Chapter : 06
I pressed my fingers to my forehead and shook my head. Honestly, what a stubborn, single-minded person.
And so, in that heavy atmosphere, mealtime continued with nothing but the clinking of utensils. You could hear the cutlery, but aside from Eric and me, no one was really able to eat the stew.
When I turned my head, I saw Leila only poking at her stew while stealing glances at the Crown Prince.
Right—Leila had a crush on the Crown Prince in the novel.
Did she still like him now?
Up until now, Leila had never told me she liked anyone. Well, except when she said she liked the neighbor Donovan when she was seven.
“Leila, does today’s stew not suit your taste?” I whispered.
Leila startled and answered quietly.
“No. Vanessa made it, so of course it’s delicious. But…”
“But?”
She glanced briefly at the Crown Prince before speaking.
“It’s my first time seeing His Highness up close, so I can’t really eat.”
“Phew!”
“Vanessa, don’t laugh!”
As soon as I started laughing, she panicked and covered her face. Her ears were bright red. When I kept grinning, she hurriedly whispered again.
“It’s not like I like His Highness or anything. I prefer sickly handsome guys over people with that many muscles.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Donovan really had been a pale, scholarly type. I remembered perfectly well.
Still, it was interesting.
This is different from the original story…
In the original, had Leila fallen for the Crown Prince because they survived the zombie crisis together?
My questions remained unanswered, but I smiled back at Leila as she smiled at me. Relaxing, she smiled prettily and began eating her stew.
I patted her gently.
“You need to eat a lot, Leila. We have lots to do.”
“That’s right! I still haven’t finished watering the fields!”
She nodded vigorously and began attacking the now-cold stew with determination.
“I’m done eating, so I’ll get up now.”
“I’ll do the dishes,” the count said, rolling up his sleeves.
“I’d appreciate that. Eric, are you done?”
“Yes!”
“Then let’s go harvest the wheat again.”
Eric said in a flustered voice, “R-Right away…?”
“We eat, then we work. We’re busy if we want to finish harvesting the wheat today.”
I brought over a sickle and placed it in his hand, smiling as kindly as I could.
“You tried it earlier, so you know how, right?”
Apparently my smile didn’t work. Eric replied gloomily, “Yeees…”
“Good. Then I’ll go check on the fish!”
“I’ll go too.”
The Crown Prince stood up from his chair.
No—why are you coming?
The person I felt most uncomfortable around: the Crown Prince.
Had he ever even worked before? It was obvious he’d just get in the way. I forced myself to keep my expression polite.
“You should rest at home.”
“I don’t want to be a freeloader.”
The Crown Prince—no, Killian—opened the door first and gestured to me.
“Where should I go?”
Ha… I want to work alone.
“This way… please follow me…”
I started leading him toward the lakeside. We walked silently for a long while when Killian finally spoke.
“It’s quite sturdy.”
“The fortress? I suppose so. We put a lot of effort into it.”
“……”
“……”
Once again, silence followed. I couldn’t be bothered to make small talk with the Crown Prince. I had mountains of work to do today!
While I was mentally simulating today’s tasks, he spoke again.
“It’s… something I can trust, right?”
“Trust what?”
“The saint.”
“Yes. You can trust her.”
“…I see.”
So annoying. He keeps talking.
I thought he’d be quiet, but surprisingly, he talked a lot.
Yogurt and cheese…
As I was thinking about what to make with today’s milk, Killian cleared his throat again.
“So, what we’re doing today is…”
Seriously, I’m trying to think here—why is he talking so much?!
A bit irritated, I looked up at him. He was standing awkwardly, turned slightly toward me, his ears bright red.
Clearing his throat in embarrassment, he said, “Ahem. Since we’ve imposed on you, I thought it might be good for us to get to know each other… at least a little…”
So that’s what it was.
He was forcing himself to keep talking, unlike his usual self?
He didn’t stop there.
“And I also want to apologize for what happened yesterday.”
“It’s okay. I understand how you could misunderstand.”
“Still, I’m sorry. I was convinced you were the dark mage who raised the undead… I never imagined you carried the blood of a prophet.”
As Killian kept making excuses, I waved my hands.
“It’s really fine. Just work hard from now on—that’ll be enough.”
