Episode 13
“Marry me. I want a real marriage with you, not a contractual one. If you forgive me… I want to stay by your side for the rest of my life.”
“My lord, I…”
The pink jewel on the ring on her slender finger sparkled.
Tears streamed down her face once again.
She couldn’t speak properly because of the sobs that kept choking her.
“I… lack the refinement of a noble lady.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I always say foolish things, and because of that…”
“Yes, you sometimes say cute things too.”
“I’m of low status and don’t have much to my name, and…”
“Now, everything I have is yours. What does it matter?”
“Above all, I’m already addicted to the cursed fruit… I’m living on borrowed time and will soon die…”
“…By any means, even if I have to go to the ends of the earth,”
The Marquis tightened his arms around her waist and said once more,
“I will find any precious herb or any renowned physician to cure you. I will never let you die.”
It was a powerful vow filled with determination.
In the end, all Chelsea could do was cry her heart out in the Marquis’s embrace.
Leaning against his warm and firm chest, she could only accept his comfort.
“…Ahem.”
After she sobbed like that for a while in his arms, a cough interrupted her whimpering.
“I don’t intend to disturb your tender moment.”
The woman who had been watching the Marquis and his wife from a distance spoke awkwardly.
The Marquis glanced at the woman with a dissatisfied expression.
“You’re still here?”
“Please don’t treat me like an uninvited guest so openly…”
The woman glanced furtively into the empty air before continuing.
“It’s almost 12 PM, Marchioness.”
“…What?”
Chelsea, who had been wiping her tears, asked back blankly. The woman smiled and pointed ahead.
“Open the greenhouse door and see.”
* * *
You have entered the Marchioness’ greenhouse.
First entry benefit: 2000 cash has been awarded.
Importance: S
Risk level: D
Hidden cash amount: 4000
‘Discovered 500 cash among the ‘Chrysanthemums to be offered at my mother-in-law’s grave.’
‘Discovered 400 cash under the ‘Shade of the tree where I secretly cried.’
‘Discovered 500 cash in the ‘Flower that he said resembled me.’
‘Discovered 600 cash under the ‘Bench where my husband used my knees as a pillow.’
As soon as I first arrived at the greenhouse, I went around and raked in cash under the pretense of investigation.
True of its status as a location with S-level importance, there were many large sums of cash.
Marchioness’ Greenhouse
Current hidden cash amount: 2000
However, no matter how much I searched, the remaining 2000 cash was nowhere to be found.
‘There’s only one place in this greenhouse that I haven’t been able to investigate yet.’
I said to Chelsea while checking the system window.
“There are only a few minutes left until noon. Would you like to open the door?”
In response to my suggestion, Chelsea hesitated, checking her watch.
Her expression was filled with uncertainty and contemplation even as she grasped the doorknob.
Perhaps it was due to the failures she’d had so far.
However, after checking the time once more, Chelsea seemed to make up her mind and turned the door handle.
As the door opened, a space filled with pitch-black darkness greeted us.
Chelsea, holding the curtain cord next to the light-blocking curtain-covered skylight, took a quiet deep breath.
‘Why did the previous late Marchioness leave a will asking for the spirit grass to be grown?’
This was a question that came to mind while reading <CMD>.
Of course, it was true that the late Marchioness worked hard to cultivate the spirit grass.
Her gardening notebook contained a significant amount of information about the spirit grass.
I anticipated Chelsea’s return to the greenhouse precisely because of the spirit grass.
However, the reason she left it as her final will was still a mystery.
Unfortunately, I spent all my cash at the Lafourd Trading Port and couldn’t check the ending.
‘The late Marchioness cherished her daughter-in-law, Chelsea, very much. Even when she made a big mistake, she didn’t get angry at all and comforted her.’
The reason why she entrusted Chelsea with the spirit grass in her last moment.
The reason why there was as much as 2000 cash hidden in this small space was precisely…
Rustle.
