Chapter 41
She originally intended to hire an employee who could just clear the tables and do the dishes.
But then someone showed up who was also well-versed in medicinal herbs.
He was so skilled that she could entrust the greenhouse and herb management to him right away.
It was the end of winter. Sophie yawned as she opened the door to the apothecary.
Spring wasn’t far off, but it was still quite cold. It seemed the final chill would hit before spring arrived.
“…Dylan?”
Last night, Sophie had to rush off because of a summons from Mr. Evrant. So, she’d given Dylan the spare key and asked him to tidy up the shop.
Now, Dylan was already at the apothecary at the crack of dawn, cleaning.
“You’re here?”
“Don’t tell me… you slept here?”
“Of course not. I went home properly last night and came early this morning.”
“It’s pretty chilly today, isn’t it?” Dylan offered a warm morning greeting.
“You don’t have to come out this early, Dylan.”
Sophie usually handled the herbs, so there wasn’t any need for Dylan to show up so early. Most of the customers who came for tea showed up around midday.
“But herbs need to be cared for early in the morning, don’t they?”
“You must be tired…”
“But you’ve been doing all that tiring work alone, haven’t you? I’m fine.”
He wasn’t even getting paid that much.
“It lightens the workload when we do it together. Besides, I’ve been learning how to handle medicinal herbs since I was young. So this kind of work is actually easier for me.”
Dylan was as kind and gentle as his appearance suggested. On top of that, he was surprisingly strong—he could lift heavy loads with ease.
There was hardly any need for Valentis, who occasionally helped with moving heavy things.
“You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I brought something light.”
He unwrapped a food bundle wrapped in cloth. It was a soup made with mushrooms and vegetables.
“It’s gotten cold, so I’ll need to warm it up. I’ll also make some tea. Would you like to eat together?”
“You can cook too?”
“I live alone, so cooking is essential.”
Dylan answered modestly and heated up the soup with practiced skill.
Is there anything this man can’t do? Sophie followed his movements with her eyes, thinking in amazement.
“I made it early this morning. I thought it’d be nice to share it with you.”
“Is it really okay for me to have some?”
“Of course. I brought it to share.”
“Should we toast some leftover bread too?” Dylan fetched some bread from the pantry, spread butter on it, and toasted it nicely. In no time, a beautiful breakfast was laid out.
He even spread a cream-colored tablecloth, then set the bread, soup, and tea on top. And so, Sophie sat down across from Dylan and shared a meal.
“How is it? Does the soup taste okay?”
Dylan asked with hopeful eyes. Sophie quickly nodded.
It was really delicious. Honestly, it was so good she felt guilty eating it all.
“I’m relieved. I was worried because there weren’t many ingredients left.”
“It’s honestly so good…”
The soup had the rich flavor and texture of mushrooms, and the buttered, toasted bread was absolutely fantastic.
“Please eat as much as you want. I’ll get you more if you need it.”
Running the apothecary—or rather, the unintended teahouse—Sophie had only ever cooked for others. It had been a long time since someone had cooked for her.
And someone with Dylan’s level of skill? Even longer.
On a cold winter morning, just having a warm meal with someone made her heart feel cozy.
“Here, you guys eat plenty too.”
Dylan dipped a piece of bread into the soup and fed it to the spirits. He could see them—he was someone who could sense mana.
With his delicious food, Dylan quickly won over the spirits and became close with them.
“Dylan, have you ever studied magic or spirit arts?”
If he could sense mana, she figured he might’ve given it a try at least once.
“Actually, I did want to learn magic.”
“Then why didn’t you try?”
“It’s not easy for a commoner to study magic.”
Spirit mages were so rare that the Empire would sponsor their early training. But regular mages weren’t so fortunate.
There were many who tried, and just as many who failed due to lack of talent.
“I tried to study it… but my circumstances didn’t allow it.”
“Do you still hold onto that dream?”
“No. I realized I like working with plants more.”
He explained that his father had influenced him and that he’d always been interested in herbs, animals, and plants. Having grown up in the mountains, he’d wanted to learn about all living things around him.
“It reminds me of the past… and I feel at peace doing what I’m best at.”
“I feel the same way, Dylan.”
“That’s why I really wanted to work at your apothecary. Especially the chance to work at a spirit mage’s apothecary—I couldn’t let that slip by.”
A diligent and sincere young man, Dylan even insisted on doing the dishes. Though Sophie said she would do them, he politely explained that she should focus on the greenhouse.
He promised to bring some seasonal fruits for the next breakfast and rolled up his sleeves to start washing up.
“Sophie!”
“Good morning, Mr. Segel!”
