"Hey, woman."
"What?"
Upon seeing the food handed to her, Fiel's face imdiately fell.
"...Is this all you're giving
to eat?"
"Is there a problem? It's not even alti yet. You should be grateful to have anything to eat at all."
Yvonne handed the Demon King a freshly picked cucumber, with an attitude of 'take it or leave it', which greatly displeased the forr Demon King.
Damn it...
If only she hadn't lost all her magical power, she would have drained this woman's blood and flesh long ago!
She really wished that girl brimming with magical power could take care of her instead...
That girl called Elsa had an intensely strong aura of magical power, and she looked quite naive—clearly the type that would be easy to manipulate.
Just one sip would surely help her recover quickly!
Thinking of the sweet taste of a young girl's fresh blood made her mouth water.
But now, she could only eat this sort of thing.
Crunch—
Fiel dejectedly took a big bite of the cucumber in her hand, brooding resentfully.
She was the king of the demon race, after all!!
Usually, in the castle, she could have whatever she wanted. No matter what she did, there would be a crowd of people around her. Just furrowing her brow would cause a bunch of people to kneel in fear.
And now she had been reduced to this state!!
Chew, chew...
Mmm!
Fiel took another look at this peculiar-looking food in her hand.
A fresh green, prickly outer skin, the part she had bitten into was as tender as if water could be squeezed out of it.
It's called a 'cucumber', is it?...
With its crispy texture, this lon was quite palatable.
"Hey, is there any more?"
This wasn't nearly enough. Fiel went to the kitchen, tugging at the hem of that woman's clothes, unabashedly asking her guardian for more food.
How could she possibly be full eating just this! Isn't there anything else to eat?
Just as she was about to complain, she was t with a cold glare from the other party.
"If you want more to eat, then go help out."
Standing in the kitchen, Yvonne was holding a kitchen knife, its blade glinting coldly. Coupled with her frightening gaze, her appearance was quite terrifying.
Instinct told her that this woman was not to be trifled with, so she could only swallow her disrespectful words.
Although it was sowhat embarrassing to admit, Fiel was sowhat wary of Yvonne.
She seed to have seen through her ill intentions towards that woman brimming with magical power. Whenever she attempted to approach, Yvonne would stop her, emanating a dangerous aura.
Now that she had no magical power left, it wouldn't do to be randomly cut down by this crazy woman.
"...Help? Help with what?"
Fiel didn't understand her aning at all.
"Do you see those children?"
Following her finger, under the sun, those children were harvesting in the small vegetable garden that had been cultivated behind the monastery.
...What's the big deal, isn't it just a bunch of human cubs playing in the mud?
Fiel was quite disdainful.
At the peak of her magical power, with just a point of her finger, a tiny seedling could grow into a towering tree. So she completely failed to understand this human behavior of spending ti on farming.
"—'Those who rely on their own strength survive, those who don't rely on their own strength don't survive.'"
The rhythmic sound of chopping vegetables suddenly stopped.
Yvonne turned back to look at her, glaring so intensely that she didn't dare to make a sound.
"Do you know what this saying ans?"
Fiel shook her head.
"—It ans 'those who rely on their own strength can survive, those who don't rely on their own strength cannot survive.'"
She paused, then continued:
"Although I don't know what kind of life you lived before, here, if you want to eat your fill and stay warm, you have to rely on your own two hands to labor and earn it."
"...What do you an?"
"It ans—you've recovered enough, it's ti for you to go work like those children."
Saying this, Yvonne picked up this troubleso little Demon King and carried her out.
"Go out and work, don't hinder
from cooking here."
She had only wanted to ask for food, who knew it would be so troubleso.
Before, when it was ti to eat, people would line up to bring her food, and she would be full after just one bite.
Fiel was quite dejected. Just then, Annie, who was working in the vegetable shed, caught sight of her.
"Ah, it's Fiel!"
