Knowing May wouldn’t step up first unless it was urgent, I took the notes from her.

“This is…”

“It’s information about her. I’m still not sure, but…”

When I looked at the letter, I saw a name that I had never heard before, yet it was familiar somehow.

“Jena.”

Jena. Was it just my feelings that the name sounded like a Korean name? And her identity was written next to it.

“She is the Goddess that resides in one of Amideous temples, the Ludella Temple.”

A temple again, huh?

I couldn’t say anything even after looking at it for a while. I was thinking so hard to fathom the connection Leona might have with temples.

And then,

“Leona?”

Ian went ahead first with Rere and looked back in confusion when he saw I was not following them.

“Ah.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I think I need to go out. But I’m not going right away.”

“Where are you going, Big Bunny?!”

Rere pouted which made her cheeks puff out like a steamed bun. As if she wanted to show how upset she was.

“No. Didn’t I say that I won’t go right away?”

“Tch…but still…”

Looking at the sullen Rere, I put the note in my pocket.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to plant perilla leaves with Rere today.”

“When are you going?”

“Uh…”

I stretched out one finger slowly. I wanted to leave tomorrow if I could, but that would upset Rere.

So I stretched out another finger while watching Rere’s reaction. Rere wrinkled up her nose, which made her look like a rhinoceros.

So I stretched out another finger and watched Rere’s reaction again.

Then Rere stomped the floor with her small feet like a baby rabbit as if she was very unhappy with it.

So I stretched out all five fingers. Only then did Rere nod her head a bit hesitantly. Of course, she still thrust out her lips like a duck’s beak.

“…Okay. You can go in five days. But you will play with Rere during those five days, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then Rere will be a good girl and be patient.”

Only then did Rere grab my hand.

“So let’s go. I dug all the holes so I can plant the perilla leaves with Big Bunny.”

“Did you finish that, too?”

“Yeah! I was planning to do everything by myself, but I knew that you’d be upset if I did that.”

Rere didn’t stop chattering and led me to the garden with steps faster than ever. And I could see dozens of holes were dug sloppily on one side of the garden.

“Now you just need to plant it. Big Bunny will plant it, while Daddy will cover the hole with dirt.”

“What about Rere?”

“Rere is doing the most important thing! Rere will cheer over it! Come on, grow up!”

“Cheer over it?”

“Yeah! Like this!”

Rere took a seat and lifted her clenched fist high in the air.

“Cheer up. Cheer up and grow up quick! Grow up quick and become the food of my cats so they can get rounder, and I can play with them!”

Listening to her, Ian and I looked at each other. Then we burst into laughter.

“Rere…isn’t that a bit cruel?”

“Why? What’s cruel about it?”

“Um…you see. You told the cats to eat a lot and become rounder so Rere could roll them around and toy with them. Don’t you think that’s a bit cruel?”

Only then Rere nodded as if she just realized something.

“You’re right! Okay. Then I’ll have to think about another chant to cheer them up. You two should plant the perilla leaves while Rere is busy thinking.”

I should’ve told her that cats eat catnip, not perilla leaves, but I couldn’t bear to correct her while she was sitting while agonizing deeply.

(T/N : ‘Catnip’ and ‘perilla leaf’ sound nearly identical in Korean.)

In the end, I crouched next to Ian and put seed in the holes for a long while.

‘It’s amazing that perilla leaves exist in this era…’

While thinking over the many things that I couldn’t understand in this world, I began to work hard planting the seeds.

“Ian.”

“Leona. You must be tired. Let me do everything…”

“No, it’s not like that. I need to protect the doctor. Can you please help me protect him for the time being?”

He wiped up the sweat with the back of his hand and laughed.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“And…in a week..I have to go to a region called Ludella.”

It was a bit puzzling since Leona had no memories of it.

Ludella.

It was like a neighborhood that I had never heard of all my life. And Ian looked quite surprised, too.

“Did you say Ludella??”

“I think the person I’m looking for is there. Is it far away?”

“It’s not far. It’s just…I think no one lives there.”

“No one lives there…?”

“Ludella is located in the northern part of the empire and is a historical site where God himself descended on the earth long ago. But the constant year round cold that lasts all seasons makes it unsuitable to live in.”

