No real excuse for why I was late, I was just lazy because summer is approaching and I was taking the time to enjoy it haha. My bad, my bad, but hey, this is something I do on the side wahahaha.

But considering how Honkai Star Rail 2.3 is coming I will uh… totally not get delayed lmao.

Enjoy!

---

TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty

---

She had no idea it would be so uncontrollable.
Lydia was at a loss for words, feeling emotions she’d never experienced before. Or to be precise, now that she had realized the feelings she’d always had, she was so conscious of the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice that she found it increasingly difficult to calm her mind.
Being in front of him was just bad for her heart, and made her extremely tired.
In that case, she just shouldn’t meet him. The boy who was a gardener’s apprentice didn’t come into the mansion because his duties were in the garden. If she didn’t go to the garden itself, she’d be able to spend her time peacefully.
That’s what she thought in her head, but her feet headed towards the garden. She couldn’t look him in the eye, and ended up using Emilia and the other guards as a wall.
She knew there were things she needed to think about, but first she had to be able to stay calm when in front of him. That was all she could talk about.

「The situation has become something you said before, Roy-sama.」

「What did I say before?」

Roy tilted his head, smiling gently at Lydia’s words as she leaned on her elbows and rested her forehead on her folded hands, looking exhausted.
When she met with her fiancé, Roy hadn’t mentioned how exhausted she looked, so Lydia felt that he must have already guessed. While thinking this, she reported to Roy, who was leisurely drinking tea.

「I have something that I can’t talk about with you, Roy-sama.」

When they got engaged, they confirmed that they did not have romantic feelings for each other. They also promised to let each other know if they found someone they liked. And they both recognized each other as friends.
But that doesn’t mean she could casually ask Roy for love advice. Even before the matter of her fiancé, she was very hesitant to ask a man for advice. She was embarrassed to talk to her friends of the same sex, such as Tordelise, so there was no way she could talk to Roy, who was of the opposite sex, because it was too embarrassing.
Roy smiled as Lydia must be embarrassed, as she tried to hide her feelings as much as possible.

「I see.」

Roy smiled without any sign of disappointment. Knowing Lydia’s personality as a friend, he couldn’t imagine that she would choose him as a consultant.

「So, what should we do?」

「About that…」

When he brought up the topic of what to do next, Lydia lowered her eyebrows apolgetically.

「Could you please wait a moment? I mean…… I still can’t think calmly.」

Lydia’s voice became more and more quiet with embarrassment, and Roy burst out laughing. Then, he chuckled amusedly. It was cute to see her confused and overwhelmed with emotion.
Roy’s smile wouldn’t go away, so Lydia puffed up her cheeks. Roy apologized, saying sorry for making her angry.

「I’m ready anytime.」

「Yes. I want to talk to you about it properly, Roy-sama.」

When Roy agreed, Lydia nodded with a determined look. Seeing her gaze, Roy widely opened his honey-colored eyes. He thought she just wanted to talk after she’d calmed down, but he could sense her intention to find a way to be happy with him.

「Miss Lydia, you have a nature that’s unfavorable for this.」

Roy’s smile mixes with his honey-colored eyes.
At a time like this, she should prioritize her own desires. At the very least, Roy was aware that he had dragged her into it for his own desires. Surely she could be a bit more selfish.
He was prepared to accept it, and was willing to arrange as much as he could. But Lydia said she wanted to talk it over.
Roy narrowed his eyes at Lydia, who tilted her head in confusion, wondering what the loss was.

「You won’t lose your mind even if you fall in love?」

Even in a situation where she was in a bind because of her love, she didn’t forget her position as a duke’s daughter and didn’t scorn or neglect her contract with him. Roy had seen some young ladies who were so engrossed in their love for him that they didn’t care about the consequences. He was prepared to tolerate a certain degree of blindness, but his fiancée’s eyes were not clouded.
Roy was impressed that she was a friend worthy of respect.

「I’ll be waiting.」

Roy had said with a smile.
Roy was looking forward to the day when they could talk, not just to hear her answer.

---

After making a promise to talk with Roy, Lydia headed to the garden so as not to break the promise.
The summer sun was strong, so she put up a parasol and went to the garden. She saw the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice supporting a ladder and helping his father prune the trees. She had been warned before that branches would fall, so she called out from a distance.

