SMW Chapter 05

The Marquis Next Door’s Beloved Slave – Chapter 005

A grown man falling flat on his butt? The man was clearly embarrassed, his ears bright red even in the dark as he looked down.

“I-I’m fine…”

“Sorry! I heard some strange noise late at night and got worried… You must’ve been startled.”

Ella felt bad. She realized she had scared someone who seemed as fragile as a glass figurine.

“I tend to stay up at night… Was I being too loud?”

Turns out, he had been hammering something into the ground late at night—he was planting something in a small, roughly built garden.

“Oh… kind of. I just didn’t know what the noise was.”

“Actually, I bought some cherry tomato seedlings at the market today.”

The man brushed dirt off his pants. He was wearing work clothes, and unlike yesterday, she could clearly see the muscles in his arms.

“Ooh… cherry tomatoes.”

Thanks to her past life, Ella had well-trained eyes when it came to muscles, but she answered appropriately about the tomatoes.

“The shop owner said they’re the easiest plant to grow, but they’re trickier than I thought.”

“Yeah… they need more care than you’d think.”

Looking closely, even his hands were nice. The veins on the back of his hands—Ella found them oddly attractive.

Ugh, what am I thinking?

Ella shook her head, blaming the alcohol she drank earlier.

“Were you trying to set up supports for them?”

Trying to steer the conversation somewhere normal, she asked.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“They’re still seedlings, so no rush. They’ll still need the supports once they grow and start drooping under their weight.”

“I see…”

“Also, it’s faster to just press the screws in with your hands instead of using a hammer.”

Ella rolled up her sleeves and showed him how it’s done. With good soil like this, a hammer wasn’t necessary.

“Oh!”

“Like this.”

She quickly pressed a stake into the ground and smiled with pride. It was a skill she’d developed over three years of tending her own garden.

“It took me forever to do even one row…”

“Really? I could finish this much before I’m done with one cup of coffee.”

Seriously? A tiny garden like this, and it took him all day?

The neighbor who seemed so confident earlier now just looked clueless.

“I may not be a farmer, but that sounds like an exaggeration.”

He laughed, unaware he was the clueless one.

“I’m not exaggerating—really.”

“Then prove it.”

His eyes sparkled with amusement.

Is he… challenging me?

Ella stretched her neck left and right.

“Now you’ve got me feeling competitive.”

Laughing, she grabbed another stake.

Swoosh, swoosh.

“Whoa!”

Swish swish.

Ella’s hands moved faster than his eyes could follow.

This was nothing. A good garden needed more than just supports—you had to pull weeds, spray organic pesticide before pests came, feed it fertilizer and nutrients…

It was a lot of work.

By the time she pressed the last stake, tears welled in her eyes.

This yard—this garden—was something she had built with years of love and effort.

Especially the raspberry bushes… she had raised them like children.

If she lost the house, she’d lose it all.

“Ugh… Why am I crying now…”

“Are you okay?”

The man seemed to notice and rushed over in concern.

Of course, she wasn’t okay.
How could she be, when she was about to lose her home over a loan she never even took?

“I’m sorry… for showing you this side of me. I’ll head back now.”

Ella wiped away her tears, trying to play it cool.

A drunk girl barging into a neighbor’s garden, crying while planting tomato stakes? She must’ve looked crazy.

“Wait—!”

The neighbor tried to stop her, probably to comfort her.

But Ella didn’t turn back.
She ran home.
A home that soon might not be hers anymore.

***

Ring ring—

An alarm rang meaninglessly by her ear.
The cold floor against her back made her shiver.

“Ugh… I ache all over.”

She hadn’t even drunk that much, but she had passed out on the floor like a bum.

“Get it together. Soon I won’t even have a floor to pass out on.”

She’d already given up on catching the scammer in just a few days. It felt impossible.

“Haah…”

Everything felt hopeless again.
She just wanted to run away from it all.

But reality didn’t give her time to rest.

Knock knock knock—

Someone knocked at her door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s your neighbor.”

It was him.

Maybe he was worried about her after the scene she caused last night.

“Just a moment.”

Ella hesitated, realizing she looked like a total mess.

Whatever. I’ll be gone from here soon. It’s not like I’ll ever see him again.

She dragged her feet to the door.

Creak—

“Ah, good morning!”

He greeted her with an awkward smile.
Now that she saw him in daylight, even his nervous smile sparkled. The man was ridiculously handsome.

“Sorry about last night. I was a bit drunk.”

She didn’t really feel embarrassed, but she put on a polite expression.

“No, it’s fine. I brought you something. It’s nothing special, though.”

He’s not even a good cook—what’s he doing making food again?
Still, it was kind of admirable.

“Oh gosh, you didn’t have to.”

She took the dish from him. It was warm—freshly made, just like last time.

“I hope it tastes okay, even though I’m not very skilled.”

“Oh, the last dish! The plate—”

“Oh, you can return it whenever.”

“No, it’s okay. Would you mind waiting on the bench in the yard for a bit? I’ll wash both dishes and bring them back together.”

“Ah…”

Ella shoved her feet into some worn slippers and led him to the bench.
She had made the bench herself, wanting a spot to relax outside.

“It’s a nice day. Just wait here a moment, okay?”

“Here?”
“Yes, right here.”

There wasn’t a single nail or piece of wood in that bench that she hadn’t touched.

In summer she’d eaten watermelon there, in fall grilled meat in the fading sun.

Thinking about all that made her heart ache again.

“So I just… sit here?”

The man looked awkward as he eyed the bench.

What a picky guy.

But just a few days ago, that bench was spotless and polished.

“Just relax. I’ll be back soon.”

She left him on the bench and went inside.

She had to clean the dishes and return his old ones.

Then she noticed the leftover meat pie in the fridge staring at her.

“What are you looking at? You tasted terrible.”

Ella tossed it into the trash without a second thought.

May you be reborn as a delicious meat pie in your next life.

Ssshhh—

She finished cleaning and pulled a cold can of beer from the fridge, placing it on a tray.

“Bad food tastes better with something good.”

A cold, tasty beer and a hot, hopefully edible dish from next door.

She hoped the beer would balance out the flavor.

Ella picked up the tray and walked back outside.

“Sorry for the wait!”

“Oh, not at all. Thank you for going through all that trouble this morning.”

He was still sitting on the bench, looking just as awkward as before.

Ella set down the food and beer, took off her shoes, and sat cross-legged beside him.

“I thought it’d be nice to eat together.”

“I’d like that.”

He glanced at her and then took off his shoes, joining her on the bench.

He smiled to himself like a happy fool.

He might not be the most polite guy, but at least he’s not completely clueless.

And just like that, the two of them ended up having an unexpected midday beer party together.