The Simulator’s Twist: A Farmer’s New Life

Even today, twelve years later, the scene of that day is still vivid: the scenery of the grassland, the wind blowing through the grass, carrying a wind that came from nowhere.

The girl was fast asleep in the bumpy carriage.

He didn’t expect that this world, although called a simulation, was as real as the real world.

This world, though merely a simulation, struck him with its profound realism.

The scent of grass, the caress of the wind.

Every sensation, from touch to pain, felt strikingly authentic.

“Thirty years to the east of the river, thirty years to the west; never bully a poor young girl?”

However he tried to view it, the undeniable truth was that this was a classic tale of a powerful protagonist’svengeful rise.

And he, the despicable duke who had led the charge to murder the girl’s mother, would undoubtedly be the first one she ruthlessly eliminated, treating him no better than a stray dog, once she ascended to her full power.

No, perhaps his fate would be even worse, for if she was indeed a “witch,” she would never allow him an easy end.

This, this damned simulator!

Tears streamed down his face as he desperately pondered a solution.

There was only one way…

“Do not let her awaken.”

“Under no circumstances can she be allowed to awaken.”

In his previous life, a certain master had once said:

“This is a good thing.”

Perhaps then, encountering the witch truly was a good thing for him.

The girl, perhaps like a taut string, finally snapped the moment Mingqian rescued her, and she slumped against his shoulder, falling into a deep slumber.

Her hand still tightly clutched the makeshift weapon she had used for defense, prompting a wry smile from Mingqian.

Soon after, the carriage came to a silent halt, and a delicate hand parted the curtains, revealing a golden-haired girl who peered inside.

“Master, we have arrived.”

Mingqian nodded slightly, gesturing for Chris to carry Aile out of the carriage.

Chris pouted, turning her face away.

“The person Master chose to bring, Master should take responsibility for.”

“Oh, you…”

Mingqian let out a wry chuckle, then carefully carried the girl out of the carriage himself.

Before them stretched vast farmlands; he had purchased several acres under a private name, intending to raise the girl here until she came of age.

He had already settled affairs with the surrounding villagers, establishing his new identity as a retired adventurer who had exchanged his last remaining funds for land.

He glanced at the golden-haired girl, offering her a slight bow.

“Regarding the Royal Capital, I’ll trouble you with that.”

“Hmph~”

Chris merely hummed softly in response, offering no further reply.

The girl’s name was Chris, his personal bodyguard.

With a sword strapped to her back, her expression remained inscrutable.

“You specifically broke off your engagement with the Princess, all for the sake of this child?”

“You even bestowed your family name directly upon this child? Is she truly that important?”

She raised her gaze, her golden eyes fixed on Mingqian.

“This child needs me, but Noyu is different… she will understand.”

Mingqian instinctively reached out to pat Chris’s hair, but she tilted her head, deftly avoiding his touch.

She pouted, turning her face away.

“Duke Tick Claudius Drusus Germanicus.”

This was his name in this world.

Typically, when Chris addressed him by his full name, it signified her extreme displeasure.

“Have you forgotten that just a year ago, you were tied to your bed for three days and three nights just for coming home a few seconds late? If my sister and I hadn’t desperately rescued you, you’d likely be a human pig by now.”

“…..”

“And that other day, when you merely exchanged a few words with a noblewoman on the road, only to be forced to drink four bottles of mouthwash upon returning home.”

“……”

“Then there was the time you accidentally brushed against a certain lady’s hand, which resulted in her locking you in the basement for an entire week… even we almost couldn’t get you out.”

Chris cast a glance at Mingqian, whose forehead was already glistening with sweat.

“So, are you saying you want my sister and me to face the wrath of Princess Noyu alone? My cruel Master.”

“Chris, please… I have a letter for Noyu, she will understand.”

“Help me deliver it to her, and I’ll do anything.”

Upon hearing these words, Chris’s movements faltered.

She spoke with a hint of hesitation, asking:

“Truly anything?”

He nodded.

“Marry me.”

Chris immediately demanded.

“No.”

“Go to hell, you wretched Master, and remember to take me with you when you die.”

Chris spun around and climbed back into the carriage, vanishing from his sight.

