I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I thought this was supposed to be a relaxing farming game.
Episode 23

After mulling it over for a while, I remembered that the man at the Vegetable Patch also sold Fertilizer.
‘I don’t have much choice.’
The Fertilizer here was a bit pricier than at the General Store, but considering the Tool rental time and the buffs, it wasn’t a bad option.
I hurried over to the man standing near the entrance.
“Hello there! Do you happen to sell Fertilizer too?”
The man’s face lit up the moment he saw me.
“Fertilizer? Come this way.”
There was more variety in Fertilizer than I’d expected, but since this was my first harvest, I picked the cheapest kind.
For the price of three bags at the General Store, I could only afford two here.
‘I’ll just think of it as buying time with gold.’
I fumbled for my coins and paid up.
Pleased to have received payment, the man suddenly broke into a chuckle and praised me.
“You’ve got real talent for this farming work, and you’re diligent too. I like it!”
“Haha, thank you so much.”
“You’re covered in dirt, are you? This must be hard work—I’ll carry the Fertilizer to your Vegetable Patch for you.”
The man patted my head roughly as though I were something special, then hefted both bags of Fertilizer with a grunt.
I hurried along behind him.
He let out a low breath.
The man set the Fertilizer down in one corner of my Vegetable Patch, then straightened up and turned to look at me.
“Hmm, this isn’t something I give out to just anyone, you know…….”
With that, he rummaged around in his inner pocket and handed me a Blacksmith Upgrade Coupon.
“When you manage to get your own Tools, go and use this. It’ll let you do one upgrade for free.”
“Wow! Thank you so much!”
My eyes gleamed as I accepted the coupon with both hands and bowed deeply.

Vegetable Patch Resident’s Favorability + 5

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s nice to have a decent visitor now and then. Ha!”
The way he patted my back was so rough that I yelped involuntarily.
Leaving me with a stinging back, he walked away with a light step.
Though the Fertilizer had cost a bit more than I’d like, gaining Favorability and receiving the Blacksmith Upgrade Coupon meant it wasn’t a loss after all.
“Alright……one, two.”
The moment I bent down to lift the bag of Fertilizer, a snowy-white hem brushed the edge of my vision.
“So you’re still here, Miel.”
At the cotton-candy softness of that voice, I stopped and looked up.
A familiar face appeared.
“Siad! What are you doing here?”
“I came to invite you to dinner, but…….”
Siad’s eyes swept over my grimy, dirt-covered appearance.
Compared to his spotless, neat attire, I felt a little self-conscious.
Afraid his clothes might get soiled if I got too close, I stepped back and spoke hurriedly.
“Just let me put away the Fertilizer and I’ll be right there. You go ahead——”
“I’ll take it.”
Before I could even refuse, Siad took one of the Fertilizer bags with a single hand.
I fidgeted nervously as I approached him.
“Really, it’s fine. Your clothes will get all dirty.”
“It’s no trouble. I want to do this.”
Siad moved deftly around the field, scattering the Fertilizer with practiced efficiency. After he finished, he even picked up the Tool I’d borrowed.
“Oh, I should return that myself!”
I hurried after him, but my foot caught on a stone and I stumbled.
“Ah!”
Hearing my cry, Siad rushed over and helped me to my feet.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, yes. That’s all right…….”
“The ground is uneven and dangerous. Please take my hand.”
I started to reach for his outstretched hand, then hesitated.
Even after spreading the Fertilizer, there wasn’t a speck of dirt on Siad’s hands. My own, by contrast, were caked with earth from hours of work.
“It’s fine. I don’t want to get Siad’s hands dirty.”
“That doesn’t matter to me.”
“…….”
Without hesitation, Siad took my hand first.
Watching his back as he walked ahead, I smiled softly and clasped his hand in return.
‘It’s been so long since I’ve walked holding someone’s hand. This feels nice.’
As we made our way home like that, I chattered away about the day’s events before he even asked.
“I think I chose a pretty good Vegetable Patch. I even finished everything I’d planned to do today!”
“If I’d known you’d work so hard, I should have helped you.”
“Oh, don’t say that. It was small enough that I could finish it in a day on my own.”
Now that I’d spread the Fertilizer, all I had to do was monitor the patch’s condition and plant the Seeds.
‘Time flows faster here in the Node, so maybe I could even plant them tomorrow…….’
I covered my mouth and yawned widely.
“Are you tired?”
“A little…….”
As I finished yawning and looked up, my eyes met Siad’s, who was staring intently at my head.
“What is it? Did something get stuck in my hair?”
I reached up to feel my scalp, and Siad asked quietly.
“Did you fall?”
“No? I didn’t fall. Did a leaf get in there or something?”
“Your hair is disheveled. And there’s a bit of dirt in it.”
“Oh, that’s from the Vegetable Patch owner patting my head earlier.”
“……I see?”
“Yes. He was praising me for working so hard.”
When I boasted this proudly to Siad, he let out a small laugh.
“You’re quite good with people, Miel.”
“Well, I’ve always been rather fond of people.”
“Fond of people…….”
Siad echoed my words softly, then gazed at me with an odd expression and asked.
“Does that include me?”
My eyes went wide.
Siad wasn’t the type to ask such silly questions.

Choice
1. Tell him you want to marry him
2. Answer yes
3. Answer no

What’s this about marriage?
I glanced quickly through the options and answered without hesitation.
“Of course. I like you so much, Siad!”
Siad’s pace slowed and faltered.
His face was cast in deep shadow by the streetlight behind him.
“Why do you like me?”
“Pardon?”
The sudden question left my voice trailing off.
There wasn’t a single reason not to like Siad.
‘Why I like him?’
He’d only ever been kind to me—there was genuinely nothing to dislike about him.
Still, since Siad was waiting for an answer, I began to recall all the things I’d been grateful for.
“There are so many reasons…… I’m grateful to you for saving me and bringing me here in the first place. And even when I know so little, you never seem annoyed—you’re always kind enough to teach me. You pay such careful attention to whether anything’s wrong with me.’
Even setting aside the bond I’d built with Siad through the Game, the consideration I’d received during these few days in the Node was more than enough.
“Today, when I said I wanted to farm, you even went and found me a book to read. You could speak casually with me, but you always address me with such courtesy—and that makes me feel respected, which I like.”
As I laid out my reasons one by one, Siad fell silent for a long time.
“You’ve been…… observing me quite carefully, it seems.”
He finally broke the silence.
“Is that so? It caught my eye quite naturally.”
“…Thank you.”
Something about Siad’s measured response felt different from his usual demeanor.
I stepped closer and asked with concern.
“Did something happen?”
His expression was unusually grave, and I found myself wondering if he’d overheard something unkind about himself somewhere.
“Nothing has occurred.”
“Are you certain? Did someone perhaps say they didn’t think much of you, or—”
As I faltered through the question, he gazed down at me quietly before a faint smile crossed his lips.
“I was merely curious about your reasons. I apologize for causing you concern with an unnecessary question.”
Siad turned his head away, as if he had no wish to elaborate further, and fixed his gaze straight ahead.

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