The next morning, as if the previous day’s illness had been a lie, my fever subsided completely, and I was able to get up from bed easily.

‘I’m in top condition!’

As if the brief illness had been to gain momentum, my body felt very light.

When I stretched out fully, cracking sounds emanated from my entire body.

It was while I was moving my body around, pleased with its newfound lightness after a long time. A heavy voice sounded from nearby.

“Are you up?”

“Huh!”

I had naturally thought I’d be alone in my room, but then a pair of sharp eyes glowing faintly blue appeared from a corner of the room.

It was like a tiger revealing itself after lying in wait to hunt prey in a dim jungle.

It was Cedar.

Startled, I pulled the blanket close and asked loudly.

“W-why are you here?”

Cedar slowly rose from his seat.

He was such a large man that just his presence seemed to fill the entire room.

With his hands on his hips, he answered confidently.

“Something might happen if I take my eyes off you.”

“What could possibly happen?”

Was he worried an assassin might come?

‘This is inside Cedar’s mansion, and I’m known to be in a vegetative state. Who would target me?’

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine any incident that would require him to closely monitor me, so I scratched my cheek.

Seeing my expression, Cedar let out a long sigh that seemed to sink into the ground.

“…You really don’t know your own condition at all.”

Was he worried that my cold might suddenly develop into a serious illness?

I shrugged my shoulders and answered cheerfully.

“I’m very healthy.”

“Yeah, right.”

Well, of course, I had been groaning in exhaustion just from dividing the garden plot with a shovel.

But that’s no reason to snort like that!

“I’m healthy! O-of course, I might not be as healthy as before since I was in a vegetative state for a long time, but still…”

As I spoke, my voice gradually diminished.

I had a feeling that I wasn’t particularly healthy even before.

Cedar’s sigh poured down on my head as I mumbled excuses.

Cedar turned abruptly and said.

“Let’s eat first.”

When I followed Cedar into the kitchen, he shooed me away, telling me to sit quietly at the table instead of fainting again for no reason.

Feeling awkward as I sat alone at the table, a savory aroma soon began to waft from the kitchen.

‘It smells good.’

My quiet stomach suddenly started growling as if it had been waiting for this.

It was a sensation I hadn’t felt when I was solely focused on research to become a magician.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve been eating regular meals since getting married. Is this the benefit of marriage?’

When my senior used to say that marriage allows for a regular lifestyle, I had scoffed at it as nonsense, but experiencing it now, I understood to some extent.

‘It’s an unimaginable lifestyle for a magician.’

Waiting like this to eat warm food. Even if I told others, no one would believe it.

They might laugh and ask if I had captured a cooking fairy slave.

‘Cedar Granite cooking for me personally, they’d believe it even less.’

It wasn’t because he was particularly domestic or cared for me, but simply because he was trying to hide the fact that I had awakened from my vegetative state.

‘I’ll probably reminisce about this even after we divorce. Saying I once had someone prepare three meals a day for me without fail.’

As I was lost in these thoughts, Cedar emerged from the kitchen with a tray, right on cue.

When I saw the tray of food he placed in front of me, my eyes widened in surprise.

“Husband? This has too many vegetables.”

Cedar had always been eager to feed me vegetables, but this time it was really too much. The plate looked almost entirely green.

Humans aren’t herbivores, so why is more than half the plate filled with grass?

To my rightful protest, Cedar snorted and replied.

“You have to eat it all. You’re too weak.”

“To get healthy from eating vegetables, I’d have to eat like an elephant every day for years. Besides, health comes from moderation in everything.”

And humans are closer to carnivores than herbivores.

So please serve a diet with more meat.

Despite my logically sound rebuttal, Cedar didn’t budge.

Instead, he sat down across from me with his arms crossed, staring at me with blazing eyes.

“Eat it all. I’ll check if you’ve eaten everything without leaving any vegetables, so don’t try to weasel out of it with sophistry.”

Checking if I’ve eaten everything! I haven’t experienced that even when I was seven years old.

“Ack! Am I a little child?”

“You’re worse than a child.”

“That’s too much.”

“What else, you complain even when a meal is prepared and served for you.”

“…Yes. I’m a terrible sinner.”

