Chapter 4

"When did you come back here?"

"I returned to the capital the day before yesterday. Well, I had a lot to take care of, so I finally managed to come here today."

Saying that, he stood up in one motion.

As he stretched, the sword at his waist made a hard sound.

But he stopped midway, looked at me, and made a sad face.

"…You won't say 'welcome back,' will you?"

"Sure, sure. I'll say it now."

I sighed, put the basket on the ground, and then, bending my knees slightly, I gave a ladylike bow to the person who was as tall as my brother Albes, and smiled.

"Welcome back, Fil. Thank you for your hard work."

"Great. It feels like I'm back. It was worth the effort!"

As usual, Fil was moved by something strange.

But when he noticed my exasperated expression, he cleared his throat, looking a bit embarrassed, and straightened his posture a little.

"Welcome home, Lucia. Can I stay for a while again?"

"Of course. Albes will be happy."

"Are you not happy?"

"Not really. After all, you're not good at farm work, are you?"

"…Uh, yeah, that's true. But I'll make up for it by hunting hard!"

"I look forward to it."

I picked up the basket again and entered the field.

Glancing back, I saw Fil had taken off his jacket and was rolling up his sleeves as he entered the field.

---

My brother Albes and I are about seven years apart.

My brother, who was in his mid-teens… when I was still a child, joined the royal army and started wearing a knight's uniform.

It was around that time that I met Fil.

He has silver hair and blue eyes, and a handsome face, which might make him look like a pretty boy at first glance. But the sword at his waist is not just for show. I've heard he's a very skilled knight.

When my brother was in the royal army, Fil would sometimes come to our territory and stay for a while, lazing around.

After my brother left the royal army, Fil continued to visit us.

Recently, he's been busy and only comes a few times a year.

"How long is your leave this time?"

"Let's see… about a month, I think."

"So, you'll be staying here the whole time, right?"

"Yeah, please."

While harvesting turnips, I asked, and Fil nodded, taking the basket I had brought.

Since Fil's guest room was occasionally cleaned, a light cleaning and changing the sheets would be enough.

For tonight, I'll make turnip stew… oh, should I slaughter a chicken? I just sold the eggs at the market yesterday, so that's not an option. Too bad. I'll add milk to the stew and a bit of cheese…

"I'm being selfish, but…"

While taking the turnips from the basket, Fil said,

"If you're making stew, could you make it with just salt?"

"Just salt? Is that okay?"

"Yeah. Actually, I've been in the north for a while. I've been eating a lot of dishes with dairy products. It's filling and good in cold places, but I was born and raised in the capital, right? I want to eat a stew with just salt."

Indeed, stews in the capital area are usually seasoned with salt.

But recently, various cooking methods have spread, and it seems that more affluent commoners are eating milk-based stews.

In our house, we mainly stick to traditional stews for economic reasons.

"You might get hungry quickly, you know?"

"I don't plan on doing intense training, so it'll be fine. And I don't need eggs. Actually, I want to eat beans. Bean soup, bean bread, but I like bean and potato stew the most."

"Fil, you like beans that much?"

When I asked, Fil's expression suddenly became serious.

"…The area around the capital has been cultivating beans since the kingdom was founded, but the north doesn't grow beans due to the climate. So, there's no bean cuisine culture. Sometimes, chefs try to serve beans, but to be honest, they're not very good. I said I wanted to eat beans, so I have to eat them all, but they're not delicious at all!"

Fil's quiet words became increasingly passionate.

So, you really want beans, huh? It seems you really want bean dishes. I'm relieved.

"Then, I'll make bean dishes tomorrow. Tonight, we'll have turnip stew with just salt."

"Thank you!"

Fil looks very happy.

He carried the heavy basket and started washing the turnips by the water channel with enthusiasm.

Although he's still not good at farm work, he's quite skilled at washing vegetables. It was a strange sight with the sword still at his waist.

---

…Oh, right.

I should tell him about that first.

"I think Albes will tell you, but—"

"Hmm?"

After washing the turnips neatly, Fil was rolling up his sleeves, looking satisfied.

Just to be safe, I looked around.

There were no villagers or Albes in sight.

So, I said, a bit more quietly, feeling relieved.

"Actually, my engagement has been called off."