187 – Request for Support (7)
Days passed.
As the weather gradually warmed up, we began this year’s farming.
Despite the village being afflicted by the plague, there were tasks that couldn’t be postponed.
-Clack! Clack!-
Members of the Crimson Flame Squad, the villagers – everyone was out in the fields, continuing the work.
Apart from those incapacitated by illness, those nursing them, and others engaged in tasks like laundry or cooking, everyone was involved in this task.
We lived our lives wearing masks and even slept with them on.
At times, I questioned if there was any sense in doing this, particularly for myself.
Sien would obediently fall asleep with her hood on, but my hood would always be removed by the morning.
However, this was a rule spread across our entire domain, and there was no choice but to continue.
The number of infected individuals was nearing 200.
There was no immediate way to halt this momentum.
Yet, abandoning the infected was also not an option, and a clear path was not visible.
This was a time to endure and persevere.
The manpower that arrived from Blackwood tirelessly continued to support us.
Ner seemed to be gradually settling in the village, engaging in conversations with familiar villagers.
Their help was proving to be immensely beneficial.
Burns, somewhat better compared to before, greeted me every morning.
Seeing him like this did provide some relief.
However, it wasn’t without its challenges.
The spreading epidemic and the fallen villagers meant manpower was increasingly scarce.
This was a problem that had emerged even before the outbreak of the plague.
Bandits were sprouting up like weeds, and the initiated agricultural work was progressing slowly.
“…Ah.”
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I put down my hoe, gazing at the expansive land that had been cleared over one and a half years.
The thawing soil meant we were overturning the ground once more.
During this process, we removed unnoticed tree roots and stones.
Even this basic task seemed to have no end in sight.
Baran approached and spoke,
“…I’m not sure if we can keep up with the schedule.”
“…”
“I’ve heard that seeds need to be sown when the morning air is crisp… but at this rate…”
“We’ll be late.”
Gale joined in, wiping off his sweat,
“With more than 200 of our workforce missing, it’s a bit too much to hope for normal progress.”
“…”
“While the epidemic continues to spread, work is bound to get slower. It’s difficult to meet the deadline. There’s also no guarantee that this year’s crop will be successful…”
Although his concerns weren’t unfounded, they only served to deflate our spirits at the moment.
-Crack!-
‘Ah! Seriously…’
In the distance, a plow pulled by a horse broke again.
“…It broke again.”
Baran let out a sigh of frustration.
Even manufacturing agricultural tools was proving to be a significant headache.
Especially the plows, which, although they appeared simple, were rendered useless if the angles weren’t accurate, a common occurrence.
We made this plow based on information obtained from the neighboring nobles, but the result was the same.
I suspected the rough and hard ground of Stockfin was to blame.
We were all novices when it came to farming.
A transformation within a year was unlikely.
Gale, witnessing this, clicked his tongue and put down his tool,
“…Good grief…”
And then he stretched his back,
“Let’s take a break. Need to clear our heads and also deal with some paperwork.”
“…”
Seeing the people disheartened by the broken tool, I too nodded in agreement.
“…Let’s do that.”
****
Ner, after tending to the patients, was preparing a meal for Berg.
“Miss Ner…you really don’t have to do this…”
The women who knew Ner tried to stop her, but Ner didn’t halt.
“No, it’s okay. I want to do this.”
If it wasn’t for this, Ner had no other way to approach Berg.
She too had struggled and pondered before choosing this path.
Sien wasn’t particularly skilled at cooking, as Ner had learned from a previous experience.
She didn’t season well and didn’t seem to use the fire effectively.
Identifying this weakness, Ner hatched a plan.
She was diligently kneading the dough, trying to make the honey pies she so loved.
A food she always ate when times were hard.
She had made this honey pie when she wanted to get closer to her brothers in the past.
This time, she had a similar plan.
Ner sneaked a glance at Sien, who was cooking in the distance.
Sien might not have known, but Ner was burning with a sort of competitive spirit.
It was a silly competitiveness.
Burning with competitiveness towards Sien, who already had Berg as a husband.
Was it not a fight already lost, no matter what she did?
…Yet Ner continued the fight.
She wanted to receive a bigger compliment than Sien, just once.
“…Ah, it’s burnt…”
Sien said from afar.
Ner, seeing Sien in that state, felt relieved.
She seemed to have already won in terms of the food.
Ner wasn’t the one who burnt the food.
She had confidence in the honey pie, something she had been making since she was a child.
****
In the short break before the meal, I had come to the office to deal with paperwork with Gail.
We quickly immersed ourselves in work.
“How’s Bunz doing?” Gail asked.
He had been paying close attention to Bunz’s situation.
I responded while working on the documents, “He’s improving.”