How did I end up being labeled as a great criminal of the ages just for trying to avoid eating some vegetables?

I had no choice but to pick up my fork and reluctantly chew on the unappetizing greens.

One of the many reasons I dislike vegetables is that no matter how much I eat, the amount doesn’t seem to decrease.

I pouted as I tried to stab the tough vegetable stem that wouldn’t easily pierce with my fork.

“I was planning to order seeds and seedlings today and till the soil. I’ll have to eat quickly.”

Hearing my mumbling, Cedar’s face contorted as if he had heard something bizarre, and he asked.

“…What did you say you were going to do?”

I see, being a young lord, he must have been raised preciously and knows nothing about farming.

I subtly pushed the vegetable stuck on my fork to the edge of the plate as I answered.

“I said I’m going to till the soil. The ground has become very hard since nothing has been planted for a long time. For anything to grow well, you need to soften the soil first. The roots need to breathe well to become strong, you know.”

As I was carefully explaining ‘Practical Farming Tips Anyone Can Do!’, Cedar openly gave me a look of disdain and retorted.

“Do you know how many days it’s been since you collapsed and got up again?”

Ah, so that’s the point he was bothered about. I gave an awkward smile.

“Should I do it tomorrow instead of today?”

The compromise I suggested didn’t even come close to appeasing Cedar. He picked up an unused spoon and pulled the vegetables I had pushed aside back to the center of the plate as he answered.

“Does it have to be you who does that? Can’t you have someone else do it?”

It’s not like I haven’t thought about having someone else do it. I shrugged.

“Isn’t it a secret that I’ve awakened from my vegetative state? If we call someone else, it won’t be a secret anymore. Would that be okay with you?”

“…”

Cedar’s face hardened terrifyingly.

It was enough to make me flinch, even though I had been smugly answering that it was entirely his fault that I decided to till the field myself.

‘He looks like he could eat people.’

I don’t know why he suddenly changed his mind, but it seems he doesn’t like the idea of me doing garden work myself.

As I watched his expression, I cautiously let out in a small voice.

“If it bothers you so much, husband, I can just…”

Should I give up?

Unable to say those words, I closed my mouth. And then I suddenly realized.
I had been quite excited about making magic potions.

‘But seeing Cedar’s expression, I can’t bring myself to say I want to do it.’

His narrowed eyes looked like they would scold me fiercely at any moment.

Why? Because I suddenly collapsed? Or did he just allow it but it bothered him more than expected?

‘He might be concerned about me being noticed by others while wandering around the garden.’

He clearly didn’t want to reveal the fact that I had awakened from my vegetative state.
To the extent of preparing three meals a day himself and sitting by my side to nurse me.

‘If it’s to that extent, shouldn’t I make a concession too?’

The scale in my heart tilted towards Cedar.
Of course, I’m not the type of person who’s delicate enough to hold back on what I want to do out of consideration for someone else…

‘But I can’t be the only one benefiting from this contract. I can make and sell magic potions later after divorcing Cedar.’

Though it’s disappointing, if Cedar feels such aversion, I should back down.

Having quickly made up my mind, I slowly opened my lips.

“In that case, I…”

Before I could finish speaking, Cedar slammed his palm on the table with a bang.
At the sudden loud noise, my eyes widened in surprise.

Cedar said in a gruff voice.

“I’ll do it.”

“Ah, so I’ll give up… No, wait. What did you say?”

To me, who was suspecting my ears had malfunctioned and heard something strange, Cedar kindly repeated each word clearly.

“I said, I’ll do that trivial thing.”

“…?”

Even hearing it again, I still didn’t understand. So he’s saying he’ll do it? Do what?

The field work?

My gaze naturally turned to Cedar.
First, I was drawn to his robust body, perfectly symmetrical as befitting a skilled knight.
The muscles connecting his wrists to his elbows were visible outside his folded sleeves.
Even those were smooth and thick, as if built up layer upon layer of muscle.

‘There’s probably not a single undeveloped muscle anywhere on his body. He must be incredibly strong.’

He is a Sword Master.
A man who has surpassed the stage of controlling Aura with a sword, embodying a perfect sword with his very body.

But being good at handling Aura has nothing to do with what I was planning to do.