a stomach issue, shouldn’t overeating be even more avoided?

Is this what they call a twisted form of love?

Ah, but it’s incredibly delicious amid all this.

As I ate while lost in thought, the food disappeared into my mouth without me realizing it.

I’m full, but it’s so tasty that I keep eating. If I get sick again, it’ll be Ena’s fault.

After finishing the meal like that, as I was about to have some tea to cleanse my palate.

“Duke, may I ask you one serious question?”

Dante stopped his action of drinking tea at my query.

Well, he could have just kept drinking while listening.

But the teacup that had been hovering in the air returned to its saucer.

Seeing Dante nod his head to an almost burdensome degree, I too asked with utmost seriousness.

“What do you think about expanding our field area a bit?”

“…Is that your serious question?”

“Yes. I’m being very, extremely, utterly serious right now. So, what do you think about expanding the fields? Would it look too unsightly?”

“Not at all. Do as you wish.”

“Wow, you’re so cool.”

“What’s ‘cool’?”

“It means you’re awesome, quick to answer, and totally rad. Duke, you’re rad.”

As I gave him a thumbs up with a lifeless expression, Dante averted his eyes.

What’s this? Is he embarrassed?

How cute.

He continued speaking while avoiding eye contact.

“Deciding how to arrange the garden is originally the role of the lady of the house, so you don’t need to ask for permission.”

“Well, that’s true.”

I already knew this from Barhan’s explanation when I first made the field.

However, there was a reason why I specifically asked for Dante’s permission.

The newly expanded field was, in fact…

“Alright. Then, I’ll give that field to you, Duke.”

“To me?”

“Yes. It seems like you’ve taken a liking to farming… I mean, gardening. I thought it might be fun for you to cultivate and tend to your own field. What do you think? Sounds fun, right?”

Dante was silent for a moment.

What’s this? Don’t tell me he didn’t find it fun?

Nah, that can’t be.

For someone who’s been coming out consistently and working hard, that was clearly the attitude of someone who loves the field.

Sure enough.

“Yes. It does sound fun.”

A positive answer came back quickly.

I knew it. I told you so.

“Growing plants has a certain appeal and can be quite addictive. It’s good for clearing your mind too.”

“That’s true. It does seem like idle thoughts disappear while touching the soil.”

“That’s the charm of soil and plants. Besides, growing medicinal herbs is a hobby that suits you well in many ways, Duke.”

“…Everyone was shocked though.”

His voice was nonchalant as he muttered. Who was it? Who discouraged our male lead?

But I couldn’t single out just one person.

As Dante said, everyone who saw him crouching next to me pulling weeds was utterly shocked.

Well. It is a surprising sight. What duke would be pulling weeds in his own mansion’s garden?

From an employee’s perspective, seeing the chairman pulling weeds in the yard would make their heart race.

Even I would probably be shocked and think, “What’s he doing?” if I saw it.

Of course, being in the position of playing the role of the weed-pulling chairman’s wife, I have no room to talk.

Tsk.

“Everyone was shocked when I first started digging to plant medicinal herbs too. Are they all a bit weak-hearted? They seem to worry too much about unnecessary things.”

“…”

When there was no response, I looked up to see him stiff as a board.

Unable to guess at which point he had frozen up, I decided to pretend I didn’t notice.

It seems that people from the North have a different thought process than others.

These days, they all have wistful expressions whenever they see me.

Right. This is why gardening is a good hobby for Dante.

“Farming, no, gardening is a hobby that helps with mental healing. For someone like you, Duke, who has a lot of work, many worries, is faint-hearted, and stressed from hunting demons, there’s no better hobby. So, I was actually quite happy.”

“Happy?”

“Yes. It seemed like you found a hobby that could be healing in your tough daily life. It made me happy.”

Dante was silent again this time.

But this time, I could tell how he felt even without an answer.

It was because the tips of his ears peeking through his hair were slightly reddened.

Haha.

“So, I hope you’ll continue to cultivate the field whether I’m here or not. If tending to the field becomes too much, growing small potted plants is good too.”

I meant it sincerely.

He could help watch over our field, and at the same time, relieve stress through farming.

Though I’m taking the lead now, if he keeps at it consistently, he’ll be able to tend to the field on his own.