「Zack!」

「Ojou.」

When she called out to him, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice turned around with a big smile.
His smile was so bright that Lydia instinctively tilted her parasol forward to block her view.
The summer sunlight is actually more dazzling, but his smile is warm and gentle, like a pool of sunshine. In terms of brightness alone, Roy’s fiancé is far superior.
She knows that, but her heart beats so hard and her body temperature rises that she can’t look directly at him. So it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s dazzling.
The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, who didn’t seem to realize why she’d moved the parasol, called out to Lydia that he would be finishing up his work soon. Lydia nodded with the parasol to convey her approval.
After waiting for a while, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, who had finished gathering fallen branches with his apprentice, excused himself from his father and came over to where Lydia was waiting.

「What’s the matter today?」

「Huh!?」

「……Lydia-sama?」

When he spoke to her, Lydia reflexively hid behind her guard, Emilia, who had followed her.
Emilia was forced to face the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice without any intention of speaking, and called out her master’s name in a confused manner. Emilia, who had no experience in love, could not understand why her master was upset by such an ordinary person. This was all the more surprising considering that her master was resolute and composed even when facing the first prince, who excites most ladies.
Emilia could only wonder why she was upset by this.
The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice accepted the situation as it was not the first time that Lydia had reacted in this way. Her sister was not with her today, so there was no one to deliver the message. He decided that he just needed to talk to her himself.

「Certainly, I’m sure it’s almost the off-season. Before then, could you please take a look at Yan’s garden?」

At the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice’s suggestion, Lydia nodded slightly, peeking out from behind the wall called Emilia.
He and his apprentice, Yan, took turns using the garden for self-study, so it was Yan’s turn to make it during this summer. That’s why Yan accompanied them to the sunlit garden.
The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice was humming as usual, and Lydia followed him as he led the way. Emilia, following her master, was at the rear.
The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice was humming as usual, so Yan mentioned it, revealing that he also used to sing while working on the farm at his parents’ house. The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice then decided to teach Yan the song he often hummed, and the two of them hummed happily together.
Watching the two of them, Lydia was secretly grateful that Yan had accompanied her. It would be too long until they arrived. It was difficult to look directly at Zack now, so it was just right to stare at him from behind as he laughed happily.
He doesn’t turn towards her, so Lydia gazes at the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice with relief.
His voice is a little low as he hums the song. Lydia wonders if it might get even lower. If that’s the case, won’t his voice sound like a different person from when she first met him? Even so, his gentle tone and relaxed way of speaking haven’t changed.
There are parts that are the same and parts that have changed, but he’s still the same old him.
He’s grown a lot taller, and his shoulders are broader thanks to the muscles he’s built up from working in the garden. She’s always looked up at him, but now that he’s almost the same height as Yang, who is one year older than her, she’ll probably be looking up at him for a long time to come.
When she notices his growth, such as his Adam’s apple, she becomes very conscious of him, and her heart starts to race.

「Ojou.」

「Hyah!? …… wh-what is it?」

He turned around suddenly, and Lydia, not prepared to face him, let out a strange cry. She quickly cleared her throat to cover it up, but the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice had a puzzled look on his face.

「We’ve arrived.」

Without not noticing that Lydia was blushing with embarrassment, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice explained the reason for his call.

「So, I’d like to show you what kind of garden Yan made.」

「Yes! Please treat me well, my lady!」

Yan straightened up and gave a cheerful smile. He was nervous about the garden he had made as practice being seen by the family he served, but he seemed genuinely happy that someone was looking at it. Lydia smiled, realizing that he too had the makings of a gardener.
As she ducked through the hedge of the practice garden, Lydia was at a loss for words.
There was a lot of sunshine before her eyes. No, a large flower that looked like it was modeled after the sun was blooming above Lydia’s viewpoint.
It was a sight that could be called overwhelming, but it wasn’t the way the flowers bloomed that left Lydia speechless. She could barely see the fountain.
From above, this place should be a small square with only the owl fountain carved in it, in a forest-like area. However, right now, the stone statue of the owl enshrined in the fountain could only be seen peeking out from between the yellow flowers.

「What do you think?」

When Lydia, overwhelmed by the sight in front of her, was asked by Yan for her opinion, she finally spoke up.

「……this isn’t a garden, isn’t it?」

「That’s right!」

When Lydia told him what she saw, Yan confirmed her criticism, but still smiled brightly.

「I did it just like I was plowing a field.」

Yes, this was clearly a sunflower field. It’s possible to sneak between the flowers and reach the fountain, but the planting method didn’t take into consideration the walking space to view the flowers. Yang’s family are farmers, and it seems that he planted the sunflowers at equal intervals in the same way.

