The Circumstances of Being Chosen as the Villainess’s Favorite - Chapter 209

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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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Special Side Story 22
That night.
After the long carriage journey, Irene had fallen completely asleep.
Evangeline and Endymion sat beside her, speaking in hushed tones.
“Everyone treated Endymion so warmly.”
“Did they?”
Usually, when someone of Crown Prince status appears, people keep their distance, watching from afar with formal reserve.
But everyone approached Endymion directly, speaking to him with genuine affection.
“The villagers… they truly love you. That’s what I felt.”
“Why are you suddenly praising me like this?”
“I’m not praising you. It’s the truth.”
Evangeline spoke with a serious expression.
Of course she trusted the Crown Prince.
He had come all this way to solve this problem for them.
Her eyes, fixed on Endymion, shone with absolute trust.
And as she looked at him, Evangeline found herself understanding why people trusted and followed him so devotedly.
Moreover, the Crown Prince’s Domain was in excellent condition.
The library was pristinely maintained, the parks were beautiful, and the medical system was well-organized.
And now, with her own eyes, she could witness firsthand how well her husband governed the Estate.
“I’m truly proud of you. It’s not easy to be loved so deeply by your people.”
“Is that so?”
For a moment, Endymion gazed intently at Evangeline.
Then his eyes curved into crescents.
“But I want to be loved most by you.”
With those words, Endymion pressed his lips to Evangeline’s cheek with a soft sound.
The rain of kisses grew steadily more passionate.
Irene, who would normally have squirmed between her parents crying “Me too, me too!”, was still fast asleep.
So the two of them could fully savor their sweet time alone together.
* * *
The next day.
The Crown Prince and his consort went directly to the Herbal Field.
The workers in the Herbal Field greeted the three with delighted faces.
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
“Good morning to you.”
The workers each removed their hats and bowed respectfully.
But before Endymion could even acknowledge them, one figure had already stepped forward.
It was the young princess, Irene.
“Hello, hello!!”
Her small, delicate hands waved vigorously with enthusiasm.
At this adorable sight, the workers couldn’t help but smile warmly.
“Good morning, Princess.”
“Morning! You too, good morning!”
“We shall show you to the Herbal Field.”
The Herbal Field was situated in a spacious area carved out of a mountainside.
Upon seeing it, Irene’s eyes widened in wonder.
“Wow, it’s all green!”
As far as the eye could see, everything swayed in shades of green.
The Herbal Field stretched so vast that, with just a little exaggeration, it resembled a sea.
Irene, who had been clutching her father’s hand tightly, suddenly let go and toddled off toward the field.
At the sight of the beloved young princess moving about in her unsteady way, everyone’s expression grew soft and tender.
But there was one problem.
“Oops!”
She stumbled and fell flat.
“Irene!”
Alarmed, people rushed toward her.
But Irene quickly lifted her head and cried out loudly.
“I’m fine!”
Rather than cry, she sprang to her feet at once, brushing the dirt from her knees with her small maple-leaf-like hands.
Her spirited behavior was absolutely endearing.
“Um, Your Highness.”
Unable to resist the child’s adorable appearance, one of the administrators who had accompanied them carefully offered Irene a piece of candy.
“Would you care for some candy?”
“Candy?!”
Irene snatched the candy eagerly, her eyes crinkling in delight.
“Yes! Irene’s candy!”
The administrator caught his breath.
He found himself exhaling sharply without meaning to.
Her brilliant smile revealed perfectly aligned teeth, white as grains of rice.
Her eyes curved like crescents.
That radiant smile was impossibly endearing.
“Oh, no, of course.”
The administrator pressed a hand to his chest, responding in a hushed, breathless voice.
Endymion, who had been observing the scene, spoke warmly.
“Irene, you should say thank you.”
“Thank youuu!”
Irene made a deep bow and immediately tried to unwrap the candy.
But no matter how much she fumbled with it using her small fingers, the wrapper simply refused to give.
