‘Alright, then I’ll make sure they leave while you’re asleep.’
Living on the farm, one must become accustomed to the process of parting with livestock.
Aiden recited these words like an incantation, barely pushing aside the salty emotions that were welling up in a corner of his heart.
“Ah, that was a good meal.”
After eating the cucumber boats, cabbage soup, and cottage pie, Anje felt as if her stomach might burst. As she looked at the plates scraped clean except for some grease, she suddenly wondered.
“Where did the name ‘cottage pie’ come from?”
“Well, I’ve never thought about it before… maybe it’s called that because it’s a food that people who live in cottages developed?”
Since small huts in the countryside are usually called cottages.
“Oh, really? I thought it was called that because the pie is shaped like a cottage.”
“Shaped like a cottage?”
“Look. It’s a dish where you bake mashed potatoes on top of sautéed ground beef and vegetables. Isn’t it exactly like a one-story house?”
“That’s… a creative but reasonable interpretation.”
For reference, today’s cottage pie was made entirely by Anje from start to finish, in place of Aiden, who was busy preparing other food.
Unlike the previous few failures, it was baked perfectly without any undercooked spots.
“Why didn’t the head chef at the mansion ever serve something this delicious?”
“Well, it’s usually a dish made to use up leftover ingredients. It might not be considered refined enough to serve to nobles.”
As Aiden said, the meat and vegetables that go under the mashed potatoes can be changed depending on what’s available.
“Cottage pie with lamb is called shepherd’s pie.”
“That’s an interesting expression. It sounds delicious even with lamb.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t raise sheep on our farm.”
Aiden paused for a moment before continuing.
“I think I’ll buy some lamb when I go to town next time and make it.”
“Town?”
Her heart sank.
“Yes, the wheat is almost ripe. It’s time to go to town as we promised before.”
The wheat field visible through the kitchen window was already a dull gold color. A vivid color that contrasted with the lush green leaves around it.
Anje had also been watching the color of the green ears gradually change. The more the color turned to gold, the closer it meant the day Aiden would go to town.
“Maybe you could come t―.”
“What’s for dessert?”
She cut him off abruptly.
Following Aiden to town meant saying a permanent goodbye to Dilton Farm. Not just to Pa-Pi-Pu, but to the trees, the flower beds, the vegetable gardens, and… to Aiden himself.
She still couldn’t fully grasp the idea of leaving this place, and she wasn’t ready to confront that reality.
“I hope you still have some room in your stomach.”
Aiden’s eyes softened with a gentle smile. He had a special dessert he had prepared the day before, waiting in the cool basement.
“What have you prepared?”
“You must be getting tired of raspberry desserts by now…”
He lifted the white cloth covering a large pie dish. Underneath the lattice-patterned brown pastry was a pile of round, purple fruits.
“Blueberries!”
He had baked a large blueberry pie, specifically to share with Meg when she visited on Monday.
“When did you go picking blueberries?”
Aiden raised an eyebrow meaningfully instead of answering directly.
“When you were busy with something else.”
“When exactly was that? How did I not notice?”
Could he have multiple bodies or perhaps fairies helping him secretly? Anje’s suspicion was absurd, but Aiden often managed to bring surprises without her noticing.
“It’s not fair you went alone. Take me with you next time.”
“Alright.”
He had debated whether to bring her along. But he enjoyed seeing her surprised face and bright smile whenever he revealed his hidden skills.
Despite her saying she was fine, her smiles seemed more subdued lately, and he was concerned it was because of Pa-Pi-Pu.
“Blueberry pie is great, but it feels like it’s not quite enough.”
After they finished their meal, Aiden suggested to Anje,
“How about we go for a walk to help digest?”
“Good idea. Oh, where did I put the notebook?”
The flowers blooming along the roadside had changed with the new month, showcasing a wider variety and more vibrant colors. Therefore, Nancy Dilton’s notebook was a must-bring item on their walks.
“I must have left it somewhere around here…”
She searched the living room bookshelf and behind the chairs, but it was nowhere to be found.
“Never mind, let’s just go.”
“But—”
“I can tell you about the flowers you’re curious about.”