「I chose the flowers to plant based on whether they could be eaten.」

「You’re going to eat them!?」

「Sunflower seeds are pretty tasty.」

「I’ll share some with you, too, Aniki.」

When Lydia was surprised that such a large flower could be eaten, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice explained that the seeds that would grow later were edible. And because there would be a lot of them, Yan promised to share them with the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice.

「It’s interesting that Yan made this, isn’t it?」

The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice laughed happily, saying that he would never have thought of it, as he had been aiming to be a gardener since he was old enough to understand. It seems that they are happy to have gained a new perspective on how to display flowers.

「Well, it isn’t bad.」

Lydia also felt the summer-like brightness of this sight, as it was rare to have the opportunity to look up at flowers taller than them. The flower umbrellas also acted as shade, which was convenient in this hot season.
Having received favorable feedback from the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice and Lydia, Yan smiled shyly as he expressed his gratitude. He had been prepared for criticism, so he hadn’t expected them to like it. Yan had not only learned something to reflect on in the future, but also gained the joy of seeing others enjoy what he had created.
It was not a good place to walk around, so they all looked up at the sunflower field for a while. The occasional breeze gently swayed the thick-stalked sunflowers.
While they were looking, Lydia quietly peeked at the profile of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice. Standing next to him, he was on the same side as Lydia, so she was able to see his happy expression without having to worry about him looking at her. Lydia felt that gardens made by other people were also good.
After that, Lydia carelessly muttered that it would be nice to be able to see the flowers blooming from above, and when the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice offered to pick her up, Lydia firmly refused.

---

When the off-season ended, Lydia remembered something that made her angry.
It was natural since he didn’t know how she felt, but the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice was the same as always. She began to feel that it was unfair that he was the only one putting a strain on her heart. She felt relieved when he smiled, but at the same time, she felt resentful of her racing heart.
She also became jealous of Bernhardt, who brought flowers on Roy’s behalf so that she could talk to him. Although it was supposed to be Roy’s fiancé who was giving her a gift, in reality, she was setting up a place for the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice to talk to the noble boy.
It wasn’t that Lydia didn’t like the flowers that Roy gave her, as they were in line with the season and her preferences. The fact that it was just one flower showed Roy’s consideration. She felt that she would be getting too many if she received large bouquets of flowers regularly. She was happy with his thoughtfulness.
Still, perhaps the reason she didn’t find it interesting to hear the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice and Bernhardt talk was because they were both water elements. Or is it because she can’t complain to him, like she did when Nicholas came to visit?
Nicholas came directly to see the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, and he made fun of her, so she was able to vent her frustrations on the spot. However, Bernhardt came purely out of interest in magic, so she couldn’t ignore him. This difference made Lydia realize that she might have been led to vent her frustrations to Nicholas.
She couldn’t just vent her frustrations to him, so as she watched the two of them talk in the gazebo, the copper-red eyes suddenly turned towards her.

「Is it boring?」

Lydia realizes that she has unconsciously muttered a complaint to his caring words.

「It isn’t boring, it’s…… you’re talking about things that only the two of you can understand.」

Lydia is unable to cover it up well and shows him a shred of dissatisfaction.
Then, as he apologizes, he strokes her hair. Unprepared for his touch, Lydia’s heart leaps and she becomes agitated. She can’t honestly complain that being touched at an inopportune time is bad for her heart, so she evades the urge by complaining that he treats her like a child. She has been dissatisfied with the way he treats her since she was a child, so it’s not a lie.
The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice begins to seriously worry at her desperate words. Lydia knows that he has never belittled her. He speaks bluntly, but he is sincere with her and he is the first to notice her small, trivial things. She knows he cares for her, but she feels guilty for being greedy and not wanting to be treated like a child.
Just as she was starting to get fed up with her own greed, a large yellow flower appeared in front of Lydia.

「Is this…… a rose?」

When Lydia couldn’t help but ask, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice revealed that it was an artificial flower made from a ginkgo tree. With the expectation of how long it would last due to the preparation of a flower with autumn-like colors, it seemed Lydia hesitated to receive it.
The petals of the flower were like leaves, and each one seemed to be proof of his feelings for her, and Lydia’s heart was filled with joy. When she asked why he wanted to give it to her, he replied that he made the artificial flower because it was his favorite flower. It meant that he had no other choice, and Lydia was incredibly happy about that fact.
After that, when she told him that she would treasure it, he praised her in a way that made her feel unsatisfied. However, when the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice said that he would fulfill his promise of a rainbow at night, her feelings immediately came back.

