The A-List Witch and the Young Lady's Moment of Unexpected Admiration

After the blush-inducing detoxification treatment that morning, the incredibly thick, romantic atmosphere in the master bedroom on the second floor of Lynch's house finally dissipated a little.

Lynch got dressed, feeling completely refreshed. He felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and there was a spring in his step.

"Honey, I'm heading downstairs to get to work."

Lynch planted a gentle kiss on Felsy's forehead, then went downstairs humming an unknown tune like a child who had just received candy.

Watching his retreating back, Felsy, who was still lounging in bed, touched her forehead. A barely noticeable smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Idiot."

She muttered softly and rolled out of bed.

Since she had established her new persona as a virtuous wife, she couldn't just spend all her time sleeping.

"Kuma."

Felsy called out to the empty air.

"Right here, My Lady."

Kuma popped her head out from the ceiling beams, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of a gossipmonger. "My Lady, Brother Lynch was smiling so happily when he went downstairs just now. It seems your... ahem, treatment was highly effective!"

"You talk too much."

Felsy glared at her. As she smoothed out her slightly rumpled nightgown, she gave a nonchalant order:

"Go to the bookshelf and fetch that copy of Introduction to Basic Magic. And... find me a few pieces of scrap wood."

"Huh? What do you need wood for?" Kuma looked completely bewildered. "Are you going to start a fire?"

"Putting on a show."

Felsy walked over to the desk by the window and sat down, striking the pose of a diligent student. "Since I've decided to live in the village long-term and be his supportive wife, I can't just be eye candy."

"I have to show him that I am also working hard to improve."

"Even if it means learning the most basic magic from scratch... this perfectly fits the persona of an ambitious village wife, right?"

Kuma: "..."

My Lady, you are a world-destroying witch who can instantly cast ninth-tier forbidden spells!

And now you want to pretend to learn magic from scratch? Isn't this like a max-level champion creating a smurf account to stomp beginners, while deliberately acting like a noob?

"Understood! I'll go get your props right away!"

Despite complaining internally, Kuma moved swiftly to gather a few pieces of wood and the dust-covered introductory textbook.

...

Downstairs, in the courtyard.

Lynch was holding a hoe, loosening the soil in the basic herb garden he meticulously cared for.

Even though it was winter, with the support of the system, this herb garden maintained a constant temperature. The few Stargazer Grasses and Bloodstop Vines planted inside were thriving.

"This batch of Bloodstop Vines is almost mature."

Lynch squatted down and carefully inspected the leaves. "It's perfect timing. Many villagers were injured during this beast tide, so I'll brew some medicinal ointment and send it over to them later."

"Also... that Aria seems to need some soothing medicine too."

Thinking of that young miss who was still dead to the world in the guest room, Lynch shook his head helplessly.

She had been sleeping the entire morning and still hadn't woken up. It seemed yesterday's shock was indeed a bit too much for her.

Right at that moment, a clattering noise suddenly came from the second floor, sounding as if someone was tearing the house apart.

"Hmm? What happened?"

Startled, Lynch dropped his hoe and ran upstairs.

Pushing the door open, he saw a scene that left him both amused and exasperated.

Felsy was sitting upright at the desk with the Introduction to Basic Magic open in front of her. In her hand, she held a small twig she had picked up from somewhere to serve as a magic wand, and she was pointing it at a piece of wood on the table with a deadpan expression.

"Flames... heed my call... ignite!"

Felsy kept a straight face, chanting the incantation in an extremely stiff and even stumbling tone.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she were performing an arduous spell that concerned the survival of the world. Her fingertips turned red from the strain before she barely squeezed out a tiny fireball the size of a lighter's flame.

Poof.

The fireball wobbled as it flew out, landed on the wood, and then... went out.

Leaving behind only a pathetic wisp of blue smoke.

"Sigh."

Felsy slammed the little twig onto the desk in frustration. "Why did it fail again? The book clearly says it works as long as you concentrate."

Her flustered and unwilling little expression was simply cute to the extreme.

Standing at the door, Lynch couldn't help but burst into laughter watching this scene.

"What are you laughing at?"

Felsy whipped her head around. Seeing Lynch, a flash of panic and embarrassment at being caught red-handed instantly crossed her face.

"N-nothing."

Lynch held back his amusement as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind. "Honey, are you... practicing the fireball spell?"

"Yes."

Felsy turned her head away, speaking a bit bashfully. "I see you working so hard lately, and I wanted... I wanted to help out a little. If I can learn magic too, even if it's just lighting a fire or boiling water, I can share some of your burden in the future. For example, the cleansing magic I practiced before could help you wash clothes."

"But... I seem to be really stupid."

She lowered her head, looking at the completely unharmed piece of wood with somewhat dim eyes. "I can't even practice the simplest fireball spell properly."

Lynch's heart instantly melted.

How is this stupid? This is the cutest idiot wife in the whole world!

"Who said you're stupid?"

