Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 230: Like a Dream

So, it turned out that when Chandler said "cattail marsh," he wasn't being poetic at all. He had just read the name straight off the digital display.

Mariella couldn't help but laugh. His easygoing attitude rubbed off on her, and she slowly began to relax.

The virtual screen showed that the cattail marsh had already grown to about two acres. A surge of spatial energy had caused thick patches of cattails and wide stretches of lotus to sprout everywhere. Under the water, the fish, shrimp, and crabs had probably grown a lot too because of that same energy wave.

Mariella didn't have time to study the aquaculture side yet, so she turned to the farmland first.

The display showed that the fields had expanded by a full eight acres, bringing the total planted land to nearly nine acres.

The flat, rich black soil stretched out in front of her, tempting her to rush in and start developing it right away...

The villa itself hadn't changed, but the sky above looked much higher now. The cramped, heavy feeling that used to hang over the storage space was completely gone.

Mariella couldn't help wondering if the height limit had been removed.

But that would need testing later. For now, she decided to rest a bit before looking into it.

Even though she had calmed down a little, her heart was still racing. Everything felt unreal, like a dream.

"This was totally worth it! The storage space really loves gemstones and emeralds. The exchange rate is insanely high! I need to trade in the rest of my gemstones as soon as possible!" She didn't even feel like eating. All she wanted was to experience this sudden wealth again.

Chandler gently patted her back and said softly, "You don't have to rush. You need time to settle down. No one's going to compete with you for those gemstones right now."

And in truth, no one else would.

The gemstone merchants were still holding onto their stock because they hoped that once the disasters ended, prices would go back to normal.

But as long as the disasters continued, no one would buy raw gemstones.

The big dealers had enough wealth to wait it out. They didn't need to sell their inventory just to afford food.

But the smaller traders had already panicked. They had dumped their gemstones long ago.

Denton was one of them. Even though he was an international gemstone dealer, his assets were nowhere near the level of the big players. When he saw the market collapse early on, his confidence shattered, and he quickly sold off everything.

Chandler looked at her and asked, "Want something to drink?"

When Mariella didn't answer, he added, "How about freshwater seafood and grilled lamb for lunch?"

Mariella finally relaxed a little and smiled. "I guess dying once messed with me. My mind isn't exactly normal anymore. Hope you don't mind."

"I don't," Chandler said gently. "I understand." He leaned in and kissed her cheek again.

Mariella let out a soft breath, still a little dazed, and rubbed her head with her eyes closed. "I want grilled lamb, grilled chicken wings, grilled oysters, grilled squid, a Philly cheesesteak, funnel cake, and an ice-cold Coke. Thanks."

Chandler swapped her chair for a soft leather armchair and handed her a cup of cappuccino, letting her sit in the sun.

Then he went off to prepare lunch.

...

Lunch was served in the villa's first-floor dining room inside the storage space.

Besides everything Mariella had asked for, the table now had steamed lobster, popcorn shrimp, Buffalo wings, and a large plate of fresh sautéed zucchini.

In the center of the table, a vase held a blooming lotus and a few deep pink buds about to open. It all looked full of life and made the whole place feel warm and inviting.

Mariella's appetite kicked in right away. "Wow, the seafood has grown this big already!"

She tried the lobster and shrimp. They were incredibly fresh and sweet.

Then she took a bite of the sautéed zucchini. It was crisp and delicious.

"Did this come from storage, or..."

Chandler replied, "All of this comes from the cattail marsh. I also found celery, wild rice, water chestnuts, spinach, and watercress. Of course, there's still the most cattail and water lily tubers."

Mariella's eyes lit up. "Watercress? That's expensive!"

Even before everything fell apart, watercress had been pricey compared to other crops. Now, nearly five months into the disasters, its value was almost impossible to measure.

This small two-acre wetland didn't just raise fish and shellfish—it produced all kinds of aquatic plants too. It was basically a goldmine.

She cracked open a large, juicy lobster claw and happily dug in.

Chandler continued, "Cattail leaves can be woven into mats. Water lily tubers can be eaten as a staple or cooked in dishes. There are many other aquatic plants too. Most of their leaves can be used as animal feed, which can also feed the fish and shrimp below. The mussels in the mud can even produce pearls. Honestly, this marsh is worth more than we thought."