Chapter 15
Chapter 15
“But that witch lives in the Black Forest…”
Creven knew well how dangerous a place the Black Forest was. Even merchants traveling between villages sought detours to avoid the Black Forest.
The only ones who entered such a forest were hunters who didn’t know the value of their lives, or poor wretches who had no money to bribe the lord’s forest keeper and went in crying and gritting their teeth to gather firewood.
Creven, who valued his life second only to money, had naturally never even set foot near the Black Forest.
“Going in alone is too dangerous. Getting lost is a given, and dealing with the witch is absolutely impossible.”
Creven judged realistically. If he was to enter the Black Forest and steal the book from the witch, he needed more people at the very least. A hunter who knew the forest paths and had a gun would be perfect.
But the greedy man didn’t want to spend money hiring a hunter either. At that moment, a brilliant idea popped into his head.
“Yes. Let’s pull in the villagers!”
The carefree village folk were living peacefully, having forgotten that a witch lived in the Black Forest.
But what if that witch suddenly caused trouble? There would be those who said the witch couldn’t be left alone. If he kept pouring oil on that fire, they would eventually go to catch the witch.
At that time, wouldn’t it be perfect if he just quietly stole the book while the villagers dealt with the witch! There was no need to face the witch himself.
“I’m a genius.”
Creven took his grandfather’s old journal and returned to the shop. And he took out his own journal that he kept carefully tucked away in a drawer.
The witch’s curse, the animals dying because of it.
He wrote down the plans springing from his head one by one. The more concrete the contents became, the more sinister his smile revealed beneath the candlelight grew.
* * *
Would Luke be able to adjust well to life in the forest? Contrary to Candice’s worries, life rolled along without much issue.
Luke, who had grown up under a farmer father who was a former hunter, had a good head for work. Fieldwork, taking care of livestock, even hunting in the forest, he already had experience with all of it.
“You’re an all-round worker.”
Candice admired him as he finished whatever task she gave him in no time without a single complaint. He was truly diligent and even kind on top of that.
“Candice, am I being helpful?”
“Yes. Things that would take me three days, you finish in just half a day. You’re amazing.”
When she praised him, he didn’t get cocky and responded maturely, saying he was glad to be helpful.
To think that kid who had stolen and eaten her sweets had grown up so splendidly. She felt glad that she had saved him, taken care of him, and taken him all the way to the village back then. Candice felt very proud of her past self.
Before she knew it, the wariness she had held toward him had faded. The more they lived together, the more she learned that he was a very diligent and bright young man.
“Candice, look at this!”
When he called her in an excited voice and she went over, he showed her a small bell pepper that had grown in the garden patch behind the house.
“It’s heart-shaped.”
Just to show her this tiny little thing, he had run fussily from the garden patch all the way to the house. It wasn’t just the bell pepper. Whenever he saw something he thought was fascinating, he would come running to Candice or tap her on the shoulder and tell her to look over there.
And how much he praised the food when he ate.
“It’s so delicious I feel like I might faint. My memory really wasn’t wrong after all. The stew I ate as a kid was number one in my life.”
She thought he was a bit boisterous, but honestly, she felt like she was floating on air. Cooking became enjoyable because he always ate deliciously. Ever since the old days, she had liked not just making sweets but cooking itself.
Having cooked only for herself for long years, no matter how deliciously she made things, there had been no one to respond, so her confidence in her cooking had fallen greatly. But now she felt like she could proudly have confidence and feel satisfied.
After her wariness had gently melted away, the distance between them closed in an instant.
“Look at this, Luke. It’s a really tiny tomato.”
Before she knew it, Candice had come to show Luke first whenever she found something interesting, just as he had done. And she understood why he had made such a fuss looking for her. It just naturally became that way. Because she liked how he would come and look at it with wonder together with her.
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