“That’s a relief.”
“…It was a good decision to call for Blackwood.”
I recalled Ner’s face for a moment, then nodded to Gail’s words.
“…I suppose so.”
“………….”
Gail then chose a prolonged silence.
His gaze kept turning towards me during the silence.
Sensing his strange mood, I asked slowly, “Is there a problem?”
Gail shrugged his shoulders.
“There are many problems. How to do the farming, how to manage the thieves, what to do about the plague…”
I shook my head.
“Those are problems without answers as of now. We just have to do our best in the given circumstances.”
“…”
Gail hesitated to respond.
He opened his mouth and then closed it again repeatedly.
“…Do you have something to say?”
I urged Gail, and as if his hesitation dissolved, he disclosed with a short sigh, “…I wouldn’t have suggested it normally.”
“…?”
“…But today, a letter arrived.”
He pulled out a letter from the drawer and lightly placed it down.
– Thud.
I was surprised by the sudden display of the family crest.
It was a crest I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Celebrien.
“…”
I hadn’t expected this crest since Arwin had been quiet after the divorce, unlike Blackwood.
Gail spoke,
“…It seems they too are aware that we found the support of Blackwood.”
“…..”
“…So, they are stepping forward to repay the debt. You’ll understand if you read this letter.”
I said to Gail, “We have enough with Blackwood’s support for the issue of the plague.”
“That’s not what I mean. They’ve offered exactly what we need in our current situation… You’ll understand if you read it.”
“…”
I stared at Gail and then slowly extended my hand to open Celebrien’s letter.
The first thing I noticed… was the handwriting.
It was Arwin’s handwriting, which I could recognize instantly since she was the one who taught me how to read and write.
“They knew the village is struggling due to the plague. They are bringing knowledge and resources to help with the farming.”
“…”
“…Berg, I think it’s good to accept it.”
As Gail had said, how Celebrien could infer was beyond understanding; her proposal to alleviate the difficulties we were experiencing was included countless times.
There were many offers especially regarding the agricultural knowledge we lacked.
Considering the lifespan of elves, they were the ones possessing wisdom beyond anyone else.
Yet, I couldn’t say a word.
The awkwardness I felt during Blackwood was holding me back.
“…”
Gail spoke to my hesitating self.
“Didn’t you think it was a blessing to receive Blackwood’s help? There’s nothing wrong with accepting Celebrien’s power when our territory is shaking as it is.”
“…Gail…I am…”
“I understand. But Berg. We are in a situation where we can’t even make a single plow properly. The problem is more serious than you think. When can we overturn the land and plant the seeds with this pace?”
“…”
“That’s why I’m speaking. I also know that you are burdened again. But isn’t it the only path we can walk? Are you confident we can get through this without help?”
“…”
“We don’t have the luxury to refuse the helping hand that someone is offering us right now.”
I knew his words were all right.
But it was already complicated enough with Ner living in the territory.
If Arwin comes too, I couldn’t predict what would happen.
My head was already rotten enough.
While holding the letter and connecting my thoughts, Gail spoke to me.
“Berg. Did you read the last sentence?”
“…?”
I checked the last sentence of the letter following Gail’s words.
‘P.S. To Lord Berg Ryker. I have forgotten you. I no longer harbor any feelings towards you. I am just offering help thinking of the old affection, so don’t feel burdened. -Arwin Celebrien-’
“………..”
Arwin’s rigid confession was included.
It was clearly written that she had forgotten me.
…Perhaps a long-living species quickly forgets a short-living one.
In her long life, the period we spent together didn’t even reach a year.
Maybe she could easily let go of her attachment to me.
Apart from the strange emotion I felt in my heart due to that fact, the burden lightened a bit more with the postscript Arwin wrote.
The pressure I felt unnecessarily loosened a lot.
Yet, I couldn’t make a quick decision.
There were still many things to consider.
Gail seemed to decide to give me time in this situation.
“…Think a bit more and decide.”
“…”
“But if I may say one thing, it’s better to make a decision quickly.”
I sighed at Gail’s words and nodded my head.
***
All the cooking was completed, and Ner returned home.
Inside, Berg was already waiting for them.
“The food is here, Bel.”
Sien approached him with a bright smile.
Ner was too envious of that meaningless action.
She was jealous that Sien could approach him without hesitation.
She always had to think of endless excuses to approach Berg.
Berg approached Sien and took her food.
His stern eyes turned into half-moons.
“…Was there no trouble?”
Then he asked, staring at only Sien.
“Yes.”
Sien answered in a delighted tone as well.
Living with them, Ner realized, they still seemed not used to each other.
They still cherished the excitement towards each other.
The tingling atmosphere constantly circulated in the air.
…And that atmosphere always suffocated Ner.
