Side Story 05. [After Story] Evangeline
Half a year later. Imperial Year 657, autumn.
Five years after the final battle against the monsters.
Southern Empire. Crossroad.
Southern part of the city. Orchard.
Snip!
With a crisp sound, a cluster of grapes was neatly clipped off the vine.
“My, my, what a fine bunch~”
Evangeline, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, whistled cheerfully.
She held the plump cluster of grapes in her hand, weighing it thoughtfully. Then she plucked a single grape, popped it into her mouth, and—“…!”
Her previously skeptical expression lit up with sweet delight. Fist clenched in triumph, she grinned.
“Ahh… it’s sweet. This is it!”
Beaming, Evangeline turned to her side.
“Looks like we can actually sell them this year!”
Before her stretched rows upon rows of grapevines—thousands of them. Under the southern sun, the vines were heavy with bountiful fruit.
People who once wielded spears and swords to slay monsters now busied themselves with pruning shears and shovels, moving efficiently between the vines.
This orchard project had been started by her late predecessor, the frontier margrave.
Once the monsters disappeared and the sinister energy lingering in the land dissipated, Evangeline made it her priority to restart the orchard business.
After a few trials, errors, and years of effort, she had finally achieved visible success.
“If they could see this, my parents would be happy, wouldn’t they…?”
Evangeline murmured softly.
Her eyes scanned the clusters of grapes hanging from the vines, brimming with a sense of nostalgia.
This orchard held the wishes of her parents and the people of Crossroad who came before her.
Now, in a world where monsters no longer invaded, the fruit ripened beautifully.
At that moment—
Thump!
Evangeline felt a small movement in her belly.
Smiling, she gently caressed her round stomach.
“Alright, Bean Rice Cake. I’ll give you some. Geez, just like your mom, you’re such a foodie…”
Evangeline was heavily pregnant.
Having been four months along half a year ago, she was now nearing her due date.
She swallowed another grape, rubbing her belly as she did. The baby, seemingly satisfied, stopped kicking.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? How we’re so connected.”
Looking at the ripening grapevines, Evangeline stroked her belly—stroking the child within.
“We’re all connected…”
With a soft smile, she turned her gaze toward a nearby building—once her father’s villa, now repurposed as the orchard’s management office.
“Lilly! The grapes are super sweet. You’re going to try some, right?”
In the shaded front yard of the office, beneath a canopy, sat a large table where Lilly and Sid were busy drawing with colored pencils.
Evangeline had invited them over after learning they were planning a weekend outing.
Setting down her colored pencil, Lilly looked up with concern.
“I’ll try them, but isn’t it about time for your due date, Lady Evangeline? Shouldn’t you be resting instead of working in the fields?”
“Oh, I’m fine, I’m fine. The baby likes it when I’m active. When I sit still, they get all restless and start kicking like crazy.”
Evangeline rinsed a bunch of grapes with water from the pump and placed them on a plate before the two.
“Thanks for the food!”
Sid, who had been drooling for a while, eagerly grabbed the grapes and stuffed them into his mouth.
“Wow!”
Before he could even express how they tasted, Sid’s eyes went wide. Pleased with his reaction, Evangeline laughed heartily, while Lilly frowned slightly. Ɍἁ𝐍оΒĚs
“Lady Evangeline, you give Sid too many snacks. Look at his chubby fingers; they’re all pudgy now.”
“What’s wrong with that? He’s just adorably plump.”
Evangeline patted her own belly, nodding confidently.
“Baby fat disappears as you grow up. Don’t worry so much!”
Coming from someone who stood in defiance of that conventional wisdom, her words carried little credibility.
Lilly opened her mouth to retort but stopped as Sid plucked the biggest grape and held it out to her.
“Mom, say ahhh~”
“…Ahhh.”
Unable to resist, Lilly accepted the grape, her own eyes widening as she tasted its sweetness.
“Wow, this is really sweet. It’s incredible, Lady Evangeline.”
“Right? I know, right? I mean, think about it—Crossroad is at the southernmost tip of the continent. That means we get the most sunlight. And more sunlight means? Sweeter fruit, obviously!”
While her logic was somewhat simplistic and over-generalized, the result spoke for itself.
“If we can maintain this level of sweetness consistently…”
Lilly, thinking as a steward of the estate, murmured to herself. Evangeline caught on and responded.
“Then my grand food alley project… will definitely succeed!”
“…”
Lilly wasn’t sure about the success of Evangeline’s ambitious food alley initiative.
