Chapter 187: Request for Support (7)

And so, a few days passed.

As the weather gradually warmed, we began this year’s farming.

No matter how rampant the plague was in the village, this was something that couldn’t be postponed.

Kwak! Kwak!

Members of the Red Flames group, villagers, everyone without exception, headed out to the fields and continued working.

Except for the sick, who were too weak to move, and those caring for them, or handling laundry and cooking, everyone was devoted to this task.

We always lived with our faces covered, even sleeping with our masks on.

Sometimes, I wondered if there was any meaning to these actions.

Especially for me, this was more true.

Sien would at least sleep soundly with her hood on, but mine was always off by the time morning came.

But whatever the case, this was a rule that had spread throughout the entire estate, so we had no choice but to continue.

The number of infected kept increasing, approaching 200.

No matter what we did, we couldn’t stop this momentum right away.

But we couldn’t abandon those who were infected either… there seemed to be no other way.

Now was a time we had to endure and persevere.

The personnel from Blackwood arrived and helped us without a word of complaint.

Ner seemed to be gradually settling into the village, chatting with the familiar residents.

Their help was a tremendous support.

Burns, too, greeted me every morning, showing a slight improvement compared to before.

Seeing him like that put my mind a bit more at ease.

It wasn’t without difficulties.

With the plague spreading, more residents collapsing… manpower was becoming increasingly scarce.

This was an issue that had been surfacing even before the plague spread.

Bandits still sprouted up like weeds, and the farming work was dragging on slowly.

“…Ha.”

I put down my hoe and looked over the vast land we had cultivated over a year and a half.

Now that the frozen ground had thawed, we were tilling it once more.

We filtered out the roots and stones we hadn’t been able to remove during the initial clearing.

Even with this basic task, there was no telling when it would be done.

Baran approached and spoke.

“…I’m not sure if we’ll be able to finish in time.”

“…”

“I’ve heard that seeds need to be planted when the morning wind is still chilly… but at this rate…”

“It’s going to be late.”

Gale, who had approached, wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke up.

“We’ve lost over 200 people… expecting everything to run smoothly is just wishful thinking.”

“…”

Even as I continued to ponder, he added to the concerns.

“And with the plague still spreading, the work will only slow down more. It’s going to be hard to meet the deadline. There’s no guarantee this year’s harvest will succeed…”

Though I couldn’t disagree with his concerns, his words only drained the energy from me.

Crack!

“Hey! Damn it…”

In the distance, the plow being pulled by the ox broke again.

“…It’s broken again,” Baran sighed as he watched.

Right now, just making farming tools was giving us plenty of headaches.

Especially the plow—it looked simple, but if the angle was even slightly off, it was practically useless.

Even with the plow designs we got from nearby nobles, it was no different.

It was probably because the soil in Stockpin was rougher and harder than elsewhere.

The entire village was still inexperienced when it came to farming.

A year wasn’t enough time to change that.

Gale clicked his tongue at the sight and put down the broken tool.

“…Ugh, let’s take a break.”

He stretched his back as he spoke.

“Let’s take some time to rest. Clear our heads and sort through the paperwork.”

“…Alright.”

Seeing the others losing their spirits with the broken tools, I nodded in agreement.

“…Let’s do that.”

****

After tending to the patients, Ner continued cooking for Berg.

“Ner… you really don’t have to do this…”

The women who were close to her tried to stop her, but Ner didn’t stop.

“No, it’s fine. I want to do it.”

For Ner, there was no other way to get closer to Berg.

This was the path she had chosen after much agonizing.

She had already learned from the last experience that Sien wasn’t particularly talented in cooking.

She couldn’t get the seasoning right, and she didn’t seem to handle the heat well either.

Ner had decided to exploit that weakness.

She was kneading the dough, trying to make honey pie—a dish she loved so much.

It was the food she always ate during tough times.

In the past, when she wanted to get closer to her siblings, she made this honey pie and offered it to them.

This time, she had a similar plan.

Ner glanced sideways at Sien, who was cooking from a distance.

Sien might not know it, but Ner was quietly fueling her own sense of competition.

It was a silly competition, even by her own standards.

Competing with Sien, who was already married to Berg.

Wasn’t it a battle she had already lost?

…Even so, Ner continued the fight.

She wanted, just once, to receive more praise than Sien.

“…Ah, it’s burned…”

From a distance, Sien spoke up.

Ner, watching Sien, felt a sense of relief.

It seemed the food was already a victory.

Ner wasn’t one to lose to burnt food.

She had been making honey pies since she was a child, and above all else, she had confidence in this dish.

****

In the brief lull before dinner, I entered the office with Gale to handle some paperwork.

We quickly set to work.

“How’s Burns doing?” Gale asked after a while.

Gale had been keeping a close eye on Burns’ condition.

Having fought alongside in the war, Gale seemed to have developed a certain fondness for Burns.

I responded to Gale’s casual question while we worked on the documents.

