Layla gazed at Yuan and his wives, her eyes filled with contemplation. "It's still difficult for me to believe that you've achieved so much at such a young age. It sounds like a fairy tale," she said after a moment.
·ƈθm "Don't dwell on it too much, Miss Layla. It will only give you a headache." Anna suddenly said to Rose, almost as though she could read her mind or some sort.
"Is... Is that so?" Miss Layla replied, taking Anna's advice to heart and deciding to stop overthinking the situation.
Some time passed, and Anna turned her attention to Miss Rose. "By the way, we would like to take a look around the village if you don't mind."
"Of course not! Feel free to explore. Although the village isn't as lively as it used to be due to recent events, I'm sure you won't be disappointed," Miss Rose replied.
Yuan and his wives nodded in agreement.
'Here comes the chance for me to make Yuan my Son-In-Law... Hehehe!' Miss Layla smiled inwardly with excitement.
"Rose, why don't you accompany our guests and show them around? Leave the paperwork to me; I will take care of it after tending to your father," Miss Layla suggested to Rose, hoping this would bring her closer to Yuan so they could get to know each other better.
Anna and the rest of Yuan's wives frowned upon hearing Layla's suggestion, well aware of its underlying meaning.
"... B-But mother, I still have..." Rose tried to object, but Layla cut her off.
"No 'buts'! It is your duty as the eldest daughter of the Monroe family to show our esteemed guests around the village. I will handle everything here, so you don't have to worry. I won't accept a 'no' as an answer!" Miss Layla insisted, fully aware that her daughter wasn't the type to take the initiative to get closer to Yuan.
'Why doesn't she understand that I'm trying to help her?' Miss Layla thought inwardly.
Yuan noticed Rose's hesitation to accompany them. "Miss Layla, please don't force Rose to join us. She has important matters to attend to as the acting village head. Besides, we can explore the village on our own," he said a moment later.
"Yuan is right, Miss Layla. Rose has numerous responsibilities, and it wouldn't feel right to keep her busy with us," Grace nodded, aware of Miss Layla's attempts to bring Rose closer to her darling.
"I'll go!" Rose spoke up, looking at Yuan and his wives. "Yuan, give me a minute. I'll go and get ready. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to accompany you in this attire, right?"
Yuan nodded, and Rose left the living room shortly after.
'I hope this foolish girl somehow manages to get closer to Yuan,' Miss Layla thought to herself, a mysterious smile forming on her lips.
'This woman is quite dangerous. She has planned everything meticulously...!' Grace thought with a furrowed brow as she observed the enigmatic smile on Miss Layla's face.
After Rose left the room, Miss Layla turned her attention to Anna and Grace. "Miss Grace and Miss Anna, both of you seem more mature than the others from our conversation, and you also look exactly alike, apart from the differences in hair and eye color. How old are you two exactly?"
"We're both 39," Grace replied calmly.
"What? 39?" Miss Layla exclaimed, unable to believe what she had just heard.
'39? How can they be 39 when they look like they're in their early 20s? This is unbelievable!' Miss Layla thought to herself.
'They both look the same age as me. How can they be 39?' Julie wondered, staring at Anna and Grace with a pensive gaze.
A moment later, Miss Layla asked, "Are the two of you twins, like James and Julie here?"
"You can say that..." Anna replied with a smile on her face.
'Say that? What does that even mean? More importantly, how can they marry Yuan, who is much younger than them and could be considered their son's age?' Miss Layla wondered, unaware of the fact that Yuan was actually their son, Lily was their daughter, and Emma and Xi Meili were their daughters-in-law.
A few minutes later, Rose returned to the room, but she looked slightly different from when she had left, as if she had become even more beautiful.
It was evident that, in addition to changing her official attire, she had taken the time to enhance her appearance with a subtle makeup made from flowers that were sold at a higher price and highly sought after by noble women.
Yuan couldn't help but be attracted to her newfound beauty, and his wives noticed his gaze.
