I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game Chapter 27

After the crispy texture came the fragrant aroma of shepherd’s purse, spreading throughout my mouth.

“Mmm. So gooood.”

After finishing one fritter, Priam picked up a second and asked me,

“Miel, can you cook other plants like this, too?”

“Hm? Yeah, if they’re plants I know.”

“That’s amazing. How did you learn to cook things like this?”

“My grandma taught me. We even used to make flower pancakes!”

“Flower pancakes?”

“When flowers bloomed in spring, we’d pick edible ones, place them on round pieces of dough, and…”

As I explained with animated gestures, the conversation naturally drifted toward stories from my childhood.

Like the time everyone in the village got together to make three hundred heads of kimchi.

Or how, while I was riding my bicycle on a leisurely outing, a chicken ran alongside me at exactly the same speed.

They weren’t particularly remarkable stories, but Priam listened so attentively, his eyes sparkling with interest, that I found myself talking nonstop.

“So I lived in the countryside until I was sixteen.”

“That must’ve been fun…”

Priam, who had been resting his chin in both hands, stared at me for a while before suddenly asking as though he’d just realized something.

“But Miel, aren’t you nineteen now? Why did you only live there until you were sixteen?”

I dipped a fritter deep into the strawberry sauce and answered.

“I suddenly came down with a rare disease. I spent all my time in the hospital from the age of seventeen onward.”

“Oh.”

I answered casually and took another crunchy bite of my fritter.

But after hearing my answer, Priam seemed at a loss for what to say. Eventually, he carefully offered an apology.

“I’m sorry, Miel.”

Siad, who was sitting beside us, glanced back and forth between Priam and me, watching my reaction.

The mood suddenly grew somber, and I was so flustered that I hurriedly waved my hands.

“No, it’s fine! You don’t need to apologize. I had a good time even in the hospital!”

“How long were you in the hospital…?”

“Hmm. From when I was seventeen until… I came here, I guess? I don’t remember how I ended up in Node, but I’ve been perfectly fine ever since I arrived.”

My face and body were exactly the same as before, yet I’d become so healthy that it was as if I’d never been sick in the first place.

Almost like I’d been given an entirely new body.

“I see…”

“So I’m really happy now. I can eat delicious food and go outside as much as I want. And today, I even got to meet up with everyone and eat fritters together! I’m so lucky.”

Siad listened to me with a quiet smile before gently reaching out his hand.

He softly stroked my head, as though praising me. It felt just like petting a little animal, and I couldn’t help smiling.

“Miel…”

Priam murmured while looking down at the table.

“Hmm?”

“You’re really bright and positive. Even after going through something so difficult.”

Embarrassed by the unexpected compliment, I responded playfully.

“Oh, stop it! Just eat more fritters. You can have them all!”

Priam took a small bite of his fritter and chewed thoughtfully. There was something contemplative in his eyes.

Sensing the oddly subdued atmosphere, I silently mouthed a question to Siad.

Did I accidentally say something wrong?

Siad slowly shook his head.

Just then, a quiet murmur escaped Priam’s lips.

“…I’m jealous.”

“Hm? Of what?”

“Your positive attitude…”

“Mine?”

A positive attitude?

Priam was the brightest and most optimistic resident in Node, as far as I was concerned.

Feeling puzzled, I answered,

“I think you’re even more positive than I am, Priam. You’re like a human vitamin!”

“A vitamin…?”

“Oh, like a refreshing fruit! An apple, maybe? I mean, being around you makes people feel happy and energized!”

Priam gave me a faint smile, but it didn’t last long.

“You always see the good in everything.”

As he spoke, he lowered his gaze and murmured softly,

“But I couldn’t do that…”

I wanted to ask him if something had happened, but the atmosphere made it difficult to bring up.

Rather than pry and make him feel even more troubled, I picked out the prettiest shepherd’s purse fritter and placed it on Priam’s plate.

“It’s okay. I’ll like you even when you’re not feeling positive, Priam!”