“He’s improving.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“…”

“Calling in Blackwood was the right choice, wasn’t it?”

I nodded in agreement, briefly recalling Ner’s presence.

“…It seems so.”

“…”

Gale chose to remain silent for a long moment afterward.

Yet, his gaze kept drifting toward me.

Noticing his odd demeanor, I slowly asked him, “Is there a problem?”

Gale shrugged.

“There are plenty of problems. How we’re going to handle the farming, what to do about the bandits, how to deal with the plague…”

I shook my head.

“Those are problems without easy answers. We just have to do our best with the situation we’ve been given.”

“…”

Gale hesitated to respond.

He opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again.

For someone who usually spoke his mind so freely, this hesitation felt strange.

“Is there something you want to say?” I prompted him.

Gale seemed to deflate, letting out a short sigh before he finally spoke.

“I wouldn’t have suggested it under normal circumstances.”

“…?”

“But today, a letter arrived.”

He retrieved the letter from a drawer and placed it lightly on the table.

Thud.

I couldn’t help but be surprised by the familiar family crest on the seal.

It had been a long time since I’d seen that emblem.

Celebrian.

“…”

Since the divorce, Arwin had been quiet, unlike Blackwood, so this emblem was unexpected.

Gale spoke again.

“…It seems they’ve learned that we sought assistance from Blackwood.”

“…”

“And now… they’re offering to repay their debt. You’ll understand once you read the letter.”

I responded to Gale as he handed the letter to me.

“If it’s about the plague, Blackwood’s aid has already been sufficient.”

“That’s not the kind of help they’re offering. Somehow, they know exactly what we need… and their proposals are all spot-on.”

“…”

I looked at Gale for a moment before slowly reaching out to open Celebrian’s letter.

The first thing I noticed… was the handwriting.

A letter written in Arwin’s handwriting.

She was the one who taught me how to read, so I recognized it immediately.

“She already knew that the plague had made things difficult for the village. She’s offering knowledge and resources to help with the farming.”

“…”

“Berg, I think we should accept it.”

As Gale said, Celebrian’s proposals were numerous, all aimed at alleviating the difficulties we were facing. How she had inferred our struggles was a mystery, but her suggestions addressed our most pressing needs, particularly in areas where our agricultural knowledge was lacking.

Given the long lives of elves, they undoubtedly possessed wisdom far beyond ours.

And yet, I couldn’t say anything.

The discomfort I felt with Blackwood’s aid was holding me back again.

“…”

Sensing my hesitation, Gale spoke up.

“You were relieved when Blackwood’s help arrived, weren’t you? The estate is unstable as it is; accepting Celebrian’s help wouldn’t hurt.”

“…Gale… I…”

“I understand. But Berg, we’re struggling to even make a simple plow. The situation is more serious than you might realize. How are we supposed to till the land and plant the seeds at this rate?”

“…”

“I’m only suggesting this because there’s no better option. I know you’re burdened by this, but isn’t this the path we have to take? Can you confidently say we can overcome this without help?”

“…”

“We don’t have the luxury of refusing a helping hand right now.”

I knew everything he said was true.

But with Ner living on the estate, my mind was already tangled. I couldn’t predict what would happen if Arwin came too.

My thoughts were already a mess.

Gale interrupted my contemplation, still holding the letter.

“Berg, did you read the last sentence?”

“…?”

Following Gale’s prompt, I looked at the final line of the letter.

‘P.S. To Lord Berg Reiker. I have forgotten you. I no longer hold any feelings for you. I offer this help out of old affection, so please do not feel burdened. - Arwin Celebrian -’

“…”

Arwin’s blunt confession was laid bare.

The words stating she had forgotten me were clear and unambiguous.

…As expected of a long-lived species, perhaps the short-lived are easily forgotten.

When I think about it, the time we spent together was less than a year, a mere blink in her long life.

Maybe she had let go of any lingering feelings for me easily.

Strangely, despite the odd sensation in my chest, her words in the postscript lightened the burden somewhat.

The pressure I had felt was now much less.

But even so, I couldn’t make a quick decision.

There was still much to consider.

Seeing my hesitation, Gale seemed to decide to give me some time.

“…Think it over and decide.”

“…”

“But let me say this: the sooner you make a decision, the better.”

With that, I let out a sigh and nodded in agreement.

***

All the dishes were finally ready, and Ner returned home.

Inside, Berg was already waiting for them.

“Food’s here, Bell,” Sien said with a bright smile as she approached him.

Ner envied even that seemingly insignificant gesture.

She was jealous of how easily Sien could approach him.

For Ner, getting close to Berg required an endless array of excuses and justifications.

Berg took the dishes from Sien, his normally stoic eyes softening into a crescent-shaped smile.

“…Nothing out of the ordinary?” he asked, his gaze fixed solely on Sien.

“Yep,” Sien replied cheerfully.

Living with them, Ner had noticed that they still seemed unfamiliar with each other.