---

That day, Lydia was having tea in the garden at the invitation of her mother Octavia, who told her to come before the leaves finished turning red. Her younger sister Flora is walking around on the fallen leaves, enjoying the sound they make when she steps on them. She seems to be having a lot of fun, stopping for a moment or walking lightly.
Lydia and Octavia look at Lydia’s younger sister with a smile.

「She seems to have asked Isaac and the others not to sweep that area.」

She’s very lively, Octavia says calmly, narrowing her pink eyes. Lydia’s heart skips a beat at the unexpected mention of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice’s name, but there is no sign of Octavia specifically mentioning him.

「……why isn’t Mother saying anything?」

Suddenly, Lydia is puzzled and mutters a question.
She only recently became aware of her feelings, but it seems like her mother has been seeing through her for quite some time. And yet, even if she teases him, she never brings it up directly, nor does she point out that she is engaged to Roy under those circumstances.
Octavia let out a sigh and smiled.

「It’s the opposite.」

「Huh?」

「Dia isn’t saying anything.」

Lydia freezes, unable to respond to her mother’s adorable gesture of puffing out her cheeks, saying that she could have asked for advice a little. She certainly hasn’t revealed anything herself, so there’s no way she can mention it. Lydia realizes that she has left it up to her mother to open her up, expecting her mother, Octavia, to get to the heart of the matter in her usual teasing tone.
From Octavia’s point of view, she knows that there was no need for that. There’s no way that the clever first prince wouldn’t notice her daughter’s feelings, and Lydia doesn’t have the skill to hide them. That means that they’re probably engaged with mutual consent. Also, Lydia is blessed with friends. If she wanted to ask for love advice, she’d go to a friend of her own age. Her daughter is so mature that as a parent, she feels lonely, but she shouldn’t blame her.
Still, Octavia laughs, finding it amusing that her daughter is worried about whether she should apologize.

「Fufu, it’s true that children grow up on their own.」

Seeing her mother having fun, Lydia realized that there was no need to apologize, and was even more puzzled.

「Mother, you don’t blame me……?」

Even though it was mutual consent, in the eyes of the world, it was like neglecting the first prince. If it was revealed that an aristocrat was in love with a commoner, it would be quite bad for the public’s reputation as a duke.
Lydia thought that she would be warned about such deviations from the bounds of common sense.

「Emotions can’t be killed.」

But Octavia simply stated that common sense was useless.
Lydia had never been told by Octavia to suppress her emotions. Rather, she was taught to acknowledge her emotions, even if they were jealous. Her mother taught her how to be prepared to face emotions.

「Whether you submerge them or make it come true, it’s up to you to choose.」

Octavia tells her that it’s up to her to decide what to do with her feelings. She understands that either is a decision that requires resolve. Her mother’s words urging her to think realistically may seem cruel, but they were the best encouragement she could get.

「Yes.」

So, Lydia nodded.
Octavia, satisfied with her daughter’s answer, tilted her head and smiled.

「So, will you consult with me?」

「No. There is someone I need to confide in before you, Mother.」

「Ara, what a shame.」

Octavia’s eyes, filled with resolve, didn’t look particularly disappointed. The way she stuck to her feelings reminded her of her husband, Gerald, and Octavia smiled at the similarities between father and daughter.
When they returned to the peaceful tea party, Flora, who had enjoyed the carpet of fallen leaves, was coming back to the table.

---

Lydia’s birthday party was held in the afternoon.
It was not a good season to hold a party in the garden, so the minimum number of people was invited to the hall in the mansion. Even though it was the minimum, it was a lively number of people because she is engaged to the highest rank of royalty.
After the greetings were finished, Lydia’s fiance Roy came to visit her.

「Happy birthday, Miss Lydia.」

「Thank you, Roy-sama.」

It was an exchange that had been repeated many times throughout the day, but Lydia smiled naturally at Roy’s heartfelt congratulations.

「You must be tired. Why don’t you take it easy over there?」

「Not as tired as Roy-sama.」

It was much better than the birthday party of Prince Roy. Roy showed up after the greetings were finished, probably because people knew that if he was nearby, more people would gather.
And then, Lydia decided to take advantage of his consideration. It was true that she was tired of dealing with guests. It would be helpful if they could keep people away under the pretext of talking with their fiancée.
After taking their seats, Roy and his attendant looked to Emilia, who was guarding Lydia, and asked them to keep watch so that no one could hear what they were saying.

