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Chapter 7
In front of the Valenga estate gates, the Hauzer family’s carriage was standing still. As Fleur approached, she saw servants unloading the mountain of luggage Aidan had brought.
“Aidan.”
At her call, he lazily turned his head and flashed her a smile. Even in moments like this, his face was annoyingly beautiful. It was just his behavior that ruined it.
“Fleury.”
He came closer with an affectionate air, as if he had never once said he wanted to break off the engagement. But when he noticed Dylan trailing faithfully behind her, his face stiffened.
“You just barge in now without even notice?”
“We’re engaged.”
“I clearly told you I’d be breaking the engagement and not to come here for the time being.”
She deliberately emphasized the word “break off” so the servants unloading the baggage froze, glancing nervously at the two.
“What are you doing? Get these inside.”
Aidan, unfazed, jerked his chin toward the house.
“Stop. This is the Valenga estate. Nothing enters here without Lady Fleur’s permission.”
Dylan stepped forward to block them.
“Didn’t you hear me say to move it?”
Aidan urged his coachman and servants to continue. The poor servants looked helpless, their eyes quietly turning to Fleur to decide for them.
Since it wasn’t their fault, she sighed and looked over the luggage.
“What is all this?”
“Things for you.”
“I asked what, specifically, for me?”
“For our wedding. I bought everything in advance, so you could hold the ceremony right away without preparing a thing.”
“…What?”
How many times had she said she wanted to break off the engagement, yet he ignored her to this extent? She was too dumbfounded to even speak properly.
“I don’t need any of it. Take it back.”
“At least open it and decide after seeing.”
“I don’t want anything that comes from you.”
“Then think of it as from the Hauzer family, not me.”
It was like talking to a wall—he simply would not listen. Fleur suppressed her anger and raked a hand through her hair.
“Aidan Hauzer. Come with me, now.”
“When you said ‘come with me,’ I thought you meant to your bedroom…”
“Why would I ever take you there?”
“Didn’t you once ask me to go there and kiss you properly?”
“That was a lie to trick you.”
“Tricking your fiancé—don’t you think that’s too much?”
“The one going too far is you. You never listen to a single thing I say.”
“So now you won’t even let me inside the mansion, just leaving me to linger outside?”
The place she had brought Aidan was the wide farmland Fleur inspected every day.
“By the way, which family’s land are you renting to use this?”
“Not rented. It’s Valenga land.”
“Since when?”
“For quite some time.”
“Don’t lie. At your parents’ funeral, you didn’t own this land yet.”
Since for Aidan the funeral had only been “recent,” he couldn’t believe this flourishing farmland belonged to Fleur.
“I told you before—don’t delude yourself into thinking you know everything about Valenga.”
At that firm line, Aidan bit his lower lip.
“It makes no sense. In that short time you bought land and grew all this?”
“That just shows how exceptional my ability is.”
“So making money off this land is the reason you want to break off the engagement?”
“Exactly. Finally, we’re making some sense.”
Fleur naturally stepped into the field. Her dress might get stained with dirt or fertilizer at any moment, but she didn’t care as she strode ahead.
Aidan, meanwhile, followed reluctantly, swatting at bugs with a sour face.
“You seem awfully familiar with this place?”
“Of course. I come here morning and evening.”
“You personally?”
“Of course. It’s my land.”
To prove she wasn’t lying, she moved with confidence through the field, which had no signs or markers.
“This side’s vegetables, over there are tubers, and up ahead is full of asparagus. You know Aspar-tech?”
“Aspar… what?”
“Asparagus keeps growing if you just cut the stalk and leave the root. You can harvest multiple times from one plant, so it’s economical. That’s why it’s called Aspar-tech.”
Explaining proudly, Fleur looked as if she were bragging about her own children. Aidan glanced around the field again, taking her in.
“Why do you bother working here yourself? You could leave it to servants. Ah, is it to check if they’re doing it properly?”
“Everyone works as if it’s their own. Very diligently.”
“Then why do you personally come here?”
Fleur spun around, her cherry-red eyes locking with his.
“Because I like it.”
“…What?”
“I like this field.”
“……”
“Plowing, planting, growing—it’s sacred work. Unless you try it, you can’t understand. I don’t want to miss the moment when a seed smaller than my fingernail grows taller than me and bears fruit.”
It had been the same when she worked at a smart farm. With no family, in a countryside where no one visited her, she had nowhere to go.
While other employees spent weekends with friends, lovers, or family, she was always alone in the dormitory.
The crops growing day by day were the only thing that gave her strength in that deep loneliness.
When the seeds sprouted under controlled lights, temperature, and humidity, it felt as though they greeted her with a little “hello.”
Back then, crops were her only friends. But in this world, she could both farm and receive care from servants—better than she could ever have hoped.
Fleur plucked two fresh cherry tomatoes and tossed them to Aidan. He fumbled, startled by the sudden throw, but managed to catch them.
“Taste it. Fresh-picked is different from what the maids buy at the market.”
While Aidan stared dumbly at the tomato, she wiped one on her dress and popped it into her mouth. He hesitated, then carefully imitated her.
A fragrant green freshness and earthy sweetness spread across his tongue. When he bit down, the sweet flesh and refreshing juice burst out.
His eyes widened quietly—it was the first time he had tasted something so fresh. His expression resembled a cat discovering a new toy.
“Good, isn’t it?”
“…Yeah.”
“Of course. Who do you think grew it?”
She beamed with genuine pride, the first true smile since the funeral. He stared, entranced.
And then—
[Congratulations. Without a quest, Aidan’s affection has increased.]
Why did his affection rise when she had done nothing? She wanted to break up, so why was it pointlessly increasing?!
[Current affection: 22% → 25%]
It had risen by 3%! What on earth—was there something special in the cherry tomatoes? She stared blankly at the fruit in her hand.
[As a special bonus, you have received a surprise gift.]
Another window appeared. Ever since losing Rike, she had lost all faith in the system, so she wasn’t hopeful.
[Surprise Gift: A Shower.]
“Huh? What kind of gift is—ahh!”
The moment Fleur muttered, fat raindrops began pelting down from above. Both she and Aidan looked up in surprise.
The once clear sky had suddenly darkened with black storm clouds. Within moments, heavy rain poured down.
“Fleury, over here.”
Aidan rushed over, covering her head with one hand and wrapping his other arm around her shoulders.
“Let’s shelter until it passes.”
“Wh-where?”
“There.”
He gestured with his chin toward a structure built for the servants to rest in while working—a canopy roof, with a platform and railing underneath where they could sit or lie down. A mixture of East and West in style, but practical.
Since avoiding the rain was priority, she let herself be led, sheltered beneath his arm, matching her steps to his.
Their bodies pressed close, though the downpour was too heavy to notice.
They reached the shelter quickly, but in that short time their hair and clothes were soaked.
“Whew, didn’t expect a sudden downpour. Are you okay, Fleury?”
Shaking the water from his hair, Aidan checked on her first.
“Y-yeah, thanks to you I’m…”
His large but gentle hand had shielded her head. Fleur, about to meet his eyes, quickly spun around instead.
Seeing him wet like this was like stumbling upon a fairy just out of the bath.
Her heart thundered, and she clutched her chest, muttering to herself.
Get a grip… If you fall for that holy-looking face, you’ll end up living the life of a heroine!
