I Didn't Really Want to Do Farming! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
“Princess Stella!”
It was Ludina’s voice. Stella let out a sigh of relief and stepped down from the bed. The carpet beneath her bare feet felt so plush and soft it seemed sinful to tread upon—every time, she felt embarrassed and guilty.
“Come in.”
The moment Stella finished speaking, Ludina entered the room and held out a cup filled with warm milk.
Drinking warm milk right after waking up was Stella’s long-standing habit. Though any maid could have done it, Ludina, Stella’s handmaiden, always insisted on doing it herself.
“Thank you, Ludina.”
The milk, warmed to just the right temperature, tasted wonderfully rich. Even knowing Stella was the daughter of a deceased royal consort—not the queen—Ludina remained utterly devoted to her.
Yet the room Stella now occupied was smaller, darker, and damper than her previous one.
If only they’d let her live freely outside the palace. The king had summoned her inside solely because she carried his blood, then tucked her away in a corner where no one could see her.
While Stella drank her milk, Ludina drew back the curtains and flung the window wide open. Seeing the blue sky after so long, Ludina’s expression brightened considerably.
“The weather’s been gloomy all this time, but today the sky is so blue! Oh—goodness!”
Ludina, who had been marveling at the sky, suddenly jumped in fright and hastily backed away from the window.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
Stella set her cup down on the table and asked.
“I felt something brush against the back of my hand—what was it?”
After searching thoroughly around the windowsill and the floor beneath the window for quite a while, Ludina found nothing and finally looked up.
“Oh dear, I startled you—sorry! It felt like a bug came in, but no matter how hard I look, I can’t see it anywhere.”
Rubbing the back of her hand, Ludina scanned the floor again. Just then—
“What’s on your hand?”
“Goodness, what is it?”
Someone echoed Ludina’s words.
Stella quickly turned toward the sound, but saw nothing.
“What’s the matter? Is there a bug over there?”
Ludina, who moments ago had been scouring the room ready to squash any insect on sight, now wore a grimace as she asked. Judging by her expression alone, she looked as if she’d be caught by bugs ten times over before catching even one herself.
“There’s nothing there. Must’ve been my imagination.”
Stella shook her head dismissively, though she felt oddly unsettled.
Ludina sighed in relief, patting her chest, then suddenly remembered something and dashed off—only to return moments later, holding out a small box toward Stella.
“Congratulations, Princess!”
“What’s… this?”
“It’s your birthday today! They say wearing it brings good luck.”
Seeing Stella just staring blankly, the impatient Ludina opened the box to show her what was inside.
Inside lay a bracelet strung with blue beads. Though not made of precious gems, it shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, as if holding all the world’s light within it.
“It’s truly beautiful!”
Stella exclaimed with genuine admiration.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes—very much! Thank you.”
As Stella reached to take the bracelet and put it on, Ludina quickly took it from her and fastened it around Stella’s wrist. Somehow, the giver looked happier than the receiver.
The cool touch of the beads made Stella’s lips curl upward. The round beads were as vividly blue as Ludina’s eyes.
“I wanted to be the very first to give you your birthday present, Princess.”
Hearing Ludina’s excited words, Stella smiled bitterly.
After all, if it weren’t for you, no one would remember my birthday anyway.
Stella swallowed the words that had risen to her throat. Speaking them wouldn’t have been hard—but she knew clearly that if she did, the tender-hearted Ludina would spend the entire day in tears. To Stella, Ludina was far more than just a handmaiden.
When her mother fell ill, the king—her father—reluctantly sent a maid, and that maid had become the most precious and kindest presence Stella had ever known.
For Ludina, who always tried so hard for her, and for Stella, who was so lonely, they both smiled even more brightly.
The bracelet suited Stella’s slender wrist perfectly. Clearly pleased, Stella lifted her wrist above her head, turning it this way and that to catch the light, beaming with joy.
“Ludina, it’s exactly the same color as your eyes.”
“It means I’ll always be watching over you, hehehe.”
Ludina raised her shoulders up to her ears and cackled like a villain. Finding her antics hilarious, Stella laughed until her sides ached.
This wasn’t the first time Ludina had given Stella a gift bought from the market. Though born a noble lady, Ludina’s family had fallen into ruin years ago, scattering her relatives far and wide.