Dylan had also grown close to the villagers, including Mr. Segel. He stayed at a local inn just so he could work at Sophie’s apothecary.
Being naturally sociable, Dylan greeted every villager he passed, and the townsfolk seemed to like him a lot.
“Sophie’s in the greenhouse. Should I call her?”
“No, it’s fine. I just came to drop off some bread again today.”
“Thanks! I hope you’re not overworking yourself making enough for both of us. Just mine is enough.”
“No need to worry. It’s my way of thanking you for always helping out.”
Segel handed Dylan the bread and headed to the greenhouse. Upon entering, he waved at Sophie.
“Enjoy the bread later.”
“He brought some again today?”
“I brought a little extra this time so you and Dylan can share.”
Now that you’re working together, you should get closer over food. Even splitting a slice of bread can bring people together.
It seemed Segel was rooting for Sophie and Dylan.
“Dylan’s just an employee.”
“I know, I know. That’s how it always starts.”
He looked at them both with a mischievous glint in his eye, then smirked as he walked away.
“Still, Sophie, I really hope you meet someone good and get married.”
“I guess I haven’t met the right person yet.”
“I hope you do soon. It worries me when I see you out late at night.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Good.”
In a small town like this, people naturally took an interest in others’ love lives and marriages. Especially since a likable young man like Dylan was now working with Sophie. Rumors about the two had already begun to spread.
Even at lunchtime, having Dylan around made things much easier. Sophie was not exactly the friendliest shopkeeper. She usually kept things brief and moved on.
But Dylan explained the benefits of each herbal tea to every customer, smiling brightly whenever their eyes met.
“It’s definitely made things easier.”
Now Sophie finally had time to rest. She should’ve hired someone sooner.
“I’m glad it’s helping you.”
Jonathan, the one who had advised her to hire someone, seemed uncomfortable around Dylan. She later found out it was because Jonathan had hoped to become her employee himself.
“Sophie! We’re running low on kenelloche. Should I set some aside?”
“No, I’ll handle it.”
“Okay, then I’ll leave it to you.”
Even though just managing the tables was already a handful with the growing number of customers, Dylan also tended to the greenhouse.
He learned how to brew herbal tea from Sophie, which took a big load off her shoulders.
He cleaned and did the dishes without needing to be told, and when Sophie was too busy, he even fed the spirits.
For any heavy lifting or tasks involving hot pots and sharp knives, Dylan insisted on handling them himself.
In the evening, he brought fresh pasta made with whole tomatoes. Of course, it was unbelievably delicious.
“Sophie, so do you always walk home alone at night?”
They were eating dinner together when the topic came up, and Dylan asked carefully, clearly worried.
There were often things to gather or process that could only be done in the evening, so Sophie often came home late. That seemed to deeply concern Dylan.
“Yes, I usually do.”
“That sounds dangerous. Weren’t you ever scared?”
“No… My house isn’t that far.”
Sophie’s house was just a short walk from the apothecary—about five minutes. If she ran, she could get there in three.
“And the spirits are with me, so I never really felt scared.”
“But sometimes lower spirits aren’t enough, right?”
“It hasn’t been a problem so far.”
With the low-level spirits guarding her, she didn’t have to worry about most monsters or thugs.
“If you don’t mind… would it be okay if I walked you home?”
“…What?”
That caught her completely off guard.
“I-I’m really fine…”
“You never know. And I’ve trained since I was young—I’m a decent fighter.”
Dylan added,
“I’m reliable… and I’m asking because I’m worried about you, Sophie.”
Does this guy have ulterior motives? The thought crossed her mind, but she also knew that having extra protection in case something did happen wouldn’t hurt. So Sophie nodded.
As soon as she agreed, Dylan smiled brightly and returned to work in the greenhouse.
When the day ended, he walked her home, keeping a respectful distance. He didn’t try to make small talk or turn the moment into something romantic—they just walked quietly.
When they reached her house, Dylan simply said,
“Well then, get home safely.”
He did mention once that the road from the apothecary could be a bit dark at night, but said nothing more.
Right before they parted, Dylan reached out and gently tried to hold Sophie’s hand. Startled, Sophie quickly stepped back the moment he touched her.
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry if I startled you. I just meant it as a goodbye…”
Looking genuinely apologetic, Dylan quickly left. He had really just walked her home.
The sudden touch had been awkward—but Sophie couldn’t deny that she liked Dylan quite a bit.
Maybe she found dazzling people like princes and dukes a bit overwhelming. Being with someone ordinary might not be so bad.
Especially someone as dependable as Dylan. Sophie, reassessing her opinion of him, walked back into her home.
