I Didn't Really Want to Do Farming! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 21
Ore Castle, erected at the entrance of the Plante district, was far simpler in design and much smaller than other buildings. The maids serving the princesses here belonged to the Credion Empire.
Once a week, they gathered here to report on the princesses’ activities and receive instructions on what to teach or any special matters requiring attention.
Milla stepped into Ore Castle again after three months. Her previous princess had succumbed to illness, unable to overcome homesickness.
Because she had failed to properly attend to her mistress, Milla had spent two months in the dungeon, and her hard-earned reputation vanished like smoke in an instant. She had to rebuild everything from scratch.
“Isn’t that Milla?”
“Right? I thought we’d never see her again.”
A few maids who spotted Milla glanced at her and whispered among themselves. Their gazes toward her wandered somewhere between wariness, contempt, pity, and indifference.
But Milla held her head high and sat down in the vacant seat reserved for the attendant.
Everyone stayed far away, only murmuring amongst themselves without approaching her.
She was actually relieved by the lack of disturbance when she suddenly sensed someone nearby.
“It’s been a while, Milla. How have you been?”
It was Beth who greeted her warmly. She served Princess Margaret, the youngest princess at Maple Castle.
Beth, whom Milla had first met five years ago when she came here to take the maid’s examination, was the only person Milla ever spoke with.
“And you?”
“I’ve been well. Princess Margaret takes good care of me.”
Beth’s expression was unusually bright, clearly not just making polite conversation. Milla smiled as if reassured, but Beth suddenly glanced around and asked in a hushed voice.
“How is Princess Stella? Is she really as strange as the rumors say?”
Beth seemed to have come on behalf of the maids to find out about Princess Stella.
“What rumors?”
Frowning, Milla asked, and Beth looked momentarily troubled before leaning even closer to whisper into Milla’s ear. Everyone pretended not to look but was straining to listen.
“They say she’s lost her mind.”
“Why?”
“You really don’t know?”
Milla had thought the princess was unusual, but never once felt she was insane. Beth looked at Milla with pity and whispered again.
“Hanna saw her talking as if someone were standing right there when no one was around. She’d suddenly burst into laughter, then get angry, and even dig into the ground like a madwoman.”
Hearing Beth’s story, Milla let out a deep sigh.
Hanna was a maid known for her loose lips and for delighting in exaggerating stories into rumors. Though everyone knew about Hanna’s tall tales, they weren’t entirely false, so the others always listened with keen interest.
Apparently, Hanna had recently seen Princess Stella standing before a pile of stones.
“That’s not it at all. I was right across from her then.”
“But Hanna said no one was there.”
“Beth, I know Princess Stella best, don’t I? I spend the most time with her.”
“I… guess you would.”
“And I know Hanna tends to exaggerate.”
She spoke loudly enough for Hanna, who wasn’t far away, to hear clearly. A muffled giggle came from somewhere, and Hanna glared at Milla.
“That’s true.”
Milla leaned close to Beth’s ear and said firmly.
“So don’t go spreading unconfirmed facts. Have you already forgotten what happened to Nancy?”
At the mention of Nancy’s name, Beth clamped her mouth shut. Among the maids, Nancy’s name had become one that was silently forbidden to speak. The previously murmuring room fell quiet as if doused with cold water.
She should have mentioned Nancy sooner.
“I’m sorry. I was just worried about you.”
Beth’s voice dropped to a whisper, and Milla called her name with a sigh.
“Beth.”
“I’ll be more careful from now on.”
As always, Beth quickly admitted her fault and asked for forgiveness.
That was precisely why Milla never pushed Beth away. Beth was genuine—incapable of deceit or using others.
It also meant that staying close to Beth allowed Milla to obtain rumors and information relatively accurately—though it was still Milla’s job to filter out the nonsense.
A moment later, a maid who appeared to be in her early thirties entered with a posture as straight as bamboo and stood before the long table. Her hair was tightly pinned up without a single common hair accessory, similar to Milla’s style.
