Healing in the Country Side with a Baby Dragon - CHAPTER 35 (Consecutive Win)

I opened my eyes to the soft glow of early morning. Right beside me, Han Ga-ram and Seol-ah were sleeping soundly, completely tangled up in each other’s arms. It was a peaceful sight. I slipped out of bed without making a sound and went to check on the hearth fire I had lit last night.

"Oh, this is absolutely perfect."

The fire fairies were incredibly skilled at managing heat; they had left behind a flawless bed of glowing charcoal. Seizing the opportunity, I walked out to the garden and pulled up some of the potatoes and sweet potatoes I had planted. With every tug of the vines, massive, plump tubers came pouring out of the soil. They had grown beautifully.

‘Baked potatoes and sweet potatoes for breakfast dessert.’ I decided with a smile.

After thoroughly washing the freshly harvested tubers, I wrapped them tightly in aluminum foil and tucked them deep into the glowing charcoal. While they baked, I turned my attention to tidying up the rest of the garden plots.

"Huh?"

In a quiet corner of the yard, my eyes caught a peculiar vine I had never noticed before. I certainly hadn't planted anything like it. As I approached, I found the fire fairies and earth fairies curled up together, fast asleep beneath the leaves.

"Look at them. They were bickering so fiercely last night."

Judging by their daytime rivalry, you would think they couldn't stand being in the same room, but seeing them now, they looked as thick as thieves. Right next to the tiny, snoring elementals, something bright caught my eye.

"Are those... strawberries?"

A cluster of gorgeous, remarkably vibrant red strawberries was showing off its color. Stepping closer, a wonderfully rich, sweet aroma wafted through the morning air. The moment I smelled it, Seol-ah immediately came to mind.

‘Seol-ah is going to lose her mind over these.’

She had absolutely loved the strawberries we tasted at So-yoon’s place a while back. I gently plucked one of the ripe fruits to inspect it, and a system window flashed before my eyes:

[Cloud Strawberry – Grade: A]

[Strawberries cultivated through the rare collaboration of earth and fire fairies. They possess a remarkably unique, melt-in-your-mouth texture that feels exactly like biting into a cloud! Anyone who tastes a cloud strawberry will instantly fall in love with it. They are so exquisitely delicious that you will completely forget every hardship you’ve ever faced!]

[Effect: Purifies negative energy and lingering emotional stress from the mind.]

A brand new stat option. 

'Purifies negative energy?'

It sounded like a literal cure for mental fatigue and chronic stress. In our line of work, psychological trauma and burnout destroy just as many lives as physical injuries. If these berries could genuinely heal the mind, their market value would be astronomical.

‘I’ll have to ask Ga-ram about this when she wakes up.’

As the Executive Director of the Hanseong Guild, she would understand the market logistics of a product like this better than anyone.

"Thanks for the hard work, little guys. Sleep well." 

I whispered to the slumbering fairies who had spent all night pouring their magic into the soil. I quietly harvested the rest of the batch and headed back inside.

As dawn fully broke, the morning sunlight crept gently through the veranda windows, casting a warm glow over Han Ga-ram’s eyes. As she stirred against the bright light, the golden butterflies that had been resting on her blanket fluttered their wings and quietly dispersed into the room.

"Uhm..."

She took a deep, clear breath, immediately noticing a slight weight resting against her chest. She looked down. A small, round head covered in fine silver hair was tucked right under her chin.

It was Seol-ah. The little girl was making soft, rhythmic breathing sounds, fast asleep. Only then did the reality of the situation dawn on Han Ga-ram.

‘Right... I drove out to the farm last night.’

She had rushed here in a desperate hurry just to keep her promise to the little girl. They had reunited, shared a quiet evening, and even enjoyed the 'bulmung' fire together. It felt like she had only closed her eyes for a brief moment, yet morning had already arrived. Any lingering guilt she felt about showing up unannounced dissolved instantly.

‘She’s so incredibly cute.’

Watching Seol-ah sleep so peacefully in her arms, Han Ga-ram felt that every bit of yesterday's frantic rushing was entirely worth it. Sensing a shift in her posture, Seol-ah let out a tiny whine and buried her face deeper into Ga-ram’s sweater. It was a tiny movement, but it sent a massive wave of warmth straight through Ga-ram's heart.