「I’m glad I became your fiance, Roy-sama.」

「That’s an honor. I don’t think there’s a more troublesome fiance than me.」

When Lydia told him her honest thoughts, Roy dismissed the pressure of being the next heir to the throne with just the word 「troublesome」, which made Lydia laugh. As he said, there were certainly many restrictions and challenges, but Lydia, who had no desire for fame, also had her own advantages.

“Because of our engagement, I can talk to you at length like this.”

Hearing about the advantages for Lydia, Roy opened his honey-colored eyes once, then smiled sweetly.

「I’m also happy to be able to talk to you like this, Lady Lydia.」

Lydia closed her eyes, then gently opened them. Then, she looked back at Roy.

「Roy-sama.」

「What is it?」

「I… I’ve found someone I like.」

Although she had made up her mind and opened her mouth, Lydia was embarrassed to speak, and she was quite stumped. Embarrassed at both the words she had spoken and the fact that she had not been able to confess them well, Lydia blushed and looked down.
Roy almost smiled at his fiancée’s adorable reaction, but somehow managed to hold it in, knowing that it would be a shame for him to laugh.

「I guess Miss Lydia was first after all.」

Roy spoke as if he had lost a game.

「Then, as promised, I will break off the engagement.」

「About that… what will you do, Roy-sama?」

If she finds someone to pursue, he will break off the engagement. That was the condition Roy presented for the engagement. Lydia realized that it was probably for her own sake.
So that it would not be to her disadvantage. Lydia had always wondered what would happen to Roy.

「It’s almost time… well, it’s going to be a pain to keep refusing the urging for the engagement.」

「Are you preparing something?」

If he said it was almost time, he must have done something up until now. Lydia tilted her head, wondering what he was preparing for.

「I’m gathering evidence to convince my father and my subjects. If possible, I want to resolve this by proving that Miss Lydia is not at fault. And……」

「And what?」

「So that I won’t lose my mind if I fall, I guess.」 [T/N: This sentence was weird, but I guessed it was a callback to their conversation earlier in the chapter.]

Roy gave a bitter smile, as if he felt it was uncool to insure himself. However, Lydia found it admirable that Roy accepted the restrictions of royalty and tried to enjoy his freedom to the fullest within them.
And while he said he was preparing for himself, he seemed to be making some kind of plan that took Lydia into consideration.

「Are you trying to do it all by yourself, Roy-sama?」

「No, I’m relying on everyone around me. Of course, this includes Miss Lydia, too.」

「Even me??」

When Lydia worried that he was carrying it all on his own, Roy smiled and gave an unexpected answer. Lydia hadn’t done anything. In the first place, she had no idea what Roy was planning, so there was no way she could have helped him. So what does it mean that he helped him?

「Just by being Miss Lydia, you are helping me enough.」

「Is that so……?」

「Yes.」

Roy nodded firmly as Lydia tilted her head repeatedly. From the looks of it, it seemed like he was deliberately not letting her know the details. It was very strange that she was being helpful even though she had no recollection of it, but seeing Roy’s smile, Lydia agreed that it was fine if he was helping his friend.
Recovering, Lydia returned to the main topic.

「So then, it would be more helpful to you, Roy-sama, if you didn’t break off our engagement at this stage?」

「That’s true….. but, I can’t drag Miss Lydia into my selfishness any more.」

Roy was a little confused by Lydia’s confirmation. Given her personality, he thought that the moment she realized her feelings, the engagement would be fruitless.

「Actually, I want some time to relax. I’m not ready yet……」

It’s a pathetic thing to say, but she just realized it, so she needed time to be ready.

「Ready?」

When asked what she was readying for, Lydia clenched her hands on her knees.

「I’m ready to get him involved.」

Lydia’s choice is to either abandon or involve him. Lydia can’t abandon being a duke’s daughter, especially now that he has encouraged her. But knowing his dreams, she hesitates to involve him. His dreams are important to her, too.

「……I think it’s arrogant to think it will all come true.」

「What a coincidence. So do I.」

In contrast to Lydia’s self-deprecating reaction, Roy smiled. He seemed to have already made up his mind.
Lydia realized that he was preparing for everything. What could she do to make everything come true?
They realized that they were similar, and they both laughed. After laughing for a while, Roy asked.

「So, you’ll be willing to be caught up in my selfishness for a little longer?」

「You’ll owe me a great debt.」

「I’ll do my best.」

Lydia acted arrogant on purpose, and Roy nodded, amused.