However, the prospect of cultivating the fertile lands south of the old frontline—which had once been inaccessible due to monster invasions—was undeniably promising for Crossroad.
‘If we can keep this level of quality, it might sell well as a specialty product…’
And they could also sell it at that food alley she keeps talking about…
As Lilly pondered, Evangeline and Sid burst into laughter, crossing their arms and chanting.
“Eat!”
“Grapes!”
“Eat!”
“Alley!”
The two were perfectly in sync.
“Oh, my sweet Sid. When Bean Rice Cake is born, you’ll have to play with them a lot, alright?”
“Yes! I can’t wait to play with my little sibling!”
“Hehe. Soon, very soon. Oh, speaking of which, do you want some actual bean rice cakes? I’ve made a fresh batch.”
“Yes! Thank you, Auntie!”
Evangeline brought out the latest batch of bean rice cakes, made from this year’s harvest of bean powder and wheat flour, both grown in the fertile lands south of the former frontline. The ingredients were 100% Crossroad-grown.
These bean rice cakes were a core item in Evangeline’s ambitious food alley project.
Sid, with his mouth already watering, devoured several cakes in seconds, the bean powder sticking to his lips as he nodded enthusiastically.
“It’s delicious, Auntie!”
Even Lilly, who cautiously picked up one cake, nodded after tasting it.
“Maybe it’s because they’re made from freshly harvested ingredients, but they’re really good. Very tasty, but…”
“But?”
“They’re a bit plain.”
After eating the intensely sweet grapes, the bean rice cakes did feel a bit bland by comparison.
After all, it was a humble, rustic snack typical of the southern frontier. For something that was supposed to be a centerpiece of a would-be tourist city, it lacked a certain flair.
“I was hoping the grapes would solve that problem, but…”
Evangeline sighed in frustration.
Over time, she had tried adding cream, chocolate, and various fruits to the bean rice cakes. She had even tried pairing them with the grapes.
While the experiments weren’t bad, they never quite achieved a harmonious balance. The flavor of the grapes, in particular, was too vibrant and bold, completely overpowering the subtle bean rice cakes.
“What should I do…”
“Do you really have to stick to the bean rice cakes?”
Lilly asked cautiously.
Even the name sounded a bit outdated… Bean rice cakes.
As Evangeline pursued the already challenging plan of transforming Crossroad into a tourist city, Lilly couldn’t quite understand why she insisted on holding on to the bean rice cakes.
But Evangeline was unwavering.
“These bean rice cakes are the true food of the frontier. Simple, humble, maybe even a bit rustic… but that’s why they leave a lasting impression, the kind of food you remember and seek out. They’re uniquely Crossroad.” (TL Note: If you are reading this on , keep in mind that Zeom is stealing my translation)
“…”
“A food that carries the spirit of the city. I think every place should have at least one thing like that.”
It was the kind of thought one might expect from the Cross family, who had ruled Crossroad for generations. A reflection of their duty to preserve the essence of the city.
The spirit of the city…
As Lilly and Evangeline both fell into thought, Sid continued to quietly nibble on grapes and bean rice cakes, glancing between the two.
And then—
“Wow~ This is quite a sight.”
A familiar voice rang out.
“Huh?”
“Oh my!”
Turning toward the voice, they saw none other than the wandering priest Zenis, who had visited Crossroad half a year ago to give Evangeline her checkup. He waved cheerfully as he walked into the orchard.
“The orchard is amazing. When did you manage to get it to this point?”
“Uncle Zenis!”
Not just Evangeline, but Lilly and Sid lit up at the sight of him. Sid even ran over and threw himself into Zenis’s arms.
Zenis wasn’t just a former comrade from the monster frontlines; he had also played the role of midwife during Lilly’s labor, delivering Sid himself. Their bond ran deep.
After exchanging pleasantries, Evangeline asked,
“Weren’t you heading west last time? You’re back sooner than I thought.”
“Ah, well. I wandered around the west for a while and ended up running into another wandering priest. That friend of mine said they were heading to Crossroad, so I decided to tag along.”
Zenis gestured behind him, and the young man standing there removed his hood.
With his curly hair grown out and his skin slightly tanned, his appearance had changed a bit, but everyone present instantly recognized him.
Evangeline gasped, covering her mouth as she exclaimed.
“Damien!”
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
Damien, who hadn’t visited Crossroad in years, greeted them with his familiar gentle smile.
“So at first, I planned to go all the way north…”
Sitting before a plate of freshly served grapes and bean rice cakes, the reunited comrades chatted warmly.
