Chapter 24

If I recalled correctly, there had been a field in the garden.

It would be impossible to till the entire thing, but we might be able to plant one or two rows.

There were bags of fertilizer piled up in a corner of the yard that I thought we could use. I didn’t know much about the specifics, but… for now, I figured we just had to mix it in, right?

Tugging the drunken Lord Nazel along, I stepped out into the garden as twilight began to fall.

Just then, Kelly appeared to have returned from buying dinner and came running toward us.

“What are you two doing!?”

“Kelly, perfect timing. Actually, I was thinking of tilling the field to plant those seedlings Lord Nazel prepared.”

“In that overgrown field?”

“Don’t you think if we just clear a small area, we could plant one or two?”

“Well, if it’s only that much…”

Alright. With the three of us, it shouldn’t take too long.

Taking both Lord Nazel and Kelly by the hand, I led them down the garden path.

“That settles it! Let’s eat dinner outside! There was a pointlessly luxurious table sitting unused out here, wasn’t there?”

“Now that you mention it, there was. It was relatively clean, so I believe it’s suitable for a meal. By the way, Lady Agnes, Lord Nazelbert has been acting strange for a while now…?”

“It seems he got a bit tipsy after drinking some wine.”

“…!? Alcohol…!? Um, Lady Agnes. To tell you the truth, Lord Nazelbert is incredibly weak to alcohol.”

“Eh!? What should I do? I poured him so much…”

“He’s still walking normally, so he should be fine given some time. I’ve brought food and drinks, so it’s best we eat before heading to the field.”

We arrived at the pointlessly luxurious table facing the garden. Surrounded by flowerbeds, I imagined it had been used for “elegant” tea parties in the past.

“By the way, Lady Agnes, do you have any experience with fieldwork?”

“None, but I studied up by reading books back at the Florescrus estate’s detached house.”

“…I see. I shall provide the lecture, then.”

While discussing the field, we enjoyed our meal in the open air.

We didn’t usually eat outside, but this was quite lovely.

However, ever since we started, the drunken Lord Nazel had been clinging to me so closely that I couldn’t relax.

“Agnes… Agnes, you really are so cute.”

“Thank you, Lord Nazel.”

Kelly watched over us, her face expressionless as she remarked, “What a heartwarming sight.”

It was far beyond heartwarming; my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might burst.

And so, once we finished our meal, we headed to the field.

Lord Nazel’s intoxication hadn’t worn off yet, and he was currently latched onto my back. I might have been getting just a little bit used to this level of proximity.

“Lady Agnes, let me handle the tilling with the hoe…”

“Kelly, you know how?”

“There was a field at my family home. I used to work the soil with my younger brothers like this.”

“You have siblings?”

“Yes, I am the eldest daughter, and I have five younger brothers… Wait, Lady Agnes! That fertilizer bag is heavy!”

“Hmm? It’s lighter than a formal dress, though? I just need to scatter this, right?”

“Kyah—!”

Kelly let out a scream, hoe in hand, as she watched me scatter the fertilizer with a massive whoosh.

The drunken Lord Nazel silently picked up another hoe and began to skillfully till the field. Truly, there was nothing this man couldn’t do.

However, his eyes were vacant, and no matter what I said to him, the only response I got was, “Agnes, you really are cute.”

Having managed to successfully restore a small section of the field, we planted Lord Nazel’s seedlings.

“I hope they grow up healthy.”

It seemed Lord Nazel’s magic could also make plants grow.

However, plants created from nothing through magic continue to consume mana for as long as they exist, making them impossible to cultivate normally.

That was why he was planting seedlings that had been crossbred and improved through magic while they were still in their original state.

After finishing the watering, we headed back to the mansion with light steps.

The next day—Lord Nazel had completely lost his memory of everything that happened after he drank the wine.

After seeing him off to work, I immediately went to check on the field by myself. But…

“H-Huh…?”

The seedlings we had just planted last night were, for some reason, looking wilted.

“They’re drooping… At this rate, they might die.”

I continued to panic as I watered them.

I had heard that the soil in the Sutrena Territory was poor for crops, but the roses and weeds in the garden were growing just fine. Perhaps it was only food-bearing crops that struggled here.

“Please, get better. Somehow, just hang in there.”

Lord Nazel was already feeling down; I didn’t want to discourage him any further.

Acting out of sheer desperation, I cast my Material Reinforcement magic on the weakening seedlings before heading back.

It probably wouldn’t work on plants, but it was the thought that counted.

I returned to the mansion and, just like yesterday, worked with Kelly to clean the rooms and sort through the unnecessary ornaments.

The plan to sell these off, convert them to cash, and increase our staff was still in motion.

“That said, I wonder if there’s a trader nearby who would buy things like this?”

If possible, I wanted someone who understood the value of all this gold-plated junk and would pay a high price.

When I asked Kelly while we were organizing, she shifted her gaze as if deep in thought.

“…I believe there is likely someone. I shall make the arrangements.”

“Thank you! But don’t push yourself if it turns out to be impossible.”

I went around sticking notes labeled “Keep” and “Discard” on the expensive items. Almost everything was marked “Discard.”

“I hope I can be of at least a little help to Lord Nazel.”

He had picked me up when I had nowhere to go and rescued me from that miserable situation.

When he was sent to the frontier, I’m sure he could have found an excuse to escape the marriage. He could have even forced me back to my parents’ home…

And yet, Lord Nazel married a “Potato Lady” like me and brought me along to the frontier.

At the very least, I wanted him to be able to say, “I’m glad I brought her with me.”