Chapter 10.2

Though one could not say that Anna’s food was very delicious, perhaps due to how she used fresh ingredients unsparingly, it covered its basics. Added to that, the seasoning of an adorable voice prattling on and on, they had a pleasant mealtime to look forward to.

“Cooled apple wine, at your service. This is the pound cake we baked yesterday. Perfect for eating now!”

“You sure brought a bunch, eh, Anna? I’d almost believe we’re having a feast!”

“I’m giving you all this to keep your chins up. You’ll have to work hard at the farm from tomorrow on!”

“Can’t get a word over you, really. Yes, ma’am, we’ll just have to do as you want!”

Cackling, people enjoyed their second round of feasting. All around, the foam of apple wine and intoxication bubbled up.

In the meantime, Anna sliced a piece of bread in half and packed it with ham and pickled vegetables, then handed it to Bertram.

“Eat this. They say the pickled vegetables came out really nicely. And, and this isn’t something I should say as I give you something like this, but…… Was your lunch alright?”

“If you could elaborate on what you meant.”

“According to my mom, because I gave you too much…. She said it looked like you were forcing yourself to eat.”

“I did not force myself. Especially considering that I met and fought a wolf, it was an appropriate amount of food.”

“Still.”

Anna glanced at Bertram’s stomach. The cloth of his shirt as it hung under his chest muscles did not allow her to see the outline of his stomach like before.

In order to show that he was fine, Bertram finished the bread in three bites and held the pound cake in one hand as he chewed on it.

T/N: We must protect Bertram at all costs, no arguments

When Bertram looked over at Anna, wondering if this was enough……

He saw Anna’s face filled with a content smile.

Her soft cheeks, drawing a curve, the corners of her lips spread upwards, and a blush seemingly dyed from the light of an evening campfire.

…..All of that is so soft, to the point of wanting to touch it even once.

But as Bertram suppressed his instinctive urge to put his hand on it—

Absurdly enough, Anna raised her hands up and grabbed Bertram’s cheeks.

“Even though it looks like you can move your facial muscles well enough. Can you not even make a fake smile? It’s weird that you can pay someone lip service alright but can’t smile at all.”

“I will give it a try. …How is it?”

“….I’m sorry. Please don’t try again.”

In a matter of seconds, his handsome face, which seemed like a sculpture, had turned into the main character of a ghost story.

Anna hastily waved it off, and Bertram’s face returned to its usual.

“Didn’t the chief ask you why you didn’t smile? He’s a really nosy old man.”

“I glossed over it by saying that I had no emotions because I hurt my head.”

“Aha… ah? Wait, you glossed over it? Wasn’t it really because you hurt your head that you don’t have emotions? Did, did you have another….. No, not that you need to tell me! I don’t have any intentions to pry it out of you!”

Anna flapped both her hands. Curiosity and propriety were making her fret, unable to do anything.

If he came clean now that he was ‘actually under a curse’, she probably wouldn’t believe him.

Bertram saved his words. Anna quickly calmed down, and perhaps because her heart whispering ‘keep your manners’ won in the end, she brought out a cookie that had been lying on the bottom of her pound cake basket.

“Would you like to eat this?”

Bertram was going to accept this kindness.

But a third party stole the cookie away from him.

“‘scuse me.”

Not stopping there, the person also forcefully squeezed in between them to sit….. or so Dieter, the third party, tried.

Anna raised her voice to a yell.

“Dieter, stop pushing me!”

“No, uh, I’m not pushing you, it’s just this guy isn’t moving—”

“You did not ask me to move.”

Bertram firmly kept to his seat, and Dieter ultimately ended up with only his head squeezed in between the two. Dieter grumbled.

“No emotions, and no tact. Then what do you have?”

“If you keep to good manners in line with common sense, I too can notice your wishes and respond to them appropriately. As you were coming in without another word, I only surmised that you might be wishing to sit on my lap.”

“Am I crazy!”

“However, your leg must still hurt; and hadn’t you said earlier that my arms are uncomfortable?”

“You think I would’ve been comfortable?!”

Scowling, Dieter whirled himself around. It seemed he had only now realized that he was at a disadvantage the more he spoke with Bertram.

“Anna, what were you talking about with this man?”

Scrunching up her face, Anna answered.

“We were in the middle of discussing what to eat tomorrow. Why?”

“Don’t tell me—do you guys eat even breakfast together?”

“Obviously. Then should we let him stay the night in the restaurant and kick him out in the morning?”

“What? You’re going to let a grown man sleep right in front of your house? We have public sleeping quarters next to the farm. Make him sleep there!”

“What is it to you? Is the restaurant yours?”

At that moment, Bertram interrupted with a grave voice.

“After much thought, I have come to the conclusion that I’d prefer potato dishes.”

“Ahahaha, you said you can’t taste anything. But do you still like potatoes?”

“I found the texture of the potato soup you made on the first day we met to be quite nice.”

“Alright! Then I’ll finely ground the potatoes, and should I roughly chop up the other ingredients so there’s something to chew on?”

“I would like to request some thick bacon.”

Once again unable to take part in the conversation, Dieter hangs his head.

As they did so, the villagers looked at these three people with warm hearts.

But they could smile only because they knew Bertram would not stay long in this village.

Outsiders influenced by Anna and finding work at the public farm were already stories of the old, when they didn’t have enough workers. They now had no need to accept more.

Eat some food, then get lost. Though they would probably keep teasing Dieter and Anna about unwelcome guests for much longer, and within a few years, these two are going to get married. When that time comes, the unwelcome guest would become nothing more than a far-off memory to bring out every now and then to think about.

Everyone, at that moment, believed this to be true without a single doubt.