No, it’s fine even if there are things he doesn’t know.

Even if I leave the mansion, there are plenty of people who can share knowledge with him.

“If there’s anything you don’t know, you can ask Markops. Or Siena would be fine too. Ah, Barhan seems to know a lot, so he’d probably explain well too.”

Listing them out, it felt very reassuring.

They might be annoying advisors to me, but they would be of great help to Dante.

“It’s fortunate that there are many people around who can help.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

…Why are you talking like that?

An overly firm denial followed right after my heartfelt words.

Why are you denying it so firmly?

It’s embarrassing.

“…Why, why not?”

I asked, feeling a bit discouraged, and Dante answered firmly again.

“Your help alone is more than enough for me.”

I’m enough for him…?

Ah. Aha!

Only then did I understand the male lead’s emotional line. What? I thought he was just a soft tsundere, but…

He’s the type with some pride, huh?

It seems that my suggestion to ask various people was heard as if I was pointing out, ‘You have many shortcomings.’

Heh heh.

After all this, when he regrets it later because of the female lead, he’ll give up his liver and gall, forget about pride and everything else, and do front flips, back flips, and side flips.

Even this felt like a virtue of the male lead, making me laugh.

I nodded with a fond smile.

Ah, Dante’s mind was in turmoil.

His heart felt heavy as Serpina kept talking about a future without her.

He had been hopeful seeing her condition improve recently, but hearing her speak of an end with her own mouth…

What was even sadder was how she said these things with a smile as if it was nothing.

As if it really wasn’t a big deal.

As if she wouldn’t show any sign of pain, death, or an uncertain future.

“Is there no news from Heterson?”

“There’s still no significant improvement, he says.”

“Again?”

“We can’t blame him. That’s just how incurable diseases are, isn’t it?”

Right. Barhan’s words were correct.

Getting angry at Heterson would only mean taking it out on an innocent person.

In the end, once again, there was only one thing he could do.

Quietly watch over Serpina by her side.

Her gentle voice echoed in his head.

A few days later.

“Duke. This is my gift to you.”

Serpina held out a gift box with an expectant face.

“What occasion is it today?”

“Does there need to be an occasion to give a gift? If you want to give one, you just do. Come on, open it.”

He thought it had been quite a while since he received a gift from someone.

To begin with, the Richter family wasn’t the type to diligently celebrate anniversaries or such.

Especially after his brother died, there was no one left to give him anything.

What occasions would there be for a cursed loner in the isolated North to receive gifts?

Perhaps that’s why his heart fluttered a bit.

It was similar to the pleasant flutter when encountering something unfamiliar.

Eventually, when Dante opened the box and saw the gift…

“…?”

He doubted his eyes.

What on earth is this?

It contained clothes. Yes, clothes, but somehow the aura they gave off was extraordinary.

Clothes with a loose design that felt appropriately elastic. A waist tie that could be adjusted freely.

Even floral patterns so vibrant they made his eyes widen.

“What… is this?”

“It’s work clothes for when you’re working in the field. Comfortable but also stylish. I have a pair too.”

Ta-da!

Serpina proudly showed off the pants she had been hiding behind her back.

They were identical to Dante’s, just in a different color.

Siena peeked out from behind the fluttering pants with a grin.

“They’re specially custom-made, so there are only two pairs in the world. Ah, of course, all noble clothes in this world are custom-made, but anyway, what do you think? You love them, right?”

Hmm, oh, ah, umm.

An answer didn’t come easily.

If asked whether he liked them, well, it was complicated.

He was grateful for the gift. Especially grateful since they were specially custom-made.

However, imagining himself working while wearing these made him very uneasy.

Somehow, just imagining it made him feel like he’d have nightmares tonight.

What should he do?

Seeing her eyes sparkling like that, it seemed he’d have to wear these clothes even if it killed him.

He became twice as uneasy.

But this was only for a moment.

A faint smile formed on his lips that had been tightly closed due to uneasiness.

Next to the strange figure of himself crouching and working in flowery pants, he imagined Serpina digging enthusiastically in the same pants.

“Oh, you’re smiling. You like them, right?”

“Yes. I like them very much.”

“I knew it. Now your thighs are free too, Duke. Congratulations.”

Not knowing what the congratulations were for, Dante just replied with thanks.