ITTW CH 11

“Don’t tell me… you bought this place?”

This huge estate?

“It came up at a good price.”

Bastian shrugged his shoulders.

“Thank you, but I don’t know how to farm. I’m not interested in it either.”

I wondered if you had ever heard of a “negative hand”—someone who is hopeless at everything they touch.

“You think I’d make you farm it yourself? The workers will handle everything. I only registered ownership under your name, so don’t worry.”

Bastian laughed, his shoulders shaking. It really sounded like he found this absurd, which made me feel a little embarrassed.

“Just come here whenever you’re bored and look at the fruits. That’s what it’s for.”

“Fruits?”

Why would I travel over an hour by carriage just to look at fruit?

“Didn’t you say you like handsome things?”

“I did say that, but what does that have to do with fruit?”

“The previous owner said so. He said the apples here are incredibly handsome.”

I picked at my ear, wondering if I’d heard wrong.

“They have good color, nice size.”

Bastian roughly drew the shape of apples and pears in the air. I frowned.

“So what exactly are you trying to say?”

“That you should reconsider marrying the emperor.”

In other words… “Forget the emperor and be satisfied with a fruit orchard full of handsome apples.”

It was ridiculous, but I couldn’t just laugh it off. I knew he had prepared this orchard for me.

To Bastian, the emperor must seem like a cold, dangerous ruler.

His concern wasn’t strange.

If the original story had followed its course, our ducal family would have been destroyed by the emperor.

It was completely reasonable for Bastian to be wary.

“Thank you.”

I understood his feelings.

“But I’ve already made my decision.”

It couldn’t be undone anymore. I had already signed the contract with the emperor.

“I’ll gladly accept the orchard, though. I know it carries your feelings.”

Right. Capitalism’s feelings.

“Lillian!”

Bastian pulled me into a tight hug. I leaned my head over his shoulder and took a deep breath.

“Though I’ll skip the suffocating part of the hug.”

The orchard was vast. We couldn’t even see all of it.

By the time we returned to the mansion, it was already time to go soothe the emperor to sleep. I had no time to wash and immediately went to the palace.

“Today you smell like soil.”

The emperor lifted his chin as soon as I approached.

“Where were you? Outing?”

He pointed at the dirt on my dress hem and the strawberry stains on my sleeves, narrowing his eyes sharply.

I was a little dumbfounded.

He suddenly asked me to touch his face without explanation, and now he was demanding explanations from me?

How unfair.

“Lillian McKellion.”

When I stayed silent, the emperor frowned.

“This is my private matter, Your Majesty.”

“You are to become my wife.”

I opened my mouth slightly.

So what—was he suspecting my chastity?

I bit my lip instead of shouting in frustration.

I didn’t want to engage in such petty arguments.

So I decided to answer in the way he would least expect.

“Yes, I actually met a lot of handsome things.”

“What?”

The emperor shot up.

“I only met young and very fresh-looking ones, much better than you, Your Majesty. It was amazing!”

The emperor’s jaw dropped.

The next day

[Noble houses of count rank or higher are prohibited from owning large orchards or farms.]

A new imperial law was declared in the emperor’s name.

The purpose was noble—preventing aristocrats from exploiting large lands and cheap labor for unfair profit.

The emperor posted the law publicly and sent notices to affected nobles.

I was one of them.

“I wonder why such a law suddenly appeared,” Bastian murmured.

“Indeed.”

I smiled, looking into the distance, avoiding eye contact with him.

Because if I looked at him, I wouldn’t be able to stay calm.

The day before—after visiting the orchard and meeting the emperor:

[I met much younger and fresher-looking ones than Your Majesty.]

The emperor had clearly reacted. He didn’t shout or act violently.

But his eyes tightened. His fists clenched until veins showed.

A low growling sound came from him like an animal.

[What did you say?]

[I had a very hot day.]

Bastian and I had even done some light work at the orchard.

[I saw many very handsome things.]

Right. Very handsome strawberry blossoms.

[Unfortunately, they weren’t ripe enough to bite.]

The strawberries weren’t ready yet.

[Still, they were very fresh.]

The emperor’s face flushed red.

Watching him lose composure was honestly quite entertaining.

But I couldn’t push it further. I still needed to survive.

I pulled out a folded paper from my sleeve.

It was a leaflet.

[I mean I went to an orchard. An orchard.]

There were drawings of large strawberries and notes explaining it was a farm.

[…Ah.]

The emperor’s shoulders slowly relaxed.

[So you truly misunderstood me, Your Majesty?]

[Of course not.]

Liar. I could hear his angry breathing.

[I was just surprised earlier.]

[So you admit it was your mistake?]

I waited silently.

The emperor finally lowered his gaze.

[Yes. It was my fault.]

He muttered, sounding strangely subdued.

I didn’t dislike him for being honest.

[Then I’ll give you a chance to make up for it.]

The emperor lifted his head.

[Tomorrow, come to the palace one hour earlier than usual. Spend that hour making me feel better.]

[You’re really coming?]

[Yes. But don’t surprise me. No sudden proposals or strange gifts.]

[Hmm…]

[If you do, I’ll leave—and tear up our contract.]

At the mention of tearing the contract, his eyes twitched—but he nodded.

[Understood.]

[Also.]

[Also?]

[Don’t go to orchards again.]

What.

[Don’t meet anything more handsome than me.]

Seriously?

That afternoon, Kael called Hena.

“What do you think is a good activity for a man and woman to spend an hour together comfortably?”

Hena considered.

“Having a simple meal might be good.”

“A meal?”

“Food helps people relax. Couples often meet at restaurants.”

Kael tapped the table.

Eating. A universal activity.

That made sense.

Hena smiled.

“If it is a meeting with Lady McKellion, I can prepare snacks. She will already have eaten at home before coming.”

Kael nodded.

He trusted her.

A small meeting room was prepared. A round table where status didn’t matter.

Food was brought in: cakes, macarons, chocolates, cookies.

Among them was something odd—a human-shaped cookie.

A gingerbread man, palm-sized, with limbs.

It looked absurd. But Lillian even called fruit “handsome.”

Maybe she would like this too.

Kael pointed.

“Is there anything other than this cookie?”

“There is no time to prepare more, Your Majesty. The lady will arrive soon.”

Kael picked up the basket.

“It’s just one cookie—”

But someone else took it.

“Oh my, what is all this?”

Kael blinked rapidly.

A woman with flowing light-blue hair smiled.

It was Lillian.