Lynch rubbed her hair and comforted her gently. "Magic is inherently difficult. That Asik studied for three years before he could conjure a fireball. You've only just started learning, so being able to make smoke is already amazing!"

"Really?" Felsy blinked, her purple eyes full of a desire for validation.

"Truer than pearls!"

Lynch pledged solemnly, "Besides, a beginner's magic control is naturally unstable. Come, let me teach you a trick."

Saying that, he held Felsy's hand that gripped the twig, guiding her like a patient mentor:

"Relax, don't tense your magic up too much. Imagine that the fire is a part of your body, and let it flow out through your fingertips..."

Under Lynch's guidance, Felsy strenuously gathered her magic once again.

This time, the tiny flame was a bit more stable. Although it was still only the size of a bean, it burned a small black dot onto the wood.

"Look! You succeeded!"

Lynch was even happier than if he had leveled up himself. "See, I told you that you had talent!"

"It's true..."

Felsy looked at the black dot, a pleasantly surprised smile appearing on her face.

But from an angle Lynch couldn't see, the corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly.

This is too difficult...

This is ten thousand times harder than instantly casting a forbidden spell!

To compress magic capable of boiling the oceans down to a level that can only scorch a tiny spot on a piece of wood, all while pretending to struggle... My acting skills could definitely win an Oscar!

However, looking at Lynch's proud my wife is awesome expression, Felsy felt that this little bit of hardship was worth it.

"Alright, don't practice for too long, be careful not to overdraw your mental energy."

Lynch rubbed her wrist dotingly. "It's almost noon, let's go downstairs and eat. We have a guest today, so I made two extra dishes."

"A guest?"

Felsy raised an eyebrow. "Is that green-haired brat awake?"

"Not yet. But she should be waking up soon. If she doesn't, I'll have to force-feed her the medicine."

...

First-floor guest room.

Aria Norland woke up to a tantalizing aroma.

The scent... it was a mix of rich, savory meat, the fresh fragrance of vegetables, and a peculiar, slightly charred aroma she had never smelled before.

Grumble...

Her stomach let out a very uncooperative growl of protest.

"Ugh... where am I?"

Aria groggily opened her eyes, met with the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling. Although simple, it was spotlessly clean, and the bedding carried the scent of having been dried in the sun.

Memories flooded back like a tidal wave.

The beast tide... fleeing... the demon bear...

And that man standing on the demon bear's corpse, asking her with a highly punchable face, "Why do you look so pathetic?"

"Lynch!!!"

Aria suddenly sat up in bed, but because the movement was too abrupt, her vision went dark, and she nearly fainted again.

"Hiss... my head hurts so much."

She clutched her head, only then realizing that her dirty clothes had been changed, replaced by a loose, oversized cotton shirt that clearly belonged to a man.

"W-whose clothes are these?!"

In a panic, Aria pulled up the collar and took a sniff.

There was no stench of sweat as she had imagined; instead, it carried a faint, fresh scent of herbs.

"Awake?"

Just then, the door was gently pushed open.

Lynch walked in carrying a bowl of steaming hot soup. Seeing Aria sitting on the bed looking like a ruffled cat, he smiled.

"Seems you're in good spirits. You've got quite the set of lungs on you."

"H-how did you get in here! This is a lady's room!"

Aria grabbed the blanket and wrapped herself up like a burrito, leaving only a pair of wary green eyes exposed. "And! What's with the clothes I'm wearing? Did you... did you take advantage of me?!"

"Lady, you're overthinking it."

Lynch rolled his eyes and set the soup on the nightstand. "I had Kuma change your clothes. Your frilly dress was torn to shreds. Did you want to lie around naked?"

"As for taking advantage of you..."

Lynch looked her up and down, then shook his head. "I have no interest in underage girls. Especially the bad-tempered ones."

"You! Who are you calling underage! I am sixteen years old this year! I'm already an adult!"

Aria's face turned red with anger. "Besides, I have a great figure! You're just blind!"

"Alright, alright, you have a great figure, your whole family has great figures."

Lynch waved his hand dismissively. "Since you're awake, come out and eat. Don't loiter in my guest room, I still need to clean it."

With that, he turned and walked out, ignoring whatever reaction Aria might have.

"Hey! What kind of attitude is that!"

Furious, Aria grabbed a pillow to throw at him, but remembering this was her savior's home, she indignantly put it down.

"Hmph! Fine, I'll eat! I just happen to be hungry!"

She threw off the covers, slipped into the slightly oversized slippers by the bed, and stomped out of the room with puffed-up cheeks.

...

In the living room, the dining table was already set.

Felsy and Kuma were already seated. Kuma was staring eagerly at a plate of braised pork in the center of the table, practically drooling.

Seeing Aria come out, Felsy merely cast a faint glance at her, too lazy to even greet her, and continued looking down at the magic book in her hands (even though she was holding it upside down).

That dismissive attitude made Aria, who was used to being the center of attention, feel a wave of frustration.

"Take a seat."

