Chapter : 02
“Oh, so cute! When did you grow such plump sprouts? Isn’t it cute when you do this? Oh, it’s cute.”
“…Vanessa. I’m scared.”
I grinned, looking at the plump turnip sprouts that had sprouted. I saw Leila, who was pulling weeds next to me, shaking her head at me, but I didn’t pay any attention.
The turnip sprouts I’ve been waiting for have sprouted so beautifully!
It’s been almost a year since I started farming in the fortress. Today is April 2nd, Imperial Year 257. That means it’s been a day since the zombies breached the capital.
I came to the fortress with Leila’s parents on March 25th, exactly a week before the zombie outbreak.
The name was, “Mom, Dad, take a break in nature for the first time in a while.” But as soon as we arrived, our parents noticed us sweating profusely from the rural lifestyle and realized something was off.
“Weren’t you staying at your cottage? Oh my, Leila! Look at those freckles!”
“Mom, farming is fun. Aren’t these potatoes pretty?”
‘No, baby!’
Those who were only in social circles were upset when they saw us covered in dirt, but soon gave up when they saw us happy.
“I’ve seen you all doing well, so that’s enough. We’ll head back to the city now.”
‘No!’
I clung to the dress and trouser legs of the Countess Clark and her husband, who were frowning at the smell of manure.
‘Oh, no, Vanessa! What the hell are you doing!’
‘Just stay for a week and then go!’
‘Hey, you know we’re busy.’
At that time, I was so focused on serving the count and his wife that I couldn’t even think of a proper excuse.
What should I do?
It was when I was just chewing my lips in anxiety.
Leila, seeing that, followed me and grabbed the clothes of the Count and Countess Clarke.
‘Mother! Father! You’re leaving already? Didn’t you really want to see Leila?’
‘Of course I missed you! No, who was the one who left after leaving behind just a single letter?’
‘But why are you leaving so quickly!’
‘Well, it’s busy, and it smells a bit in here… ‘
‘Just stay here for a week and then go! Then I’ll come with you.’
As expected, it was our Leila.
Actually, about six months after bringing Leila to the fortress, I confessed that the reason I built the fortress here was because I kept having nightmares in the city.
The nightmare is of a horde of undead invading the capital, and he says he’s afraid because it feels like a premonition.
At first, Leila didn’t believe it. But then, after reading a newspaper that had been blown in by the wind, and confirming the news of the emergence of undead hordes in the border region, she said she felt like her dream was true.
‘What if Vanessa’s dream comes true?’
“Don’t worry. I left a magic scroll. Let’s bring it here.”
‘My parents will probably want to go there as soon as they get home. They don’t really like places like this… ‘
‘Let’s somehow suppress them.’
… and we each held onto Countess Clarke and Count Clarke and wept bitterly.
“You didn’t want to see us? Don’t go!”
‘Oh, no, guys… … .’
The bewildered count and countess threatened us, promising to stay for only a week. However, they never carried out their promise.
This is because you heard news of the capital city through a magic video bead the day before the capital city defense line was breached.
That day, two days ago, Count Clark came to my room and asked me.
‘Did you know everything?’
“Huh? What?”
“This place. There’s a watchtower, a fishing spot, and it looks like a fortress. It’s like someone knew something like this would happen.”
‘That’s what I’ve been dreaming about for a year now.’
I gave the Count the same explanation I had given to Leila.
I had a nightmare and I thought it was a precognitive dream, but how did I know it was a precognitive dream? Because my maternal side has a bit of that kind of blood running through them… something like that.
Count Clark didn’t seem to believe it, but he seemed relieved that his family had survived. He also seemed absurd and bewildered by the current situation.
‘Still, the knights will sort it out well.’
No, I can’t clean it up.
Before the saint appeared, the capital city was probably hell.
When did the saint appear?
“Vanessa!”
“huh?”
Leila, who had come closer to me, spoke to me.
“Try this.”
What she held out was a cherry tomato.
“ah-”
As I opened my mouth, Leila stuffed a cherry tomato into it. The bursting juice was refreshing and sweet.
“Is it because we raised it? Why is it so delicious?”
“It’s so pretty!”
Sowing seeds, planting, and growing them was hard work, but the rewards were worth it. After spreading fertilizer, I waited patiently for the sprouts to emerge, and then, just in time, they finally sprouted!
How happy I am.
I stopped looking at the turnip sprouts and hummed as I walked to the chicken coop. I had a mountain of work to do since morning.
