/
After realizing, what I was doing was too much, I never forced Alfred to do all the work.
I only borrowed his help for what I really needed.
That alone made farm work very easy.
I didn’t force him to work, so he had quite a lot of time left, but he spent most of his time blankly.
When he first came, he looked quite contrary to what he is now — a person possessed with training.
As much as Alfred got used to farm life, we became more and more accustomed to his existence.
Since he was more sincere than I thought, I felt sorry that the day for him to leave the farm was just around the corner.
Time goes by one way or another.
Alfred’s farm life, which seemed to fit in, was gradually ending.
– splash
The milk flowed out of Hermosa and was put in a container.
I grasped the amount of milk left by hand movements.
I made a plan accordingly.
Now, both me and Hermosa are too used to milking.
It was basic to finish the work quickly so as not to be tired, and depending on the amount and condition of the milk that day, I was able to accurately grasp the condition of Hermosa.
“Now. It’s over. Good job, Hermosa.”
When I tapped her stomach with a sign that it was over, Hermosa jumped out of her seat.
Hermosa pushed her big head towards me and moved her head around.
At first glance, it was a little different even though it looked like she was acting cutesy.
I soon noticed the difference, but I pretended not to know and said something else.
“Oh, you wanted to act cutesy after a long time? Then I’ll also play with Hermosa for after a long time.”
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Hermosa made a little annoyed cry.
I thought she would get really angry if I irritated her any more.
“All right, all right. I won’t play any more.”
I expressed my intention to surrender and took out the strawberries I had kept in my back pocket.
Only then did Hermosa’s irritation disappeared.
I put the strawberry on my palm and handed it over to Hermosa, and it quickly disappeared into her mouth.
At the end, Hermosa slammed my empty palm with her tongue, perhaps regretting that there is no more strawberry.
Yakum loves strawberries.
If I could, I would like to feed everyone, but I haven’t been able to get so many strawberries yet.
I was planning to give Yakum plenty of strawberries when the harvest began in the expanded strawberry field soon.
Boow wo wooo.
“Hey, look at you here. You were annoyed earlier that I wouldn’t give you strawberries. Now, you are trying to act cutesy.?”
Boo!
I said what Hermosa did when she was annoyed earlier and pretended to be angry.
Then Hermosa began to act more cutesy.
It’s a bit cheeky but cute.
What can I do?
I had no choice but to accept Hermosa’s cutesy and leave the barn.
The sun above my head has already tilted a lot and began to fill the sky in red color.
While I was getting ready to leave work.
I could see Alfred sitting alone on a rock in the distance and looking somewhere.
I approached him without hesitation and spoke to him.
“Hey, newbie! What are you doing here?”
There have been many twists and turns.
But lately, I was naturally able to talk to Alfred.
Alfred looked at me and made a face like, ‘Was it you?’
Then he turned again to look at the empty field.
I sat down next to him and spoke lightly.
“What’s the matter.?”
“Don’t you know tomorrow is the day I leave the farm.?”
“I know. Didn’t you really want to go back?”
“….”
Alfred kept silent with a blank look on his face.
Indeed, there was no joy in his expression.
I suddenly remembered what happened when Alfred first came here.
And I decided to ask now the question that I had thought of at that time.
“Why did you come to this farm, Newbie?”
My question made Alfred’s eyes bright for a moment.
“Why did I come?”
“Yeah. I don’t think you came here because you wanted to.”
“I were chased here for a while since I had an accident.”
“Accident?”
“I couldn’t control myself and hurt the opponent during the real sword fight.”
“Umm…”
“The other person barely escaped death, but it created a lot of noise around me. At that time, my grandfather ignoring everyone’s opposition, sent me here.”
My expression hardened as the atmosphere got heavier than I thought.
But, Alfred continued the story with a calm look on his face.
“To be honest, I didn’t think it was bad at first. In addition, it was an opportunity to meet Mr. Kaneff in person…”
Kaneff.?
“Why the Boss ?”
“I’ve admired him since I was a child, and I have always want to be like him. I’m not the only Demon who thought like that.”
“Pfft!”
He respects Kaneff and wants be like him.
Even in a serious mood, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
Alfred distorted his expression for a moment as if he was in a bad mood, but soon sighed as if he had given up.
“It’s not that I don’t understand that reaction. I’m also disappointed with Mr. Kaneff’s appearance now.”
“So was it different before?”
“Of course. He was called the Invincible Commander Kaneff, and there were many people who once saw him on the same level as the Demon Lord. On top of that, sending the agitated group of Yakum back single handedly is still a legend that many Demons still remember.”
“Oh……”
Alfred first showed a joyful look as he talked about Kaneff.
It seemed like he really admired Kaneff.
“Haaa, but I never thought he’d live like a rascal on a farm like this. In addition, with a Ester, who looks ugly and has a nasty personality.
I seriously thought about releasing all three Yakum siblings out immediately due to his bitter personal attack.
“To be honest, I thought you had received the position of Ester thanks to the recommendation of Mr. Kaneff. I couldn’t accept the fact that someone like you was the Demon Lord’s Ester. But as I stayed here, I could see the reason little by little.”
He shook his head as if he was speechless.
“I can’t believe there exists a person who got recongnized by Yakums. You’re the only one in the world who hugs Yakum and say they are cute. People will think something is wrong with my head, if I say this to them.”
“Hmmm.”
I turned my eyes away with a cough in the proud and embarrassing mood.
“After my hectic work, I could see it little by little. How self-centered I was and how foolish I was…”
“Well… …Isn’t it great that you have realized the wrong thing now?”
“That’s true, but I’ve worked really hard in my own way. After all that, now I feel a little empty since there seems to be nothing left.”