Priam silently stared at the shepherd’s purse fritter.

I leaned toward his ear and whispered as though sharing a secret.

“I picked the prettiest one for you.”

“…Thank you, Miel.”

A faint smile appeared on Priam’s face, and the shadow hanging over him seemed to lift a little.

 

***

 

After Priam finished his snack and went home, the house became much quieter.

There was still some time before dinner.

“I’m going to take a little walk.”

I left the house. Priam’s words from earlier had been bothering me ever since.

I’d always thought of him as someone who was cheerful and positive no matter what, but apparently, Priam himself didn’t see himself that way.

I’d like to cheer him up somehow. What would make him feel better?

Come to think of it, on our way back from the mountains earlier, some of the villagers had mentioned something.

Apparently, four-leaf clovers sometimes grew in the village fields.

Wouldn’t Priam be happy if I found one and gave it to him as a symbol of good luck?

Once the idea came to me, I immediately put it into action.

When I arrived at the field, I crouched down and began searching thoroughly among the three-leaf clovers.

As I scanned the grass with hawk-like eyes, I noticed two black cats sitting on a nearby rock.

They were beautiful black cats with eyes as blue as the sea.

“Hello, little ones. Have you seen any four-leaf clovers?”

I asked half-jokingly and half-seriously, and both black cats tilted their heads at the same time.

“So cute!”

The exclamation escaped me instinctively, startling the cats so badly that they fled into the grass.

“Ah, I’m sorry…! Come baaaack!”

I called after them pitifully, but the cats had already disappeared and didn’t return.

“Phew.”

I let out a deep sigh and resumed my search for clovers.

“There has to be at least one around here…”

“What are you doing, customer?”

“Eeeek!”

Startled by the sudden voice beside me, I let out another shriek that sounded exactly like a crow.

There was only one person who would show up at a time like this.

Kais.

I spotted him sitting on a large rock not far away.

“W-When did you get here?”

I nearly had a heart attack. I asked while trying to calm my pounding heart.

“Who knows? Maybe an hour ago…?”

His voice was slightly hoarse, as though he’d been taking a nap.

“Anyway, what are you doing over there? Did you lose something, customer?”

“No, not exactly. I’m looking for a four-leaf clover.”

I plucked one of the clovers growing in the field and held it up in front of him.

“You know, one with four leaves instead of three. They’re supposed to be a symbol of good luck!”

“Why are you looking for one?”

“A friend of mine seems a little down, so I thought giving it to him might cheer him up.”

Kais twirled the clover stem around his finger.

“Do you have friends, customer?”

“Of course! I have friends.”

“I can’t imagine Siad being the type to get down easily…”

“I-It’s a secret who it is.”

“Then it must be Priam.”

He figured it out immediately, but I pretended not to hear him and turned back toward the grass.

“If you don’t know, I’ll get back to looking…”

“Want some help?”

“No! Just relax and enjoy your rest.”

I scurried around the field like a chicken, desperately searching for clovers.

“Where on earth could one be…?”

I kept coming up empty-handed. Just then, a familiar presence approached, and a black shoe came to an abrupt stop in front of me.

“Customer.”

“Yes~?”

I answered dutifully without taking my eyes off the grass.

“Isn’t this what you’re looking for?”

I snapped my head up.

The clover in his hand was unmistakably a four-leaf clover.

“That’s it!”

I jumped to my feet, my eyes sparkling as I stared at it.

“Wow! How did you find it?”

“With my eyes.”

“Wowww. I’m jealous. Maybe something good is about to happen to you, Kais.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Anything! Some little bit of good luck is bound to come your way.”

Kais raised an eyebrow.

“That sounds suspiciously like a scam.”

“Oh, come on! Just believe in it. Positive thinking is supposed to attract good lu—”

“I don’t believe in it, so I’ll give it to you, customer.”

“Yay! Thank you!”

I eagerly snatched the good luck that had just fallen into my hands.