My Contract Husband Resembles the Male Protagonist - Chapter 53
“Were you eating them randomly, hoping one of those herbs could cure your illness?”
At that moment, the man’s green eyes wavered.
I was certain.
“You got a job at the estate because you thought the lord was cultivating those herbs.”
All the plants in my garden were medicinal herbs, ranging from common herbs used as basic ingredients to rare herbs hard to find in ordinary places.
To him, it must have seemed like an irresistible feast.
“How did you—no, that’s not it…”
“You can eat them.”
“Really?!”
The man, who had blurted out impulsively, quickly covered his mouth.
“No, I mean….”
He stammered, then quietly rolled his eyes as if rethinking. Calmly, he looked at me again.
“There’s no such thing as kindness without expecting something in return.”
“You don’t have to eat like a beast. I’ll make it into medicine for you.”
“Perhaps… Do you know what illness I have?”
“You’re infected with a parasite from eating freshwater fish caught in waters where monsters live.”
“..…!”
Before he could say anything else, I quickly handed him the drawing I had prepared.
“In return, make this for me. Perfectly.”
* * *
“What kind of weapon is that?”
Dale looked at me curiously.
The alchemist quickly made the item I had requested. It was sleek, nimble, and had the perfect curve—exactly the hoe I wanted.
“This is a hoe. Not a weapon.”
“Ah, a hoe… That thing from before. Understood.”
“Even though you don’t.”
“……”
He pretended to understand, but the innocent look in his eyes showed he had no clue.
“Can you farm with such a small tool?”
“Of course! It’s particularly useful for digging up small areas instead of weeding a large field. It requires less arm strength.”
“It will be very helpful when planting herbs.”
“It will be extremely useful.”
“Miss Enya, you know a lot of interesting things,” Dale said, smiling at me.
Had I ever shown Dale anything interesting? I didn’t think so.
‘Well, maybe I did, and I just don’t remember.’
Living with Dale was becoming more natural.
I looked at Dale, basking in the warm sunlight.
This peaceful day suited his gentle nature perfectly.
“The ring—I picked it up but didn’t know whose it was, so I kept it.”
The alchemist returned the ring to me.
“You seem happy.”
“Of course, I found the ring, and the job is done!”
Dale gave me a somewhat ambiguous smile.
“So, it’s not because of my gift.”
“Gift?”
“It’s nothing.”
Dale’s expression seemed particularly calm.
I found the ring, made the hoe. Now, the next step…
“I think I’ll try selling the hoe.”
Dale looked at me with wide eyes.
“It’s useful for digging small amounts of soil and harvesting small crops. It also puts less strain on the wrist. Gardening is trendy among the nobility in the capital, right?”
I was confident this would make money.
However, Dale, listening quietly, didn’t seem relaxed.
“Miss Enya, why do you want to earn money so eagerly?”
Huh?
His unexpected question made me blink.
Dale looked at me with a face that seemed both about to cry and apologetic.
“I’m sorry there’s so little I can do for you.”
“Dale….”
It seemed like Dale was misunderstanding something.
“I just like making a lot of money. So, don’t worry about it. Dale, you do everything for me except making money.”
It wasn’t just comforting words; it was the truth.
The housework burden, the visual appeal of our home, everything was done by Dale.
Dale treated me almost like a caretaker, raising me gently and delicately. It was no different from how animals are raised.
Well-fed and well-rested.
“But there’s something strange.”
“Something strange?”
