I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game Chapter 14

With the fruit basket tucked under one arm, I turned the doorknob, and the wooden door creaked open.

“I’m home…”

As soon as I stepped inside, Siad, who was in the kitchen, turned to look at me.

“Welcome back.”

It had been such a long time since I’d come home to someone greeting me.

I looked at Siad, feeling a little choked up.

“Did everything go well while you were out?”

As I watched Siad gently ask how I was doing, my troubled heart eased a little.

“Yes. I’m back.”

I gave him a faint smile and placed the fruit basket on the kitchen table.

“Did you buy some fruit?”

“Oh, no. This was a gift… Priam gave it to me.”

“You met Priam.”

“Yes. Let’s share it, Siad.”

“It’s nice to see you getting along with the villagers.”

“Yes…”

Trying not to reveal how downhearted I was, I naturally avoided his gaze.

“Are you hungry? I’ve just taken a meat pie out of the oven.”

“Oh, I’ll eat later…”

Grrr—

Before I could even finish refusing, my stomach let out a loud growl.

I pressed my lips tightly together. My face flushed with embarrassment.

I resented my stomach for not understanding that I wanted to be alone.

“Pies taste best when they’re freshly baked. Would you mind if I cut you just one slice?”

Unable to resist Siad’s consideration as he acted as though nothing had happened, I sat down in a chair.

“Yes, thank you…”

Siad placed the meat pie he’d taken out of the oven on the dining table.

Its golden-brown crust looked incredibly appetizing.

“Wow.”

My mouth began to water on its own.

Forgetting my gloomy mood, I leaned toward the pie and sniffed it.

The rich, buttery aroma of the pastry mingled with the savory scent of meat and spices.

“It’s hot.”

Siad’s hand moved in front of my nose, blocking my view.

I looked up at him with eyes full of anticipation.

“It smells delicious!”

Seeing my reaction, Siad smiled faintly and raised the knife in his hand.

“I hope it lives up to your expectations.”

The sight of him holding a knife seemed rather incongruous with his angelic appearance, but he certainly looked skilled.

When Siad pushed the knife deep into the edge of the pie, the crisp crust broke apart with a crunchy sound.

Rich sauce trickled out through the cut.

He placed a generous slice of pie on a plate and slid it toward me.

“I’ll enjoy the meal, Siad! You cut me such a huge piece.”

I clapped my hands in delight at the sight of the mouthwatering dish.

“It was only just taken out of the oven, so it will be hot. Please be careful.”

“Yes!”

I eagerly picked up my fork.

I think the last time I ate meat pie was when Mom made it for me at seven.

After I fell ill, I’d only been able to eat thin white rice porridge. Being able to enjoy something like this again with a healthy body made the experience all the more special.

The moment I pressed my fork into the pie, the crispy crust broke apart easily.

I scooped up a generous amount of the thick, rich sauce with the pastry and took a huge bite.

“Mmm!”

It was a taste that awakened the joy of eating delicious food, a pleasure I’d long forgotten.

Feeling happy, I kicked my feet excitedly beneath the table.

“It seems to suit your taste.”

Sitting across from me, Siad ate his own pie while watching my reaction.

I nodded vigorously, covering my mouth with one hand.

“It’s sho delishioush.”

The buttery, flaky pastry, the savory sauce, the richly braised beef, and the tender vegetables…

It was a perfect combination.

In a state of bliss, I kept cutting off pieces of the warm pie with my fork and popping them into my mouth.

My enthusiastic reaction seemed to put Siad in a good mood, too.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Please have another slice.”

“Uh, but…”

I looked back and forth between the pie and Siad, torn.

As though he’d read my mind, Siad kindly encouraged me.

“Actually, I made this pie to repay you for last night’s dinner.”

After hearing that, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.

“In that case, I’ll gratefully accept another slice…”

Before I could finish speaking, Siad had already cut another piece and placed it on my plate.

After that, I eagerly accepted every additional slice he offered.

“I know I’m supposed to be polite and refuse, but it’s so delicious that I just can’t.”

Siad’s Affection +5

Siad had finished his own slice long ago and set down his fork. Now, he was simply watching me eat.

“There’s no need to refuse. It makes me happy to see you enjoying your food.”

Maybe working so hard had whetted my appetite, or maybe I was just overly excited to be eating something delicious for the first time in ages.

“I’m full…”

I’d eaten almost half of the meat pie by myself, even though it had been baked large enough to yield about eight slices.

Glancing at the nearly empty plate, I discreetly checked Siad’s expression.

“I ate way too much by myself.”

“I’ll store the remaining pie in the refrigerator, so you can have some whenever you like.”

And just as he always did, the endlessly kind Siad let me have the leftovers without making me feel guilty about eating too much.

An angel…

I was wiping my mouth with a tissue when I suddenly paused.

Looking at Siad reminded me of another resident who was just as kind.

“You don’t seem to be in a very good mood.”

“Ah.”

“Did something happen?”

It was getting difficult to brush the matter aside.

“Well, actually, earlier today…”

After hesitating for a moment, I told Siad what had happened.

How I’d accidentally run into Priam, how he’d given me a basket of fruit as an apology, and how I’d been so happy that I’d hugged him.

“Of course, I let go right away, but Priam reacted so badly. When I apologized, he told me it was okay, but he didn’t look okay at all…”

Siad listened quietly as he covered the remaining pie with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator.

“So that’s why you seemed so down.”

I flinched.

“Was it… that obvious?”

I’d made a conscious effort to act cheerful around Siad.

“Actually, I saw you coming back through the kitchen window while I was baking the pie.”

“What?!”

“You looked as though you didn’t have an ounce of energy left in your legs.”

“Oh…”

“But from what you’ve told me, it seems things worked out reasonably well. Is it still bothering you?”

Siad’s question weighed heavily on my heart.

“Well, I did it without thinking, but I think I hurt Priam… I’m upset because I ruined our first meeting.”

After seeing how seriously Siad was listening, I belatedly realized something and forced myself to relax my expression.

“Ah, but eating meat pie with you has already cheered me up. I’m not feeling so gloomy anymore.”

I answered brightly. And it was true.

He’d gone to the trouble of making such delicious food for me, and I’d feel terrible if I made him worry about this, too.

“So I’ll think carefully about what to do about this! What about you, Siad? How was your day?”

“Much the same as usual.”

“Oh, come on! I don’t know anything about your usual routine, Siad. I’m curious about how you spend your days, too…”

When I spoke in a disappointed voice, Siad thought for a moment before calmly answering.

“I went to check on the fields in the morning. After returning, I brewed a few potions, cleaned up around the area, and then… baked the meat pie. As you can see.”

Siad gestured toward the plate we’d emptied.

As soon as I heard him, I looked at him in surprise.

“The fields? You are farming yourself, on top of working as a healer?”

“Nothing on a particularly grand scale. I simply tend to the vegetables I use myself and the medicinal herbs needed to prepare potions.”

“Medicinal herbs… Next time you go to your herb garden, I’d love to come along!”

I looked up at Siad with eager eyes, silently praying that he’d say yes.

Fortunately, the kindhearted man readily agreed to show me around whenever I wanted.

“I plan to visit again tomorrow. If you have time, I’ll show you around myself.”

“Great! We absolutely have to go together! You can’t leave without me.”

“Of course.”

On the surface, I’d made it seem as though I simply wanted to see his herb garden, but my real intentions were quite different.