---

After the party, Lydia put on a coat to keep warm and headed to the west pavilion. Her guardian Emilia followed her with a lamp, making it easy to walk along the corridor leading to the pavilion.
At this time of year, winter is just around the corner, and even though it’s still evening, it’s already dark. The sun was setting much earlier.
When they arrived at the gazebo, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice was sitting on a bench inside without a lamp. When Emilia held up the lamp, he looked amused, so she couldn’t help but ask. He only answered that they were friends, so Lydia could tell that he was a stranger.
After talking about how many friends he had, he decided to show her the promised rainbow. Apparently, rainbows cannot be seen at night if there is a light. Since he said he didn’t need a lamp, she had Emilia move to a place where the light could not reach the gazebo.
As her eyes got used to the darkness, Lydia found that the moonlight was surprisingly dazzling. The light of the stars reflected off the dark water, making her feel as if she was in a sea of ​​stars.
This sight alone was fantastic, but the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice said he would create an even bigger rainbow. Naturally, her expectations grew.
While watching the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice manipulate the water, Lydia is prompted to look up at the moon, and she follows his instructions. Then, for some reason, he stands behind her, bows his head slightly, and moves his face closer.

「W-why are you bringing your face so close!?」

「Well, if Ojou can’t see it, there’s no point.」

He told her the reason, that he needed to adjust it so that she could see it from her own perspective, and Lydia couldn’t refuse.
His face was right next to hers, and she couldn’t help but look down in embarrassment, as she was about to stare closely at his copper-colored eyes and his protruding Adam’s apple. She was worried that he would notice how fast her heart was beating.
She didn’t know how long she could bear that condition, but the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice called out to her that he was ready.
Relieved that he had left her presence for a bit, Lydia looked up at the moon again and saw a rainbow ring.
A rainbow ring, slightly larger than a round moon, covered the moon all around. Could such a sight be seen just by the thin clouds he had made sparkling in the moonlight?
Unknowingly, she let out an exclamation of admiration.

「Happy birthday, Ojou.」

「Thank you, Zack! It’s really wonderful……!」

Lydia was overwhelmed by the moon-rainbow and received his congratulations, so she was able to express her gratitude sincerely. It was the most wonderful congratulations she had ever received at the end of her birthday.

「I see……」

The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice stared at him for a moment, then he smiled warmly and looked more cheerful than ever.
Even in the moonlight, he gave her a warm, warm smile, and Lydia’s heart was shocked.
Not knowing what he was surprised about, Lydia asked in a daze.
Then, with a smile she had never seen before, he spoke his own thoughts rather than an answer to her question.

「As expected, I really like when Ojou smiles.」

Lydia could only fall silent.
Feeling her whole body, not just her face, getting hot, Lydia was at a loss as to how to stop him from talking.

---

Honestly I like these pairs of chapters where we get something from Zack’s perspective and then we get it from Ojou’s. They’re always super cute to see.

Not a whole lot to say about this chapter other than wow it felt really long to translate. See you guys next time! Next chapter is the finale of this volume, too!

---

Sorry for the delay guys, work slaughtered me and then I got bedridden sick for a week. This chapter is worth it though, as something we’ve all been waiting for finally happens.

---

TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty

---

With light steps, a girl walks through the spring garden. Finding the person she was looking for, she called out.

「Isaac-nii-sama!」

「Hey, Flora.」

The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, who was working in the flowerbed when she approached him and hugged him, takes off his work gloves and pats her on the head, saying she’s full of energy today.

「Today, you’re going to show it to me, right?」

Looking excited, Flora repeatedly tugs at the sleeves of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice.

「Flora.」

Before he could nod, a calm but friendly voice called out Flora’s name. Flora jumped up in shock at the voice.

「Could you… please show… me……?」

When Flora corrected herself, the owner of the voice softened her expression and smiled. Flora is happy to have received a passing grade, but there was still more.

「Have you given your greetings yet?」

「Good day, Isaac-nii-sana. And good to you, Dennis-san and Yan-san.」

Flora noticed what was being hinted at and immediately greeted the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, his father, and the junior apprentice. Each of them bowed and responded with their own greetings.

「I apologize for the inconvenience while you’re working. I think I made a mistake in deciding a good time to take a break…」

「No, I just missed having a break, so I’m saved. Thanks, Ojou.」

When Lydia apologized, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice returned his thanks. Although she felt relieved she didn’t interfere with their work, Lydia frowned as she thought about his response.

「There should be something we can do about Zack and the others overworking.」

Lydia points out that she can’t ignore the situation. What he meant was that he wouldn’t have taken a break unless she and her sister came.
Dennis is a quiet gardener who works in silence and even when he was young, he voluntarily worked without taking days off and even collapsed. His son also seems to be having fun, humming songs while he works. The junior apprentice also has a high level of concentration and tends to forget to take breaks. Lydia thinks it’s obvious that all three of them are garden fanatics.