After admiring Seol-ah's sleeping face for a few more minutes, she slowly and carefully slid out of bed.

‘Wait... why does my body feel so light?’

She tilted her head, genuinely perplexed by how incredibly refreshed she felt. It was bizarre. She had spent the night sleeping on a hard wooden living room floor, yet she woke up feeling vastly more rejuvenated than she ever did in her luxury bed at home—a bed that cost well over 100 million won.

Every single morning back in the city, she woke up with a heavy head and a groggy, stiff body, regardless of her high-end mattress. She had tried everything to improve her sleep quality, but given the grueling physical training and heavy corporate workload she managed daily, nothing seemed to make a dent. Waking up with this level of mental clarity was entirely unprecedented.

‘My head feels completely clear.’

The lingering mental fog and constant pressure that usually weighed on her temples had vanished. What she didn't realize was that she had just experienced fire fairy therapy. The elemental entities had spent the night absorbing and incinerating every trace of stress and latent toxicity trapped within her body.

As she sat quietly on the floor, basking in the rare, unbothered peace of the morning, three pairs of eyes suddenly locked onto her.

"Whimper, whimper..."

The three puppy brothers trotted into the room, staring intently at the unfamiliar guest.

"Oh... good morning, guys." Ga-ram offered, greeting them with an awkward but gentle wave.

Nurungji stepped forward first, his chest puffed out. 

‘I am the guard dog of the abyss, the supreme protector of this farm! State your business, intruder!’

To Nurungji, this stranger had arrived in the dead of night and monopolized his precious lady Seol-ah. It was an unforgivable offense. He began hopping up and down, huffing aggressively to assert his dominance.

"Oh, are you excited to see me? Do you remember me?" Ga-ram murmured, completely misinterpreting his hostile posturing as a hyperactive, joyful welcome.

While Nurungji was busy executing his fiercest threats, Siru crept up beside him. 

‘Snaff... sniff... Scent analysis complete. Subject does not possess hostile intent. Threat level to the security detail: Zero.’

Siru thoroughly investigated the hem of Ga-ram's clothes, entirely confident in his tactical assessment. When Ga-ram reached down and gently booped the tip of his nose, Siru recoiled with a dramatic snort. 

‘How insolent, human! My sensory apparatus belongs only to the Master!’

Ga-ram practically clutched her chest at the display. 

'Oh my goodness, look at how his little tail flutters!'

Finally, Seolgi stepped up. 

‘Hmph, you boys have zero tactical grace. Watch a master at work.’

With absolute confidence, the pure white pup trotted straight over, his tail wagging like a metronome. His coat was pristine white, and his eyes gleamed like shiny black beans as he looked up at her. When Ga-ram slowly extended her hand, Seolgi leaned right into the touch, flattening his ears happily and rolling over onto his back. He bared his plump white belly and flaunted his soft pink paw pads without a shred of shame.

That was the final straw. Having completely lost all corporate composure, Han Ga-ram leaned down and blew a massive smooch right into Seolgi's stomach.

"Pfffffffft!"

She happily buried her face in his soft fur, taking in the comforting, earthy scent of his little paws. Seolgi lay there completely blissed out, casting a incredibly smug, side-eye glance at his brothers. 

‘Do you see this? Total and complete human submission to my greatness.’

"Grr..." Siru grumbled, trying to maintain his dignity, but Nurungji’s defenses had already entirely collapsed.

‘Is she... a belly-rubbing genius?’

Nurungji thought, his eyes wide. Abandoning his post, he threw himself down right next to Seolgi. 

‘Fine! Submit to the watchdog corps, human! Administer the praise!’

He flipped onto his back, practically demanding equal treatment. Ga-ram’s hands became a blur of frantic petting. Siru watched the unfolding chaos with utter pity for a few more seconds before Nurungji called out to him.

‘Get over here, second brother! The human’s technique is unparalleled!’

‘You are missing out on pure nirvana, brother!’

‘Guh... wait for me!’ 

Siru finally cracked, tossing his tactical dignity out the window and diving into the pile.

The security mission was entirely abandoned. All three guard dogs had completely melted under her touch. For the puppies, it was a glorious morning; for Han Ga-ram, it was absolute heaven.

"Have you guys eaten yet? Huh?"

