Chapter 53

“O-Oh my gosh! How can we stay calm?”

“The tyrant is mad. He’s too daring. To gain the Ishan Empire by provoking those cruel barbarians like that…”

Since this morning, the ladies have been chattering noisily. Annie walked through the hallway with a complex expression.

‘The tyrant is waging a war with the Ishan Empire.’

The continent was flipped over by the tyrant.

While she and Carla were in the strawberry field, the tyrant did a terrifying job.

The newspaper reveals that the tyrant had cleverly lured the barbarians.

“Is it said that he led the archmage and went to a place where the barbarians could be seen?”

“That’s right. Moreover, because of the climate control there, the Ishan Empire accepted it as a declaration of war by Porcaus.”

People were concerned that the warmongering tyrant was trying to break the peace.

The Ishan Empire tried to send diplomats several times, but it was said that the tyrant sent their head back on horseback.

Annie, listening from a distance, shook her head.

‘… It’s cruel.’

He enjoyed vicious acts. The will of the monarch is immeasurable, but for Annie, it was uncomfortable to imagine. Obviously someone was hurt.

“By the way, the Imperial wizards sided with the tyrant?”

“Ah, the wizards have worshiped tyrants since the old wars. And even those aides…”

It was a waste of time to listen any longer.

Annie walked out of the hallway without getting involved in the discussion. She stared at the clear sky and fell into her thoughts.

‘By the way… will the dog chew man’s matter be resolved by now?”

Thanks to the strawberry field helpers, the Dsev family had so many surplus strawberries.

Not only Carla, but all the family members ate the strawberries till full.

The table this morning was filled with Annie’s favorite fresh strawberries and strawberry juice.

Everyone said in unison that they wouldn’t even think of strawberries for a while.

[Did you and Carla harvest all this? That’s great.]

[I didn’t know we would bring so much. It’s all thanks to the dog chew man.]

[He is a young man who is going to be friends with our Lady.]

Annie tried to refute Carla’s stupid words, but in the end, she only drank her strawberry juice in silence. This was because she could not entirely refute Carla’s words; the young man was such a good person that she wants to get closer to him the next time they meet.

As she walked through the hallway, Annie stopped. She suddenly remembered something.

‘… There shouldn’t be anything special.’

It was unknown why such a wealthy person would come to the strawberry field.

However, her concerns about him preceded her doubts about his identity.

Annie’s eyebrows got wrinkled.

“Annie.”

“…”

“Annie?”

“Ah yes.”

“What were you thinking?”

The woman walking from the other side was Annie’s mother. Like Annie, the short and elegant Lopez smiled.

Annie shook her head in response.

“It’s nothing, Mother.”

Lopez Mill Dsev.

She was Annie’s mother and the real powerhouse of this family.

With her brown hair and light-colored eyes, she resembled her daughter with dense features and vibrant eyes.

“Are you going to the office again?”

The word ‘again’ was stressed. Her mother, whose personality resembled her as much as her appearance, showed her feelings honestly.

“Yes.”

Annie laughed awkwardly, nodding her head.

Lopez said, “I don’t like you working too much when you’re young. It’s a nice day; go out and play.”

“It’s okay. I went to the strawberry field yesterday.”

“That’s a job.”

Lopez emphasized that work and rest are separate. This was because, although she encouraged her daughter’s declaration of non-marriage, she wished for Annie to enjoy a happy life.

Annie, who couldn’t help but know her heart, replied quietly that she would keep it in mind.

Lopez turned her head and said, looking over the stables in the distance.

“It’s been a while since you rode a horse or even prepared for a masquerade.”

“…”

‘How does mother know about horseback riding?’

Surprised, Annie opened her eyes wide. Annie, who has enjoyed traveling since childhood, used to secretly go from place to place because she couldn’t tell Carla.

As if she had read her mind, Lopez muttered.

“In the past, I was worried that you might not fit the saddle because you are short like me.”

“…”

“It was a useless worry.”

When she finished speaking, Lopez leisurely walked across the corridor. It was as if she had come all the way to talk about it.

Annie smiled bitterly as she looked at Lopez’s back.

“You turned a blind eye to me… Then, listen to your mother for the first time after a while.”

Annie turns her body and heads somewhere else.

*