****

From this day forward, a brand new life of farming awaited!

Wait.

“What good is this talent I chose, then?”

[Your luck is exceptional; you have perfectly concealed the girl’s identity.]

[You resigned from all your duties, retired from the Emperor’s service, and purchased a small house in a border village.]

[You have already decided that if she has no name, you will call her Aile.]

[You are raising the girl in the border village you brought her to.]

[You changed her into clean clothes and meticulously bandaged all her wounds.]

[You never considered yourself a saint; this is merely a small act of atonement for the girl.]

[Thanks to Chris’s magic, you were able to thoroughly clean the girl’s body.]

Amidst the crackling of burning firewood, the girl stirred awake, her eyes opening to an unfamiliar ceiling.

“I…”

She tried to sit up but found her entire body heavy with exhaustion.

The weariness from her prolonged journey could not be dispelled by a single night of peaceful sleep.

She lifted a hand, her body feeling a sense of lightness and relief she had never experienced before.

She twitched her nose, catching the scent of flowers from an unknown source, only to realize the next second that the fragrance emanated from herself.

She had become so clean.

The clothes on her body felt soft and light, just like the new garments her mother used to buy for her.

The girl struggled to sit upright, her gaze sweeping around the room, taking in its simple furnishings.

It was an ordinary brick house with gray tiles, and the burning hearth cast a warm glow upon her face.

The house was small, and she appeared to be in the main living area.

Just as she was about to rise, she noticed only a pair of pristine white shoes on the floor; she hesitated for a moment, not daring to put them on, and instead walked barefoot.

However, the house was not entirely clean, and her bare feet occasionally stepped on rubble and small stones, causing her to let out a soft cry of pain.

“It hurts…”

Her feet were already wrapped in bandages, and it seemed her wounds had torn open again, a sensation that caused her some discomfort; yet, the most important thing now was…

To find that man.

Unless her mind was playing tricks on her, she had been rescued by a man.

She unsteadily pushed open the door, and the blinding sunlight made her squint.

Outside, vast fields stretched before her.

It was a world she had never witnessed before.

The filth and clamor of the city, the spitting, the shouting—none of it existed here.

She gazed at the grassland before her, her eyes aching faintly, as if something was on the verge of overflowing.

The wind caressed the grass, brushed against her hair, and stirred the dress she had unknowingly been changed into.

Someone gently patted her head.

She whirled around.

“You’re awake. Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”

The man… he smiled and bent down.

“?”

The girl tilted her head, unsure of his intentions.

“Lift your foot.”

The girl hastily lifted her foot, but instantly lost her balance, swaying precariously as if about to fall.

Mingqian caught her hand.

“Careful. Come, put on your shoes.”

“Shoes?”

The girl blinked, realizing that the pristine white shoes were indeed meant for her.

She had thought such clean shoes could never be for her.

Seeing her silence, the man scratched his head and mumbled to himself.

“Do you prefer small leather shoes or boots? I’ll be sure to buy you some the next time a merchant caravan visits. For now, please make do with these, alright?”

“No, it’s not that! I’m very satisfied!”

The girl was startled by the sound of her own voice.

“I just thought these shoes weren’t for me.”

It was understandable; the girl had lived a life of destitution, constantly fleeing, often without proper clothing.

She spoke softly, as if afraid to anger the man before her; she wanted to say thank you, yet found the word utterly impossible to utter.

Seeing this, the man merely patted her back gently.

“So, you don’t like small boots?”

“Small, small boots?”

She had a vague recollection of what “small boots” referred to.

They were a favorite garment among fashion-conscious young women, and wearing stockings, known as “silk socks,” beneath them was quite the trend.

“I like them…”

“Is that so?”

Seeing the man remain silent, the girl spoke again:

“I like them.”

“?”

The man bent down and gently guided her foot into the shoe.

“What is your name?”

The girl shook her head, unsure if she had no name or simply didn’t wish to say it.

“Hmm…” The man mused for a moment, then pointed at her.

“Aile, you shall be called Aile.”

“Ai… le…”

“Yes. I am Mingqian, and I am a… farmer.”

“Mingqian… Aile…”

The girl murmured the name, repeating it to herself.