She knew where everyone else was, except for her older sister. Each time she saved enough money, she hired people to search for her sister, but all they ever returned with was the news that she wasn’t in Amalune.
Every spring, on her sister’s birthday, Ludina would often burst into tears, wishing only to know whether her sister was still alive. Stella sincerely hoped that one day Ludina would finally be able to deliver the gifts she’d been saving up for her sister each year.
Ludina had volunteered to become Princess Stella’s handmaiden when no one else would, and the two had grown close as if they’d been friends since birth. Stella had finally found a true friend.
“I’ll treasure it.”
Stella replied with a gentle smile—just as a small shadow flickered across the tabletop. Stella’s eyes narrowed slightly.
She scrutinized the spot where the shadow had passed, but still saw nothing.
Did I imagine it? As Stella tilted her head in confusion, a knock sounded—tap tap!
This time, both of them jumped and snapped their heads toward the door.
“What was that?”
“Right? Who could it be?”
Since Ludina had started serving as Princess Stella’s handmaiden, no one other than herself had ever knocked on this door.
Tap tap!
Eyes wide, they stared at each other—then, at the second knock, Ludina dashed to the door.
“Who… is it?”
Ludina opened the door just a crack and peered outside.
A large hand suddenly shot out and seized the open door firmly. Instinctively sensing danger, Ludina tried desperately to shut it—but it wouldn’t budge.
Before she could react, the door swung wide open, and Ludina, who’d been holding onto it, lost her balance and staggered.
“Aaah!”
“Ludina, are you okay? Who’s out there!”
Startled, Stella leapt to her feet and cried out.
Fortunately, though she’d stumbled, Ludina hadn’t fallen or hit anything. Seeing Stella’s face even paler than her own from shock, Ludina forced a bright, carefree smile.
“Yes! I’m fine—don’t worry.”
Only after hearing Ludina’s reassurance did Stella finally get a clear look at the man who’d so rudely thrown the door open. He had a slightly long face, a prominent aquiline nose, and a meticulously groomed mustache. It was a face Stella recognized.
“Sir Lefford.”
Just saying his name made her blood run cold.
Lefford was Queen Eliza’s relative and her personal guard—a shadow to the queen. Stella couldn’t fathom why he stood before her door instead of by the queen’s side.
“The queen summons you.”
His words were formally respectful, yet his amber eyes, looking down at Stella, brimmed with contempt—the gaze one might give a filthy beggar, not a princess of the realm.
He’d looked at her this way many times before, so Stella remained unmoved. He simply wasn’t important enough to hurt her.
“You’re summoning me? Why?”
Still, the queen had never sought her out before—not once—so fear involuntarily rose within her. Yet Stella kept her expression as calm as possible.
“I merely deliver the queen’s message.”
It meant: Stay quiet and follow. Stella gently smiled and patted the arm of Ludina, who—unlike her—was trembling with barely contained anger.
“Ludina, will you help me get ready?”
“…Yes, Princess.”
Ludina answered hesitantly, her face clouded with worry. Just as she was about to step into the dressing room, servants began filing in through the open doorway, each carrying a large gift box.
Before anyone could ask what was happening, they dumped their burdens onto the floor and table.
“Huh?”
Ludina gaped at them blankly, then turned to Stella.
“P-Princess…”
But even Stella couldn’t make sense of the situation. She was just as bewildered as Ludina.
Staring at the servants stacking gift boxes like towers in her room, Stella turned to Lefford.
“What is all this?”
He still stood outside the door. Glaring sourly at the servants carrying gifts into the room, he answered Stella’s question with an annoyed expression.
“Birthday gifts. Sent by Her Majesty.”
“Her Majesty…?”
“Yes—and also from Queen Eliza and Princess Beatrice.”
Stella still couldn’t bring herself to call King Philip “Father.” He hadn’t permitted it.
To King Philip, a man who demanded perfection in every aspect, Stella was nothing but an impurity.
Though he’d fallen for Stella’s mother—a court dancer—at first sight, he’d never wanted a bastard child. He’d brought Stella into the palace only to prevent her from tarnishing his name.
Naturally, he’d shown her no interest as she grew up.
Once a year—exactly once—he’d check merely whether she still lived. She’d expected nothing more than that today, so these gifts filled her not with gratitude, but with unease.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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