At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 178

At any rate, since they couldn’t outright tell her not to go, they skirted around it by mentioning the common negative traits of the sea creatures or by saying the weather was still bad.

‘If this also looks cute… I’m really in trouble now…’

Jiwoo didn’t want to hurt their feelings, and she didn’t want to dig deeper into the way they were trying to be subtle.

After a bit of thought, Jiwoo found a response.

“It’s just work. I’ve already received the compensation in advance. I’ll have to visit the beach now so we can play there later, when you all can come with me. If it’s better to go in the summer, we can do that.”

“Ah…!”

“I see.”

Only then did her husbands smile, clearly satisfied.

They then began putting away the things they had brought, especially gathering the hardened resin Jiwoo had taken a special interest in.

“Shall we put this in the medicinal herbs section?”

“Medicinal herbs?”

Jiwoo had expected the white amber to be used for a pretty accessory, but it seemed it was going to be used as medicine.

“Even though it looks like this, it’s Ellandos resin. If you burn it and inhale the scent, it can cure serious illnesses.”

“Then it’s really precious, isn’t it?”

“It’s certainly something worth coveting. Especially for those who don’t have trees.”

For the group that cared for trees well and had Jiwoo, it was a necessary item but not as urgent.

“We don’t mind, since we have you.”

Strictly speaking, it would be something good to keep in case they lost the tree later. It was definitely precious, so they probably wouldn’t want to give it up, especially if the tree was sick. If the tree reached a point where it couldn’t be saved, they would have to rely on this resin.

It was an item they wouldn’t give up easily unless they fully trusted Jiwoo’s group.

However, in this case, since Jiwoo would personally treat the tree and could cure anyone who was sick in their group, they didn’t need the resin as medicine.

‘But still, it feels a waste to just keep it in the warehouse.’

After thinking for a moment, Jiwoo shook her head as she took out the resin.

“Don’t put it with the medicinal herbs. Let’s make a beautiful accessory with it instead.”

“Shall we? Alright, I’ll do that.”

Jiwoo realized, that she had said something she never would have imagined saying when she lived on the other continent.

A lot had changed. The excitement of going on a business trip, the satisfaction of receiving rewards, and now knowing that she could demand things she needed without hesitation.

It wasn’t just because she was loved and cared for.

She had learned that when she openly asked for what she wanted or even showed a bit of greed, her husbands were much happier than when she tried to step back or be modest.

* * *

The next business trip destination was the beach.

Since the plan was set, Jiwoo thought it would be good to choose her companions.

Of course, they discarded the unfair way of choosing and came up with a new method.

As soon as Jiwoo announced her decision, news spread quickly through the village, and by the evening, everyone gathered.

“We’ve decided to make hair accessories out of the resin. While we’re at it, shall we style your hair?”

“Yes.”

This time, Callan started fixing Jiwoo’s hair in a different way from how he usually tidied it at parties.

“It’s grown a lot. How about we cut it a little?”

“Yes.”

As Callan acted like a hairdresser, Lanceil alternated between handing him different types of scissors to assist.

Leaning into their touches, Jiwoo began discussing her plans.

“That’s… not a good idea.”

Unexpectedly, Skiass objected.

“To go all the way there and come back will take over a month… and the first snow will fall during that time.”

He didn’t like the idea of her going that far for a business trip, and he was worried that if there were delays, she might end up spending her birthday away from home.

“That’s right. Since it’s your first birthday here, you should spend it with us, shouldn’t you?”

“I see. You’re right.”

With everyone expressing their excitement about her birthday, Jiwoo was quickly persuaded.

“…But we still have something to do first.”

“What is it?”

Maroon and Night suddenly appeared on either side of Jiwoo, who had been focused on her hair treatment.

“Well, it looks like we have some free time, so we should decide this now.”

“We can’t delay the decision any longer.”

Maroon and Night.

It seemed like they were trying to decide who the youngest was.

“Is it really that important to decide who the youngest is?”

Callan, who was working on Jiwoo’s hair, answered indifferently, as if he didn’t care much.

“The youngest tends to get treated like Tevon.”

“Hmm, really?”

“That sounds more like a punishment.”

The two youngest candidates, Maroon and Night, smiled but seemed slightly uncomfortable.

“You know I can hear you, right?”

Tevon glanced at them and clicked his tongue.

It was true that in the village, Tevon was often teased for being the youngest. But Tevon didn’t mind much, and it was actually Enci who reacted more strongly when teased.

‘It seems like Enci takes the role of the village punching bag more than Tevon does.’

As Jiwoo rolled her eyes and glanced at Enci, he met her gaze as if silently saying, ‘What’s the matter?’

‘I shouldn’t bring it up.’

It seemed better not to mention it.

And since the decision had to be made anyway, Jiwoo didn’t want them to fight over it.

“Don’t look so upset. I’ll give the youngest an extra kiss once a day.”

“…?”

The playful mood shifted, and the air suddenly became tense.

There was an awkward silence, like the lively atmosphere had been abruptly cut off.

After a while, a small voice whispered from somewhere.

“Hey, didn’t Seo Jiwoo say she liked the newborn ones… She said she came from a culture like that.”

“No, no! I never said that! Who said that?”

Jiwoo was flustered.

What had been a casual remark long ago had somehow solidified as fact. And she had never actually mentioned liking someone ‘newborn’ or anything like that.

“But does the youngest have to be younger?”

“…Then I’ll just stay the youngest.”

Tevon suddenly gained some confidence,

“If that’s the case, I’ll support it too.”