I Supported My Fiancé for 10 Years After He Said, 'Let's Get Married When I Succeed,' but When He Finally Did, He Dumped Me. By the Way, I'm a Witch and Turning 30 Next Year!! - Episode 13

I could take my time even after breakfast. Until now, my days had been hectic—coming home, making dinner, doing laundry, cleaning, and rushing through everything until I finally went to bed past midnight.

Rymer would always say, “I’m so tired!” after eating, then take a bath, and finally declare, “I’ll leave the rest to you!” before going straight to sleep.

Looking back, I realized how luxurious his lifestyle had been.

Of course, I was also at fault for never questioning it and always taking care of everything for him.

I warmed some milk in a small saucepan and added plenty of honey before drinking it.

Whenever I had hot milk like this, I used my blessing, Hand of the Sun.

With this ability, my hands could generate heat, which was useful not only for potion-making but also in daily life.

But that was just a survival tactic when I was always busy. Now that I had plenty of time, watching the fire and waiting for the milk to warm didn’t seem so bad.

After breakfast, I thought about planning the lunch menu, but suddenly, I felt sleepy. Maybe it was because I did something I wasn’t used to, or maybe my body was finally telling me to rest.

From now on, I would have as much free time as I wanted. There was no need to live in a rush anymore.

With that in mind, I decided to sleep early today.

When I went upstairs, Merv Maple lowered the hammock hanging from the ceiling for me.

“Merv Maple, thank you.”

“At your service!”

As I lay down in the hammock, Merv Maple slipped in beside me.

Then, a large vine grew big leaves that gently covered me like a blanket. The leaves were soft and warm, just like real bedding.

When I closed my eyes, Merv Maple slowly lifted the hammock back up to the ceiling.

Swaying gently, I fell into a peaceful sleep.

Morning—not too early, not too late, just the perfect time to wake up.

“Mm~~mmm!!”

I climbed out of the hammock that Merv Maple had lowered for me and opened the curtains.

A bright, clear sky stretched out before me—it was a beautiful morning.

Since there was no proper washroom, I washed my face and brushed my teeth using a basin.

For my outfit, I wore my usual long dress, which was easy to move in, and paired it with my herbal witch’s cloak.

I was about to tie my hair up casually but decided to take my time and carefully braid it today.

Since I had the lipstick and face powder I bought yesterday, I might as well put on some makeup.

Looking into my hand mirror, I noticed that my face looked more lively than usual.

I went downstairs, boiled water in the magic stone pot, and made some blended tea.

I combined mallow blue, which is great for skin health, chamomile, which helps with breakouts, and rosehip, which nourishes the skin.

For Merv Maple, I made a special juice with honey and freshly squeezed lemon.

For the dryad, I prepared some warm water mixed with maple syrup.

While letting the herbal tea steep, I quickly prepared breakfast.

I didn’t feel like cooking, so I simply made an open sandwich using sliced bread, yesterday’s leftover tomato stew, and some pickled cabbage.

Since there was no dining table, I brought a chair into the kitchen and ate there.

“Mm, delicious!”

Being able to eat whatever I wanted for breakfast—it was simply the best.

Rymer had so many food preferences that I had to hold back from eating what I really wanted.

But now, I could eat whatever I liked, whenever I wanted.

The sheer freedom was overwhelming—I felt emotional just thinking about it.

I had been living in a restrictive environment without even realizing it.

Before opening the shop, I cleaned the store and checked the missing stock to bring up from the basement.

In the past, I would have spent time preparing best-selling potions before opening, but that was no longer necessary.

Rymer used to discuss our monthly budget with me, and I had to sell enough products to meet that target.

I had desperately gone out to sell potions directly to adventurers, checked guild requests, and even made sales visits to noble houses just to make ends meet.

But now, we had plenty of stock. There was no need to rush.

“Maybe I should start serving lunch today?”

Since it was a witch’s special lunch, I could cook whatever I felt like.

For a quick meal before opening, I decided to use some preserved ingredients.

I made a soup using boiled lentils, preserved eggplant in oil, and canned tomatoes.

First, I fried thick-cut bacon and chopped onions in olive oil. Once they were cooked, I added minced garlic for aroma.

Then, I added the lentils and tomatoes and let them simmer.

I seasoned it with rosemary, cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, bringing it to a boil.

Finally, I added the eggplant for one last simmer.

The result: Eggplant and Lentil Soup!

I planned to serve it with baguette slices and a salad made of lettuce and herbs.

If it didn’t sell, I could always eat it for lunch and dinner myself.

“As for the price… maybe five copper coins?”

I wrote a sign and posted it on the shop’s door:

“Lunch service has started!
Today’s special: Only 3 servings available! 5 copper coins.
Menu: ‘Witch’s Special Lunch’ only.
Ask the shopkeeper for details!”

“Alright, that should do it!”

Now, all that was left was to wait for customers to arrive.