I walked into the room holding a tray, and my eyes locked right with Ga-ram's. She froze instantly, her face turning incredibly stiff.

I could see the brief panic in her eyes. This was likely the first time in her life anyone had caught her acting so uninhibited. She had clearly been completely swept up in the cozy atmosphere, her newly energized body, and the sheer cuteness of the animals. For a split second, she looked terrified that she had just ruined her credibility as a professional business associate.

I simply offered her a warm, reassuring smile. 

"They’re incredibly charming, aren't they?"

I looked down at the three pups, who were still squirming and kicking their legs on the floor.

"I actually found them abandoned out in the garden one afternoon. Their parents were nowhere to be found, and the three of them were huddled together, completely weak and covered in scratches. Their health was in terrible shape back then."

"Oh my goodness..." Ga-ram’s eyes softened, wide with surprise. She had clearly assumed they were pristine pedigree dogs.

"But seeing them so healthy and affectionate now makes everything worth it. It seems they’ve taken a massive liking to you, Director Han."

My words caused her to look down at the trio with an extra layer of tenderness. The professional distance between us felt like it was beginning to shrink.

‘Is keeping up a perfect, flawless facade always the right answer?’ she wondered silently. 

If she had arrived today with her usual rigid demeanor, she likely never would have shared a genuine moment like this. The fear of having her goofy side exposed vanished entirely.

"Mr. Jin-sol."

"Yes?"

"Please, just call me Ga-ram. 'Executive Director Han' feels far too distant here."

I smiled warmly and nodded at her bright expression. "I can do that, Ga-ram."

Right on cue, Seol-ah finally began to stir. "Gyaram...?" she mumbled, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Seol-ah, call her whatever you like." I encouraged.

"Heehee... Ga-ram Sister!" Seol-ah giggled, immediately throwing her arms around Ga-ram’s neck.

Holding the little dragon close, a sudden, fleeting thought crossed Han Ga-ram’s mind: 'Maybe I should just pack up and move out to the countryside too.'

It felt as though a person could never be unhappy in a place like this. After all, this was a farm where happiness genuinely grew from the soil.

By the time I finished setting up the breakfast table, Ga-ram was fully awake and alert. Watching her play so naturally with the puppies made me realize she was far more lighthearted than her stern public persona suggested. I had mistakenly assumed she had zero interest in cute things because of her sharp dark suits and intense expressions, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

For the main course, I served up a fresh platter of spicy stir-fried pork with an assortment of crisp garden vegetables for lettuce wraps. It was a classic, foolproof meal.

"......!"

Ga-ram’s eyes widened with pure satisfaction from her very first bite, and she immediately focused entirely on her plate. It was safe to say the food hit the mark perfectly.

Once the main dishes were cleared, I brought out the foil-wrapped potatoes and sweet potatoes from the charcoal hearth. This was the real highlight. I carefully peeled back the steaming aluminum foil under the crisp morning air, the metal glinting in the sunlight.

"Wow..." Ga-ram gasped.

"Whoa!" Seol-ah cheered.

Inside lay perfectly roasted, golden tubers. The potatoes were remarkably fluffy, their skins bursting with starchy goodness, while the sweet potatoes were practically dripping with a thick, amber, honey-like syrup. I put on a pair of thick kitchen gloves and broke them down the center, releasing a massive cloud of piping hot, fragrant steam.

"Here, please help yourself." I said, serving our guest first. 

"Seol-ah, it’s incredibly hot, so make sure you blow on it first."

"Sweet potato!" Seol-ah cheered. 

Once her piece had cooled down to a safe temperature, I popped it into her mouth, causing her to beam with delight. The flavor was intensely rich and naturally sweet. Ga-ram was equally focused on her food, carefully blowing on her hot sweet potato before taking eager bites.

"The natural sugar content in these is unbelievable." she noted.

"Right? It tastes exactly how a traditional sweet potato should."

Next up were the roasted potatoes. While a good potato is excellent with just a pinch of standard seasoning, I had prepared something a bit unconventional for this morning.

"Do you prefer dipping your roasted potatoes in salt or sugar?" I asked.

"I’ve always been a sugar person."

"Perfect. In that case, would you like to try this?"

I handed her a small dish filled with a distinct, reddish sugar crystalline powder. Ga-ram gave it a deeply puzzled look. 

