CHAPTER 77: THREATS (1)

From the outside, the small bamboo house looked perfectly ordinary, just a knee-high wooden fence surrounding it, with a few plots of herbs growing in front.

But the moment a tall, broad-shouldered man with pointed ears stepped through the low gate, the scene shifted entirely.

Two rattan lounge chairs sat in the front of the house, separated by a small wooden table and shaded by the roof’s eaves. Beside the herb plots—lush with a variety of colors and scents—stood a miniature version of the house itself.

The bamboo house had three new extensions jutting out, one with a door that could be accessed directly from outside. In front of that room sat woodworking tools and a half-finished crib.

Before the man reached the knob, the front door swung open to reveal a beautiful young man with black hair and a noticeably rounded belly.

"You didn’t wait for my mom, Fian?" Gara asked, walking carefully toward the Noxfloris plant while holding a porcelain jar.

The elf shook his head in response. His silence wasn’t rudeness; it was simply that he couldn’t speak, or perhaps just didn’t want to yet.

Only when Gara had poured the jar’s liquid into the Noxfloris did Fian finally exhale in relief and slip back inside.

Three months had passed, and Gara was still faithfully conducting his experiments, mostly because it was the only thing he could do now.

His belly had grown far too quickly, forcing him to avoid the villagers. He only left the house at night to water herbs in the field, accompanied by Fian and Rea, whose sharp hearing made her an excellent lookout.

They covered his absence by spreading the story that he had gone to town on a Liner mission.

The field Wina managed had also been reduced to just a third of its original size; the rest was rented out to villagers.

There were more important and profitable matters to attend to now, their Merchant House.

In only three months, they had earned an impressive profit, thanks to Tristan’s connections that opened doors to the market.

Also, their herbal products were remarkably effective, which made them quickly popular. The name ’Herbal Merchant House’ began to stick, and for now they used it for all transactions.

Even with their growing wealth, daily life in the house didn’t change much. That was thanks to Wina, who had always given Gara the best she could, whether now or before.

Gara sighed as he looked at the Noxfloris trap, which was turning yellow.

"Failed again," he muttered, disappointment heavy in his voice.

For months, he had been trying to remove the toxin hidden within his painkiller concoction. He had even ordered every type of antidote available on the market.

After examining them, he found that the ingredients he recognized were all common and didn’t have anti-toxin properties.

As for the other ingredients, there was a chance they contained it, but it’s very unlikely. What truly made them effective, he suspected, was the Talent of the person who crafted them.

Just like his Talent.

"Does this world really have no true poison neutralizer?" He ruffled his hair in frustration before letting his hand fall to his stomach, rubbing it gently—a new habit to calm himself.

He was six months along now, yet his belly looked larger than it should. Wina, who had once cared for Lady Vita through her pregnancy with Gara, was deeply alarmed, fearing something unnatural was happening.

With Tristan’s help, they found a trusted healer to check on Gara. He would send that healer so Gara didn’t have to come to town.

Stepping back inside, Gara’s gaze drifted to the shelves lined with white porcelain jars. Now that some of his experimental herb products had proven marketable,

he’d begun taking his research far more seriously, replacing the old earthenware cups and jars with porcelain ones.

It was an easy upgrade, thanks to their capable House Merchant’s manager.

After rinsing out a jar containing yet another failed anti-toxin concoction, Gara headed to his room to rest.

By late afternoon, Fian and Wina set off together for the herb field, leaving Gara behind to water the plants in the yard. A gentle spray fell from his palm like a natural sprinkler, coating each leaf with glistening droplets.

In the field, even for Wina and Fian, fieldwork didn’t take long these days.

"Go on ahead, Fian," Wina said, crouching to inspect several herbs nearly ready for harvest. Fian nodded then left.

Before they had spread the story about Gara leaving for a Liner mission, the villagers had constantly asked Wina to share Gara’s enchanted watere.

Especially since they saw with their own eyes that her plots grew faster, healthier, and far more lush than the rest, over time, envy had begun to stir among the villagers.

With Gara gone from sight, things had calmed down somewhat.

Unfortunately, one particular man refused to leave her alone.

"Wina..." A man in his mid-thirties, about 170 centimeters tall, approached with a woven box the size of his palm.

"I just got back from town. Brought you some sweets," Albin said, smiling with confidence.

Wina’s brows drew together. "I’ve told you, I won’t accept anything from you."

"No need to be shy. Gara is in the town. And that elf will leave one day too. When you’re all alone, who else will look after you if not me?"

"My answer is still the same and it will never change. My son is coming to pick me up to go to the city, so stop this." Her cold tone and stiff expression seemed to bounce right off him, as if he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—understand.

"You’ve been alone long enough, Wina. It’s time you had your own happiness." Albin’s hand brushed hers, only for her to yank it away so sharply he staggered.

The box tumbled to the ground, spilling pastries across the dirt.

When he looked up again, his gaze was darker. "I’ve had enough of you playing hard to get. I’ve been nice to you all this time, but if you don’t want kindness... then I’ll be rough."

...