[Potato Seed: 20 Days (Early Stage)]
Zinnia stroked the leaves that had begun to sprout from the potato seeds she’d planted; she couldn’t wait to dig them up and harvest them.
Zinnia took a slow, deep breath.
“I have to be patient; it’ll still be a while before I can harvest them.”
Besides, Zinnia had been feeling restless lately, even though her days seemed calm and uneventful.
It was just that because her days felt too smooth and no problems had arisen, Zinnia found herself feeling uneasy.
As someone who had awakened in the body of a Villainess, Zinnia was used to facing numerous problems in her life.
That’s why, when everything went smoothly just as she wanted, Zinnia felt like something was wrong.
“Miss, why are you daydreaming like that? You’ll break the leaf if you keep gripping it like that,” Anna said, furrowing her brow in confusion.
“Huh?” Zinnia blinked briefly.
She immediately understood what Anna meant when she saw how tightly she was gripping the plant’s leaf.
In an instant, Zinnia pulled her hand away with a horrified expression; she hadn’t expected to hurt her plants.
“Oh my gosh! What have I done!” Zinnia hurriedly stroked the leaf gently.
“You don’t seem like yourself today, Miss. It’s as if you’re deep in thought; is something bothering you?” Anna walked closer to Zinnia.
Zinnia let out a soft sigh; it was hard for her to stay calm in a situation like this, even though she should be enjoying these peaceful, soothing days.
“I don’t know. I’m not used to this peaceful atmosphere. I just can’t help but feel restless,” Zinnia replied softly, looking up at the blue sky above her.
A gentle breeze blew, causing Zinnia to close her eyes for a moment, then slowly open them again.
As for Anna, she wasn’t used to seeing Zinnia like this; she knew that her young mistress had changed.
But Anna still couldn’t fully accept that change, especially when she saw Zinnia standing before her, one who seemed cautious even as she took a step.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you like this, Miss. I think you should enjoy these peaceful days while we still can,” Anna replied with a warm smile that was rarely seen.
For a moment, Zinnia was lost in thought upon hearing Anna’s words, especially seeing Anna smiling at her.
“Maybe you’re right; I guess I need to relax more.” Zinnia then gave a faint smile and glanced around her.
Now, Count Vermillion’s Manor was vastly different from when Zinnia first arrived here.
The front yard, which used to be overgrown with weeds and looked like a graveyard, was now much cleaner and beginning to fill with Zinnia’s plants. This story is hosted at g.com.
The Manor, which had once looked like a haunted house, now looked like the luxurious estate of a noble family once again.
Zinnia’s smile grew wider as she realized this wasn’t the time for her to worry; now she could see how the changes she’d brought about were affecting her surroundings.
“I hope you’ll continue to stay by my side, Anna. Thank you,” said Zinnia with a sincere smile, then she walked away to tend to the other seeds she was sowing.
Meanwhile, Anna stood silently in place, watching Zinnia’s back as she slowly walked away from her.
The corners of Anna’s lips curved upward in a soft chuckle, and she slowly followed Zinnia with small steps.
“I didn’t expect you to say something like that, Miss.”
“Huh? What’s wrong with what I said?!”
The two of them began arguing with each other again as usual, and the atmosphere around Count Vermillion’s Manor seemed to come alive with a vitality that had long been missing there.
.
.
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When Zinnia thought her unease would disappear the next day, she was sorely mistaken; the uneasy feeling only grew stronger in her heart.
Especially when Zinnia saw Cassian walking away from the Manor that morning; she even unconsciously reached out to stop him.
“What’s wrong? Do you need something from me?” Cassian furrowed his brow in surprise when he saw Zinnia’s hand holding him back.
As if startled by what she had done, Zinnia quickly let go of Cassian’s arm.
“Hmm… that…” Zinnia’s eyes looked unfocused at that moment.
“I’ll go then,” Cassian replied.
And once again, Zinnia grabbed his arm, forcing Cassian to stop in his tracks… again.
“Oh, my God! What do you want from me anyway?” Cassian was starting to get annoyed now, as evident from his rising tone.
Zinnia let out a soft sigh before finally voicing what was on her mind.
“Do you believe in a fox’s intuition?” Zinnia looked straight at Cassian.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Cassian still didn’t understand what Zinnia was trying to tell him.
“For the past few days, I’ve had a bad feeling, but so far nothing bad has happened. It’s just that…” Zinnia fidgeted nervously with her fingers.
Seeing that Zinnia wasn’t joking like she usually did, Cassian fell silent for a moment.
“I understand.” Without saying much, Cassian nodded before turning to leave.
In silence, without moving an inch from where she stood, Zinnia watched Cassian walk away.
Zinnia’s gaze didn’t waver from his back as it slowly disappeared from her field of vision.
“I hope everything turns out okay.” Zinnia clutched her shirt tightly.
Zinnia looked up at the sky; unlike usual, clouds had gathered, blocking the sunlight and making the atmosphere feel overcast.
As if to confirm Zinnia’s fears, she clenched her teeth tightly, trying to hold back the growing sense of foreboding.
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.
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The sound of rain began to fall outside the Manor; Zinnia was pacing back and forth in front of the large window overlooking the Manor’s courtyard.
Biting the tip of her finger, Zinnia walked restlessly.
Her nightgown swayed impatiently with her quick steps.
“Damn it. Did something really happen?” Zinnia couldn’t help but dwell on the worst-case scenario right now.
“It’s not that late yet, Miss. Maybe Cassian got caught in the rain, which is why he’s a little late.” Anna tried to calm Zinnia down.
“Are you sure the rain could stop that crazy bastard?” Zinnia shot Anna a skeptical glance.
Anna remained silent; for someone like Cassian, rain wouldn’t stop him in his tracks.
As if nature wanted to torment Zinnia even more, the rain outside grew heavier, as though the gods were angry and pouring seawater from the sky.
Zinnia grew even more anxious when the sound of thunder began to rumble; her body jolted at the roar of lightning striking outside.
With a blanket in her hands, Anna immediately draped it over Zinnia’s shoulders and pulled her away from the window.
“Go rest in your room, Miss. I’ll wait here for him to come home,” Anna said; she was quite concerned for Zinnia’s safety right now.
“No. I’m staying here,” Zinnia replied stubbornly.
Anna had no choice but to comply with Zinnia’s request because she knew just how stubborn her young mistress could be once she set her mind on something.
In the end, the two of them spent the night on the living room sofa waiting for Cassian to return, before they unconsciously fell asleep while waiting.
Until a knock on the Manor’s door woke Zinnia; the knock sounded faint, and the intervals between the knocks grew longer as time went on.