They still cherished the excitement of being together.

A warm, almost ticklish atmosphere always hung in the air between them.

…And that atmosphere always made it hard for Ner to breathe.

Ner forced herself to look away from them.

Watching them for too long was too painful.

“…You worked hard.”

But at that moment, someone spoke to her in a calm voice.

Snap!

Ner’s head turned quickly at the sound.

“…”

Berg was looking at her, just briefly.

It was as if he wanted to make sure she knew she hadn’t misheard.

Ner stammered as she replied.

“Oh… um… thanks. No, I mean, you too, Berg.”

“…”

Ner felt an overwhelming sense of joy from those simple words.

Goosebumps ran down her spine.

She wanted to run over and embrace him right then.

But Berg silently took his seat, and Ner, after opening and closing her mouth a few times, finally sat down as well.

Berg then addressed Lan too.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Lan shook her head and replied succinctly.

“No problem.”

With those light greetings out of the way, they began to eat.

Ner, holding on to the joy she’d just felt, explained her dish.

“…B-Berg. This is honey pie. I baked it well, so please try it.”

“…”

Berg already knew that honey pie was her favorite.

Long ago, he had even brought this dish to her.

It was likely during the time they were working on the house renovations that he had brought it for her.

It was a dish he had given her when she was struggling after arriving in Stockpin.

So it held a certain special meaning, known only to the two of them.

As expected, Berg turned his gaze to Ner.

“…”

“…”

Ner didn’t shy away from his gaze.

But then, Berg blinked and looked away first.

Sien then began to explain her dish from beside Berg.

“…I burned it a bit again today, Bell.”

“It’s usual, isn’t it?”

“It turned out a little strange… if you don’t want to eat it, it’s okay.”

At her words, Berg chuckled and playfully pinched Sien’s nose.

Watching this exchange up close, Ner couldn’t help but feel those clinging, bitter emotions rise within her.

‘…Should I… again today…’

She even found herself secretly imagining stealing a kiss.

Every time she was exposed to situations like this, her thoughts became more extreme.

At least when they kissed, she could feel as if they loved each other.

It made her feel like Berg was hers again, and she was his.

“Let’s eat.”

At Berg’s signal, everyone picked up their utensils.

Ner decided to start by tasting Sien’s dish.

She scooped some of the stew-like dish onto her plate.

Her sharp sense of smell reacted more intensely.

As she took a bite of Sien’s food, she immediately knew—she had won.

Anyone could tell that her honey pie was far superior in quality.

Sien seemed to realize this as well, as she glanced back and forth between Ner’s dish and her own with a slightly disheartened expression.

Ner, pretending not to notice, continued eating her meal naturally, all the while waiting for Berg to finally reach for her honey pie.

“It’s good.”

But Berg only continued eating Sien’s dish.

Despite the burnt ingredients in the stew, he didn’t seem to mind.

He even set aside the playful teasing about Sien’s cooking and sincerely praised her with a serious expression.

Berg didn’t touch the honey pie that held their shared memories.

Whether he was doing it intentionally or it just happened naturally, Ner couldn’t tell.

‘…It turned out well…’

Ner thought to herself.

But seeing Berg ignore her dish, her heart ached more and more.

Her emotions kept swinging between extremes.

One moment, she felt happiness, and the next, sorrow.

Ner kept herself together by slowly eating her honey pie, trying to hold on to her emotions.

“Lord Reiker, you should try this too. It’s really good,” Lan said from beside her, pointing at the pie.

Berg paused for a moment at Lan’s words.

“…Alright,” he finally said, nodding.

Without hesitation, Berg then cut a piece of the honey pie and placed it on his plate.

He took a bite and continued eating.

“…”

Ner waited anxiously to hear what he would say, but Berg simply ate in silence, filling his stomach without a word.

Then, he turned back to Sien and smiled at her.

“…How is it?” Ner couldn’t hold back any longer and asked.

“…It’s good.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah. It’s good.”

“…”

Even though he complimented her, Ner didn’t feel the joy she was hoping for.

…It was different from the praise he gave Sien.

His tone was stiffer, more formal, perhaps because she wasn’t his wife.

It seemed as if he was avoiding giving her any more praise than necessary.

Those were emotionless Praise.

‘…Ah.’

Ner finally realized.

No matter what she did, in Berg’s eyes, Sien would always be the one who seemed more lovable.

“…”

…If she were still his wife, would she have heard the kind of praise Sien was receiving now?

Would he have said the food was delicious and eaten it so eagerly, even if it wasn’t good?

Berg finished the pie and returned to eating Sien’s dish.

He smiled at Sien again and said, “Make it again next time.”

At his words, Sien, who had been shy earlier, broke into a bright smile.

Watching their affection, Ner finally lowered her head.

Even her tail drooped down in defeat.

She continued her meal without energy, her mind heavy with negative thoughts.

And as these dark emotions built up, so did the shadowy ideas growing within her.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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