The Seed Thief

Vol. 2 Chapter 5.6

He rushed out just in case but it was really Prince Ervandas. Although his attire was plainer than a peasant in a rural village, his demeanor distinctly set him apart from others.

Even his gait exuded elegance and neatness. The Deputy Lord led Ervandas inside, recalling his high reputation as a knight. Once inside, Ervandas naturally took a seat at the Deputy Lord’s desk and no one voiced any objections. After all, Ervandas had the authority to govern this entire region.

There was no slightest hesitation in his attitude, like a man who deserves to be at the top.

Seated at the desk, Ervandas took a clean paper and a pen and began to write a letter. Soon, he placed two sheets of paper into separate envelopes and handed them to the Deputy Lord.

“This one is for Isolto Castle, and this one is for the royal palace.”

“Understood. Do you have any further orders, Your Highness?”

“For now, I want to wash up and rest. And…”

As Ervandas became lost in thought, the Deputy Lord anxiously awaited his words.

Ervandas had a reputation for ruthlessly suppressing the rebellion. During that time, he had been conducting investigations throughout the territories under the guise of a nomad. And undoubtedly, he had uncovered remnants of the rebel forces or places that required further scrutiny.

While the Deputy Lord worried about whether to issue a deployment order to the stationed knights, Ervandas broke his silence.

“Where can I find the women’s tailor shop in this city?”

* * *

Lulu sat on the steps of her house, watching the slowly fading sun. The orange sunset painted the sky beautifully before turning into various colors. As she gazed upon the vibrant tapestry of the clear, expansive sky, her eyes noticed a distant evening star.

Grrr—

Hearing her stomach growling, Lulu slowly got up and headed to the kitchen. She pulled the cloth covering a plate and found a pile of well-boiled potatoes underneath.

Lulu reached for one, intending to eat it, but then recalled Er’s words to enjoy it with the simmering stew. She approached the countertop and opened a pot, revealing a generous portion of tomato stew, simmered with various ingredients. Scooping some onto her plate, she carefully tasted it with a spoon.

After a few gulps, Lulu weakly lowered the spoon.

“Tasteless.”

It couldn’t be. The potatoes were the finest, carefully selected, and perfectly boiled by Er. The stew, too, simmered with an abundance of summer vegetables freshly harvested from the field, along with the recently caught pigeon meat.

She had seen Er glued to the kitchen all day yesterday, meticulously seasoning and investing more time than usual in cooking. It was unbelievable that it wouldn’t taste good.

Lulu glanced around. The evening mealtime held the greatest delight for her. It was the time when she and Er would return from washing up, engage in conversations, and savor the fruits that they had gathered and prepared throughout the day.

Lulu immediately put the half-eaten potato into the basket and carried the plate to the sink. In the past, she would have left them be, but now she washed them with water and organized them. It would make tomorrow a bit more manageable.

For Lulu, who used to live one day at a time, preparing for tomorrow made a significant change to her life. Thinking about tomorrow, a month from now, and the upcoming winter—all those moments were shared with Er.