“She’s pregnant,” were the first words out of Shuye’s mouth. He didn’t even bother to say hello or good morning.

“Congratulations,” I said.

[Curing Infertility: Quest Complete

Reward: A Noble Title]

What?! I tried to look for a [Reject] button, but there was none. I didn’t want a noble title! In theory, raising one’s social status was beneficial in this world, however, it probably came with responsibilities.

“I’ve reported the use of Dusk Dandelions in curing my wife’s condition. You can expect confirmation within the next few days, and I’m sure the Lady will reward you generously,” said Shuye.

“There’s no need for a reward. After all, I barely did anything,” I said.

It was like talking to a wall. My Farm Guide completely ignored my protests.

“My wife planted the seeds, and the dandelion seedlings will be given to our best farmers,” said Shuye. “I didn’t tell them that you have some, too, because I know you prefer your privacy.”

“Thanks,” I said weakly.

Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. I asked Shuye what the reward would be, but he said he didn’t know.

“What are you worried about? Our doctors are smart; they won't blame you if the flowers can’t cure everyone,” said Shuye. He was grinning from ear to ear, obviously overjoyed that his wife’s infertility had been cured.

“Uh, is there any chance of maybe hinting to the Lady that I would like a little more land?” I thought it was worth a try, but I wasn’t expecting to immediately get a new System message.

[Curing Infertility: Quest Complete

Reward: A Noble Title and More Land]

Wow! I wouldn’t mind getting a noble title if it came with more land to farm.

“I can certainly pass the message on,” Shuye assured me. “Farmers aren’t normally granted a bigger piece of land this fast, but you deserve it.”

Yes! If I had more land, I might be able to build more. I thought longingly of the Ranch House that I had been forced to replace with the rice mill.

“Thank you. Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?”

“Either one is fine. I just want a healthy child,” said Shuye. “How have you been? I wasn’t able to visit this past week because I was reporting what happened.”

“Let’s walk around, and I’ll show you the new beehives. You remember how I wanted to grow sugarcane? Honey will be a nice substitute for sugar.”

We spent a few more minutes walking around the farm until he left, and I went back to the house for more herblaw training.

***

The Lady and the clan doctors really moved fast. Five days later, I received an official document doubling the size of the land grant I had received from the local government. In addition, I was given the rank of Baroness, with all the accompanying rights and responsibilities. Shuye helpfully explained that since my barony consisted of my farm and part of the surrounding virgin forest, I didn’t really need to do anything special. The only difference the title made was that my tax rate was lower now.

“How much lower?” I asked.

“The old taxes were set at ten percent. Your new tax rate is eight percent.”

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“Awesome!”

He didn’t need to tell me that my social status was now higher than all the commoners. Living as I did in the middle of the forest, it didn’t matter much.

Since my farm had now doubled in size, the System, in its infinite wisdom, opened up a third building slot. That meant that I could now add a third building in addition to the courtyard house and rice mill that I already had.

The moment Shuye left, I went to the place that I had earmarked as the spot where I would build my future residence. It was some distance from the courtyard house, and it was on higher ground.

Before I set down the house, I built twelve-foot high stone walls all around the perimeter for maximum privacy. The gate I chose was a sturdy steel one with a solid construction and a dragon design.

Then I went to the System’s Build menu and chose the house that I wanted.

[Ranch-style House:

A one-storey house that’s perfect for an easy-going lifestyle, with a simple design known for its easy maintenance, rectangular shape, and low-pitched roofline. The interior is typically very open and airy, with the front door typically opening directly into the living room.]

The one I picked was a medium-sized structure with white siding and a red roof. The front porch was covered with a wooden awning, and the windows were framed by dark green shutters that I thought provided a pleasant contrast to the white walls.

A large magic circle appeared on the ground. It flashed brighter three times until I had to close my eyes because of the brightness. When I opened my eyes, the house had appeared. I quickly added the default furniture packs, choosing a white and green color scheme, to the rooms before entering.

The interior was simple and cozy. Inside, the living room had a wooden floor and a brick fireplace, while the tiny kitchen had a modern stove, fridge, and oven. The dining area was so small that it could be called a breakfast nook, since it only had one round table and two wooden chairs. Since it wasn’t very large, the house only had one bedroom, but it was quite large and had a king-sized bed, vanity table with a matching stool, and plenty of built-in closets. The bathroom had a clawfoot tub and a pedestal sink, and, most importantly, there was a flush toilet.

There was one thing that was missing, though. I added a cozy window seat to the large picture window at the back of the house, where I could curl up with Mr. Bear when I wanted to relax.

It was heaven.

I hadn’t realized until now how much I had wanted my very own place. The people at the courtyard house were nice, but we lived right next to each other, and being the head of the household in this old-fashioned place meant that I had to uphold certain standards.

I mean, we lived quite close to each other and there was so little privacy that I was afraid to fart in my own room in case someone heard me! What’s more, Fengying’s gimlet eyes missed nothing, and I couldn’t walk around in old clothes or slouch on my seat without fearing her disapproval. I hadn’t realized until now that being on my best behavior all the time had been extremely stressful.

Now, away from everyone else’s watching eyes, I could do whatever I wanted, so long as I stayed inside the house. I set the walls to maximum privacy and put on a T-shirt and jean shorts from the Cash Shop because it was tiring to always have to dress in this world’s idea of proper clothing. Then I went outside and threw Mr. Bear up to the roof and set him on [Guard Mode].

The ranch house’s furnishings were basic, but comfortable, which was exactly what I wanted. However, the land surrounding it was covered in grass and tree stumps. I cleared the ground and browsed through the Cash Shop for garden items.

What kind of garden did I want?

The gardens attached to the player houses used decorative plants, trees, and other items from the Cash Shop. I cycled through the options in the System tab, but there were so many that I felt rather overwhelmed. Using the [Filter], I checked all the most expensive items.

The one that caught my eye was the [Rose Garden]. Unfortunately, when I tried to place it in the open area in front of the house, I found that the proportions were off. It could only fit into the small space by squeezing all the elements together in a strange way. The winding paths became cobweb-like, and the stately statues turned into knee-high lawn ornaments. I guess that was because the garden was meant to be for players who had already built a palace.

Well, I wasn’t about to let this problem defeat me. I couldn’t use the [Rose Garden], but could still manually recreate it on a smaller scale.

Using the garden as my inspiration, I put down irregular white limestone blocks to create stepping-stone paths, then put down a base layer of green grass in the front yard. No garden was complete without a few trees, so I added a maple and magnolia tree, one on each side of the house. As for the roses, I put down dozens of red, white, pink, peach, and blue rose bushes. For that extra oomph factor, I covered the walls surrounding the house in climbing roses of every color.

It was… A bit much.

I decided to replace the climbing roses with green ivy. It looked much better that way. Lastly, I browsed through the patio furniture and chose a white wooden gazebo and a pretty little garden swing.

Now it was perfect.

Lifting my T-shirt, I scratched my stomach and laughed when I realized what I’d done. This was exactly the type of uncouth behavior that would have made the people in the main house raise their eyebrows disapprovingly.

Now that I had my own house, life was going to be so much more comfortable.