“What’s going on? What kind of relationship is that?”

“Wasn’t she dating the tavern owner?”

“I never saw her that way…”

Fortunately, neither Xenon nor Noah was present. They had left the village before the Harvest Festival began, claiming they had business to attend to.

Noah seemed to have dragged Xenon along against his will, but…

Thanks to their absence, Rudis could visit the village alone with Iska. Had those two accompanied them, she couldn’t imagine what people might have whispered.

They would surely have faced even harsher criticism than Colin in his overalls.

Upon reaching the village square, the festive atmosphere intensified. The square filled with bustling crowds and laughter erupting from all directions.

The reception desk at the center was particularly crowded. People lined up with their harvests. Giant pumpkins, glossy apples, and colorful vegetables of every kind.

Finally, it was Rudis’s turn. She released Iska’s hand and took out her fruit, a fresh one picked from the greenhouse that morning.

“Shall I register this for you?” the lord’s representative asked with an indifferent expression.

“Yes!”

Rudis confidently handed over the fruit. Looking around the reception area, she saw giant pumpkins and fancy pineapples lined up.

Of course, all were crops Rudis had previously entered in past festivals.

This year’s victory is certain.

With newfound ease, Rudis looked around and casually greeted passersby.

“Have you been well?”

“Are you kidding? How could I possibly be well?! You promised to fix my roof and then just disappeared!”

“I’m sorry. I had some circumstances… Could I fix it for you now?”

Rudis apologized to the sharp voice. This was a quest she had accepted after last summer’s typhoon but failed to complete.

“It’s too late now! Besides, how can I trust you again? Forget it!”

The response remained cold. Undeterred, Rudis offered a gift she had brought in preparation.

“I’m truly sorry. Please accept this at least.”

“What good is this useless thing…”

“Oh, this is Iska who lives with me. Handsome, isn’t he?”

“Handsome? When I was young…”

Rudis continued greeting people and introducing Iska. Even if she couldn’t immediately restore her affinity, it was better to work on improving it while everyone gathered for the festival.

“Hello, Shasha!”

“A strange outsider, I see. The harvest time hasn’t come yet. You cannot see your reflection in the mirror.”

After exchanging greetings with Shasha, who spoke in her usual incomprehensible manner, Rudis turned to Iska.

“Sorry. Are you tired?”

“Not at all. I’m with you, after all.”

Iska shook his head and replied mischievously to Rudis’s apology.

“Let’s go enjoy the festival now.”

“There are too many people. It’s scary.”

“You’ll be fine.”

Rudis firmly held Iska’s hand (he was clearly up to his tricks again) and looked around. Though Iska appeared uninterested, his face was bright. He kept glancing at their joined hands with a smirk.

Everyone they passed eyed Iska sideways. The lingering stares were uncomfortable, but Rudis defiantly enjoyed the festival.

Like during the spring festival, they browsed various stalls, though this time nothing particularly interesting caught her eye.

“Now we will announce the winner of the long-awaited Harvest Festival!”

Before night fell, the lord’s representative unfurled a scroll and shouted loudly. People gathered in the square gradually quieted down and listened.

Rudis waited for the results with a relaxed smile. She had already confirmed that all entries were ordinary, so naturally, the winner would be…

The representative slowly raised the scroll in his hand and announced the result.

“The winner of this Harvest Festival is… Meilin!”

Applause and cheers filled the square. Rudis jumped up with an incredulous expression.

“Why am I not first place?!”

All eyes turned to Rudis. The square instantly erupted in murmurs.

“Did the judging criteria change? How could this result happen?”

The Kiki berries Meilin had submitted were fruits easily gathered in the forest during spring, old harvests with nothing special about them.

Considering the judging criteria Rudis had known all along, she couldn’t accept Meilin’s Kiki berries winning first place.

But Rudis’s protest was buried under people’s mockery.

“Look at that, she thought she would win.”

“So arrogant.”

“She disappeared for a while and came back really strange.”

Voices of criticism burst forth from everywhere. Perhaps due to people’s lowered affinity, no one took Rudis’s side.

Iska, who had been listening to everything beside Rudis, had a sharp gleam in his eyes. His sudden predatory aura made people flinch and step back.

“Iska, calm down.”

Rudis whispered, gently tugging on Iska’s hand. At her touch, Iska nodded, though he still maintained his chilling gaze. Rudis turned to the lord’s representative.

“Please tell me the judging criteria.”

“The lord personally selected the winner.”

Despite the representative’s brief answer, Rudis didn’t back down.

“Then please let me see the lord.”

The square became noisy again at her firm request.

“Now she wants to summon the lord!”

“She must be crazy.”

“Who does she think she is to bother the lord!”

Amid people’s whispers, the lord’s representative nodded reluctantly with an awkward expression.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll go ask.”

After the representative left, Meilin approached Rudis with a hostile expression.

“I won first place. Why are you so dissatisfied? Do you think you should always win?”

Meilin raised her voice, her face flushed. Rudis replied calmly with a short sigh.

“Meilin, the Harvest Festival is where participants showcase crops they’ve personally grown or gathered. That’s the principle. Those Kiki berries, I gathered them for you in spring. Don’t you remember asking me for them to make jam? Isn’t it wrong to submit them to the Harvest Festival in the first place?”

As Rudis finished speaking, Meilin’s expression grew more distorted. Like suppressed emotions bursting all at once, sparks flew in Meilin’s eyes.

“You always think you’re the best, don’t you? You believe you’re special and everything belongs to you!”

Meilin shouted, breathing heavily. She looked ready to lunge at Rudis. Even bystanders held their breath with tension.

At that moment, Iska stepped forward. He positioned himself between Rudis and Meilin like a solid wall, his broad shoulders creating a barrier.

“And who are you?!”

Meilin, having lost her composure, pushed Iska. In that instant, his hat fell off, revealing what had been hidden underneath.

Pointed, sharp beast-like ears.

“Huh? Aren’t those ears?!”

With someone’s cry, the square instantly fell silent. But only for a moment. After a brief stillness, screams erupted throughout the square.

“A monster!”

“That’s a beast! A beast-person!”

Amid people’s cries filled with fear and disgust, Iska’s blue eyes flashed coldly while he stood protectively in front of Rudis. With a low growl rumbling in warning, his sharp fangs became visible.

People froze at the sudden burst of killing intent. Rudis quickly grabbed Iska’s arm and whispered desperately.

“Iska. Calm down. Don’t do anything.”

At Rudis’s urgent voice, Iska stopped and caught his breath. The choker around his neck began to glow intermittently, seemingly absorbing his intense emotions. Seeing this, the villagers grew even more agitated.

“Rudis has been controlling a monster!”

“She’s a witch!”

“What?! Rudis is a witch?!”

People’s accusations grew uncontrollably. Suspicion and distrust spread like wildfire.

“I always thought something was strange. How could the crops from her farm be so good?”

“The doctor said certain herbs were impossible to find this season, but she brought them! That’s impossible unless she’s a witch!”

“I told you so. Her excessive kindness was suspicious! She must have been deceiving us all along.”

“Even now, strange light is coming from the monster’s neck! What is she planning to do to us?!”

Rudis was speechless with disbelief. She never dreamed all her efforts for the villagers would be repaid like this.

No, they were the ones who asked for my help…

Rudis gritted her teeth inwardly and suppressed her anger. Just when her disbelief reached its peak, the lord’s representative returned. People raised their voices even louder.

“That woman is a witch!”

“She tried to threaten the village with a monster!”