Weed ~The One’s Gardener~ - Chapter 106

Calden arrived, greeted Hana warmly, and prepared the cold dessert she had mentioned earlier. With a smile, he asked if it suited her taste and suggested making something new based on her preferences.

By the time they met again, his demeanor and the way he addressed her had changed noticeably. Although he couldn’t have known exactly what had happened, it seemed he had sensed the shift in the atmosphere and adjusted his behavior accordingly.

Hana, too, felt it was appropriate to treat him with more familiarity.

After answering a few questions, the survey was over. Calden, looking much more exhausted than when they had last met, glanced at Weed before whispering quietly.

“…Do you know how much work I’ve had lately?”

“Hmm…”

It was a playful, almost teasing reproach. Hana avoided answering, choosing instead to roll the sweet cream around in her mouth.

In truth, she hadn’t intended to call Calden here. She knew he was in the middle of a busy time. However, when she considered the idea of one of the priests from his country coming in his place, she realized Calden was perhaps being a little too playful now with a moment of rest.

“It’s still good to see you after such a long time. I’ll step aside for now.”

“Yes, go ahead. I’ll be waiting.”

Calden bowed his head and quickly left. He had always shown a steady fondness for her, but it was clear that he still wasn’t entirely comfortable around Weed. There seemed to be an underlying fear, and he didn’t seem to like him much, even if nothing was wrong.

After Calden left, Hana turned to look at Weed, who smiled brightly at her.

Unlike Calden’s usual stiff demeanor with him, Weed’s attitude towards Calden had softened significantly. He used to deliberately glare or appear displeased, but now he didn’t seem to have that much animosity. Although, he still ignored him when he was in front of him.

She had thought it was unexpected when he had mentioned bringing Calden here.

Initially, she believed he disliked humans. But now she realized that Weed didn’t have strong feelings one way or another toward them.

She had concluded that he likely hated Calden.

‘But now it seems he doesn’t mind so much? If it’s not an issue, maybe it’s okay to show a little kindness?’

Calden had made a delicious snack, and since he had traveled a long way, Hana wanted to offer him whatever she could.

More than anything, she still felt uneasy about the rare wand Calden had given her, which she had accidentally broken. Even if it had been useless to Weed, Hana, or even the priests, it had been a national treasure to Calden.

While she didn’t need to treat it like a sacred relic, the thought of discarding it like trash still bothered her.

“Weed, the gem you showed me before.”

“Which gem?”

As if looking for a way to pass the time, Weed, who had been holding her hand and lightly kissing the back of it, asked. It was the same hand he had been holding tightly since Calden was here. Strangely, even though he was holding it so firmly, her hand wasn’t sweaty.

“It’s the one you made for me. The one I can use while sitting still for a long journey.”

“Oh… the magic stone? Is there a particular reason you’re asking for it now? You don’t really need it at the moment.”

It had been a gift Weed was preparing for her back when her legs and hips were still uncomfortable after the healing of her feet—a magic stone infused with enchantments intended to be crafted into a necklace or earrings.

But since she no longer needed it, the gift was quickly forgotten. Even though it had lost its practical purpose, the stone’s beauty remained etched in her memory.

“Yes, I was wondering if I could give it to Calden.”

“Ah… I see…”

Weed paused for a moment, tightening his hand as if he were deep in thought. In that brief time, he seemed somewhat agitated. Hana could tell by the slight trembling of his turquoise eyelashes.

“You can do as you wish. I’ll bring it to you.”

He then gently pulled her head toward him and kissed her forehead before quickly leaving the room, almost as if he was in a rush.

‘Why is he acting like that?’

Left alone, Hana stared at the door where they had both exited.

She sat still, trying to figure out why he had acted that way. But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand whether it was because Weed was still awkward with expressing his emotions or if he was just oblivious to the situation.

* * *

t was rare for humans to visit Lár de Ligna Initia. The area was perilous for them, and there was little incentive for anyone powerful enough to enter on their own to make the journey. It was uncommon to receive an invitation and even more unusual for someone to actually accept and come.

Interestingly, the priests seemed to like the human Calden. It appeared that their assistance played a part in his swift arrival in Lár.

This time, Calden had cooked with the priests.

“Hana mentioned wanting something to eat after a long time, so we helped out a bit.”

“Well, this guy wanted to make everything to Hana’s taste.”

“He’s from the kingdom’s capital, but he’s acting all country bumpkin with his obsession over ingredients.”

As they escorted Hana into the banquet hall, the priests, starting with Rutis, each made a comment. Calden, looking a little embarrassed, rubbed his forehead before speaking after they finished.

“…I hope you like it.”

Hana wasn’t really hungry, but she had been waiting in anticipation for quite some time. As the king of a country where magic was closely tied to cooking, his skills were undoubtedly exceptional.

Only after being served all the food did she realize why he had made her wait so long.

She hadn’t noticed because she no longer had to worry about three meals a day like when she was human, but Calden had spent the entire day cooking since he had arrived in the morning.

The banquet hall was filled with food, and the sun had already begun to set.