I Proposed Because You Were Terminally Ill - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 16

“What do you mean I’m missing something?”

She really had no idea.

Could it be that her comment about not trusting goodwill without a price had rubbed him the wrong way?

Or was he displeased that she had decided Romi’s fate without asking his opinion?

“Why do you think you need to scrimp and save your meager allowance?”

“Pardon?”

“When you have a fiancé with money rotting away from abundance.”

“Pardon me?”

Damia’s eyes widened in surprise, but Cassian immediately turned his gaze to Romi.

“From my investigation, you know very little about the Viscount’s family, as befits a lowly maid. So there’s no reason for them to try to silence you by causing harm.”

“Th-that’s a relief.”

“Since Mother has sent a letter to the Viscount’s household, your safety is as good as guaranteed by the Count Sarkis family.”

Looking much more relieved, Romi nodded repeatedly.

“So there should be no betraying my fiancée under the excuse of feeling threatened for your life.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll definitely serve the young lady well.”

“And…”

Cassian looked at Romi intently. He seemed to be weighing something in his mind.

“I’ll give you exactly twice the amount Drury Soro promised.”

“What?!”

“Young Duke?!”

Damia and Romi exclaimed simultaneously.

“That much… isn’t necessary… Just taking me in is… more than enough… I’m grateful for that.”

As if struggling to contain her rising greed, Romi’s voice trembled slightly.

“Don’t make me say it twice. Just because your suspicions are cleared doesn’t mean I’m pleased with you.”

“Then why…”

“I’m merely respecting my fiancée’s wishes.”

Romi’s eyes darted around. She seemed to think it was wrong but couldn’t readily give up the offer.

Remembering Romi from her past life, who had scooped up gold coins like grains of sand, this reaction wasn’t incomprehensible.

Still, she couldn’t rely on Cassian’s help for everything.

“Young Duke, I appreciate that you want to do anything for me, but this much really isn’t necessary.”

Though he seemed to be trying not to show it, Romi visibly deflated.

“I know you have money rotting away, but wouldn’t it be good to save some? I don’t really like men with no sense of economy.”

“Ha.”

A short chuckle escaped between Cassian’s lips.

“You’re the one who’s slow at calculating, Damia.”

“Why me?”

“It’s cheap for the price of planting someone in this manor who will unconditionally follow my orders.”

Even his face wearing a mocking expression was perfect, which made it all the more irritating.

Just as she was about to protest why he was using Romi as he pleased, Cassian stepped toward Damia.

“Why are you approaching me?”

Instead of answering, he drew close to Damia.

“Above all, when my fiancée wants it…”

“…”

“Is there any reason for someone with limited time to save money?”

The voice that brushed past her ear was far too confident for someone with limited time.

* * *

“You were tending the garden yourself?”

“Yeah. I told you before.”

“I naturally assumed there was a separate gardener!”

There was no way a crumbling manor would have a gardener.

“Anyway, I’m happy you’re calling this a garden.”

Damia pointed to the flower beds and vegetable patches with a proud smile.

She had put quite a bit of effort into it since returning, but it still didn’t look very impressive.

“What did you plant so much of?”

“Lavender and violets, sage, um… what else was there.”

“So this is… um… your hobby, miss?”

Romi looked around in confusion.

Unlike nobles interested in horticulture and landscaping, Damia was growing things that weren’t particularly pretty.

“You’ve been raising these with your own hands getting dirty with soil?”

“That’s right. I told you I needed help.”

“With the shortage of maids, just cleaning the manor seems overwhelming…”

Flowers, herbs, and even unidentifiable weeds. Romi’s eyes moved quickly.

“Miss, this seems rather excessive… oh, no. You saved me, so I should do my best.”

Romi’s eyes became determined.

“What should I start with? Should I pull those weeds that grew randomly over there?”

Rolling up her sleeves, Romi pointed to purple weeds. She looked as combative as if she were going to bring back an enemy general’s head.

