Chapter Twelve

Emeren's words continue lingering in Mariaisbelle's mind.

Before, she could not imagine the man caring for her. If anything, she believed that he wanted her to fail. The only reason why she is working on his farm in the first place is to prove that she is more than a rich heiress.

However, as days go by, she begins noticing the little things. Things like his kinder words, softer tone of voice, and insightful advice do not go unnoticed.

The early morning is settling in, and the cool air is warming up. Today the fair lady will be accompanying Emery at the farmers market. Usually, Emerenziano will go to the market with Emery. But there is a hole in the barn, so he is fixing it. Mariaisabelle has been given the task to sell two dairy cows, a dozen eggs, and butter.

Mariaisabelle has also been given some money from her mother. Mariaisabella says that it is because of her capability to withstand such a stubborn man as Emerenziano. But the fair lady knows that it is only a rough exterior to hide his caring nature.

The young boy beside Mariaisabelle tugs onto her sleeve. She turns down to him and sees him pointing to the empty booth.

"Is that where you want to go, Emery?" Mariaisabelle asks the boy. She looks down and sees him nod his head. They both walk with ropes holding the cattle and walk up to the booth.

The quiet boy walks to the side and checks to see if anyone is there. When it appears to be empty, they decide to walk around.

They spend hours trying to trade the cows. Somehow they managed to sell the butter and the eggs. But no one seems to want the cattle. As they walk, Emery begins to tire and he almost lets go of the lasso. Mariaisabelle notices this and takes the lasso off of him, and holds his hand.

Mariaisabelle feels heartache as she protectively holds the boy's little hand. The fair lady looks up into the sky and blinks away the tears. They continue their march by loud merchants and booths.

If her child was still alive, he would be around the same age as the boy.

Mariaisabelle tries to not think too much of the past. However, she cannot always hide from the truth.

Mariaisabelle's fiance and her child passed away.

Even though it was almost thirteen years ago, she can still feel the phantom pain. The four-sided diamond was placed in her of her navel. She wished that the mark's disappearance didn't hurt so much.

"Twenty Iire for the two cows," The shout from the old woman brings the fair lady back to reality. She stops to face the woman. Besides her is a younger man, who she assumes is her son.

From the looks of her clothes, she is a more wealthy person than the average local.

"No, I want sixty Iire," Mariaisabelle demands. Even though Emerenziano wants twenty-five for the cows, she wants to prove that she is capable of negotiating properly.

"How about twenty-five?"

"Thirty Iire or nothing," Mariaisabelle quickly rebuts. Both the elder woman and her son give the fair lady a chilling glare. They reluctantly go through their coin pouch and hand the woman the agreed amount.

Mariaisabelle gives them the cow's lasso, and she and Emery go on their merry way. As they go through the market, something glimmers in the side of her eye. She turns her head and gasps as she notices the new hand-cranked ice cream machine.

Without a second of a doubt, she pulls Emery with her to the booth. She pays the merchant all of the money that Mariaisabella gave her. She then carries the relatively light machine back to the farm. She also allows Emery to hold onto the bag of their earnings.

The walk back from the market is surprisingly earlier than usual. The mid-afternoon sun is still in the sky. It takes a mere twelve minutes to walk to the farmhouse. There, the fair lady notices the farmer sitting on the porch.

When he sees her, he immediately rushes up to her. Confusion is fresh on his face.

"What are you two doing so early?" Emerenziano asks. Emery lets go of Mariaisabelle's hand and gives his father their earnings. Both of them watch as the gruff man counts. When he is done, he dismisses his son and tells him to take the machine inside.

Mariaisabelle continues standing there. She doesn't expect a hug from the man. But once she realizes, her arms wrap around his bigger frame. When they break apart, Mariaisabelle sees the adoration and love in the man's eyes.

"You are much more than I thought. You were right. You are a better farmer and caregiver. I admit defeat," Emerenziano concedes. But Mariaisabelle doesn't care about that anymore. All she wants to do is be by his side.

In the span of two weeks, she has been trying to deny her feelings. However, the more time she spends with the Stanzolios, the more she cannot hide from the inevitable.

Mariaisabelle is in love with Emerenziano.