The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 39: Side Story: Alright, It's War. Well... On a Holiday

Chapter 39: Side Story: Alright, It’s War. Well… On a Holiday

Next week was supposed to be a holiday, right before the summer vacation. 

—Bang! 

The door to my room flew open.

Surprised, I looked up to see Alicia, dressed in a tracksuit and with her face covered, standing with her arms crossed in a powerful stance.

“We’re going to mow the lawn. You’re helping.”

“Y-Yes.”

It was hard to believe she was a ducal daughter dressed like that, but surprisingly, it suited her and looked healthy.

“Eh, but what about the broken door…?”

“Just fix it. That’s the Brave thing to do, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

My own words from the past came back to haunt me. 

The young lady, once innocent, was now dyed by Brave.

She really had grown up tough. 

With eyes full of determination, Alicia announced,

“This is war.”

“W-War, you say?”

“A war against the insects ravaging my garden and crops!” 

There was a fierce determination in her eyes, filled with a bit of murderous intent. 

Alicia looked so gallant, becoming more attractive day by day. 

“I’ll exterminate every single one of them!” 

Though her tone carried a hint of madness, there was a very good reason for her to be this way.

It was summer, and the crop she had planted in her field was a type of radish that matures in just twenty days. She had chosen it because it grows quickly and can be cultivated year-round.

However, as you might guess, planting such a thing in summer makes it prey to pests and diseases. 

Yes, the twenty-day radish is weak in the summer… 

Alicia’s garden was in shambles.

Even after being pulled out, the radishes only grew to be frail and thin, like a “Really? Is it okay to pull this out already?” kind of twenty-day radish. 

It’s like the leg of a skinny noble who skipped sword practice—so weak that it feels like it could snap in half with a single kick.

The damage even reached the beautifully arranged garden at the entrance, making Alicia absolutely furious.

I thought backyard vegetable garden pests wouldn’t really affect the front garden much, but seeing Alicia so adorably angry, I just couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

“Answer me!”

“Yes!”

“Bark for me!”

“W-woof!”

And just like that, a tyrant was born. 

She now defaultly carries the collar in her right hand. 

T-This is definitely a tyrant. 

But the unprecedented pressure was somehow thrilling.

“Mariana will help us too, so it’s all hands on deck.”

“Is that so…” 

As soon as Mariana’s name was mentioned, Alicia’s mood instantly reverted to her usual self, as if the tyrant from before had never existed.

It was good to see her showing more emotions. 

But it seemed unlucky for Mariana to be called for weeding and pest control on her day off. 

When asked, she seemed really excited, saying, “Is it really okay for me to disturb the love nest of you two, huee?” 

She’s definitely a bit odd, too.

As expected of the protagonist, she’s got quite the character.

“After we’re done, we’ll have her coffee and homemade scones.”

“Really? Now I’m excited!”

If Mariana is making the coffee, then I can push through.

I’d prefer to get my quality caffeine fix before starting the work, but I can’t complain. 

“Fufu, weeding is tough, so we need a reward, right?”

Planning rewards even for the afternoon, Alicia is really something. 

She knows well that people won’t move without an incentive.

Is this what they call imperial wisdom passed down through the ducal family?

Maybe not, but at this point, it doesn’t really matter.

“I’d do anything Alicia asks me to, even without a reward.”

“Don’t say something so silly.”

I was quite serious, but I’d definitely work harder for a reward.

Like, I’d give it my 300% effort. 

Just the thought of a reward from someone you like makes your heart swell with excitement.

“Good morning! Alicia? Sir Ragna? Oh, this is your place… wow, It smells nice here!”

“It seems like she’s just arrived. Come on, hurry up and change.”

Just as Mariana’s voice reached us from the entrance, I decided to quickly change into my jersey.

I didn’t really get the part about smelling something, but I decided not to worry about it.

“Let’s finish by noon so we can relax in the afternoon. Mariana and I will make the scones, so you’ll work off that energy by moving around.”

“Leave the bugs to me.”

“I’m counting on you.”

With barrier control, it’s amazing how both beneficial and harmful insects can be completely separated.

I’ll show her that the Brave family can eliminate more than just magic worms.

◇

“Alicia, they turned out nicely, don’t you think? They smell great.” 

“Wow, really?”

When Mariana opened the oven, a delicious aroma filled the kitchen.

The scones, beautifully golden brown and puffed up, looked incredibly tasty. 

The table was laid with various types of scones, from simple ones to those mixed with nuts.

“Mariana, you’re really good at baking, aren’t you?” 

“Leave it to me.”

Alicia praised her as she watched Mariana skillfully make the sweets, who then proudly puffed up her chest and snorted. 

“I pride myself on being better at coffee and sweets than magic.”

“I wanted to learn various things too, so this is a big help.”

“I’m glad I could be of service. Are you making these for Sir Ragna? Sweets filled with love in this sweet house? Hmm!”

Ignoring Mariana’s heavy breathing, Alicia said, 

“I mainly want to serve them to everyone in the Brave household. Ragna will eat anything that’s not a monster and enjoy it.”

“M-Monsters…?” 

“Ah, don’t worry about it, it’s just something common in the Brave family.” 

“Eh… You can eat monsters? I might be a bit curious.” 

“I was also told normal food tastes just fine.”

“Anyway, where’s Sir Ragna? He’s taking a while, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, I wonder where he’s wandered off to.”

The morning’s weeding and pest control finished quite early, and while Alicia and Mariana got busy baking sweets, Ragna had gone to dispose of the cut weeds. However, even after a fair amount of time had passed, he hadn’t returned yet. 

“Well, there was a lot to dispose of, he’ll be back soon.”

“Right. We have too many sweets for just the two of us, anyway. Let’s take a break. Now that Sir Ragna’s not here, I have so many things I want to ask you, Alicia!”

“Please, be easy on me…”

“Straight to the point! Have you two kissed yet? It’s hard to believe that a man and woman engaged to be married living under the same roof haven’t had anything happen!”

While the girls were blossoming into a deep girl-talk session, the topic of their conversation, Ragna, was elsewhere.

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t have time to deal with you guys right now.”

He was surrounded by magicians in a clearing behind the incinerator where he went to dump the weeds.

“So you’re Ragna?”

“Please, not now, I won’t kill you, so let’s do this some other time!”

“Just shut up and come with us.”