“Hmm…There must be a lot of flowers I’m curious about. I’ll probably keep asking you about them.”
He straightened her crooked hat.
As I said before, feel free to ask me anything you’re curious about.”
His voice sounded so gentle that Anje lowered her head like a blueberry blossom.
She felt guilty for wanting to deceive such a kind person and run away.
‘He’s only being nice because he feels guilty about Pa-Pi-Pu.’
She convinced herself that this was the only reason for his kindness, which helped calm her unsettled heart.
She mustered her energy and responded cheerfully.
“Alright. I’ll ask a lot, Sir Aiden.”
“I’ll be a faithful servant, my lady.”
Using the parasol they had recovered from the stream, she followed Aiden, walking slowly down the path between the spruce trees.
The flowers blooming everywhere were doing their best to attract bees and butterflies, so much so that even Anje, in her white butterfly-like dress, was easily enchanted.
For those who had been sad to see the May blossoms, like apple flowers, disappear, nature offered continuous delight.
Aiden told Anje the name of the red wildflower she pointed to.
“That’s a lady’s slipper orchid.”
“It looks exactly like its name. The petals look like pink slippers.”
Aiden’s explanations continued each time Anje turned her gaze to a new flower, including their formal names, the nicknames used by farmers, and their characteristics.
The round white petals that seemed to glow even in the evening, earning the nickname “moon daisy.”
The tall flower spikes covered with purple helmet-shaped flowers, known as monkshood.
The ladder-like layers of light green leaves inspired the name Jacob’s ladder from the Bible.
The orange flowers that clung tightly together, resembling a fox’s fur, were called “fox and cubs.”
The yellow flowers that only opened in the morning sunlight, earning the nickname “Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon.”
“How do you know so much?”
Anje was impressed by Aiden’s extensive knowledge, which surpassed even Nancy Dilton’s notebook. He answered briefly, as if it were the most natural thing.
“Because I love this place.”
Anje looked closely at the flowers he had taught her about. The wildflowers, already lovely, became even more special with the names he had given them.
“That… makes sense.”
Aiden bent down and picked a pink sweet pea, then tucked it into the ribbon of Anje’s hat.
“I hope you come to like this place too.”
In truth, every time he saw the ripening wheat fields, he thought of his promise to Anje.
He thought it would be good to visit town soon and bring her news from the capital that she was waiting for.
But he worried that if she received a letter and began to long for the capital again, she might come to dislike the farm. This made it difficult for him to bring up the topic.
‘Affection is a scary thing.’
He still interpreted his feelings as mere human-to-human affection.
The cod liver oil that Anje steadfastly refused, he took instead to treat his own occasional rapid heartbeat.
Anje met his gaze and answered in a small but firm voice.
“I already…like it here.”
It was undeniably sincere.
The farm gave her a different kind of happiness that life in the capital didn’t provide. A sense of accomplishment, peace, and warmth.
But at the same time, she couldn’t completely let go of her longing to return to the capital.
“That’s good to hear.”
Seeing the look in her eyes, he made up his mind. Once they finished harvesting the wheat, they would go to town.
Preferably together.
‘I should buy some things the princess might like.’
Knowing that he was clueless about women’s tastes, it would be better to go with her than risk buying something strange on his own.
Oh, and he needed to retrieve the ring that Mrs. Meg had left for them. She could have just brought it along instead of making him go fetch it. Apparently, a husband must show this much effort?
‘Anyway, nobles all love shiny trinkets. It might cheer her up a bit considering how sad she’s been about the pigs.’
Sometimes he wondered why he had to go to such lengths for her…
Aiden looked down at her face framed by the white brim of her hat. She was delicate and young, so it was his responsibility to take good care of her. That was the duty of an elder.
Besides, she had worked hard and done well for someone who knew nothing about farm life. As the farm owner, he needed to reward her.
“Since you’ve learned enough about flowers, shall we move on to trees? There’s a cherry tree right here.”
“Oh, what’s that red bird carrying a cherry that just flew by?”
Busy learning new things from Aiden, she was able to momentarily forget about the inevitable farewell.
* * * *
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