Lynch pointed to the chair across from him. "It's just peasant food, nothing like the delicacies of your lord's manor, but it'll have to do."

Aria looked at the dishes on the table with a bit of disdain.

The braised pork was a bright, reddish-brown, but looked greasy; the stir-fried seasonal vegetables were vibrant green, but were just ordinary greens; and there was a plate of eggs stir-fried with some unknown ingredient (tomato and egg stir-fry), a mix of red and yellow that looked a bit bizarre.

As a noble lady who had grown up in the lap of luxury, her diet consisted only of finely cooked veal chops, thick soups, and delicate desserts. She had never touched such large, crude bowls of peasant food.

"Is... is this even edible? It's so greasy."

Aria sat down with a frown, a look of revulsion on her face. "And what kind of low-grade ingredients are these? That red stuff... is it some kind of poisonous fruit?"

"Eat it or don't."

Kuma rolled her eyes. "If you don't eat it, I will! Big brother Lynch's tomato and egg stir-fry is the most delicious thing in the world!"

Saying that, she thrust her spoon right in, scooped a huge spoonful into her bowl, and ate until her mouth was covered in oil.

"Tomato... and egg stir-fry?"

Watching Kuma's intoxicated expression and smelling the genuinely enticing aroma in the air, Aria swallowed hard.

That... actually looked pretty good?

She hesitated for a moment before carefully picking up a piece of egg with her chopsticks and putting it in her mouth.

Boom!

In that instant, Aria felt as if a door to a whole new world had been blown open for her taste buds.

The soft tenderness of the egg, the sweet and sour notes of the tomato, and the perfectly balanced savory flavor blended flawlessly in her mouth.

It was a taste she had never experienced before!

There were no complex spices masking the natural flavors of the ingredients, nor was texture sacrificed for the sake of elegance. This was a pure, down-to-earth deliciousness!

"W-what is this flavor?!"

Aria's eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the seemingly ordinary plate of scrambled eggs.

"This is way too delicious?!"

Once the seal was broken, the rest was easy.

She picked up a piece of braised pork.

It melted in her mouth, fatty but not greasy, and the rich, savory meat flavor instantly filled her palate, making her involuntarily narrow her eyes in pleasure.

"Mmm... this meat is so good too!"

"And these greens! So crisp! So sweet!"

For the next ten minutes, the noble lady who had just been turning her nose up at peasant food completely transformed into a rice-devouring machine that only knew how to say "delicious."

Holding a steamed bun in her left hand and wielding chopsticks in her right, she ate even more ferociously than Kuma.

Noble etiquette? Lady-like image? To hell with all that in the face of such great food!

"Slow down, no one is fighting you for it."

Lynch couldn't help but laugh as he watched her scarf down the food. "Weren't you just complaining about it being greasy?"

"That's because... because I was hungry!"

Aria defended herself indistinctly, her mouth stuffed with meat. "And... and trying this commoner food once in a while is a way to... to experience the lives of the people!"

"Right, right, experiencing the lives of the people."

Lynch didn't expose her lie. He scooped a bowl of soup for her. "Drink some soup, don't choke."

Aria took the soup and glanced at Lynch somewhat bashfully.

This man... although he had a sharp tongue and was a bit of a rogue, he really knew how to cook.

Furthermore...

She sneaked a peek at Felsy, who was sitting across from her, eating with unwavering elegance.

Even though this woman hadn't spoken a word, the noble aura she exuded made even Aria, a genuine aristocrat, feel a little ashamed of her own inferiority.

"Lynch."

Aria swallowed the last bite of her steamed bun, put down her bowl and chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and regained a bit of her noble lady reserve.

"Thank you for the hospitality. And... for saving my life."

Although she really did not want to admit it, a fact was a fact.

"However!"

She suddenly changed her tone, her eyes becoming stubborn once again:

"Do not think a single meal can buy me off! And do not think that just because you saved me, I will admit you are stronger than me!"

"This time was just an accident! When I return to the castle, I will have my father reward you handsomely! But in the capital's second round of exams next spring, I will still defeat you!"

"Because I am Aria Norland! The glory of the Norland family will never lose to anyone!"

Looking at this overdramatic girl who started talking tough the moment her stomach was full, Lynch shook his head helplessly.

"Alright, alright, you win."

Lynch gathered the bowls and chopsticks. "Wait until you can actually leave this village first. The roads outside are still blocked."

"Hmph! That is only a matter of time!"

Aria stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Until then, I shall reluctantly stay at your place! As compensation, I will pay you double... no, ten times the cost of room and board!"

"Also, for dinner, I want that thing called braised pork! And put in extra meat!"

Lynch: "..."

Great.

How was this saving a noble lady?

This was clearly bringing home a demanding princess!

And an incredibly gluttonous one at that!

Looking at Aria's self-righteous expression, and then at Kuma secretly laughing on the side and the calm-faced Felsy.

Lynch sighed.

It seemed that for the coming days, he could forget about having any peace and quiet in the house.