"Judging by how Yuan is staring at her, it won't be long before we have a new sister," Lily whispered to Anna, Grace, Emma, and Xi Meili. They nodded, sharing the same thought.
"Yuan, I'm ready! We can leave whenever you want!" Rose said to Yuan.
"Okay, then let's leave now!" Yuan replied.
"By the way, it seems you've done more than just changing your clothes..." Anna remarked, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.
Rose didn't say anything; she simply blushed and looked away.
'Is it that obvious to guess?' she silently pondered.
Some time later, they left the Village Head's Manor.
"Where would you like to visit first?" Rose asked them once they were outside the manor.
Yuan shrugged and said, "We don't know much about this village, so we'll let you choose for us."
However, as this was Rose's first time giving a tour to someone, she was also unsure of where to go. Therefore, she decided they would simply wander around the village until they stumbled upon something that caught Yuan and his wives' interest.
"That bakery over there is quite popular and is managed by our Aunt Mary. It's the only bakery in the village, and the pastries here are always fresh," Rose explained as they walked past the bakery.
"And that's Mr. Smith's blacksmith shop," Rose continued, pointing to a sturdy building nearby. "It's the only weapon shop in our village."
"Over there is the residential area where most of the villagers live," Rose pointed out, gesturing towards the neatly arranged houses. "And that plot of land over there is our farming area, where we primarily grow berries, wheat, and other crops."
Yuan and his wives admired the peacefulness of the village and the sight of the farmland stretching out before them.
"That stall over there is the only potion store in our village," Rose added, indicating a small shop nestled among the buildings.
Rose continued providing brief explanations for each shop and building they passed, while Yuan and his wives listened attentively, their smiles growing brighter with each passing moment.
Due to the recent Wyvern incident involving the Lord of the mountain, the streets were empty, with only a few pedestrians venturing outside their homes for work or important matters.
After some time, Rose asked, "Are you guys interested in seeing how we farm our berries to make wine?"
"Sure, if you're okay with it," Like replied excitedly.
"Of course, I'm fine with it. It'll only take a few minutes to get there, so why not?" Rose said, her smile growing sweeter as she stole a glance at Yuan.
"Let's go then. I'm quite interested in seeing your farm," Yuan said, returning the smile. His wives nodded, showing their curiosity about the farming process.
"Let's get going!" Rose exclaimed, leading them towards the farming area of the village, where the villagers cultivated the berries.
Some time later, they arrived at the farm, greeted by the sight of a vast field covered in berry plants, with workers diligently removing harmful weeds that could hinder the plants' growth.
"This is our berry field. As you can see, there are plenty of berries on the plants, but they're not ripe yet. It will take three more months before we can harvest them," Rose explained, pointing at the berries.
"It's huge!" Yuan murmured, his eyes fixed on the expansive berry field.
Lily, curious about the crops, asked, "Rose, do you only plant berries here? I don't see any other crops."
"We primarily focus on berries for wine making, which we sell at a higher price. However, we also grow wheat and vegetables to supply our villagers. Buying them from other merchants would cost a lot, so we plant them alongside the berries to reduce expenses," Rose replied, shedding light on their farming practices.
"I understand," Lily nodded, showing her comprehension.
Pointing towards two fields adjacent to the berry field, Rose continued, "Over there is our vegetable field, and beside it is our wheat field."
Just then, one of the workers noticed Rose and inquired, "Eldest Miss Rose, are you here to check on the berries?"
"No, I'm here to show our esteemed guests our farming fields. Please continue with your work; don't mind us," Rose replied politely.
After some time had passed, Rose suggested, "Now that I've shown you our fields, let's go to a place where you can enjoy our village's finest cuisine. It's not only delicious but also quite affordable."
"Really?" Xi Meili exclaimed, her excitement evident. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and indulge ourselves until our stomachs are round!"
The group eagerly followed Rose, looking forward to experiencing the village's delectable dishes.
