Having been practically chased out of the cottage by Becky, Joel approached the mule, Jack, who was resting in the shade of a tree.
As Joel sat down beside him, the mule gave him a sidelong glance before closing his eyes again, focusing entirely on enjoying the sunlight.
Joel spent the entire afternoon watching Becky and Rob work with a somewhat sullen gaze.
By late afternoon, the siblings had finished the basic cleanup of the house and began sorting through the debris of the collapsed barn to separate usable farm tools from junk.
Hovering nearby out of curiosity, Joel spotted a fishing rod and picked it up.
“Becky, Rob, look at this. A fishing rod. This one looks perfectly fine.”
“So it does. Please place it on the left, Master,” Becky said nonchalantly as she neatly folded old sacks.
Joel grabbed her arm and pointed toward the river flowing a short distance away.
“Becky, I have nothing to do anyway, so why don’t I go catch some fish with this?”
“No, it’s too dangerous.”
Becky immediately dropped the sacks and moved to stop him.
Seeing that stern look in her eyes, Joel flinched, momentarily reminded of the way Robert used to scold him back at Lord Bennett’s estate whenever he caused trouble.
However, his dejection was short-lived. Unable to let go of the idea, he wheedled, “…Then I’ll just go with Jack.”
As Joel continued to whine, Becky reluctantly relented.
“Fine, but the sun will set soon, so return within two hours at the latest. And take your dagger just in case.”
Jack the mule, who had been watching the scene unfold, stood up with a look of extreme annoyance.
No one—not even Jack—expected Joel to actually succeed, but Joel climbed onto the mule’s back, full of dreams of catching a massive fish to feed the siblings.
On his way to the river, Joel felt a bit uneasy, as if his and Becky’s roles had been reversed, but he dismissed the thought and focused on steering the mule.
By some stroke of blind luck, not long after casting his line, Joel hooked a fish as thick as a man’s thigh.
It looked large enough to feed all three of them.
Thrilled, Joel rode the mule back to the cottage.
When Joel returned less than thirty minutes later, Becky began to shake her head, assuming he had given up, but her eyes widened in shock when Joel triumphantly presented the bucket containing the fish.
Because they had to organize the scattered belongings, it was late at night before they could finally sit at the table.
While Becky grilled the fish she had prepared, basting it with herbs and butter, Joel took the white bread Lord Bennett had given him out of his bag and set it on the table.
Though they couldn’t spread a cloth over the old table Rob had repaired, the combination of the crackling fireplace and the grilled fish created a feast that looked quite respectable.
The white bread was large enough for the three of them to eat their fill.
Nevertheless, Joel decided to give the white bread to the siblings who had worked hard all day, while he ate the flat rye bread he had received from a farmhouse.
When Joel cut the white wheat bread in half and placed it on Becky and Rob’s plates, a startled Becky waved her hands.
“Master, it is improper for you to give us white bread. We are grateful enough for rye bread.”
“I’ve eaten so much white bread that I’m tired of it. Don’t worry and take it. Today is a historic day; we must celebrate.”
White bread was a luxury reserved for nobles.
At Joel’s urging, Becky and Rob hesitantly tasted the bread, exchanging looks of wonder at its soft, fluffy texture.
Joel grandly promised the children—who were so hesitant they barely tore off small pieces—that once they reached the Kingdom of Palain, he would make sure they ate white bread every single day.
Watching the children eat with a sense of pride, Joel suddenly felt a warm sensation seep into his chest.
It was hope for a new life.
Joel realized anew just how harsh and miserable his previous, hopeless life had been.
If hope felt this sweet and fulfilling, he felt as though he could even overcome his longing for the Crown Prince.
Of course, it would take a very long time, but the important thing was the feeling that he could eventually forget him. Joel wore a slightly sad smile.
“…So, Master, I think we should save the ham and rye bread for the time being. Also, I’m thinking of eating only half the peas and oats you have and planting the rest. What do you think?”
“We won’t be staying here that long, will we? You’re going to farm?”
“We don’t know when the border alert in the North will be lifted. Since we have a field, it’s better to plant crops in case our stay here ends up being longer than expected.”
“Ah…”
Continuing their meal, Joel and Becky exchanged more detailed opinions on how they should live for the next two months.
Becky seemed deeper and more meticulous than Joel, even though he was six years her senior.
While he found her reliable, Joel felt a bit dejected that he wasn’t acting much like a proper master.
In contrast to Joel’s worries, Becky felt a deep fondness for him.
Becky knew she was smart, but until now, she had never had that fact acknowledged by anyone except her younger brother.
Her parents, the people at the church, and those at the Lord’s Manor had always ignored her or been offended that a young girl had corrected them.
Compared to the foolish adults of Versa, her new master, Robert, possessed a generous, unprejudiced, and sophisticated attitude.
To her, such a noble character was proof that he was someone of high standing.
Becky was certain that Robert must have been a great nobleman who once led many followers.
“Alright, Becky. Let’s do as you say. The oats and peas are in my bag, so take as much as you need.”
“Thank you for your permission. Oh, it would be great if we could plant potatoes too…”
As Becky expressed her regret about forgetting to bring potatoes when they fled Versa, Joel muttered with a disgusted face, “Ah, potatoes…”
Those damned potatoes.
Now, just the thought of them made his appetite vanish.
Seeing as he had even experienced morning sickness at the smell of them, he was certain the baby in his belly hated potatoes as well.
Though he wasn’t in a position to be picky, Joel’s small wish was that they would never have to rely on potatoes as a staple food.
After finishing the meal, Joel took out the jar of preserved peaches he had been saving.
He placed one slice on his own plate and gave three slices each to Becky and Rob.
Then, he took the last remaining slice and headed to the window.
“Jack! Come here!”
When he called the mule resting in the yard, Jack stood up and approached with a languid face.
Joel held out the peach to the blinking mule.
“You’ve worked really hard. And I’m sorry for calling you an idiot before.”
Since he had saved Joel from John and pulled the wagon all that way, Jack the mule deserved this peach.
In his heart, Joel wanted to give the mule his own slice as well, but he couldn’t, as that portion belonged to the baby in his belly, not himself.
As a connoisseur of fine food, Jack did not refuse the peach.
Joel gently stroked the bridge of the mule’s nose while he savored the flavor.
He had been exhausted from wandering in the wagon, and the sense of relief at finally having a warm, safe shelter was indescribable.
Joel made tea with the leftover honey from the jar and shared it with the siblings, talking long into the night.
Rob and Becky’s eyes sparkled as Joel told them stories of the capital and the Imperial Palace.
“I wish every day could be like today,” Becky murmured happily.
There were no step-siblings to torment her, and no need for an unwanted marriage.
Joel smiled and agreed, saying, “I know.”
But when Rob asked, “Master Robert, should we just live here instead of crossing the border?”, Joel immediately turned serious.
“No, we can’t. If we do, we might end up living on nothing but potatoes.”
The mere thought of a life consisting only of potatoes made him shudder.
Once they reached the Kingdom of Palain, he could lead a noble life with a substantial salary; why on earth would he give up that prosperous future to stay here and eat potatoes?
When Joel reacted with excessive distaste, Rob tried to smooth over the situation.
“Ahaha, it was just a joke. Actually, I’ve always wanted to visit the Kingdom of Palain. For the border to open, that Omega young master who was supposed to be the Crown Princess needs to be found soon…”
‘That Omega young master needs to be found soon?’
Was there ever a more cursed thing to say?
Joel almost snapped, “What kind of nonsense is that!” but he managed to keep his mouth shut, narrowly avoiding revealing his true identity.