「It would be nice to place clocks in various places in the garden.」

「I don’t have a wristwatch and even if I did, it would be very expensive.」

「Wristwatch?」

Lydia thought that if there was a clock that could tell them the time, they might take a proper break, but the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice said something unfamiliar to her.

「The idea is it’s a clock small enough to wrap around your wrist.」

「Then it would have to be smaller than a pocket watch.」

Even pocket watches are not available to commoners. Servants in aristocratic houses carry them such stewards. But in the downtown area, church bells ring the time every three hours during the day.

「Well, even if you had one, you wouldn’t notice unless it made a sound.」

「Then it has no use, then.」

Lydia is taken aback by the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, who simply laughs that it’s a useless object.
Even if there were a small, portable clock that could tell the time with sound, it would only be owned by a handful of people such as royalty or high ranking nobles. It would be a story of the distant future for it to reach even the common people. They were both aware of this, but it was a haphazard way of thinking to come up with an improvement and then withdraw it himself.
The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice laughs at Lydia who was replying seriously even though they know it’s just idle conversation. That he only responds to things that are pointed out, Lydia thinks isn’t charming, but even that he just smiles and accepts it, which makes her feel strange at times.

「Then, Flora will tell you.」

Her younger sister excitedly raises her hand in obedience. With how she’s still learning vocabulary, even if she has a little difficulty, it’s charming.

「Thank you, but that would make things difficult for Flora.」

「It’s fine. Then I can meet with Isaac-nii-sama.」

Seeing her younger sister innocently happy to have more excuses to meet up with him, Lydia feels she is very different from herself. She was around Flora’s age when she came to see him with a reason. It took her several years before she was able to meet without a reason. As much as she liked her, Flora was too troublesome and not charming at times.

「But it’s something I have to work hard on. The time Flora will have available to work hard will decrease.」

「……it’s okay, it’s difficult, so it’s fine.」

「Ojou comes here after she’s done her best, after all.」

Hearing the words of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, Flora turned her peach-colored eyes towards her sister. Upon receiving a direct gaze, Lydia freezes.

「Ojou has been coming here for a long time since she began her lessons. She never comes to slack off.」

「Ah, that’s right……!」

Lydia couldn’t help but wonder what he thought she was. The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice smiled proudly as Flora took his word for it.

「So? Flora’s sister is cool, isn’t she?」

「Mhm! Onee-sama is amazing!」

「So, let’s do our best in our own goals.」

「Mmm!」

Lydia flinches as her sister’s pink eyes shine with respect. Inwardly, she wanted to pout, but she couldn’t expose herself in front of her sister, so she bit down on her lips. Emilia, her bodyguard and maid, was also nodding deeply behind her, making it even more unbearable.
She thought she had gotten used to Emilia and the others always accompanying her, as they also served as bodyguards, but it was troubling she only showed reactions at a time like this even though she usually kept quiet.
With Lydia and the others visiting, it was time for a break, and she decided to head to the self-study garden. Because Flora insists that she can walk on her own, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice holds her hand to keep her from stumbling. As the two of them happily hum along to song with rhymes similar to wordplay, Lydia feels a smile on her face as she walks along with Emilia.
When he finished singing one song, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice seemed to have remembered something and let out a small laugh.

「What is it?」

Lydia felt confused by this, so when she asked what the reason was, reddish-green copper eyes turned towards her.

「……no, Ojou really did her best.」

「What???」

Having had those feelings said to her, Lydia, who didn’t understand just what it concerned, tilted her head in confusion.

「Flora is five years old, right?」

「Yep, I’m fiiiive.」

Flora affirms it by spreading out her free hand. The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice nodded at her cheerful answer and said that’s exactly why.

「That was the first time I met Ojou.」

「Really?」

「Yep. But Ojou was already speaking well, so I thought it was amazing.」

「What……」

「Really! Onee-sama, you’re amazing!」

「Wh—it isn’t that amazing!」

Lydia didn’t know he was so impressed when they first met and being told this now made Lydia’s cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
It’s true that back then, she wanted her parents to look at her as much as possible, so she practiced her manners and created reasons to be praised. She was once worried that her parents would be stolen away shortly after her sister was born, too. She was so embarrassed that her efforts were discovered the first time they met. Why didn’t he just let it go, saying that there were individual differences in their growth?
Lydia knew that she had a bad attitude when they first met, so she didn’t expect she would be praised for that, either.
She didn’t want her past to be brought up again and wanted to protest, but Lydia couldn’t get angry because it seemed like her sister had a reason to get excited.
She’s left with some unresolved feelings and Lydia hated it, so she mumbles at a voice that only the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice could hear.

