After the class, a modest dinner was prepared. Although it felt late to call it dinner, Liam hastily prepared it for Stella, who had missed mealtime due to various activities.
The table was filled with dishes made from fresh vegetables. Seeing a table full of verdant vegetables with minimal meat, Kai thought it would be good to increase the budget of Verdura Castle.

“Eat a lot. It’s made with spinach I personally grew. Last time you visited, you couldn’t eat and just left, right?”

Stella served spinach salad onto Kai’s plate and spoke.

Kai didn’t have any intention of eating much, but he decided to accept whatever was offered smoothly, thinking that it would increase the likelihood of hearing the truth about the silver.

“Thank you.”

When Kai accepted without hesitation, Stella smiled satisfactorily and added more greenery to his plate.

In truth, Kai wasn’t very hungry as he had a hearty early dinner before coming here. However, he couldn’t outright refuse when Stella enthusiastically offered the salad, so he accepted it out of courtesy.

But when Kai finally came to his senses, three plates of the spinach salad, which he didn’t particularly like, were emptied.

“There you go; it’s delicious, right? I don’t know how popular my spinach is.”

“Indeed.”

Kai had to admit it. The crops Princess Stella cultivated were something special. They were delicious, fresh, fragrant, and delicious.

“Did you always cultivate crops?”

Kai asked a question he had been curious about all along. Even if she didn’t tell the truth, he felt it was inevitable to ask.

“No. I started growing them here for the first time.”
Kai’s eyebrows, which rarely showed any expression, shot up like seagull wings.

“Hard to believe, right? Even I didn’t know I had such talent for farming. It’s fascinating.”

Seeing her hands, which had sown and harvested seeds, Stella set down her fork and examined her hands. They were small and white hands, not suitable for wielding a large pickaxe.

They seemed more suited to holding delicate and soft objects. However, Stella used those hands to sow seeds, cultivate, and swing a pickaxe. She was a remarkable woman.

After admiring her hands for a while, Stella took advantage of the busy moment when Ryan was bringing the next dish and leaned her upper body toward Kai, whispering softly.

“It seems like it’s thanks to these little guys. I heard that I received the blessing of Terra, the goddess of the earth.”

Ryan, although not visible, was busy with the four earth fairies on the dining table, enjoying their own feast.

While speaking, Stella’s lips bloomed into a bright smile, but there was a faint emptiness in her heart. She was receiving blessings from the earth fairies here in the Credion Empire, a blessing she hadn’t received even from her family back in her homeland.

Just the thought of them being like family made her chest ache as if she had received a new wound.

“The blessing of Terra?”

Kai was familiar with Terra. Long ago, when the Credion Empire was first established, the goddess worshipped in the temple was named Terra.
Now the size of the empire has grown, and various cultures from different countries have merged, leading to diverse types of temples. However, a long time ago, in the Credion Empire, the only goddess worshipped was Terra.

Nowadays, it’s challenging to find a temple dedicated to the goddess Terra even within the capital.

“Yeah, Terra. She’s the goddess of the earth. I only found out about such a goddess after coming here. Did Royce know?”

“Yes, I am from the empire.”

“I see. Then, have you prayed to that goddess?”

“I don’t believe in gods.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

Stella’s bitter smile prompted Kai to ask with a curious expression.

“Do you believe in gods, Princess?”

“When I see them praising her so much, it makes me think she might exist. But on the other hand, when I see things that I can’t see with my own eyes, I wonder if she doesn’t exist. Anyway, if I meet that goddess, I’d like to ask for something other than farming.”

“What would that be?”

“Blood…”

She almost mentioned the bloodline certificate. Thinking that Royce, who could see earth fairies like her, might break her guard, she unintentionally blurted out words she hadn’t intended. It was dangerous.

Stella was grateful that she regained her senses, even if it was belated, and firmly sealed her lips.

“Blood? What’s that?”

“Ties, siblings! It would be nice if even distant brothers and sisters could be seen.”

“Do you miss your younger sister in Amalun?”

“No.”
It was a remark that came out without hesitation. When Kai looked at Stella with a puzzled expression, she laughed lightly and shrugged.

“It’s not that I miss her, but I can’t stand not seeing her. Isn’t that what it means?”

Stella awkwardly smiled and picked up the glass on the table. Her hasty attempt to change the topic seemed suspicious, but Kai didn’t inquire further.

Just by looking at the gifts sent from Amalun with Princess Stella, it was easy to guess that she didn’t have a harmonious relationship with her family.