“Huh…?”

I could only stare at him in silence after listening to his unexpected story.

“So people gradually left that place until there were no more people living there. It was a story from a long time ago, so only a few people know of it. People barely remember it existed.”

“I see…”

“Indeed. Because of this, Ludella is the only gate without an assigned guard among the four barriers that border the empire.”

I just stared at him.

“Is that okay? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Yeah. The north is not far from the capital. But Ludella is practically impenetrable to outside forces due to its harsh environment. Are you sure you want to go there?”

“Yes. There must be a temple there.”

“A temple….first of all, let me look into it. I have five days thanks to Rere.”

I nodded, but I felt restless.

I wondered if the woman who looked at me actually lived in such a place. But I already had the information, and all I had to do was go investigate.

“By the way, I’m going to call the doctor later. I’m telling you in advance so you won’t be surprised.”

“Are you feeling sick?”

“Ah, that’s not it. I just have something to check.”

Then,

Rere, who had been thinking so hard by herself, ran up to me the moment she heard the word ‘sick.’

“Are you sick?! Where?!”

“Huh? N-No, Rere. I’m not sick.”

“But you said you were sick just now!”

With a pale face, Rere hurriedly touched my cheeks and forehead.

“I don’t feel a fever…”

“I’m really not sick. There’s nothing to worry about.”

I deliberately tried to convince her, but Rere looked so disappointed.

“Big Bunny always says that she’s okay when she’s not okay! That’s why I can’t trust you…”

Rere pouted again, looking sadder than ever.

“….I’m sorry.”

“….Big Bunny.”

“Hmm?”

“…Rere will listen well. I won’t scream like this again. So don’t be sick…”

I suddenly felt dizzy looking at how sincere Rere was.

‘Did you hear what Ian and I said earlier?’

Did we talk so loud that Rere could hear it? Even the sound of me crying?

I looked at her with uncertainty.

I wouldn’t be surprised if she heard it, and her expression looked way different from usual.

“Hmm…? You can’t die, okay?”

So she heard it. I didn’t want her to hear anything about my death, but she heard it in the end.

At that moment, my heart sank loudly. I wasn’t afraid of dying. People die anyway. I just felt sad that this happiness wouldn’t last long.

But I was afraid that Rere would find out.

I was afraid that my child would get hurt from learning about my limited time.

“No. I’m not dying. Don’t worry. I’m very strong.”

“…..”

“Please trust me. Mom will never, ever, die. I won’t die and leave Ian and Rere behind, okay?”

Only then did Rere nod in relief.

“Yeah! I see. I’ll trust what Big Bunny says!”

Rere nodded her small head vigorously.

“Then go to work. Rere was also going to cheer for the perilla leaves!”

Rere was so determined to cheer for it and even hummed as if showing her excitement. Watching her, Ian and I moved our hands faster as if we were at a farmstay.

After a long time, all the holes were filled with perilla leaf seeds. Only then did Rere put her hand on her waist and scream loudly.

“Hurry up and grow up! Be my food!”

“…R-Rere?”

“Huh? Why? Isn’t it better to be Rere’s food rather than the cats’ food?”

Rere smiled brightly and went to the perilla leaves one by one to water them. Looking at her, we couldn’t help but laugh.

* * *

Three days later.

Just as I was thinking about sending a knight after Jane who hadn’t returned until now, my sister finally entered the duchy with her own feet.

She came when Rere was sleeping, so I left her to the nanny and headed to the drawing room to meet my sister.

But my sister’s face looked a bit strange.

“What’s with your face?”

“Oh? You’re here?”

“How dare you be so disrespectful to Her Grace! You’re just a mere servant…!”

“Ah, fine. I hope you’re doing well, Duchess.”

If it had been the previous time, she would have countered May’s reprimand, but my sister was very relaxed this time.

It was quite annoying.

“Did you change your mind?”

“No way. I brought the thing you asked for.”

“Did you really bring it?”

“Yeah.”

Then she handed me a small box. As if to emphasize how confident she was, she even opened the box herself.

In a moment, I realized why she was so confident.

“Are you giving me a fake now?”