“It won’t come off……”
“Here, let me.”
Endymion took the candy from Irene and unwrapped it for her instead.
With both cheeks puffed out from the candy, Irene suddenly jumped to her feet.
“I want to go see Mama!”
She bolted toward Evangeline, who stood at a distance.
Endymion watched her departing figure with a smile, then turned back to the administrator.
“So what’s the condition of the Herbal Field?”
“On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be anything seriously wrong. However, we’ve been hearing persistent reports that the medicinal potency of the herbs has been weak.”
“Weak potency?”
“Yes. To be honest, I’m not sure of the cause. We’ve been cultivating them the same way all along.”
Behind the serious conversation between Father and the administrator,
Irene made her way to her mother’s side.
Evangeline crouched before the Herbal Field, parasol in hand, peering down at the herbs.
Irene suddenly thrust her face forward.
“Mama!”
“Oh, Irene.”
Evangeline smiled warmly.
Irene tilted her head curiously.
“Are the plants hurt?”
“Yes, that’s why I came to help them get better.”
“I see…… Can Irene help too?”
Irene bent at the waist and blew a gentle breath onto the plants.
As she did, the herbs rustled, and beneath the lushly grown leaves, something became faintly visible.
At the same moment, Evangeline’s eyes widened slightly.
“Wait—what’s this?”
Evangeline brushed aside the verdant leaves without a care for the soil that clung to her fingertips.
Leaves yellowed at their edges came into view.
“Mama, these leaves look strange.”
“Hmm, they do.”
It seemed the soil was lacking in nutrients……
Evangeline’s head snapped up as she posed a question.
“Has this Herbal Field ever been left fallow?”
“No, that’s not the case.”
“So you’ve been continuously cultivating herbs in this field?”
“That’s correct. Normally we harvest once a year, but recently we’ve been harvesting twice a year to meet demand.”
“I see. And fertilizer?”
The administrator’s expression grew troubled at the question.
“The Retna Herb has a rather delicate nature…… it’s difficult to apply fertilizer recklessly.”
Evangeline’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Now that she thought about it, there was something she’d heard from the gardener long ago when she was learning horticulture while tending roses.
When a soil loses too many nutrients or its internal composition fails to maintain proper balance, this kind of condition appears.
And the remedy for such a situation is, precisely.
“What if we planted beans or clover?”
“Pardon? Beans or clover?”
The Administrator turned to Evangeline with a bewildered expression.
Evangeline nodded and continued her explanation in a measured tone.
“Yes, by growing clover we can restore the soil fertility.”
Green Manure—a technique of cultivating the earth itself.
Certain plants possess the ability to enrich the soil as they grow in it.
Beans and their relatives are prime examples, as are clovers.
“Before planting the medicinal herbs, sow beans or clover first. Don’t let them grow too wild—when they’ve reached a reasonable size, plow them back into the earth. That way they’ll decompose more readily.”
“……Is there truly such a method?”
The Administrator’s eyes widened in astonishment, and Endymion’s did the same.
“There is. You could use fertilizer, of course, but if you want to restore soil fertility over the long term, this approach is superior. It will reduce pests and disease as well.”
Evangeline spoke on as though she’d been waiting for this moment.
“And it’s safer to wait two or three weeks. The plants buried in the soil need sufficient time to decompose fully, so the herbs you plant afterward will have ideal conditions for their roots to spread.”
“Ah, yes.”
The Administrator, overwhelmed by her words, hastily nodded in agreement.
But she wasn’t finished yet.
“The other matter is that harvesting the herbs twice depletes the soil fertility more rapidly. Since it will take considerable time to sow fresh seeds and cultivate them again, let’s attempt this once and observe whether it proves effective. So…….”
As Evangeline rambled on, she suddenly grew self-conscious.
And well she might, for Irene was watching her with bright, gleaming eyes.
“Mother, you’re so clever!”

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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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