“I’m warning you, after this, I don’t want anyone else to know I’m here,” Cassian hissed sharply.
He still had Zinnia’s hands twisted behind her back, holding her tightly.
“Cassian! Remember that you owe me your life! Let me go right now!” Zinnia gritted her teeth, holding back her raging anger.
Zinnia hadn’t expected Cassian to go this far, even though she’d only meant well by trying to heal his severe wounds.
“As long as you understand what I mean!” Cassian insisted.
“Ugh! Fine!” Zinnia had no choice but to agree to Cassian’s demand.
Immediately afterward, Cassian released his grip on Zinnia’s arm.
This caused Zinnia to wince in pain as she rubbed her aching arm.
“I worked so hard to convince that old woman to examine you. Besides, she’s a native of Greenmarch; you don’t need to worry about her,” Zinnia explained, pouting in annoyance.
Cassian remained silent, clutching his stomach; he took a step back as his breathing grew labored.
Realizing something was wrong with Cassian, Zinnia tried to reach out to help him back to the bed.
But Cassian instead brushed aside Zinnia’s arm as she tried to assist him.
For a moment, Zinnia was stunned by Cassian’s cold reaction; she didn’t get angry and chose to stay silent because she could see cold sweat beginning to form on his forehead.
“Get some rest. I won’t bother you anymore.” Zinnia finally gave in and left Cassian alone for the time being.
In silence, Cassian stared at Zinnia’s slender back as she walked away from his room.
Breathing heavily and feeling pain in his stomach, Cassian slowly dragged his feet back to the bed.
Cassian muttered softly and indistinctly while staring blankly at the closed door.
Meanwhile, Zinnia, who had left Cassian’s room, walked briskly with her hands on her hips.
“Ugh! Why did he react like that? It just made the atmosphere awkward,” Zinnia muttered, still pouting in a huff.
.
.
.
Count Vermillion’s manor, which was usually quiet, was now bustling with activity since early morning.
Zinnia had returned to her usual routine after previously only being able to start her work in the afternoon or evening.
Dressed in her farmer’s attire, Zinnia carried a small watering can to water her seeds, which had already begun to sprout.
[Potato Seed: Sprout (3 days)]
[Carrot Seed: Sprout (3 days)]
“Look, my precious seeds have sprouted,” Zinnia said, beaming.
Her heart beat faster with anticipation as she watched the seeds she’d tended begin to sprout.
“Mama will wait until you’re stronger before moving you to the ground. Grow strong and brave, my little ones.” As she sprayed the seeds with water, Zinnia looked happy.
“It looks like I’ll have to start making a schedule, considering these seeds need time to grow,” Zinnia continued, glancing at the still-messy front yard of her manor.
Zinnia’s ear twitched slightly when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her.
When she turned her head, she saw Anna.
“Are you going to the town square?” Zinnia asked curiously.
“Yes, I’m trying to find a job,” Anna replied, nodding slightly.
“Huh? A job? Don’t we have enough money?” To be honest, Zinnia was surprised to hear that.
“We still have the money the Count gave us. But we can’t rely on it entirely,” Anna replied.
Zinnia was shocked to hear Anna’s words; it felt as if reality had slapped her in the face.
To live independently and develop Greenmarch, Zinnia couldn’t keep relying on Count Vermillion.
Given that Vermillion County was on the empire’s eastern border, Zinnia was certain her father needed a lot of money to keep their territory safe.
Unconsciously, Zinnia clenched her fists, but she couldn’t retort to Anna’s words because she knew they were true.
“Then please help me. I’ll help you raise money for our livelihood right away,” Zinnia finally replied, setting aside her surging pride.
“Oh! You don’t have to do that, Miss!” Anna hadn’t expected Zinnia to react that way.
Anna didn’t mean to make her young mistress feel inferior about her choice because she knew that, as Zinnia’s maid, she had to ensure her mistress lived without worrying about hardships.
Zinnia merely gave a faint smile, then let Anna go to the town square.
That day, Zinnia tended to her fields with her mind full of thoughts.
.
.
.
Unbeknownst to Zinnia, Cassian was watching her from the large window of the manor that looked out onto the grounds.
At first, Cassian had only intended to check on the situation outside the manor.
But somehow, his gaze kept returning to Zinnia.
“My hunch was right. That woman really is Zinnia Vermillion, but what is she doing in a remote area like this?” Cassian still couldn’t wrap his head around Zinnia’s presence in Greenmarch.
“Did she cause trouble in the capital that forced her to hide out here?” A wild thought crossed Cassian’s mind.
No matter how Cassian thought about it, it just didn’t make sense to imagine Zinnia Vermillion in a remote village like this.
“And besides… does she really intend to farm?” The furrow on Cassian’s brow deepened as he watched Zinnia tending to the manor’s front yard.
From cutting the weeds to plowing the soil, it looked incredibly hard.
Cassian never thought he’d see this sight, especially from Zinnia Vermillion, who was the subject of so many bad rumors. This story is hosted at g.com.
All day long, Cassian kept an eye on Zinnia’s every move, unconsciously wanting to confirm what he was seeing.
Since Cassian didn’t believe that Zinnia Vermillion had actually gone to Greenmarch to farm, there must be another reason why that spoiled young lady was here.
“Huh? Is she really enduring the scorching sun to tend to the land?” Cassian stood there dumbfounded as the sky slowly grew darker.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cassian could see sweat beading on Zinnia’s face as she tirelessly tended to her plot with patience and meticulous care.
Even though her expression remained furrowed, as if she were harboring many thoughts within her mind.
Every time Cassian tried to look away from Zinnia, a few moments later his eyes would find their way back to her.
.
.
.
“So, did you find a job?” Zinnia glanced at Anna as they gathered for dinner.
“Sure, though the pay isn’t great. Besides…” Anna set down her utensils.
“Hm?” Zinnia tilted her head curiously when she heard a pause in Anna’s words.
“The village chief said earlier that he wants to meet with you in a few days because there’s something he wants to discuss,” Anna explained.
“The village chief? That bald old man?” Zinnia thought for a moment, recalling that a bald old man had greeted her when she arrived in Greenmarch.
Anna nodded slowly.
Meanwhile, Cassian, who was also there, quietly listened to the conversation, though he didn’t say anything in response.
“What exactly does he want to tell me?” Zinnia began to wonder curiously.
“It seems to be about the water in the river.”
Hearing that, Zinnia stopped what she was doing, her eyes narrowing sharply.
“It seems this problem has gotten way too bad. I have to act immediately to resolve this,” Zinnia replied seriously.
“What’s going on with the river? It seems like a serious problem,” Cassian finally spoke up.
Zinnia and Anna slowly shifted their focus toward Cassian.
Under their gaze, Cassian looked slightly tense.
“What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?” Cassian asked, confused.
Then, Zinnia shook her head and replied, “The water in this village has been contaminated.”
Cassian, who had previously seemed awkward and indifferent, now fell silent, his face turned into disbelief.
For a moment, Zinnia could see his pupils tremble.