Ner forcibly took her eyes off them.
It was too painful to keep watching them.
“…You worked hard.”
But then, someone spoke to her in a calm voice.
-Startled!
Ner’s head quickly turned at that voice.
“…”
Berg was briefly looking at her.
It seemed as if he was confirming she hadn’t misheard.
Ner stuttered in her reply.
“Ah…that…yes. Th-thank…no, you too, Berg.”
“…”
Ner felt an unbelievable elation from that casual exchange.
Chills ran down her spine.
She wanted to rush to Berg and embrace him right then.
But Berg silently took his seat, and after briefly wetting her lips, so did Ner.
Berg spoke to Laan as well.
“Good job.”
Laan bowed his head, answering succinctly.
“Not at all.”
After that brief exchange, the spoons were set.
Keeping the joy she just felt tightly in her heart, Ner explained her dish.
“…Be…Berg. This is honey pie. It’s well-baked. Try it.”
“…”
He already knew he liked honey pie.
In the distant past, Berg had brought her this dish.
It must’ve been when she was continuing the house renovations.
The food Berg had brought when she struggled upon reaching Stackfin.
So, it could be considered food with a certain significance known only to them.
Sure enough, Berg’s eyes shifted to meet Ner’s.
“…”
“…”
Ner didn’t avoid his gaze.
Soon, Berg was the first to blink and looked away.
Then Sien described her dish from beside him.
“…I…I kind of overcooked it today, Bel.”
“It’s usual, isn’t it?”
“If it tastes weird… you don’t have to eat it.”
At that, Berg chuckled and playfully pinched Sien’s nose.
Watching them head-on, Ner felt a surge of sticky emotions.
‘…Should I…today…’
She secretly imagines stealing a kiss.
Whenever she was exposed to such negative situations, her thoughts became more extreme.
Only when their lips met did they feel as if they were in love.
It felt like Berg was hers again and she belonged to Berg.
“Let’s eat.”
At Berg’s cue, everyone picked up their spoons.
Ner decided to taste Sien’s dish first.
She scooped up something similar to stew onto her plate.
Her sensitive sense of smell reacted intensely.
Ner put Sien’s food in her mouth… and immediately knew.
She clearly had the upper hand.
Regardless of who judged, her honey pie was far superior in quality.
It seemed Sien recognized this too.
With a slightly disappointed expression, she alternately looked at Ner’s food and her own.
Ner continued eating as if she hadn’t noticed Sien’s look.
At the same time, she waited for Berg to try her honey pie.
“It’s delicious.”
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But Berg only reached for Sien’s dish.
Despite the burnt ingredients in the stew, he seemed not to mind.
Initially joking about the lack of taste in Sien’s dish, he put that aside and continued to sincerely praise Sien.
Berg didn’t touch the honey pie that held memories of him and Ner.
Whether it was intentional or just natural was unclear.
‘…It turned out…well…’
Ner thought to herself.
Seeing Berg not eating her homemade pie, Ner’s heart continued to ache.
Emotions kept shuttling between heaven and earth.
Happy one moment, sad the next.
Ner was trying to hold onto her emotions, eating bits of her honey pie.
“Lord Ryker, please try this as well. It’s good,” Laan pointed at the pie and spoke to Berg.
Berg hesitated for a moment at Laan’s words.
“…”
Then he nodded.
“Yes, I will.”
Berg then cut a piece of the honey pie without hesitation and placed it on his plate.
He began eating it, bite by bite.
“…”
Ner waited for a while for Berg to give his impression, but he just filled his stomach and nothing more.
Then he looked at Sien and smiled.
“…How is it?”
Unable to wait any longer, Ner asked.
“It’s delicious.”
“Re…really?”
“Yes, it’s good.”
“…”
Even after receiving the compliment, Ner couldn’t feel the happiness she expected.
…It was a bit different from the praise he gave to Sien.
Maybe his rigid tone was the reason.
It seemed like he avoided giving more compliments than necessary since she wasn’t his wife.
A compliment stripped of emotion.
‘…Ah.’
Only now could Ner realize.
No matter what she did, in Berg’s eyes, Sien would always appear more lovable.
“…”
…If she were still his wife, could she have heard the praise Sien was receiving?
Would he have said it was delicious even if the food wasn’t, and eaten it eagerly like this?
Berg finished the pie and started eating Sien’s food again.
He smiled warmly at Sien.
“Make this again next time.”
At those words, Sien, earlier shy, now laughed heartily.
Watching their affection, Ner eventually bowed her head.
Even her tail drooped down.
She continued the rest of the meal powerlessly.
And as these negative emotions accumulated… the damp thoughts within her also grew in size.
Let me guess arwin and ner team up to kill sien?