TOYLCG 21 🍒

Chapter —  21

Daniel was flustered. The young countess had suddenly arrived and asked to see the fields.

It almost felt as if the count had known this would happen and deliberately gone out.

“The fields…?” he asked.

“Yes. The purpose of my visit is to see the fields and then speak with the Count about the wheat bundles and wheat chaff.”

“Ah… yes. But your clothing—”

“These are work clothes. If you need them, I can share. I brought plenty, planning to give them as gifts.”

Daniel froze at her casual offer to give him floral-patterned pants.

He had always thought noble ladies were proud, distant, and full of self-importance.

But Rosebel seemed to be proving that idea completely wrong.

“A gift… those floral pants?”

“Aren’t your work clothes uncomfortable? People at the ducal estate wear these when they work. Everyone’s very satisfied. You should try them.”

Daniel couldn’t quite refuse, but he also couldn’t agree. A man wearing clothes like that felt absurd.

But when he noticed a man behind her wearing a bonnet as well, he briefly wondered if he was the strange one.

“And the person behind you is…?”

“It’s a set with the hat! You shouldn’t let your face burn in the sun.”

She was confident.

That was the word that came to Daniel’s mind as he looked at Rosebel. He admired it, yet it also made him uncomfortable—because he didn’t have that confidence himself.

He knew she had also grown up with only her father after losing her mother. And yet, she was completely different from him.

“I’ve never worn clothes like these before. And…”

“I’m not forcing you. I just brought them in case you wanted to try. It’s my way of showing sincerity, so if you accept them, I’ll feel less awkward.”

Seeing how firmly he kept his distance, Rosebel felt embarrassed. Of course, not everyone had to accept her ideas.

Still, she had learned that nobles should at least show courtesy by accepting a gift, even if they didn’t like it.

His resistance wasn’t just about something new. It felt like he was desperately trying to keep anything unfamiliar out of his world.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“If it’s uncomfortable, then Aren and I can go see the fields ourselves. Just tell us where they are. How about that?”

When Rosebel stepped back, Daniel’s face flushed. He realized he had been rude to a lady.

On top of that, this was an official visit related to business with his family.

“No, that’s not it. I’ll come out wearing the pants you gave me. The fields… there’s nothing special about them.”

“I’m a farmer too, you know. That can’t be true.”

“Ah…”

Daniel paused at Rosebel’s bright smile. Confident and cheerful—she felt like the sun he looked up at every day.

Someone without shadows. That was something he truly envied.

Or perhaps thinking that way was unfair, judging her too quickly.

Even so, he couldn’t erase the feeling of envy.

When the three of them entered the fields wearing eye-catching floral pants, all the workers turned to stare.

The pants alone were striking, but what shocked them more was the large ribbons holding the bonnets in place on the two men.

“It’s cool, isn’t it?” Rosebel asked.

“…Pardon?”

“The pants and the hat. I had them newly made.”

“Ah…”

Daniel was surprised at how comfortable the pants were—and then surprised again by how well the fabric let air through.

He had thought the hat would be hot since it covered down to the neck, but instead it blocked the harsh sunlight and felt unexpectedly cool.

“Does everyone at the ducal estate dress like this when they work?”

“Yes. And work efficiency has improved a lot.”

Daniel found Rosebel impressive as she chatted cheerfully. Talking so easily with someone she had just met was a huge challenge for him.

In a way, this could be an opportunity. While she stayed here, he wanted to try fixing his lifelong shyness.

“In that case… could I learn more about it?”

“Of course.”

“While talking with you, I noticed… you don’t seem hesitant at all.”

“I’m not attacking anyone, and it’s something good for both of us. Why would I hesitate?”

Rosebel’s innocent question left Daniel speechless. Something good for both of us.
He had lived believing that as long as he did well, that was enough. Her words made him rethink many things.

“…Good for both of us…”

Rosebel grew nervous, wondering if she had said something wrong, and glanced at Aren.

