Dudul stood there dumbfounded, feeling like he had been hit on the back of the head. With a reverent heart, he turned back to plant the seedlings with utmost sincerity.

It felt like coming here was not just to make money but rather a destiny.

“Uncle, why are you crying?”

Duran, who was helping plant the seedlings, was surprised to see Dudul shedding tears. Dudul, with his face covered in soil, sobbed for a while, then answered with a face smeared with tears and dirt.

“I’m happy to be here.”

“Oh, um…”

Duran awkwardly smiled, suspecting that Dudul’s life had been difficult. After that, he finished planting the seedlings diligently.

“But seriously, no matter how you look at it, this flower seems withered. The color is strange, isn’t it?”
“Since it’s the princess’s order, I planted it, but Duran tilted his head as he looked at the browned peony. The peony that had changed color like an aged apple wasn’t just one or two flowers.

“No way. Did Princess Annette intentionally?”

Then suddenly, Duran wondered if Princess Annette of Muege Castle deliberately sent such a poor seedling as a gift to Princess Stella, ignoring her. However, everything else was of the highest quality.

“Oh, I don’t know. If it dies later, I can just replant it.”

Duran muttered while planting the seedlings, and right next to him, Dudul, who had been sniffling, responded with a still choked voice.

“It will never wither or die. Because the goddess lives in this garden.”

Dudul’s gaze moved towards Stella, who was digging like crazy in the distance with the hoe.

The hoe’s blade, thrust forcefully into the ground, gleamed brightly. The more you looked at it, the more peculiar the hoe seemed. Even though it was digging into the soil like that, the silver blade didn’t get dirty at all. On the contrary, it sparkled and shone more with each stroke.

The nutrient-rich, oily soil made hoeing remarkably easy. Rather than getting tired with each strike of the hoe into the ground, Stella seemed to become more and more spirited.

Bryn, who had been anxiously standing by, quietly closed his mouth, watching Stella dig with zeal, fearing that the princess might get hurt.
It seemed like Princess Stella was undoubtedly born with farming skills. Even those who had no interest in farming seemed to itch to do it when they saw the princess at work. Just like Bryn right now.

With a strange thought that he also wanted to hoe, Bryn planted sugar peanuts in the ground Stella had dug.

Although it was said that sweet peanuts would grow, the hands that touched the seeds emitted a sweet scent as he planted them. The carrots the princess planted were delicious, and imagining how sweet the sugar peanuts would be filled Bryn with great expectations.

Soon, Bryn’s shoulders also swelled with excitement, and he began to move.

In addition to sugar peanuts, the crops Stella planted included spinach, tomatoes, pumpkins, and marigolds. Except for marigolds, the crops were more ordinary than expected.

As Stella planted the seeds, she was filled with anticipation for how special the taste would be.

The fieldwork didn’t finish until well after lunchtime. When Lianne announced that the meal was ready, the people working in the field stopped what they were doing and wiped their hands.

Bryn quickly ran and brought a wet towel for Stella to wipe her hands with.
Seeing people walking together towards the castle, Doodle hesitated on what to do. They hadn’t prepared lunch hastily coming here.

Going home to eat and then returning would take too long. However, enduring hunger was not an option.

“Sir, what are you doing? Won’t you come in?”

There was a staircase connected directly to the kitchen at the back door of Berdura Castle’s east side. Instead of going up the stairs, Daelon gestured towards Doodle, who stood hesitantly at the entrance.

“I’m f-fine.”

He couldn’t bring himself to mention that lunch wasn’t prepared.

“What’s fine? Sir, please come in quickly. Lady Lianne gets upset if you’re late. She says the food loses its taste when it gets cold.”

“But I…”

Daelon understood the reason only when he saw Doodle hesitating at the foot of the stairs and finally, he smiled brightly, realizing the cause.

Holding Doodle’s hands, covered in dirt, Daelon warmly spoke.

“We’ll finish the work, and then we’ll all eat together.”

“But I’m just a humble gardener.”

“I’m a servant too. But when Princess Stella suggests we eat together, we’re grateful to share meals with her occasionally. Especially after working in the fields like this.”

While Daelon spoke these unbelievable words, Doodle blinked in surprise. However, lacking patience, Lianne came out and shouted at the two.