It seems that Croth didn’t suspect the deal between Ian and me. On the contrary, he seemed to think that sugar peanut cultivators could be found elsewhere. Ian Blake appeared to have traded with that person.
Stella briefly contemplated whether to reveal the truth, but for now, she decided to keep it hidden. She couldn’t determine whether it would be an advantage or disadvantage for Croth to know everything.
“Does that mean I could sell sugar peanuts to His Majesty the Emperor at a very high price?”
Stella asked with an uncertain tone, pretending to be unaware.
“Yes! In my opinion, what Princess cultivates is much superior in quality than what’s available in the market. The taste is also much better, of course.”
Croth, who had no idea about the reality, spoke loudly, expressing his excitement. Stella, trying not to smile, nodded earnestly.
“I’ve already asked His Majesty not to tell anyone else. Secrets like this should not be known to many people.”
Croth, realizing that he was among the very few who knew, couldn’t stop smiling throughout the conversation.
Having happily participated in the dream-like farming work and concluded a delicious meal, Croth’s energy swelled as much as the hefty bag Stella handed him before parting ways.
“Is it really okay to give me this much…?”
Accepting a scholar’s conscience bribe was absolutely something Croth shouldn’t and couldn’t do, but in the presence of crops shining like diamonds, his conscience felt as light as a feather and flew away.
“Of course, Teacher. You’ve been a tremendous help today. How do you plant sugar peanuts so accurately? If we did it ourselves, it would have taken much longer. Thank you so much.”
Stella expressed her gratitude to Croth, seemingly exaggerating a bit.
Though slightly uncomfortable with kindness offered with an agenda, spending time with Croth made Stella think it wouldn’t be so bad to become real friends.
He genuinely loved farming, and if she exaggerated a bit, he even regarded it as a noble task.
It seemed like he resonated with the land fairies who praised ‘nobility’ on a hoe.
“I truly appreciate your participation in such a meaningful task. My wife loved what you gave us last time, and with even more today, I’ll score big points with her. Haha!”
Croth received three hefty bags. Stella had not only gifted him sugar peanuts but also carrots and spinach she had planted earlier.
“Well then, Princess, I’ll see you in the next lesson.”
After politely bidding farewell to Stella, Croth turned around.
As soon as Croth left, Stella excitedly spoke to the land fairies.
“Hey, guys. I might become rich even faster than I thought. The Emperor might buy sugar peanuts at a very high price. Should I keep planting sugar peanuts from now on? Just planting a few seeds can yield an enormous amount, right?”
The land fairies, who had been quietly listening to Stella’s overly enthusiastic words, nodded their heads with excitement.
“Why not? Is it not allowed to sell them at a high price to the Emperor?”
The hopeful expression on Stella’s face quickly disappeared.
“No, that’s not it. Stella, didn’t you properly read the noble farming methods?”
“What?”
Even as Stella spoke, she felt a subtle sense of unease. It seemed like the land fairies wouldn’t just share good news.
“Sugar peanuts can only be cultivated twice in a row.”
“Why?”
Stella couldn’t believe it. It felt like she was hearing the sound of a sudden fortune slipping away right in front of her eyes.
“Sugar peanuts are particularly crops that require a lot of the earth’s energy. They taste the best when cultivated twice, and from the third time onwards, they become very bitter. If you want to cultivate sugar peanuts again, you’ll have to wait seven years.”
“Just plant them in a different land.”
“You don’t have another land. Besides, finding a place as blessed by the goddess Terra as the gardens of Verdura Castle is rare. Even if you look elsewhere, you probably won’t get the same taste.”
“I see.”
Stella was in despair, but she decided to hold onto hope, knowing that there was still one more harvest to come.
Perhaps the value of sugar peanuts would rise even more due to the fact that it would take seven years before she could cultivate them again.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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