Lin Ge made it... Lin Ge made it...

She'd actually eaten something that man had made.

She'd sworn a deadly oath... Oh, heavens, why? Why... Why are you so cruel, making her break her vow?

Huh?!

You mean the fish by the river?

What river fish? Some stray cat or dog that came out of nowhere must've stolen and eaten it. She has no idea what happened.

“Um... Lady Alice, are you all right?”

Alice had been muttering to herself for quite some time, and Rosetti grew worried and approached to ask.

“I'm fine. What could possibly be wrong with me?”

Alice looked up, eyes wide and the corners of her lips lifted as she tried her best to look perfectly fine.

Little did she know, that only made her look like something was very wrong...

“These potatoes and sweet potatoes are staples of the Beastfolk. You know that, right, Lady Alice?”

Seeing that Alice didn't seem likely to snap out of it anytime soon, Rosetti went ahead and said what Lin Ge hadn't mentioned that afternoon.

“Mm, I know.”

Alice nodded.

To lead her territory and help it prosper, Alice had worked hard to study all kinds of things.

She knew a fair amount about the dietary preferences of each of the seven races still in existence.

Root vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes were specialties of the Beastfolk.

Supposedly, they were the Beastfolk's staple food because they grew quickly, produced high yields, and kept well.

If the Beastfolk weren't on bad terms with them and so strict about exports, Alice wouldn't have even laid eyes on any.

Otherwise, she'd have bought some ages ago to satisfy her cravings—no, to try growing them.

With yields that high, crops like these would be in huge demand anywhere in this war-torn age.

And now they were right in front of her, all because she'd gotten to see something made by a man she couldn't stand...

Something like that, something like that...

—It really rubbed her the wrong way.

“Lady Alice?!”

When Alice didn't respond for a long time, Rosetti asked worriedly.

Alice didn't answer right away. After a pause, she finally said:

“Let's call it a day. I'm a little tired.”

“All right.”

Rosetti nodded. It was clear that something was on Alice's mind—or that she simply couldn't accept it just yet.

Rosetti tactfully withdrew. Before she left, though, she handed Alice the report on how to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Lying in bed, Alice gave the report on how to grow them one last, halfhearted read before going to sleep.

As she read, she realized that a few of the plans she'd thought couldn't be carried out for lack of funds might actually work.

This should've been something to celebrate... So why did Alice feel as though something was pressing down on her chest, leaving her unable to breathe...?

What was it?

Jealousy?

Hostility?

Or perhaps... approval?

She'd thought about all of these possibilities, but none of them felt quite right... After all, even now, she still hated that man's guts...

That much, she was absolutely sure of.

And it would never change...

...

...

A week had passed since the Beastfolk envoy delivered the potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Over the course of that week, Alice repeatedly reviewed and revised the public-opinion survey and planting manual she'd received. At last, she put a farming reform policy into effect.

She promoted ways to prepare potatoes and sweet potatoes, then offered tax cuts to people who grew them. Once the public had accepted the idea, they took to this new crop in no time.

Quite a few people were still uncertain, but what good was all that uncertainty in the face of lower taxes?

They'd all come around in the end, hadn't they?

The public-opinion survey had also led Alice to assign some people to manage the lake not far from the territory.

Most bodies of water near Bota City fell under the Merfolk's jurisdiction.

But it was only a lake. Surely it wouldn't cause any trouble.

More importantly, the lake was some distance from the Merfolk's main base.

It shouldn't cause any problems... right?

Probably.

Well, one way or another, after a week of hard work, the territory was finally beginning to show signs of progress.

Given time, every household would be able to enjoy a warm, delicious meal every day.

That wasn't just Alice's hope anymore. It was what the people of all Bota City wanted, too.

They'd seen how hard Alice had been working these past few days.

When the results finally showed, they should officially recognize her, shouldn't they?

By now, half the goal should've been reached. Alice ought to be able to relax and feel happy.

But every time she saw that public-opinion survey at work, she couldn't help feeling conflicted...

So what was that man, after all? An idiot? Or a moron?

Alice couldn't figure it out.

Lately, she'd seen sides of him that were anything but ordinary, as well as his lazy, infuriating side...

Alice couldn't understand what Lin Ge was thinking.

For a moment, Alice felt as though Lin Ge existed in a world far removed from hers... Everything about him was impossible to figure out, impossible to see through...

In the midst of this confusion, which even Alice herself couldn't make sense of, the arrival of this letter became a turning point.

“Are you sure this came from Count DeWitt?”

In the lord's office, Alice looked at the letter on the desk, marked with Count DeWitt's insignia, and asked.

Her tone was rather forceful.

“Yes, I'm sure.”

Rosetti nodded. She'd received the letter herself from a messenger at Count DeWitt's manor, and before showing it to Alice, she'd already had Lin Ge confirm it.

There was no doubt it was genuine.

“If it's not fake, then that's strange...” Alice picked up the letter and murmured in puzzlement. “It's true that a man married into another family is supposed to return for a visit, but the wedding isn't for several more months... There shouldn't be any reason to send this now. And...”

“It just happens to arrive right after the conflict with the Beastfolk,” Rosetti added. “Is it a coincidence, or was it deliberate...? And if it was deliberate, what are they after...?”

“It's not like they're really inviting us over for a return-visit tea, is it?” Alice said with a self-deprecating smile as she opened the envelope. “We're just minor nobles from the countryside. We're not even on their radar... Hm?! What's this...?”

“Lady Alice?!”

The moment Alice saw the contents of the letter, something changed in her eyes.

Rosetti hurried over, worried, and read the letter with her. Then... her expression changed, too.

“What do you think?”

After reading the letter, Alice asked with a grave expression.

“Well... we can only go. The letter clearly says they want us to come together...”

Rosetti thought it over before replying.

“That's true.”

Alice nodded in agreement.

Then, after a moment of silence, they opened their mouths at almost exactly the same time and spoke in unison:

“I'll leave the territory in your hands for now, Rose.”

“I'll leave the territory in your hands for now, Lady Alice.”

“...”

“Huh?!”