Kays Translations

Chapter 12: Discussion

Fun times seem to fly by in the blink of an eye.

It felt like I had just started thinking about saving up 5000 NP, but before I knew it, my balance had already reached 6024 NP.

Expanding the farmland made things even more efficient, and in just 20 days, I had surpassed my goal of 5000 NP.

“Good morning, Sato-san. Breakfast is already ready,” Sheila said.

When I walked into the living room as usual, Sheila was there, having already prepared breakfast.

Living a simple, happy life in the countryside with Sheila brought me both joy and a sense of peace.

While I wished she could stay as my guard forever, I knew that Sheila’s dream was to be in a combat role, fighting on the frontlines.

I couldn’t let her stay tied down to my selfish requests any longer.

“Sheila, can we talk for a bit while we have breakfast?”

“A talk…? Of course, I don’t mind.”

She tilted her head slightly in curiosity, not knowing what this was about.

I sat across from her, and as we started eating, I got straight to the point.

“To tell you the truth, I saved up 5000 NP as of yesterday. Now I can purchase a Silver Wolf for my protection. So, let’s head to the royal capital soon. While we’re there, I’ll inform the king that your duties as my guard are no longer required.”

“What!? …You already saved up 5000 NP?”

“I’ve gotten used to farming, and my skills have improved, so the process became more efficient. It’s all thanks to you, Sheila. Not only did you protect me, but you also helped with the farming. I truly appreciate it.”

“There’s no need to thank me… I didn’t do anything special. So… I’ll be returning to the royal capital, then?”

Sheila muttered softly, and to me, her voice sounded filled with regret.

“As I’ve mentioned before, you’re always welcome to visit here anytime. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of free time.”

“Yes… I’ll come visit without hesitation.”

Even though we hadn’t spent that much time together, the days we spent as just the two of us made me feel a strong sense of sadness.

Deep down, I wanted to negotiate for her to stay, but knowing how kind Sheila is, she’d probably agree even if she didn’t want to.

I’ll never forget the conversations we had on the way to this villa. Even if Sheila felt the same sadness I did, I couldn’t bring myself to ask her to stay.

Back when I worked at a black company, I could never say no to unpaid overtime. Those memories still haunted me.

“Let’s enjoy the time we have left. On your last day, I’ll prepare a grand feast of exotic dishes as a way to thank you for everything.”

“…Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”

I mentioned the exotic cuisine, but Sheila didn’t seem as excited as usual.

After finishing breakfast, we worked on the farm together, but Sheila remained in low spirits, and the atmosphere felt awkward.

Seeing the two of us like this, Lime bounced around as if trying to cheer us up. I gently patted it, hoping to reassure it that everything was fine.

By the way, Lime had grown to twice its original size since I purchased it and could now harden like a rubber ball.

Thanks to this, I could touch it and even ride on it. Though, if I tried to ride, it couldn’t move, so there wasn’t much point in doing that.

Somehow, we managed to finish the day’s work while interacting with Lime. However, the awkwardness lingered, and the day’s work took longer than usual.

“Sheila, I’ll head back first and start preparing dinner.” 

I didn’t know what else to say, so I left it at that and turned to head back alone.

“Sato-san, could you wait a moment?”

Sheila called out to me from behind, stopping me in my tracks.

It felt as though we hadn’t spoken in days.

“Of course. Is something wrong?”

“Yes. On the way here, in the carriage, I mentioned wanting to return to the royal capital… but could I stay here a little longer after all?”

Her words caught me off guard, freezing me in place.

Did she just say she wanted to stay a little longer?

I replayed her words in my mind over and over again.

…Yes, she definitely said she wanted to stay.

I had assumed she was going to say her goodbyes, so I struggled to find the right words to respond.

“…Would that be a problem?”

“No, no, not at all! I just didn’t expect it, so I was a little stunned. I’m happy to hear that, but are you sure? Don’t you need to return to the royal castle? I was ready to plead your case to the king.”

“I’ve been torn about this for some time. My motivation for working at the castle was to take on a combat role. However… life here has been so enjoyable. The closer the day comes for me to leave, the stronger my desire to stay grows.”

She looked straight into my eyes as she spoke.

“I’m honored that you feel that way, but please don’t stress over it. This is a relaxed place. Stay as long as you like, and when you feel ready to return to the castle, you can go back then.”

“Thank you. I thought… I assumed you wanted me to return to the castle soon.”

“Not at all. If anything, I thought you were eager to return to the castle.”

“When I first arrived, I think I did feel that way. But thank you so much. I truly can’t thank you enough, Sato-san.”

“I feel the same. I can’t thank you enough, Sheila-san. Let’s continue to take care of each other.”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

From there, we bowed our heads to each other repeatedly in gratitude.

The previously gloomy atmosphere seemed to have lightened up, and Sheila would be staying here a little longer.

With no greater joy than that, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Um… may I ask you something?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Does this mean… no grand farewell feast of exotic dishes?”

Sheila asked hesitantly, her expression a mix of guilt and hope.

If she wasn’t returning to the royal capital, then there wouldn’t be a farewell party. But I could still prepare a grand meal for her.

After all, I no longer needed to buy the Silver Wolf for protection.

“I won’t throw a farewell party, but as a celebration, I’ll make a grand feast instead. With Sheila-san here, I don’t need a bodyguard, and I can use the NP I saved to buy other things.”

“Really!? I’m so excited!”

“Please look forward to it.”

“I will!”

And with that, our discussion ended with smiles all around.

A lot had happened, but I was truly glad that everything concluded with the best possible outcome.

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