TOYLCG 14 🍒

Chapter — 14

Creating a good environment for fruit to grow turned out to be harder than expected.

Weather was something humans couldn’t control, but many other parts of the environment could be managed.

Of course, that didn’t guarantee a rich harvest for the year. Still, even creating a basic, stable environment made a huge difference.

“Aren’t tomato flowers really pretty? That bright yellow color,” Rosebell said.

“Why are you here instead of helping pick the apple blossoms?” Aren asked.

“If I keep going back and forth, you’ll just get nervous and won’t be able to work properly. Besides, things are moving faster than I expected.”

“That’s true. You really can’t ignore people with experience.”

Rosebell laughed at Aren’s words. In Korea, things like this would have depended on a company’s reputation, but farming was completely different from business.

“That’s right. If you ignore experienced people, you’ll regret it. There are more capable workers than you think.”

“So are you just going to manage the garden like this?” Aren asked.

“No. You and I have other things to do.”

As Rosebell smiled meaningfully, Aren instinctively took a step back.

He didn’t know what she was planning, but past experience told him it would definitely be exhausting.

“…This sounds suspicious.”

“What? Suspicious?”

As time passed, Rosebell felt like she was becoming more childish. Maybe it was because of Aren, or maybe because of her young body.

She thought, I need to get a grip, but her reactions to Aren still came out naturally.

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Everyone’s picking flowers by hand right now. That means even healthy flowers can get damaged.”

“Human hands aren’t very sharp, after all.”

“Exactly! That’s why I’m ordering a large batch of garden shears!”

“…For the orchard?”

Aren looked completely confused. While scissors and knives were common tools in daily life, garden shears were a different matter.

If everyone had small shears, thinning the flowers would be much faster. They could also be reused later during the apple harvest, making everything more efficient.

“I have scissors for cutting cloth or paper, but not small garden shears.”

“Do we really need special ones?”

“No, not necessarily. There are flower-arranging scissors, but those are more decorative than practical.”

Aren found it strange how obsessed Rosebell was with efficiency. Weren’t nobles usually more focused on appearances than usefulness?

Once again, he realized she was an extraordinary woman in many ways.

Duke Efrian had been deliberately avoiding Rosebell since she woke up.

Of course, his daughter noticed.

Still, he didn’t know where to begin explaining things. Maybe it was better to pretend nothing was wrong. After all, Rosebell didn’t seem very interested in her mother.

“I’ve never heard that spirit contracts are inherited…” he muttered.

What troubled Duke Efrian most was Rosebell’s last transformation. He had tried his best to protect this place.

That had been the start of all the misfortune.

“Ariel… I still don’t know how to explain this to Rosebell…”

His sorrowful voice was enough to make anyone’s heart ache.

Knock, knock.

“Father, may I come in?”

Duke Efrian snapped back to his senses. He had planned to talk to her himself, but he hadn’t expected her to come first.

“Yes.”

When the office door opened, the duke froze. Rosebell was neatly dressed—unlike her usual appearance.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“To the square.”

“The square… why?”

“I need to order shears for the orchard. And I’d like to take a short break while I’m out. Is that okay?”

Saying “I’m going out to have fun” felt awkward. She had been buried in orchard and garden work for so long.

“Are you going with Maria?”

“No. I’m taking Aren today.”

“Aren?”

“I need someone to block me if I throw a punch.”

The duke felt like he’d been hit on the head.

“…Since when do you throw punches?”

“To be precise, I elbowed the leader of the group that was harassing Aren.”

The duke let out a hollow laugh at her casual explanation.

“I thought you’d grown up, but you’re still young.”

At the word young, Rosebell realized she really was acting childish.

“I am still young. So please stay healthy for a long time.”

“Alright. I’ll do my best to stay healthy. If you’re going to the square, should I give you some pocket money?”

Rosebell’s eyes widened. She blinked rapidly, then smiled brightly.

“I’m still young, so I have lots of things to buy with my father’s allowance!”

“So… you do need it?”

At the duke’s firm tone, Rosebell pouted.

“Tch.”

If she charged everything to the duke’s name, the bill would come to the mansion anyway. Still, he found it adorable that his daughter asked for pocket money.

“While you’re out, how about buying some clothes too?”

“For Aren?”

“She keeps wearing floral bodysuits… well, it’s sad to only wear pants all the time.”

“…Ah.”

Even from the duke’s point of view, Aren’s flower-patterned elastic pants were hard on the eyes.

Even if she came to work, it bothered him that her ankles were always exposed.

“Father? You sound like you agree with me.”

“Ahem.”

Rosebell felt betrayed when the duke coughed and looked away.

“Father!”

“Aren has grown a lot, hasn’t she? Just buy her clothes that are comfortable to move in.”

“You said those clothes were weird! They’re super comfortable! Even the orchard workers say so!”

Rosebell argued, but the duke only smiled awkwardly.

He was in a position where he didn’t need to insist.

Meanwhile, Rosebell made sure to protect her father’s dignity as duke.

Rosebell felt suffocated by the whole situation.

Maria, on the other hand, was excited. It had been a long time since she’d seen Rosebell choose proper clothes.

“It’s been so long since you wore normal clothes! I’m so touched!”

Rosebell was slightly hurt by how directly Maria called her old clothes strange. But it seemed everyone felt the same way.

“Just wait. When summer comes, I’ll make you even more gorgeous—with thin bodysuits and wide-brimmed floral hats!”

She was becoming increasingly serious about tormenting everyone under the excuse of efficiency.

“Where are you going? The palace or something?” Aren asked.

“What were you doing just now?”

“Why are you suddenly so noisy?”

Aren froze at Rosebell’s elegant appearance. She had always been pretty, but now she was completely dazzling.

She really looks like she’s going to the palace…

“Why would I go to the palace? I can’t even breathe in this corset—and you’re worried I’ll scratch my butt?”

“I didn’t do anything!”

Uncomfortable clothes made people irritable.

“I know. These clothes are just too uncomfortable. Let’s go.”

“Me too?”

“Yeah. Today’s our outing day. Change and come out.”

“I need to wash first.”

“…Wash quickly. Ten minutes.”

Aren decided there was no point arguing in such a ridiculous situation.

Seeing Rosebell properly dressed for the first time felt strange to Aren.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“It just feels… unfamiliar.”

“Everything feels unfamiliar. These clothes are uncomfortable. I can’t breathe.”

“The elastic pants are comfortable. I’m not used to pants with hooks anymore.”

Rosebell burst out laughing at Aren’s serious tone, even though her chest felt tight.

Her ribs felt like they might break, but it was comforting to know she wasn’t alone.

“Are you really that uncomfortable?”

“I grew taller and gained weight… It feels like I’m bursting out of my clothes.”

“Hahaha! Stop it! My ribs are really going to break!”

“I wasn’t trying to be funny. I’m serious.”

Aren nervously adjusted his shirt buttons, worried they might pop off at any moment.

So this is how Rosebell feels…

“Let’s buy new clothes and eat something good. Today is for relaxing. As long as my ribs survive.”

Her expression quickly darkened. Aren wondered if it would be better for her to give up the corset entirely.

Of course, that was easy for him to think—he wasn’t a noble, and he wasn’t a woman.

“But did you let your hair down on purpose?”

“Maria’s idea. If it were up to me, I’d tie it all back.”

Her hair shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the carriage window.

Aren thought she’d look better with her hair tied up—just like she said.