After feeding the soil with manure, Damaris looked at her work and, satisfied it was finished, sought a spot beneath the chestnut tree to rest.
She washed her hands with water from a bowl outside the cottage, opened her bag and drew out her late lunch—boiled sweet potatoes.
Slowly she peeled off the skin and took a bite.
A tired yet fulfilled sigh escaped her lips as the cool potato softened against her tongue. Though she reeked of animal dung, it did not ruin the taste of her food. On the contrary, the smell gave her a sense of pride—that she had successfully begun something new.
Now all she had to do was wait two weeks for the manure to settle into the soil. Then she could begin planting properly.
For the next two weeks, she just had to return regularly to water the beds.
"Speaking of water—" she looked at the rows of pots lined up beside her. "—do you little ones not need water? Where has your owner gone since the early hours of the morning?" she asked the plant, as though expecting a response.
"Then again, you might be the kind that does not need water." She nodded thoughtfully. "Still, how could he not return—at the very least to check on his plants?"
She chewed and swallowed. "How can he call himself a gardener if he cares not what becomes of his garden?"
She looked at the pots and clicked her tongue. "If this can be called a garden, that is."
She was done with her work for the day. After eating, she was free to leave—yet she could not. Not when all his visitors had made her watchwoman over his gifts!
"What business could a gardener have outside his garden that he would abandon it for this long?" she muttered and took a sip of water.
Her eyes narrowed. "There is something amiss about that man. I am certain. Who knows? He might be a spy from the neighboring empire! Or worse—" she paused, gasped, then waved her hand, pushing back the dreadful thought.
"Hey!" she snatched up her sandal like a weapon. "Get away!"
She hurled it at a monkey trying to steal from one of the gift baskets, neatly striking it on the head.
"I said get away!" She grabbed the second sandal and flung it. But the stubborn animal dodged her aim.
"You—" She sprang to her feet.
The monkey quickly fled—but not before snatching an ear of corn.
"You had better pray I never see you again because I have marked your face and I shall skin you alive and make a mean stew out of you!" she shouted after it.
"Where in the world is this man?" She stomped her foot in frustration.
Had it been for his sake alone, she cared not whether the food was devoured by the creatures of the forest or drenched by rain. It was only for the sake of the ones who brought them that she remained.
Each of them had either labored on the farm to grow their crops, or worked hard elsewhere to earn the money to purchase them.
She could not, therefore, allow it to go to waste.
She sighed and walked toward the cottage door.
"If only he had even left the door open, I would—"
Huh…
Her eyes widened as she turned the latch and the door opened.
"It was open all along?"
She stepped into the place she had only ever seen from outside. The first thing that came to her mind was to find proof that he was a spy—then run straight to inform her Lord.
But then a noise came from outside. She turned and saw her furry friend had returned.
"You little thief!"
She rushed outside and the monkey seemed to smirk at her as it picked yet another ear of corn and dashed into the woods.
"I swear to Phineas when I catch you, I will skin you alive—roast you over a fire, boil you, and roast you again!"
Forget finding proof, she first had to carry all the baskets inside.
There were over fifteen baskets filled with various kinds of foods. By the time she had carried them all inside, her back felt like it might snap in two.
She stretched, crouched, then stretched again.
Placing both hands against her lower back, she bent backwards to ease the pain—
and in that moment, as her head tilted toward the chestnut tree her eyes caught something perched high above.
She blinked and straightened.
One hand fell to her side while the other remained at her waist. She took a step forward, brows creasing as she squinted her eyes so she could see better.
And then she saw.
Her eyes began to widen.
Her mouth slowly fell open.
Her hand rose, finger pointing toward the thing above…
"You—"
Her words died in her throat as she saw a smirk rise to his lips—one that almost perfectly mirrored that of the evil monkey.
And she realized…
He had been there the whole time.
The damned man had been sitting above her head—
Watching her!