Chapter 96

To me, the time after evening…

It’s usually spent finishing up leftover tasks or communing with Suri, enjoying a leisurely nighttime stroll, or going fishing.

A veritable feast of personal time.

I also think about the next day’s schedule,

contemplate matters of this world in the cool night air,

and ponder how to best carry out the plans I’ve made.

This is my time for reflection and deliberation.

“Minho.”

“Hmm?”

“I just called out.”

There shouldn’t be any fun in it, yet Anne grins mischievously, her eyes curling into half-moons—a flirtatiousness reminiscent of the fox-like figure I encountered in the early days.

Could a gumiho who lures people look like this when transformed into human form, smirking with that sly grin?

“Tonight, the atmosphere feels unusually gentle.”

“Huh?”

“Heehee. That’s a good thing.”

After evening…

As the sun sets and the chill settles gently over the house, it’s rare for me to sit inside the warm home, chatting softly—an uncommon event in my usual evening routine.

The future is uncertain.

Perhaps from now on, this could become an everyday occurrence.

“Isn’t the flower shop far?”

“Huh?”

“There’s plenty of unused space at our farm.”

Maybe I’ve been influenced by Anne’s fox-like antics.

Instead of saying directly, “I’ll help you move next to the flower shop,”

or “I’ll build you a new flower shop,”

I find myself dancing around the topic.

If this is her influence, then so be it.

“Will you help with moving once the site is ready?”

As she leans on me, resting her chin, Anne beams with a bright smile.

Starting this way, I can feel the creeping certainty that I cannot lose—whether it’s pride or simply my heart leaning towards her.

“After we prepare the site?”

“Look at this! Minho has changed. You used to just say ‘Okay’ and leave it at that.”

“Did I?”

“Hmph. I don’t mind anything. Now or before… it doesn’t matter.”

About moving the flower shop.

Not only that, but I’ve also considered building Evangelin’s cooking shop.

Though it would depend on whether Evangelin wants it.

When imagining a shared future living near the house, utilizing the empty spaces seemed like a good idea.

A place where fairies might stay.

A playground for Jack.

A fence to protect the farm.

Such things.

Of course, priority lies in what they desire.

Even if it isn’t cooking or gardening, it doesn’t matter.

There’s ample room to invest in hobbies.

While earning money isn’t solely for this reason, isn’t this why I earn it?

From this perspective, I can’t help but applaud my past self for installing mods.

Thinking back, without UI or bags, my growth speed would have been slower than a snail, likely reaching mid-level skills only around now.

At that point, labor might finally feel worthwhile,

with a satisfied smile clearly visible.

Nowadays, with such leisure and plenty of gold,

the chances of meeting diverse connections are significantly higher.

Back then, spending all day mining, logging, farming, and fishing wouldn’t leave much room for meeting people or doing other things.

Looking at it differently, aren’t mods the divine creations of users playing games?

Especially when viewed as adding content and shaping the world—it’s not wrong to consider them divine works.

Gods create worlds.

Their followers expand and refine these worlds.

Isn’t this similar in religious and fantastical terms?

Although some gamers complain mods are unfair or harm the original game,

if those critics were here, I believe they’d all become mod enthusiasts.

Human hearts are like reeds—experiencing something changes them easily.

Growing through the convenience mods provide,

I don’t feel ashamed about it.

Rather, I’m relieved to have quickly shaken off the struggles of the pre-mod era.

Continuing such musings, Evangelin approaches with clattering steps.

Carrying a white plate adorned with beautifully crafted sweets.

“Here’s a dessert I tried making.”

“Woah!”

A sweet aroma.

Soft and nutty fragrance.

Rich brownies, soft and moist, alongside perfectly caramelized crème brûlée.

It was the arrival of desserts to sweeten the end of the day.

Looking at it, Evangelin seems to possess remarkable talent in cooking alone.

Without the conveniences of the internet, creating such dishes skillfully defies explanation beyond innate talent.

Of course, she spends spare time experimenting with recipes.

This makes me want more.

A kind of boast, perhaps.

I want everyone to know, “Our Evangelin cooks so well.”

That’s where the idea of opening a cooking shop began.

It differs slightly from Anne’s flower shop.

Less about attention to detail and more about aligning with individual preferences and satisfying my own desires.

“Tastes great!”

Anne closes her eyes, savoring the dessert.

Watching her, it becomes clear that her role is to give the biggest reactions and make the creator feel accomplished.

Her joyful liveliness spreads energy throughout the house.

“Have more.”

“Okay!”

Seeing her happily eat dessert fills me with satisfaction.

Beside her, I break a piece of brownie with a fork and take a bite.

Its moist richness fully proves the dessert’s perfection.

With increased cooking levels, not only has my skill improved but also my palate.

Recently, nothing satisfies this discerning taste quite like Evangelin’s cooking.

Well,

considering my lifestyle rarely involves eating other foods.

“The sugar is almost gone.”

“I’ll get more by tomorrow.”

