At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 279

“Of course. In theory, at least.”

Lugarmel’s face blushed as he gave a wide smile.

“That’s how everything works. The principles and phenomena always exist, they’re simply given different names depending on who makes use of them. Just as medicine can become poison, and poison can become medicine.”

Drawing Jiwoo’s hand toward himself, he gently rubbed it against his cheek before pressing a reverent kiss to the back of her hand, almost as though he were worshipping something sacred.

“You’ve always been a remedy to someone. But depending on how you choose to use your power, I’m certain it could also become a poison.”

“…Really?”

“Absolutely.”

Jiwoo knew he was saying this because he cared about her, and truthfully, it was exactly the kind of possibility she hoped existed.

His proposal was thoughtful and his manner was warm.

“So, darling, if you’re willing, shall we explore that possibility together?”

… Why did that make a chill run down her spine? She had no reason to refuse. In fact, it was exactly what she wanted. So why did it feel strangely unsettling?

“What do you think?”

“Ah, yes. I think that sounds like a good…”

Before she could finish agreeing.

Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on the laboratory door.

“Someone’s here…”

“Darling.”

As Jiwoo instinctively tried to withdraw her hand, an astonishing grip suddenly closed around it.

“Darling, you can ignore them.”

He wasn’t squeezing hard enough to hurt. Yet no matter how she tried, she couldn’t pull free. It was as though her hand had been caught inside a stone sculpture shaped like a human palm.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Whoever stood outside proved surprisingly persistent.

“Oh, honestly…”

Reluctantly, Lugarmel finally released her hand.

The visitor was Solmih.

Apparently he hadn’t known Jiwoo was inside, because he looked mildly surprised when he saw her.

Their discussion with Lugarmel had to be postponed for the time being, and Jiwoo followed Solmih outside. Their destination was a nearby strawberry patch, a small garden cultivated on the outskirts of the village.

The path leading there had been built especially for her. Since Jiwoo loved walking, her husbands had created a proper woodland trail just for her.

In spring, fresh greenery awakened beneath the warm sunlight, and as the seasons progressed, flowering shrubs lining the path blossomed into every imaginable color.

This year, though, there seemed to be noticeably more flowers than last year. Their fragrance was much stronger, too.

She had already noticed it while collecting honey. The entire village seemed to be blooming more profusely than ever before. Perhaps that was why so many brilliantly colored butterflies fluttered among the blossoms.

Every season in El Ragneil was beautiful. Still, summer remained Jiwoo’s favorite. The warm, vibrant sunlight, the scent of damp earth and the chorus of insects hidden in the grass.

Watching waves of green sway in the breeze always made her feel as though the world itself welcomed her. That was why she so often walked barefoot through the fields.

If the flowers were already this magnificent, how beautiful would summer be this year?

As Jiwoo wandered along the path, admiring the scenery around her, Solmih glanced over and asked.

“What brought you to see Lugarmel?”

“There were a few things I wanted to learn about Akarna’s power.”

“Ah…”

Solmih slowly shifted his gaze toward Lugarmel, who was following several paces behind them. Faced with the silent question, Lugarmel merely shrugged.

“El wished to understand herself a little better.”

That wasn’t exactly how Jiwoo had put it. In fact, it was closer to what she’d only been thinking to herself. Yet somehow, Lugarmel had understood her intentions with remarkable accuracy.

Jiwoo had often felt that the older members of the village could see right through her. However, Lugarmel seemed uncannily perceptive.

Interestingly, though, while he spoke to Jiwoo with playful affection, his tone toward Solmih was much more matter-of-fact.

“Did everything go well?”

“Yes. We talked about it for a while, and Mel was very helpful.”

“I see.”

“Hahaha!”

Solmih merely nodded, apparently satisfied with that explanation. Lugarmel, meanwhile, continued laughing as though he couldn’t have been happier.

Before long, they arrived at the small strawberry patch. Spring harvests were never especially plentiful, so only a modest plot had been planted.

Jiwoo picked a strawberry from the basket and took the first bite.

“…”

She froze.

“This… why does it taste like this?”

“I suspected something was wrong this year, but it’s even worse than I expected.”

Apparently it wasn’t only the honey harvest that had been ruined. The strawberries taste less like fruit than like bitter radishes. No, even that comparison was too generous. They were dry, flavorless, and oddly unpleasant.

Since every fruit, vegetable, and drink Jiwoo had ever tasted in El Ragneil had been wonderfully delicious, the disappointment hit even harder. Both Solmih and Lugarmel sampled one as well.

“I suppose it’s somewhat disappointing.”

Somewhat? It was far worse than that.

“…These taste even worse than the food I ate at the Temple.”

“That’s quite the devastating comparison.”

“Mmm. I think they’re perfectly acceptable.”

…Apparently Lugarmel was the type who would eat just about anything.

“Is this because the environment changed too? The honey we collected the other day tasted different too.”

“It is.”

Ellandos was a tree that gradually reshaped its surroundings into an environment best suited for itself.

The reason crops grew so abundantly and tasted so good here was simply because the conditions favored by Ellandos happened to be ideal for them as well.