“But along the way, I kept coming across sick people asking for help… and, well…”
Damien smiled sheepishly.
“In an era without divine power, what choice do I have? If someone with even a little medical knowledge doesn’t help the sick, who will?”
Zenis nodded in agreement, clearly resonating with Damien’s words as a fellow wandering priest.
Damien continued,
“Before I knew it, I found myself wandering the western desert regions. So I figured, why not just go all the way to the western edge this time?”
“Wow, so you really went to the western edge?”
“Yeah. It would’ve taken much longer if I had walked the whole way, but the Mirage nomads helped me. Thanks to their camels, I got there faster than expected.”
“That’s incredible… What was it like at the western edge, Damien?”
“That’s… a really long story…”
At that moment, the large snake coiled around Damien’s neck—Jörmungandr—hissed softly, flicking its tongue with apparent displeasure.
Damien scratched Jörmungandr’s head with a wry smile.
“I know, I know. Sorry about this. We’ll head north next, I promise. Don’t be mad.”
Ssshh…
Jörmungandr seemed to have been annoyed by the detour westward and continued flicking its tongue as if to show its displeasure.
Sid’s eyes sparkled as he stared at the snake.
“Um, big brother Damien… Can I touch the snake?”
“What are you saying? No way, absolutely not!”
Lilly hurriedly grabbed Sid, alarmed.
But Damien smiled and nodded, unwrapping the snake from around his neck and gently placing it before Sid.
Jörmungandr let out a soft huff before curling up on the table and lying still. Sid, delighted, eagerly began touching the snake’s smooth body, while Lilly furrowed her brow in exasperation.
Damien chuckled and exclaimed, “Ah!” as if remembering something. He pulled a pouch from his pocket and handed it to Evangeline.
“Seeing this orchard reminded me. Here, Lady Evangeline, take this.”
“Hm? Damien, what is this?”
“Date palm seeds.”
The pouch was filled with well-preserved date palm seeds.
Damien explained,
“Five years ago, during Night Bringer’s invasion, a cold snap struck the western desert regions, killing off most of the date palm trees.”
“Oh no…”
“The local residents gave me these seeds, saying to plant them wherever I went if I could think of a suitable place. I’ve been carrying them around ever since because I couldn’t find the right spot.”
He gestured toward the orchard with a nod.
“I think they might grow well here in Crossroad. What do you think?”
“Date palms…?”
Evangeline swallowed hard.
She had tasted dates once before and vividly remembered their uniquely chewy, sweet flesh. As the memory came to her, something clicked in her mind, and she snapped her fingers.
“Yes, if it’s these…!”
But just then—
“Ugh!”
Evangeline suddenly clutched her belly and collapsed where she stood.
Everyone jumped in alarm, and Lilly cried out in panic.
“Lady Evangeline?! Are you okay?!”
“My belly… It hurts so much…”
Evangeline was drenched in sweat as she struggled to speak.
“Did I… eat too much…?”
“What are you saying?! This is clearly labor pains! You’re in labor, you pregnant woman! Now, deep breaths!”
As Zenis helped guide Evangeline’s breathing, he shouted, “Call for a carriage! We need to transport her to Crossroad immediately!”
Everyone sprang into action, working together to lay Evangeline down and prepare to rush her to the city.
That was when Damien—kind-hearted but notoriously oblivious—blurted out the question no one else dared to ask.
“Where’s Sir Lucas?! Where is he?!”
“…”
“His wife is about to give birth—shouldn’t he be here right now—?”
“…”
“Ah.”
Awkward silence fell over the group.
Damien began to feel the temperature in the sunny, early-autumn orchard drop significantly. A cold chill, despite the warm sunlight.
“…I’m sorry.”
Damien mumbled a quiet apology, but it was too late.
Evangeline, her face flushed red—either from labor pains or sheer anger—had already entered a state of rage.
“That idiot husband of mine…”
Her voice was shrill as she glared with bloodshot eyes, whether from pain or fury.
“He thinks work is more important than his wife and baby—!”
At the same time.
On the main road from the Bringar Duchy to Crossroad.
“Hyah! Hyah! Faster—!”
Lucas was galloping down the road in a frenzy.
“Go! Go! I have to get there!”
He had to make it in time for Evangeline’s labor.
He had to be there for the moment his child was born.
“Somebody help meeeeee!”
…And, above all, he had to avoid a lifetime of being scolded by his wife.
Desperately. Furiously. With all his might.
–TL Notes–
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