Since arriving, Aren hadn’t spoken much to her. He seemed quite tense as well.

Being stuck between two extremely shy people was exhausting. But letting this awkward atmosphere continue was impossible for her personality.

“Viscount Daniel?”

“Ah, yes. Something good for both of us. That sounds wonderful. I’ll cooperate as much as I can.”

“Ah… yes.”

Daniel smiled.

Rosebel was startled. It was the first emotional expression she had seen from him since arriving. When he smiled, his whole impression changed.

There was a saying about smiling like sunshine.

He was exactly that kind of person.

Of course, Aren was handsome when he smiled too—but his smile felt like the warmth of a snowy day. Daniel’s was bright, like sunlight.

“You look good when you smile. You should do it more often.”

“…Pardon? Ah… yes.”

Daniel’s face turned as red as a ripe tomato.

“Ah… tomatoes with sugar are really good, though…”

A wandering train of thought created an unexpected situation. Complimenting someone’s face and suddenly talking about sweet tomatoes—she couldn’t believe herself.

“Countess… please…”

“Ah! I’m sorry! We planted tomatoes in the ducal estate’s fields. They’ll ripen soon, so I was thinking about that…”

Rosebel lowered her head deeply, mortified. Her face felt hot. She felt foolish for thinking of tomatoes while looking at Daniel.

After all, her own face probably looked like a ripe tomato right now.

“Your face right now… looks like a tomato,” Daniel said.

“…What?”

Hearing a joke from someone who looked incapable of joking caught her completely off guard. Rosebel scratched her cheek and looked away.

“……”

Aren’s expression was a sight to behold. His eyes clearly screamed, Are you insane?

But Rosebel didn’t back down.

“Viscount, would you like to visit our estate next time? When the tomatoes are fully ripe, I’ll make what I told you about! It’s delicious.”

As Rosebel smiled brightly, Daniel burst out laughing without realizing it.

“Pfft—hahaha!”

“Viscount?”

“Yes. I’ll go. If you invite me, I should accept. And please, call me Daniel.”

“Ahaha…”

Rosebel felt oddly empty. Watching him tear down his emotional wall while she was embarrassing herself made her think—

Maybe if she’d said a few more embarrassing things earlier, they could have become close much sooner.

Of course, Aren’s stare beside her felt sharp enough to stab like a dagger.

There was still a long time before the wheat would ripen. But just looking at the vast plain tinged with green made her chest feel open and refreshed.

“I feel so refreshed inside!”

“Do you know how happy it is to watch life sprout as seedlings grow where there was once nothing?” Daniel said.

“I do. I only have a small garden, but I planted many things there. Just watching them grow made my heart race.”

Daniel thought of the noble sons who had always distanced themselves whenever he talked like this.

They never understood why a lord would touch soil. They were used to enjoying comfort and ordering others around.

That wasn’t necessarily wrong. But he wished they understood that nothing reached their mouths without someone’s labor.

“I wanted to befriend someone who knows that someone else’s sweat supports our dining table.”

“There aren’t many people like that. To most, only sweating through swordsmanship or horseback riding counts.”

Daniel’s eyes widened at Rosebel’s words. He was shocked to find someone who thought the same way he did.

“You planted potatoes, I hear.”

“Yes! I even mixed in sand!”

Potatoes grow best in well-drained soil. They can grow in plain dirt, but in soil that only holds water, they rot easily and struggle to sprout.

“You seem very knowledgeable about farming.”

“You do know how my father earned his title, don’t you?”

At her words, Daniel finally nodded in understanding.

“If you don’t mind, would you like to go inside?”

“Inside where?”

“The barley field.”

“Oh, isn’t this wheat?”

“Yes. We plant barley together with it.”

Seeing barley here was unexpected. As she followed him, Rosebel imagined lightly roasting barley grains once they formed, smiling at the thought.