Killian replied firmly, “Leave it to me. I’ll do anything.”
“Okay. Then take this bucket.”
We had arrived at the fishing spot by the lake. I handed him the bucket and pointed to the fish traps set around.
“You see those traps? Put the fish inside into here. Oh, and release the small ones.”
“Understood.”
Killian rolled up his sleeves and jumped straight into the lake with a splash. He lifted the traps and checked the fish inside with enthusiasm. Seeing how diligent he was, I added points in my head.
Farmhand score: +10.
He was better at the work than I expected. Being stronger than me, he lifted the traps easily and dumped the fish into the bucket without trouble.
More than that, he even knew how to place the traps using the terrain.
This doesn’t look like his first time.
Curious, I spoke to him as he worked.
“Your Highness—no, Killian. Have you done this kind of work before?”
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he answered, “When fighting the barbarians, our supplies were cut off before. In times like that, we’d set traps like these or hunt to get food.”
“Ah, I see.”
No wonder. I thought he was too good at this.
I nodded and picked up a fishing rod.
When he came up from the lake, soaked, I could clearly see the definition of Killian’s muscles. Taut abs and chest, thick veins standing out on his arms, adding to his wild appearance.
Ugh, look away. Look away.
I rolled my eyes and stared at the lake instead. The calm surface helped settle my racing heart.
It’s that face and body that are the problem. Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva… … .’
Killian was dangerously handsome. Melancholic blue eyes, a proud nose standing like a cliff, a sharply defined bridge, and firmly set lips.
If not for his honey-gold hair, he’d look exactly like the Northern Duke you’d see in a romance fantasy novel.
“What do we do next?”
“Fishing. There weren’t many fish in the traps today, so I think we should fish a bit before leaving.”
“Sounds good.”
Killian sat beside me and cast his line into the lake. A breeze brushed between us.
Nothing’s biting at all.
Maybe yesterday had just been a lucky day. Today, fish weren’t biting much. We had enough food from yesterday, but it was always better to stockpile.
As we stared at the fishing lines in silence, Killian cautiously spoke.
“Um.”
“Yes?”
“Well…”
“Yes, go on.”
“……”
Killian fidgeted with his fishing rod, hesitating as if he had something to say but couldn’t. Just as I was about to urge him, I felt a tug on my line.
Tap, tap—
A fish was nibbling at the bait.
Now’s the time!
I jumped up, braced myself, and pulled the rod. The fish was strong, and it was hard to hold.
“Killian, help me!”
“Oh!”
He grabbed my rod. With just a light pull from him, the fish flew right out of the water.
What a monster.
His strength was incredible—on a completely different level from Eric.
“Do I put this fish in the bucket as well?”
“Yes, I’d appreciate it.”
The fish was enormous—bigger than anything I’d seen in a year of living at the fortress.
It’d be delicious braised.
The pepper-like vegetables I’d obtained with difficulty in the eastern continent were just ready to harvest. If I added garlic and radish and simmered it all together, it would make an amazing braised fish dish.
All right. Braised fish for today!
Grinning broadly, I watched Killian put the fish into the bucket. Seeing my expression, he flinched.
“W-What is it?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Your expression looked like… a general plotting a scheme.”
Was my face really like that?
I composed myself and said, “Let’s go. I don’t think we’ll catch any more fish today even if we stay.”
“Alright. Then what’s left to do…”
“Next, we’re making yogurt and cheese. Even if you’re tired, you can’t leave.”
You look strong—we definitely need you.
Killian shook his head firmly.
“I never planned to leave. Since I’m indebted to you, you can make me do even harder work.”
Heh. Such a very admirable attitude.
Smiling deviously to myself, I headed toward the storage shed where I’d already brought the milk.
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
“I also…”
Killian had a habit of constantly breaking off his sentences. It felt like he’d never spoken at length in his entire life. As someone who was impatient and spoke quickly, it drove me crazy.
“You can just say it all at once. I’ll understand.”
“I want to.”
“What?”
“A little…”
Honestly, this guy!
What is he, a drama protagonist?
Why does he keep cutting himself off?!
Frustrated, I slapped his arm without thinking.
“Ugh, this is driving me crazy! Just say it!”
“I want to call you Vanessa too!”
End Of Chapter : 06
