TOYLCG 28 🍒

Chapter — 28

Home really is the best place.

That seemed true no matter one’s age or gender.

The attendants who had traveled with her all looked cheerful the moment they arrived back at the ducal residence.

On top of that, the Duke himself rushed out to greet them as soon as she returned.

“Rosebell!”

“Father!”

When Rosebell appeared in comfortable clothes, the Duke looked quite surprised. He couldn’t imagine Maria allowing something like this.

But seeing Maria’s relaxed expression, he concluded there must be some reason behind it.

“So, did you learn a lot while you were away?”
“Yes. The soil quality there is definitely different. I don’t think we could harvest wheat like that in the duchy. Instead, I bought a lot of seeds!”
“Seeds?”
“Herbs and other things. There might even be seeds you’ve never seen before, Father!”
“Really? I’m curious what you bought.”

The Duke thought his daughter looked like she had gained a little weight, but he didn’t say anything. Everyone had come back looking healthier, after all.

“Aren, shall we talk for a moment?”
“Yes.”

Rosebell wondered what the two of them needed to discuss separately, but she figured it wasn’t something she needed to hear.
If it were important, the Duke would surely tell her too.

The two men entered the study.

“Nothing unusual happened?”
“No major incidents. However, it seems the Viscount of Demetra has taken an interest in the young lady.”
“Interest?”
“He asked whether a woman could become the head of a family.”
“What does that mean?”
“I believe he may wish to marry her. Of course, that is only my guess.”

Duke Efrian couldn’t hide his stunned expression. He had sent his daughter there for business dealings, not to be seen as a potential fiancée.

“And Rosebell?”
“She didn’t notice. She was simply—”
“Simply?”
“She was so focused on buying seeds that she didn’t care what kind of feelings he might have.”

The Duke let out a sigh of relief. Knowing his daughter’s personality, he couldn’t imagine what might have happened if she had noticed those feelings.

Her current goal was to become the next head of the Efrian family. As long as that didn’t change, others’ affection would likely be seen as attempts to take her position.

“She didn’t throw any punches, did she?”
“No. If anything, she just wanted to come back to the ducal residence.”
“Is that so?”

That was the best news he had heard all day, and his face brightened. Missing home was something especially precious to him.

“Did you know that the Demetra territory is under the Goddess’s blessing?”
“The Goddess’s blessing?”
“I heard the young lady talking with a gnome. She said it was land blessed by the Goddess.”
“They don’t specifically call it a goddess, but there are a few lands known as being blessed by a god. Demetra County is one of them.”

The Duke explained that his own territory also held such a title.

Strictly speaking, it was protected by spirits—but that had been back when his wife was alive.

Now, his daughter had inherited her abilities and become a spirit user herself. Fate could be cruelly ironic.

“I see. I don’t fully understand it, but I think I should stay even closer to the young lady from now on.”
“Aren’t you already doing that?”
“I want to… become stronger.”

The Duke was certain something had happened in Demetra. This didn’t feel like a simple master–servant relationship.

Still, he said nothing, because he trusted Aren.

At the very least, Aren’s feelings held no intent to use or harm Rosebell. They were pure, even though he was clearly trying to hide them.

But if one day Aren’s feelings caused trouble for his daughter, the Duke resolved to stop it with everything he had.

Back at the ducal residence, Rosebell was extremely busy.

She had practically taken over the greenhouse, planting herbs with great enthusiasm.

“When the basil grows, I’ll bake pizza… and make salads too…”

“Do you only think about eating?”

Rosebell bristled at Aren’s sudden appearance.

“I’m growing them to eat, obviously! You enjoyed what I cooked too—why are you acting like you didn’t?”

Aren, apparently at a loss for words, abruptly changed the subject.

“Anyway! Let’s go train.”
“Oh, is it already that time?”

Still wearing gloves, Rosebell brushed dirt off her apron. When she pulled off the gloves and removed her hat, her hair spilled down.

“What’s wrong with your hair?”
“Ah, my hair tie snapped earlier.”

Aren thought this was the right moment to take out the hair tie he had been carrying ever since returning from the county.

“Use this, then.”
“What? Why do you have a hair tie?”
“I remembered you liked the ribbon I bought before, so I got one.”

Something about his tone felt strangely familiar.
It reminded her of the old meme phrase ‘I just happened to pick it up on the way’—the kind of excuse awkward men used.

“To think I’d hear that here…” she muttered.

“Where did you get it? You haven’t even gone to the plaza since coming back.”
“I bought it at the plaza in Demetra.”

Rosebell barely remembered what happened at the plaza. She had been too busy looking at new seeds to notice what Daniel and Aren were doing. Maybe they had stepped away for a bit.

That was just a guess, though.

She took the hair tie from Aren, held it in her mouth, and tilted her head back. Gathering her thick hair, she tied it up neatly.

The sunlight pouring into the greenhouse made her squint slightly, but a satisfied smile curved her lips.

“Haa…”

Watching her, Aren let out a deep sigh.

Her pale nape stretched gracefully, her bones clearly outlined, and her gathered hair sparkled even more in the sunlight.

Just looking at her made his heart race so fast he felt like he might die.

Was it a sin to feel this way toward the woman who had given him a stable life?
Even if it was instinct, he knew that what separated beasts from humans was the strength to overcome such instincts.

“Aren?”
“Hm?”
“Are you feeling unwell? What’s wrong?”
“No. Let’s go.”

As she followed behind him, Rosebell noticed his neck was flushed red. She wondered what he had been thinking—but only for a moment.

She had forgotten that he was a teenage boy.

She began to wonder if they had grown too close without realizing it.

When they entered the training grounds, Aren kept more distance than usual. Rosebell said nothing.

She assumed he had his own reason to keep space. From her past life’s basic sex education, she knew that a healthy young man spending time close to a woman could have all sorts of thoughts.

And since most people married young here, such concepts were often dull or undeveloped—though nobles were a different matter.

“Breathe slowly… focus, and try talking to the gnomes.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll go see the Duke for a bit.”
“Why?”
“Well, people meet to talk when they have something to say, right?”
“Aren’t you keeping too many secrets from me lately? I’m starting to feel a little upset.”

Aren chuckled softly.

Too many secrets? That was ridiculous.
The only real secret was that he had increased his training. Magic alone wasn’t enough to protect her.

If someone attacked at close range, a sword was the most effective answer. That was why he had asked the Duke to train him in swordsmanship.

But if Rosebell found out he was doing sword training on top of farm work, she would definitely explode—so he kept it hidden.

The Duke had even warned him that if he collapsed during training, he’d never teach him again.

Both men shared the same goal:

To protect Rosebell.

Unaware of their efforts, she felt annoyed that something was happening without her knowledge. To Aren, even that expression was unbearably cute.

“It’s nothing bad for you. And I’m a man too.”
“Huh?”
“I said, I’m a man. It’s normal to have one or two secrets, right?”

Rosebell blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. Hearing the word “man” from Aren’s mouth felt strangely awkward.

Maybe it was because she had seen his flushed neck earlier.

With no response from her, Aren quickened his steps.

Rosebell was left alone in the training grounds.

—Why are you spacing out like that?
“Aren has changed.”
—He hasn’t changed. Isn’t this only natural? And you know this isn’t the time for that, right?
“I know.”
—You need to read the flow of the wind carefully. Got it?
“Yeah.”

Taking a deep breath in and out, Rosebell slowly spread her arms to feel the wind’s flow.

The breeze slipping between her fingers felt pleasant, and a soft smile formed on her lips.