The first thing to do is get eggs from the chicken coop.
“Let’s see. Guys, I’m sorry. I’ll take some. Oh my, oh my, I’m dying! Sorry! Stop pecking!”
Food Duck―
Most of them flew away and sat on the perch, but the mother hens flew over and started pecking at me.
I managed to get nine eggs, pushing away the attacking hens. I carefully placed them in the basket and wiped the sweat off my face. Every morning was a battle.
Next, it was time to go to the pig and cow pens and provide feed. I shoveled the feed and filled each trough. Ten pigs and four cows came running towards me, seemingly happy to see me.
“Umm—”
“Oink oink―”
“Yeah, yeah. Eat a lot.”
I lightly stroked the cow’s head. Then the cow lifted its head and came over to lick my hand with its tongue.
“I’ll decline. Your saliva is too sticky.”
Then the cow put its head back into the trough and began to eat the feed.
“Let’s see. There’s more work to do…”
It was time to go to the trap I’d set at the fishing spot the morning before. I put down my basket and headed to the fishing spot on the lake right in front of me.
The trap was full of all kinds of fish.
“Let’s see. Two, four, six, eight, ten. We caught exactly ten!”
I’ll eat about six of them today, two each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and dry the rest and store them in the warehouse.
After I released the baby fish, I put the adult fish into the bucket one by one.
I felt happy as I walked, carrying a basket of eggs in one hand and a bucket of fish in the other.
‘If this continues, I’ll be able to live a long time.’
Having died prematurely from overwork in my previous life, I wanted to live long in this one. It was a bit ironic, though, that I was reincarnated into a zombie romance.
As soon as I got back, I started preparing breakfast. Since neither the Countess nor the Count had ever cooked before, I felt more comfortable doing it myself.
I skillfully prepared the fish and placed it on the grill. Today, I was planning on grilling it instead of stewing it.
Next, I brushed some oil on the stove pot and cracked three eggs into it. A sizzling sound was heard, and a savory aroma filled the kitchen.
“Good morning, Vanessa.”
Countess Clarke, who had slowly gotten up, greeted me.
“Did you sleep well, ma’am?”
“Actually, I didn’t sleep well. I was worried about the capital….”
“It will be okay soon.”
“The news about the video beads has also been cut off… It seems like things are not going well….”
sure.
It’s a zombie hell out there right now.
Swallowing my words, I offered Countess Clark a cup of warm herbal tea I had made in advance.
“No, just have some herbal tea first.”
“Thank you, dear. If only you hadn’t stopped me from leaving back then, otherwise we would have…”
“No, don’t think too negatively.”
It was Countess Clark, who had aged significantly in the past day, deeply troubled. The countess had been pulling weeds beside Leila for a while, offering to help us.
“Okay, that’s all. Madam, please call Leila and the Count.”
“Yeah, yeah. It already smells delicious.”
Leila and the Count returned sweating profusely, only to be scolded by the Countess. They were finally allowed into the kitchen after wiping their sweat with a towel and changing from their muddy shoes into slippers.
“thank you for this food!”
“Thanks to Vanessa, I’m enjoying such delicious food again today. Thank you, honey.”
Although the food served before us was only three fried eggs, two grilled fish, and two pieces of rye bread, we began to eat, grateful for even that.
Breakfast time with delicious food and laughter.=
I thought it would be nice if everyday life could continue like this.
But my hopes were shattered by a man who came a week later.
* * *
One morning, I went to the greenhouse and was shocked.
“what……?”
All the newly opened cherry tomatoes had two on each stem. This was the first time in over a year that I’d seen anything like this, so I stared at it in a dazed state.
‘Is it a genetic abnormality? Suddenly?’
The strawberry field was the same.
Dangling.
There were a ton of strawberries, and each one was ripe and delicious.
‘No, what the hell is going on!’
I excitedly filled my basket with strawberries. Today was a day when strawberries alone could fill my stomach.
I’m excited, I’m excited!
“Vanessa!”
“huh?”
Then Leila came running over to me, calling me.
“Why? What’s going on?”
“A pig and a cow…! I think they’re about to give birth!”
“Gasp! Already?”
I put down the basket of strawberries and hurried to the barn.
A pig and a cow were struggling with labor pains. Since some calves had problems during birth, Leila, the count, and I held each other’s hands and prayed for the safe birth of the calves.
End Of Chapter : 02