“Always appreciate it.”

In the past, Evangelin felt burdened mentioning depleted ingredients.

I took responsibility for all practice materials and ingredients needed for her to perform at her best.

Explaining that reciprocating with better meals was what I wanted led her to freely list missing ingredients thereafter.

Thanks to this, every day is happy.

We aren’t so poor that cooking ingredients are burdensome.

This sense of fulfillment is why we earn and invest gold.

Isn’t this the proper use of money?

“Do you need anything else?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

“Hmm.”

Anne stops mid-dessert to stare intently at me.

Meeting her gaze head-on, she smiles faintly.

“Looking at this, there’s no real change, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“No, never mind.”

Shaking her head, she breaks the crème brûlée and feeds it to me.

“Aaah~”

I obediently accept.

She claps her hands lightly in delight.

This side of Anne contrasts sharply with Evangelin.

Opposite charms.

The calm, composed, elegant beauty of Evangelin.

The lively, occasionally enchanting charm of Anne.

It’s surprising how they’re close friends, and even more surprising that the three of us sit together like this.

By my standards,

this setup feels uniquely Korean,

something hard to imagine in 21st-century Earth’s Korea.

Somewhere in the Middle East might allow it,

but here, since it happens frequently, it’s not considered strange.

Especially since becoming a noble,

I’ve stopped showing surprise altogether, naturally forming this picture.

It would have been difficult for my early self to face.

Now, I’ve grown accustomed to it.

In that sense, haven’t I adapted quickly to this world?

“Who wants to go on a night walk? Evangelin and I are going.”

“Huh?”

“Are you coming?”

Grinning cheekily, Anne winks at Evangelin.

Evangelin smiles subtly, readily agreeing.

“Maybe. We should digest anyway.”

“Right, right. Then we’ll need someone to watch over us, won’t we?”

Then she looks at me with a flirtatious gleam.

Though I intended to join anyway, refusing now would seem odd.

“Suri?”

“Pii!”

“Ready to go?”

For the first time in a while, she gently places her claws on my right shoulder.

The firm yet careful touch is surprisingly refreshing.

“Let’s go!”

“Shh. Jack’s sleeping, so let’s be quiet.”

Evangelin presses her finger to her lips with a wink.

It’s oddly fatalistic.

Surrounded by squishy spirits,

Jack snores peacefully.

Always reluctant to part with the spirits, seeing him nestled in their embrace asleep now,

he must be dreaming sweet dreams.

His antennae drooping,

eyes closed, Jack sleeps quietly alongside the spirits.

Leaving them behind, we set out briefly for a night stroll.

Stepping outside, the crisp chill hits immediately.

Compared to the tail-end of summer, the weather is refreshingly cooler.

Transitioning from a season drenched in sweat to one that cools it away.

As always, autumn’s refreshing breeze is undoubtedly the best of the four seasons.

“It feels great.”

Stretching luxuriously, Anne lets out a satisfied hum.

Her shirt rides up, revealing prominent curves.

“Come to think of it, I sometimes met Minho at night.”

It was during fishing.

Memories of sitting by the lake, stubbornly sticking around to earn gold resurface vividly.

“That’s right.”

“You came too?”

“Occasionally.”

“Oh~ I see?”

Anne’s mischievous upturned eyes appear devilish.

Is Evangelin pretending not to notice?

Or does she genuinely think it’s nothing?

The night walk is brief.

As twilight fades and guided by the small magical glow I discovered,

we talk about the lantern Evangelin gave me and show that I still have it.

Her radiant expression wasn’t due to the lantern alone.

Under the rising moonlight, we return to bed.

The sensation is novel.

An unfamiliar softness and ticklishness envelop the bedding.

Whispered voices accompany me into slumber.

It was a fine evening.

The system doesn’t greet me.

Waking without dreams is strangely unfamiliar to me.

Yet, it’s somewhat pleasant.

Being able to wake up naturally without artificial intervention feels nice.

Morning comes courtesy of the spirits.

They usually do this.

Gathering at my feet, jostling each other,

their squishiness seems to vie for attention.

Thus, I rise, finding motivation to truly start the day.

“Are you awake…?”

In a muffled voice, Evangelin speaks beneath the half-dropped blanket.

“You can sleep a bit more if you want.”

“No, I need to eat breakfast to gain strength before working.”

Such thoughtful care warms even the chilly autumn morning.

Anne sleeps soundly.

It’s early, so there’s no need to wake her.

They say beauty comes from plenty of sleep.

Is that why Anne is beautiful?

Jack has already risen, staring blankly at the spirits.

Does he enjoy it that much?

“Can you help with the move today?”

“Of course. Naturally.”

“Thank you.”

Today’s tasks are roughly decided.

Help Evangelin move.

And help Anne move as well, I suppose.

Though I didn’t explicitly say it,

I can already envision the outcome.

And someday,

beyond mere living,

progressing to a deeper relationship will inevitably come up.

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