BEW 10

 “Ugh, it broke my heart.”

As I squatted in front of the empty vegetable garden, my heart felt like it was being ripped apart.

No matter how much I turned the remaining plants into snacks and cakes, it still felt like a waste.

These were all my little babies, my children.

“Ugh. But what can I do? I’ll have to start again.”

I decided to be a stern mother.

I had to do it while shedding tears in order to achieve my future dreams. 

Determined, I put on my gloves and picked up the shovel. This time, I chose a regular shovel instead of a trowel.

The trowel was too small and cute for turning the soil.

I thrust the large shovel into the ground with my feet, I saw a muscular man running towards me from afar.

“Madam! Leave that to me!”

Markovs, seizing a great opportunity, had his eyes sparkling.

“Hi, Markovs.”

“Ha ha. Good afternoon, madam. But leave that to me. I, the strong and energetic Markovs, will handle it.”

He did look strong and energetic.

I alternated my gaze between the shovel, the precious garden, and Markovs.

Noticing my hesitation, Markovs hurriedly spoke up.

“Please plant the seeds and seedlings! I will handle the soil turning! What do you say?”

I couldn’t help but think the reason was Sienna.

The maid and the gardener were definitely competing for my garden.

Well, I didn’t mind as it was convenient for me.

“Alright then. I’ll leave it to you.”

I handed over the shovel, and Markovs took it with a smile.

“Shall I also make the furrows?”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

“Yes, just trust the gardening expert Markovs.”

With a spirited reply, Markovs energetically began turning the soil.

Thus began the second version of my herb garden.

My herb garden was successfully coming together.

“Hmm, it should be about time for them to sprout.”

Sienna watered the soil with a watering can and examined the little ones’ condition.

I carefully checked if any of them had poked their heads out cutely, but it was still quiet.

“Well. They’ll sprout soon.”

I left the garden and headed towards the library.

The Richter mansion had a small study and library.

It was a library where the staff could freely borrow books, and despite its small size, it was well-stocked with a variety of books.

My new hobby was studying ‘herbs’ and ‘baking.’

Of course, I wasn’t entirely inexperienced, but for the future when I’d open my own shop, it was better to be more prepared.

“Let’s see. Today’s book…”

As I slowly chose a book, a title caught my eye.

‘Sick? Want to Get Better with Herbs?’

Wow. It’s intriguing!

The title, as if it was speaking to me, appealed to me.

I decided to take this one.

After carefully tucking the book under my arm, I wrote my name and the book title in the guestbook and left the library.

On the way back to my room, I stumbled upon something by chance.

In the corner of the garden, among the trees, I found a small red fruit.

“What’s this, what’s this? How cute!”

Having recently developed a love for plants, I moved closer to examine the adorable red fruit.

Up close, it had a unique shape.

The fruit looked like a miniature pomegranate, but it was orange towards the bottom.

“What kind of fruit is this?”

It was definitely a fruit I had never seen before, yet it strangely felt familiar.

Not familiar in the sense of having seen it before, but familiar in an inexplicable way… as if I had only heard about it.

“Oh, I’ve seen it there.”

In the original story of this world.

In ‘Water the Second Pin Flower,’ I had seen it!

I wracked my brain.

“Ho, ho… Ho-san Fruit!”

Wow. I actually remembered it.

Moreover, I remembered not just the name but also the effects.

“This fruit was quite the panacea.”

What was it again?

Good for stomachaches, good for headaches, helps with sleep, clears the mind, improves vision, warms the body, and so on.

It had a lot of benefits like something a herbalist would boast about.

The protagonist of the novel learned about the ‘Ho-san Fruit’ through an old book, and then discovered it in the mansion’s garden by chance, and gave it to the male lead Dante.

It was because she was worried about Dante’s low body temperature.

“Should I pick some too?”

I thought that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give it to Dante in advance.

Although I wasn’t sure if Dante’s body temperature was particularly low right now…

At least, in the novel, Dante’s body temperature was lower than others.