“Stop, Romi!”

Startled, Damia blocked her way.

“I’m not trying to dump all this work on you. I meant let’s do it together!”

“What? You’re going to continue doing it too, miss?”

“Yes! And absolutely don’t touch those purple weeds. They’re not just weeds!”

“But if we leave them as they are, they might spread uncontrollably.”

That was exactly what Damia hoped for.

“It’s fine, so don’t worry about those. It’s okay to water them occasionally, but you must never pull them out!”

Romi looked puzzled but didn’t object.

‘Phew, that’s a relief.’

Damia secretly felt relieved.

After proposing the engagement to Cassian with the cure as collateral, Damia had tended to those purple weeds with utmost care.

Actually, they didn’t require much care. The purple weeds grew vigorously on their own like weeds.

‘Why won’t they sprout when taken outside this manor?’

And she had discovered one more fact she hadn’t known in her previous life.

Those purple weeds would quickly wither if touched by anyone other than Damia.

They didn’t simply wither, but dried up completely and crumbled at the slightest touch.

She had realized this by chance thanks to her father, who had suddenly tried to help Damia in this life, pretending to be a caring father.

‘Did Count Fabron already know?’

Not long after their engagement, he had taken the manor from Damia’s father.

The humble baron’s manor was grandly expanded under the name of Count Fabron’s villa.

‘He said he couldn’t stand to see me idle around, so I should at least help with the garden work.’

It was arduous labor unsuitable for a prospective countess. At the time, she thought it was simply spite, but perhaps there had been another reason.

‘He also made me create the cure with my own hands.’

It was unfair treatment and her body was always weary, but Damia at the time wasn’t greatly dissatisfied.

Because she wanted to find her usefulness in anything.

‘Thanks to the hardships then, I can help Cassian a little earlier.’

With just the purple weeds, making the cure was simple.

Crush the freshly picked weeds with a wooden spoon, add dew to the juice, and then…

“Miss! Is there anything else you’d like me to do?”

Romi’s voice broke through Damia’s contemplation.

“Yeah. Since I’ll be checking on it frequently, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Yes.”

Though her response was polite, Romi seemed daunted by the garden work.

“I’m serious. I’m really good at growing plants.”

“Really?”

“Of course. It’s almost at a miraculous level.”

Romi seemed half-convinced, but it wasn’t an exaggeration.

Damia gazed thoughtfully at her fingertips.

No matter how enthusiastic she was, Damia was only thirteen years old. There was no way tremendous stamina could spring from her slender frame.

Yet the reason she had managed to cultivate the vegetable garden and flower beds to this extent was because the plants that received Damia’s touch grew unbelievably well.

They never got eaten by bugs or withered. Even their growth rate was noticeably fast.

It was a talent she hadn’t known about in her previous life. Could there be some secret to these hands?

“I’m also going to make and sell things like ointments, sachets, and oils in the future.”

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yeah. It’ll take quite some time, but I’ll need to hire more servants with that money.”

“Hmm…”

“I’m not joking. If they sell well, I’ll give you a share too.”

“Really? That would be wonderful!”

“Right. Think about how we can sell them well. Share your opinions freely too.”

Romi nodded excitedly. She seemed delighted now that money had been mentioned.

‘It would be great if I had just one more helper like Romi.’

At that moment, a certain possibility crossed Damia’s mind.

“By the way, do you have any siblings?”

“I have an older brother. He’s a bit dim but kind. He’s a mercenary.”

Damia might have been quite lucky. It was exactly the condition she had been hoping for.

“I need someone to help with work until I come of age. Someone who can represent me publicly.”

“I’ll contact him right away!”

Her straightforward nature was refreshing. Damia smiled with satisfaction.

“Miss, the carriage of the ducal family has arrived!”

Due to the butler who came running in a fluster, that smile quickly disappeared.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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