"I’ve never seen sugar this color before."

Of course she hadn't. It was a custom blend created by infusing standard sugar with the leftover residue of the fire fairies. I had experimented with it myself and discovered it imparted a spectacular, smoky sweetness with a subtle, savory undertone.

"Give it a shot."

At my recommendation, Ga-ram dipped a piece of her hot potato into the red crystals and took a bite. Her eyes instantly dilated.

"Oh my... this is incredible!" she exclaimed, her voice full of genuine shock.

The natural starchiness of the potato, the unique profile of the elemental sugar, and the deep charcoal smoky flavor blended together flawlessly. She was completely taken aback.

"It’s also quite a treat with the salt." I added, passing over a second dish. 

Naturally, that salt had been enhanced with fairy dust as well, adding a rich, savory depth to the standard sharpness of the seasoning.

"Wow, the salt is spectacular too. I had no idea potatoes could taste like this." Ga-ram murmured, thoroughly satisfied.

"Seol-ah, which one do you think is better? The sugar or the salt?" I asked the little dragon.

"Um..." Seol-ah hesitated, her eyes darting between the two plates before making her final executive decision: "Both of them!"

It was a flawless answer.

"This clearly isn't commercial grade sugar or salt." Ga-ram noted, observing the textures closely. 

"What exactly did you mix into these?"

"Just a bit of elemental powder I gathered." I replied casually.

Realizing that sounded a bit mysterious, I decided to cut the explanation short and simply slid a small, corked glass vial of the residual fire fairy dust across the table. 

"I managed to harvest this from an area beyond the gate. I made sure to set aside a jar specifically for you, Ga-ram. Keep it."

Ga-ram stared at the shimmering vial in her hand, her expression turning into one of profound awe. 

"An active heat-retaining property? That’s remarkable. It carries an immaculate smoky flavor too. This is essentially a perfect, all-natural gourmet seasoning."

But it was still far too early for her to be truly astonished. I reached into my bag and brought out the final dish: the cloud strawberries.

"This is a brand new crop I managed to cultivate this morning, but it arrived with a stat option I've never encountered in any hunter manual before. I was hoping you could shed some light on it."

Seol-ah was the very first to react to the fruit. "Strawbeeee-!"

The moment her eyes locked onto the bright red berries, they practically turned into saucers. Knowing she would likely burst into tears if I made her wait a second longer, I picked out the largest, most perfect strawberry from the batch and placed it in her tiny hands. Seol-ah gripped it firmly with both paws and took a massive bite out of the tip.

"Mmh—!"

She let out a tiny shiver of absolute bliss, her entire body shaking from the flavor. It was clearly hitting a whole new level of deliciousness.

"Is it that good, Seol-ah?"

"Yes!"

"Eat as much as you like, sweetie."

"Yay!"

With her giant eyes locked entirely on the half-eaten fruit, Seol-ah nodded vigorously with a bright, juice-stained smile before diving right back in. As long as she was happy, I was happy.

Intrigued, I picked up a berry for myself and took a bite. My eyes popped.

Initially, there was a delightfully crisp, taut snap to the outer skin, but the moment my teeth sank into the core, the flesh felt incredibly light and airy—exactly like chewing on a sweet, solid cloud. As it melted on my tongue, an intensely concentrated strawberry flavor and a perfectly balanced, refreshing sweetness completely coated my palate.

"Wow..."

It possessed a completely different culinary charm compared to the Golden Bell Tomatoes or the Apples of Life.

Han Ga-ram, who had been quietly swallowing her saliva while watching Seol-ah and Jin-sol feast, slowly reached out and picked up a single cloud strawberry. She focused her mana to check the item’s description window.

A moment later, a hollow, defeated laugh escaped her lips. She slowly began to shake her head in absolute disbelief.

I blinked, slightly worried. 

'Wait, are the stat options not as good as I thought?'

Ga-ram looked back and forth between the brilliant red strawberry and the vial of fairy dust in her hands. Then, she let out a massive sigh and dropped her head squarely onto the wooden table.

"Haa... I lose. I completely lose this time. It’s a total defeat."

She had declared her surrender once again. I scratch the back of my head, completely bewildered. It seemed I had managed to secure yet another mysterious victory today without even trying.