Alfred, turned his head towards the field with a dejected look on his face.
I didn’t know if I had been attached to him, but I wanted to comfort him a little bit.
“Wait a minute.”
“…?”
I jumped out of my seat and ran toward the barn.
After a while, I came back with Akum in my arms.
Naturally, Alfred quickly backed away with a contemplated look.
“What are you doing?”
“Aren’t you used him already.? Try petting him.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“You said there seemed to be nothing left. Try to overcome that.”
“What’s that has to do with petting.?”
“You said you respected the Boss who blocked the Yakum alone. But aren’t you even prepared to overcome the fear of a little baby Yakum ?”
Alfred froze there as if shocked by what I said.
His trembling eyes turned toward Akum.
He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them.
His eyes showed determination.
“Well, good. You can do as much petting as you want.!”
Alfred came very slowly towards Akum.
He stood within reach and slowly stretched out his arms.
His whole body trembled, and in a short time, his forehead was filled with cold sweat.
His determined eyes shook little by little.
“You’re almost there… A little more!”
His hand moved towards Akum, as he had heard my cheer.
And finally! Alfred’s hand touched Akum’s body.
At that moment, he trembled.
But he did not withdraw or retreat.
A very slow, uncomfortable touch.
Fortunately, Akum didn’t refuse the touch or made any significant moves.
“See? It’s not that hard, isn’t it?”
Pow wo woooo
Within that short time, Alfred’s face was covered with cold sweat, but his face was filled with a small smile with a sense of accomplishment.
“Now that you have succeeded petting Akum, shall we go and pet Hermosa ?”
“….?!?!?”
Alfred shook his head violently from side to side, freaked out of his wits.
I burst into laughter at his honest response.
“Hahaha! I’m kidding. Here! Take this.”
I took a bottle of Hap out of the luggage and threw it to Alfred.
A question arose in his face when he accepted the glass bottle.
“It’s my farewell present. You’ve done a great job.”
“Well……thank you.”
“Visit Demon Farm again. I’ll really treat you as a guest then. Oh! And the next time we meet, you should call me politely as Senior.”
Leaving Alfred with a blank look on his face, I left first with Akum and my luggage.
That night, Alfred lay in the guest room bed and stared blankly at his hand.
The feeling of stroking the Yakum earlier still seemed to be vivid on his hands.
His vacant gaze turned to the table.
On top of it was a bottle of Hap that he had received as a farewell gift.
Alfred sprang up from his seat and picked up the bottle.
When he carefully opened the lid, a savory and fragrant smell spread out.
After a moment of hesitation, he gulped down the Yakum milk.
“……!!”
After a while, he was surprised by the changes in his body.
He felt a warm energy spreading through his whole body.
He couldn’t stand the overflowing vitality.
He immediately picked up the sword and left the room quietly.
He arrived at a vacant lot that he had once used as a training place for a while.
In the clear night sky, the full moon gently shone around.
Alfred took hold of the sword’s handle which he hadn’t touched for a few weeks.
A nostalgic feeling was felt in his hand, and a smile bloomed around his mouth without realizing.
He took out the sword slowly.
The sword reflected in the moonlight shone beautifully.
Like the first time when he held the sword, Alfred’s heart was filled with excitement.
The muscles of his body were already shriveled with anticipation.
Whoo
The sword began to cut through the air.
All parts of the body reacted naturally like water to the flow.
It’s been a long time since he felt the joy of wielding a sword.
In the days when he was obsessed with training, all that he felt was anger, and pressure to be strong.
Alfred had forgotten all the joy he had had when he used to swing the sword with pure happiness.
But now, at this moment, Alfred was regaining all former pleasures he had lost one by one.
The gentle movements of the sword gradually grew faster and more intense.
The smile on his face grew darker and darker.
Alfred wielded his sword violently, as if exploding the emotions he had built up.
He felt the pain and shortness of breath breaking his whole body.
At the same time, he felt something stuffy in the way.
Like a small life trying to break the shell, Alfred threw everything away with all his might.
“Ah… Is this it?”
The moment Alfred felt exhausted and thought of giving up.
An unexpected voice echoed through his head
‘almost there! A little more’
‘Why?’
He remembered the figure of someone holding a baby Yakum and cheering for him.
Alfred bit his teeth again.
He pumped out the last bit of energy with him.
And at that moment!
-Chaeng!
Everything around him was broken, and an indescribable ecstasy unfolded before him.
Realizing that this feeling, which was spreading through out his whole body now, was a new level that he had longed for, Alfred smiled endlessly.
“Haha… Hahaha!!!”
For a while, his laughter kept ringing in the open space.
“…what… are…. You…doing…?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? No, why are you still here? Aren’t you leaving early in the morning? And why are you using honorifics that don’t suit you?”
“ Senior. I’m here because I haven’t left yet. And didn’t you say that I should call you politely next time.”
“Uh…”
That’s what I said… …
I thought he’d leave today, and I made a wonderful farewell scene, but when I came back to work, I was confused by his appearance.
In addition, the overall atmosphere around him seemed different.
What happened overnight.
The stiff noble like atmosphere had completely disappeared.
He was too relaxed.
Was there anything wrong with the Hap I gave him yesterday?
It must have been a fresh Hap… …
I heard Alfred’s voice as I was trying to figure out answers with my head.
“I decided to stay on this farm a little longer. I’ve already told Mr. Kaneff, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“So I will be in your care from now on. Senior.”
“Uh…… Yeah.”
For a moment, the question of “Why did he decide to stay here?” arose in my head, but I quickly erased it from my head when I saw Alfred’s bright smile.
And without knowing it, I found myself happy with his choice.
After a month of ups and downs, I came to accept the new member of the farm family.