At that exact moment, the closed curtains opened, and bright sunlight poured in.
Immediately, starting from the front row where the light entered, the bent flower stems began to lift their heads.
As soon as the flowers identified Chelsea’s face, they bloomed fully.
The sunlight filtered through the translucent petals created small rainbows.
The petals fluttered as if to welcome Chelsea.
It was a beautiful sight, as if countless rainbows were rippling in waves.
‘So she succeeded in the end.’
Although I expected it to some extent, seeing it with my own eyes was certainly more moving.
The person involved, Chelsea, must be even more moved.
“…”
She was staring blankly at the blooming flowers.
“The former Marchioness…”
Chelsea, who had been so surprised that she couldn’t even blink, finally opened her mouth.
“If she could have seen this sight… how happy she would have been. She wanted to see it so badly. Enough to leave it as her final will.”
Chelsea, sitting next to the flowers, careful touched the moist petals of the spirit grass.
Then, like a small animal being petted, the spirit grass seemed to rejoice and swayed happily.
Chelsea looked at it with sad eyes.
“If I had succeeded sooner. No, if I hadn’t wasted time on useless things, and she had lived just a little longer…”
Seeing Chelsea’s dark face, my heart became heavy too.
Was it true that the spirit grass, aside from being difficult to cultivate, had no other special meaning?
The moment I thought that.
‘The spirit grass I finally cultivated’ awards you 2000 cash!
Greenhouse cleared!
Inside the greenhouse, the spirit grass was in full bloom, with petals that looked like dew-covered bubbles.
It is said that the spirit grass only blooms with a strong desire and meticulous care.
In return, it offers ‘dew drops’ every morning to the person it recognizes as its owner.
The blooming of the spirit grass has fulfilled the late Marchioness’ wish.
– Your job experience has increased.
Dewdrop effect: Curse lifting, toxic substances detoxification.
It must be taken consistently to be effective.
The system windows appeared once again.
As soon as I saw the pouring system windows, I realized.
The reason the spirit grass kept getting mentioned in CMD.
It was the product of the lingering attachment that made Chelsea give up running away and return to the Marquis’s residence.
At the same time, it was the medicine that could save her.
And it was also the ‘wish’ that the late Marchioness, her mother-in-law, left for her.
“Marchioness, what the late lady wanted to see was not a field of spirit grass flowers.”
Chelsea, who had been sobbing in the Marquis’s embrace, raised her head at my words.
“The dewdrops given by the spirit grass have detoxifying and curse-lifting effects.”
Her moist eyes widened.
The Marquis, who had been supporting Chelsea from the side, asked in surprise,
“Detoxifying effects? Then…”
“Yes. If you consistently consume the dewdrops that form every morning, you should be able to treat the Marchioness’s addiction.”
After hearing my story, Chelsea silently clenched her hands and trembled.
“The late Marchioness knew,” I said in a soft tone. “That to cure the poison accumulated since childhood, consistent care was also necessary.”
Soon, she turned her head to look at the spread-out field of spirit grass.
“Perhaps what the late Marchioness truly wanted to see was not the spirit flowers, but the sight of you living healthily and happily in the Marquis’s family.”
The spirit flowers flickered and sparkled as if in response.
It was a beautiful scene created by small miracles.
* * *
Main Quest Solved!
You have received 10,000 cash as a reward!
Congratulations! Your job rank has increased.
Current rank: D+
A new system has been added due to the rank increase.
The cash withdrawal system has been updated.
As I rode the carriage back home, I turned off the noisy system notifications.
‘I’m too tired to think about it now.’
Not only did I stay up all night reading <How To Make An Obsessed Male Lead A Runaway Male Lead>, but I was also emotionally charged.
Leaning my head against the cold carriage wall, I thought back to the Marquis and his wife, who had seen me off until the end.
Just because it’s cheesy doesn’t mean it doesn’t hit (i got emotional at the flower scene)