Most maids adorned themselves with accessories or hair ornaments gifted by the princesses they served. Beth was no exception.
Princess Margaret apparently favored butterflies; a butterfly charm glittered on Beth’s necklace.
“We shall begin the meeting. Glory to the Credion Empire.”
The maid at the front chanted, and the seated maids repeated the phrase in unison like a round. Beth and Milla also spoke together from their seats.
“Glory to the Credion Empire.”
“Glory to the Credion Empire.”
“We will now receive the report from Chambre Castle.”
Ann spoke in a solemn, stiff tone without any formalities, then walked into a small room on the side. The maid seated opposite Milla immediately stood up and followed her.
She was a maid assigned to Chambre Castle, holding a notebook identical to Milla’s.
The length of time she spent inside that room after the door closed determined her weekly wage. The more valuable the information she provided, the longer she stayed—and the higher her pay.
Milla looked down at the notebook in her hands and took a deep breath.
Soon after, Ann and the maid who had entered the room emerged, the latter with her head bowed deeply. Something clearly hadn’t gone well.
An older maid waiting by the door dropped a single silver coin onto the younger maid’s palm. Though it was a considerable sum compared to what commoners earned, disappointment was plain on the girl’s face.
“We will now receive the report from Camellia Castle.”
Beth jumped up with a visibly nervous expression, surprised her turn had come so soon. Her notebook was crumpled in her hand. Despite her obvious anxiety, Beth always earned a high wage.
Beth’s curiosity and meddlesome nature meant she rarely missed anything—a reason why, despite seeming careless, she was never dismissed by the other maids.
“I’ll be right back.”
Beth returned from the room some time later, her face flushed with excitement. The maid waiting by the door placed a small pouch onto Beth’s outstretched palm.
Beth smiled brightly, accepted the money pouch, and left immediately—maids who finished their reports were not permitted to remain inside Ore Castle.
After a few more reports, it was finally Milla’s turn.
“We will now receive the report from Verdura Castle.”
Milla stood up, notebook in hand. It was time to turn the pages she had diligently filled each day into coin.
[This is the timeline separator]Just as Ark had promised, the carrot sprouted a small, delicate shoot the very next day. Stella wandered around the sprout for a long while, unable to believe the sight before her eyes.
“What should I do now?”
The tiny shoot poking through the damp soil was utterly adorable. Overwhelmed by this strange new feeling, Stella paced around the sprout like a puppy stepping on snow for the first time.
“By tomorrow, the sprout should grow about this much.”
Ark spread his arms as wide as his shoulders. Though it was hard to believe it could grow that much overnight, since the seed they’d planted yesterday had already sprouted, anything seemed possible.
Stella listened intently to Ark’s words like a dutiful student. Seeing her focus, Ark looked pleased and continued his explanation in a deeper, calmer tone.
Esta, standing nearby, shook her head as if witnessing something unbearable, but Ark paid her no mind.
“You’ll need to thin them out, keeping only the healthiest sprouts. Also, remember to maintain proper spacing so they’re not too close together. Even though we dropped the seeds somewhat evenly when planting, you never know.”
“What should we do with the ones we thin out? Can we plant them somewhere else?”
“You can either discard them or replant them.”
“Then let’s replant them.”
Stella couldn’t bear to throw away even a single tiny sprout. Since these were the first shoots from seeds she’d planted herself, each one felt incredibly precious.
“Your Highness, where are you?”
While she was absorbed in admiring the sprouts, Milla’s voice called out. Stella jumped up as if startled, having completely forgotten.
It was time to receive updates on her new schedule. Though she wished she could stay by the carrot sprouts all day, she couldn’t.
With a clearly reluctant expression, Stella turned back and greeted the earth sprites.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay! We’ll take care of them.”
As Esta waved goodbye, Ark stood beside the carrot sprouts with his legs wide apart—just as he had on the day they planted the seeds—and repeatedly raised his arms high then lowered them.
It looked as if he were hypnotizing the pale green sprouts to grow faster. After confirming a faint light rising from the earth, Stella turned away.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
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