She ran over carrying a basket.
The other children also gathered around concernedly.
"Are you feeling better?"
Hmph~ Hmph! It seems that although she had been driven out, she was still quite popular!
"Mm, I am much better now."
"Are you hungry? Here, eat this."
Annie took out a crystal-clear red fruit from the basket, wiped it on herself, and handed it to Fiel.
"What is this?"
The landscape of the demon realm was completely different from here, so there were many vegetables she had never seen before.
Overly bright fruits are generally poisonous, this was the teaching of her ancestors.
"This is a tomato, it's very delicious!"
"It's best to eat this when the weather is hot!"
"Mmm..."
Under the enthusiastic recomndation of the other children, Fiel took a bite with so suspicion. The sweet and sour juice imdiately filled her mouth.
This... what is this!!
It was as if she had opened the door to a new world.
To think there were fruits like this in this world!
Seeing Fiel's eyes light up, Annie smiled sweetly.
"Hehe, it's delicious, right?"
Seeing this innocent smile.
Fiel felt a kind of palpitation she had never experienced before.
What is this feeling?
From a young age, all the adults around her had been wary of her. Rarely had anyone been so kind and gentle to her.
"Woman!"
"Are you calling ? My na is Annie."
"Why are you so nice to ? Do you want a position? Or do you want treasures?"
Unfortunately, Annie couldn't understand Fiel's words.
"...Little Fiel sotis says so very strange things."
She tilted her head, saying puzzledly.
"Isn't it natural to help each other?"
Saying this, she took off the straw hat on her head and put it on Fiel's head, adjusting it properly for her.
"Fiel's skin is so white, it would be a sha if it got tanned—"
After saying this, her soft little hand held onto Fiel's.
"Co on, let's pick together with us!"
"Annie,"
"When I recover, co back to the castle with ! I'll give you a good position above a chiliarch!"
"Hahaha, little Fiel is saying strange things again."
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So tired...
She had been tricked! It wasn't easy at all!!
After picking just two baskets of tomatoes, Fiel felt like she couldn't straighten her back anymore.
She had thought it would be an easy job, and she could eat while picking, so she had co along. But because she had to keep her head down all the ti, it was unexpectedly tiring.
This body was indeed a burden.
She wanted to return to her original form quickly.
And... it's so hot!
Coupled with the scorching weather, it made one feel doubly fatigued.
Was just picking really such a tiring task?
Is this how these weak humans... managed to survive?
Recalling what Yvonne had said, she seed to gain a new understanding of humans.
"Little Fiel, don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
Annie brought over a water bottle and gave her so water to drink. Only then did she feel sowhat recovered.
"Oh right, there's one last thing I need to ask for your help with."
"...There's more?"
She had no strength left.
"This ti it's really easy! Really—here, take this!"
Annie handed a cluster of pink hydrangeas to Fiel.
"...Flowers?"
Fiel didn't quite understand what this ant.
This hemispherical flower, with its pale pink hue blending into a white base, had a delicate appearance, like the shy color of a maiden's blush.
"It's beautiful, isn't it! Elsa went out early this morning to pick these! It's the first bloom of this month's roses, she said she wanted to give Yvonne a surprise."
She lowered her voice, leaned in close, and said mysteriously,
"Fiel, you have the best relationship with Yvonne, so you'll be responsible for giving this cluster to her later!"
What a misunderstanding, her relationship with that woman wasn't good at all!
She looked around and only then realized that every child was holding flower clusters of different colors, with only the one in her hand being of a sowhat special color.
But given the current situation, Fiel couldn't refuse.
Seeing Annie's expectant gaze, she could only nod in agreent.
"I just need to follow everyone's arrangent and step out to give it to her, right?"
It didn't sound difficult, so she might as well do it once.
"Fiel is the best! Hugs!"
At least being hugged by this little girl felt quite nice.
...Humans really do like these things with no practical aning.
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