The Fake Wife of the Strongest Husband Wants to Survive - Chapter 16

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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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Chapter 16
With that thought, suggesting to Owen that they bring in Iceberg instead of Hoban felt far less burdensome.
Mentioning it to the lord on behalf of the medical staff and territory residents minding the sickbed was hardly a difficult thing to do.
“But what am I going to do about this?”
Pesha was just sinking back into her worries when it happened.
Someone knocked on the door.
Since it was late, Pesha assumed it was Bri coming back for something she’d forgotten.
She opened the door readily and spoke.
“Bri, did you forget something? Oh—”
She’d opened the door thinking of the maid’s face—they were of similar height—only to gasp as an enormous shadow fell across the threshold.
Looking up, she found a strikingly handsome man with bold features and sharp lines staring down at her with pitch-black eyes.
“Lord… Owen?”
Flustered, Pesha called out his name, and Owen opened his mouth.
“May I come inside?”
“I beg your pardon?”
My room? Why? She wanted to ask that first, but standing an arriving guest outside the door would be impolite, so she reluctantly stepped aside.
“Of course… Please, come in.”
He stepped inside in traveling clothes, as though he’d only recently returned from an outing, and surveyed the room with a sweeping glance.
The room had improved from its initial bare state, thanks to the luggage she’d unpacked from the Raidel Duchy.
“So… what brings you here?”
As Pesha asked, Owen’s gaze shifted from the room back to her.
Perhaps because he was a naturally taciturn man with little expression, his rigid face revealed nothing of his thoughts.
“Forgive the late hour. On my way back from an inspection, I received a strange report.”
He explained the reason for his sudden visit, then went straight to the point.
“I heard an unidentified liquid has been distributed to the Emergency Medical Clinic.”
“Ah…”
For a moment, her words caught.
So she’d been discovered before she could explain.
What now…? She still hadn’t found a way to reduce costs.
Panic flared, but she quickly gathered herself.
Any hesitant response would only deepen his suspicions.
‘I haven’t done anything wrong, have I? Get yourself together, Pesha.’
With that thought, she steadied her mind.
Pesha replied with an air of perfect innocence, looking quite aggrieved.
“An unidentified liquid? That’s too much. It’s tea—herbal tea, to be precise.”
“Then you can tell me what herbs are in it.”
“It’s herbal tea brewed with medicinal plants. Herbal tea is what I’d call it.”
“Medicinal plants?”
Owen’s brow furrowed.
Even that small frown added gravitas to a man who already commanded considerable presence.
“What medicinal plants.”
Pesha felt tension rising and swallowed hard before answering.
“The fake rose my steward brought in turned out to have medicinal applications. Though it’s only a pain reliever, I thought it had some use, so I made it into tea and distributed it.”
“The Emergency Medical Clinic lacks pain relievers? I was under the impression they’re being supplied in adequate quantities.”
Now came the moment. From here on, she had to choose her words carefully.
“You mean the Hoban, don’t you? I know of that plant too. While it’s not fatal to humans, it’s classified as a poisonous plant.”
“A poisonous plant?”
Owen’s face darkened. When Hoban was first brought in, he’d never heard it described as such.
Pesha read his thoughts and nodded.
“Don’t be alarmed. Not all poisonous plants have lethal properties, and the seller wouldn’t have disclosed that detail—medicine doesn’t exist with only benefits, after all. Hoban, for instance, causes nausea and hives alongside its analgesic effect, so they probably just emphasized the pain-relieving aspect when introducing it.”
“….”
“But Hoban’s pain-relieving effect is only temporary, and considering the side effects, it’s not a particularly efficient medicine.”
Owen’s expression hardened further.
“In contrast, the flower my steward brought in—Iceberg—has a superior pain-relieving effect without adverse side effects, making it a suitable alternative.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? That herbal liquid has been in circulation at the clinic for quite some time, I’m told.”
“It’s because obtaining a steady supply proved difficult. Iceberg is a wildflower that grows in the Northern Region. The distance from north to here is considerable, so you know better than I do how much the transportation fees and transit taxes would accumulate by the time it arrives here—it would likely exceed the current budget for Hoban. Without a solution to that problem… I couldn’t confidently present it as an alternative.”
He listened to Pesha’s words in silent thought.
He seemed to be considering various approaches and calculating their feasibility, but there appeared to be no straightforward solution.
“There are methods—one could send someone to the Northern Region to negotiate a direct contract with growers, bypassing middlemen, or arrange transport directly.”
“But…”
If only it were that simple. But it wasn’t—not by a long shot. They would need people, and it would take time. Since she couldn’t bear to dampen his hopes with such reservations, she let her reply trail off listlessly, but Owen picked up the thread.
“If I look into it, more methods will surface, and they don’t have to be perfect solutions either. That’s my job, after all.”
There was something self-reassuring in his tone. Though it hardly seemed possible.
When Pesha’s expression showed no sign of brightening, he continued with firmer conviction.
“I’ll look into whether we can bring seeds in through other shipments. They grew well in the Earl’s Castle Garden, so they shouldn’t die easily.”
Something flickered across Pesha’s mind at those words.
“That’s it.”
Pesha’s head snapped up, her eyes bright, and Owen’s expression grew oddly uncertain.
“……Shouldn’t die easily?”
“No, what you just said—the Earl’s Castle Garden!”
“The garden, why——”
“We should grow the Iceberg there! We can’t cultivate it on other land because of the contamination, but it survived in those flower beds here!”
Owen’s eyes widened slightly as he watched Pesha, her face alight with sudden enthusiasm.
She began laying out the method she’d just conceived.
“If there’s nowhere suitable within Swaf Territory to grow it, then we cultivate it in the Earl’s Castle Garden. Seeds are light when imported, take up little space, and slash transportation costs dramatically. And once the beds are properly established, they’ll be self-sufficient, won’t they? So we purchase only what we need immediately, and in the long term, we transform the Earl’s Castle Garden into an Iceberg garden. It’s perfect!”
“You’re suggesting we turn the castle gardens into a pain reliever field right now?”
As Owen asked, Pesha, who had been chattering away with excitement, cautiously glanced at him.
“Is that……not possible?”
“I have no objection to what’s planted—pain reliever or otherwise. But I’ve heard that a garden’s appearance is a matter of honor among noblewomen.”
That was true enough.
Since visiting guests first glimpsed a residence’s garden upon arrival, how well it was maintained reflected the lady of the house’s refinement and grace.
‘But what of that?’
If they could free the territory’s people from suffering and grant them even a moment’s peace, wouldn’t growing radishes or cabbages serve just as well as Iceberg?
Moreover, from the perspective of receiving guests, the castle’s problems weren’t limited to the garden alone—meals and repairs took far greater priority than horticultural displays.
“There’s no issue. Iceberg resembles a rose, after all. White roses symbolize purity, peace, and love—they’re favored in many gardens.”
Pesha answered matter-of-factly, and after a moment’s consideration, Owen finally spoke.
“Do as you see fit.”
With permission granted, Pesha’s face lit up in a brilliant smile.
“It’ll work out beautifully, I’m sure of it.”
Just as well. Unlike roses, which were vulnerable to pests and disease, Iceberg was hardy and relatively undemanding to cultivate.
‘Though this won’t heal old wounds—it’s not a fundamental solution.’
Still, she deserved at least a day to savor the quiet joy of accomplishment.

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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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