Dante was also concerned about it, avoiding holding the heroine’s hand.

Every time, the heroine felt sad, and Dante was also sad.

Even I felt sad as a reader.

“Yeah. I’ll pick it. I’ll feed it to him.”

It seemed that I should prevent Dante’s cold extremities in advance by feeding him the fruit.

With firm resolve, I reached out for the fruit.

“By the way, did it actually have an effect?”

Wait a minute.

I couldn’t remember that part.

After pondering for a while, I realized that I didn’t remember the effects.

…I guess the effects are mentioned later in the story.

Actually, I don’t remember the latter part of ‘Water the Second Pin Flower.’

No, I think the story wasn’t completed?

Anyway, I recall the general plot and the frustrating parts, but I don’t know how the latter part progresses.

I remember they stopped shoveling and confirmed their feelings for each other, but…

“What happened next?”

What happened to Dante?

Suddenly, I was filled with doubt.

Originally, the Richter family was famous for dying young.

I knew the reason.

‘Curse.’

People often debated whether it was real or just rumors, but I knew it was true.

Dante had mentioned the ‘curse’ of the Richter family in the novel.

However, I didn’t know what kind of curse it was…

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t remember if it was because of the novel or if it wasn’t mentioned.

Anyway, what’s important is this.

The male lead cursed.

The innocent and lovely female lead.

Would their ending be ‘they lived happily ever after,’ or ‘the male lead died young, and the female lead became a widow’?

I hope it’s the former.

The latter is so hopeless.

After a moment of contemplation, I shook my head.

“Well. What good will it do if I worry about this? I’m someone who will leave.”

A supporting character should do their part.

But, even after the divorce, I’ll support Dante’s health and their happiness from afar!

My goal is Hollywood!

I repeated my dream and moved my halted hand.

Rather than worrying about a future I cannot change, I should focus on a future I can change.

Fighting!

However, when I picked the sixth Ho-san Fruit, I realized I had no hands left.

I was holding the thick book ‘Sick? Want to Get Better with Herbs?’ in my arms, so I had no hands free.

Well, it can’t be helped.

I’ll just leave for today and come back with a basket or something.

As for the fruit I’ve already picked…

“Yum.”

I decided to eat it myself and popped it into my mouth.

Oh. It’s surprisingly firm?

I chewed the uniquely textured fruit diligently.

The taste and texture were truly unique.

It was firm yet quite juicy, sour and tart, yet sweet and spicy…

“Cough, cough! Cough, cough! Cough!”

The overly unique taste and texture made me cough uncontrollably.

Once started, the coughing didn’t stop easily.

Cough, cough!

Oh no! It seems to have gone up my nose.

The tangy, sweet, and spicy sensation hitting my nostrils and throat made tears stream down my face.

After struggling with the intense coughing for a while, I finally managed to calm down.

As I removed my hand from my mouth, red juice stained my palm.

Oh, my.

I looked around.

“…Glad no one was around.”

If someone had seen me with tears, snot, and saliva, it would have been quite embarrassing.

I quickly wiped the red-stained palm with a handkerchief and shook my head.

Wow. This Ho-san Fruit…

It’s quite a dangerous fruit?

I figured I needed to research how to eat it properly and slowly left the spot.

Ugh. Coughing so much makes my back ache.

Thus, after Serpina left, a rustling sound followed.

Soon after, from behind the place she had stood, a presence was heard.

The owner of the sound was a woman leaning against the mansion’s wall, covering her mouth with both hands.

With her eyes wide open, trembling, she slid down the wall and sat down.

“…No way.”

Her voice, filled with shock, trembled as she spoke.

Her mind was repeatedly replaying the shocking scene she had just witnessed.

The sight of the lady coughing and the red juice on her hands and mouth.

And her muttering with a self-deprecating tone, “Glad no one was around.”

“…This is unbelievable.”

Eventually, a tear rolled down from Mary’s eyes.

This was the beginning of a huge misunderstanding that would strike the mansion.