「You often said something about an ugly personality……」

「I mean, it would be such a waste, wouldn’t it?」

「Ha?」

「You’re cute, so wouldn’t it be a waste if you kept complaining and frowning all the time?」

He said that if it doesn’t matter either way, then leave it alone. Lydia didn’t know that those words were said with such thoughts in mind. When she went to ask for an apology, she was sure it was phrased to be something positive, but she didn’t think he was thinking about the future.
Why did he do this now, Lydia thought, feeling the heat in her cheeks spreading across her face.
She knows he often won’t answer unless she asks. Still, after five years, she wishes he wouldn’t reveal something so shocking to her heart. She’s glad he doesn’t say it all the time, but also very much regretted investigating how he was laughing while reminiscing.
From there, Lydia followed silently so that the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice wouldn’t see her face until they reached the self-study garden.
Reaching their destination, she could hear her sister’s joyful voice through the hedges ahead of her. Lydia also slips between the hedges and learns why her sister is so excited.
There were just flowers blooming.
For some reason, such a sight gives her a sense of relief, and the vivid colors make her heart feel excited as they announce spring is here. These small flowers, which might be called weeds depending on the situation, were given a place to bloom freely.
Clusters of small flowers were blooming, such as yellow mirror grasses, white and pink peaches, and a curved path that went between the flowers had been created.
The fountain with a stone owl statue in the center is still there, but it’s doubtful if it can be reached because it’s covered in flowers. Since he had previously planted beautiful cherry blossoms that changed color all around the fountain, it was difficult to sit on the edge.
Still, she couldn’t lie and pretend that the scene she just saw made her heart feel like spring was here.

「It’s like Freiheit’s.」

「What is that??」

The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice tilted his head at the unfamiliar name. It turns out he isn’t familiar with it due to being a commoner, so Lydia explains it.

「The story is famous for their floral designs.」

Freiheit’s store, which he opened due to his hobby of collecting antiques, sells a variety of items, including textiles and decorative items. However, the most popular item is the store’s uniquely designed floral patterns. The patterns appear to be scattered randomly on the surface of makeup boxes and the embroidery on the skirts of dresses, but they are arranged in a special manner. As the designs could not be imitated anywhere else, the store’s name came to refer to the floral designs.

「I once bought a Freiheit’s jewelry box for my mother as a birthday present. It’s very similar in its bright colors.」

Lydia couldn’t say how similar the exciting feeling she felt when she saw the garden was.
The shop owner’s eyes sparkle as he talks about his dreams for the distant future, saying that when textile and printing technology becomes more advanced, he would like to have Freiheit flowers bloom directly on the entire cloth and distribute it even to commoners. The way his eyes sparkled like a child reminded her of a boy who was a gardener’s apprentice. She was embarrassed by the fact that she remembered him when he wasn’t around, and she couldn’t continue speaking.

“Hey, I’d like to go to that store.”

The boy who was a gardener’s apprentice, seemed to be unusually interested, but his murmurings were not a wish but just an impression. Lydia noticed this, and she wondered for a moment if she should just pretend that she hadn’t heard the murmur.
It’s not the kind of store that a commoner like him can go to. That’s why she couldn’t just make a promise that she would take him along easily. She tries to come up with an alternative, thinking that she should at least show him the jewelry box she gave at the tea party.
Seeing Lydia, who had just picked up his own murmurs and was seriously worried about him, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice laughed a little and patted her on the head. That small shock brought Lydia back to consciousness from her sea of thoughts and she looked up at him.

「Are there so many beautiful patterns?」

「Yes. It was wonderful.」

I see, he said while laughing.
Even though he didn’t seem to care, he couldn’t help but look gloomy, Lydia thought as she smiled back.
Things that are commonplace for Lydia, a noble, cannot be taken for granted by him, a commoner. There have been many such things in the past. Each time, he laughed. There wasn’t the slightest hint of reluctance or resignation on his part; he was just happy. So, she understood that if she herself was also hurt by the difference, she was being rude to him.
She understands that both she and him understand, and on the contrary, there are some things that she cannot do because she is a noble. Just because they are different, there is no need for them to be superior or inferior to each other.
Now they can see the same scenery side by side. Lydia once again engraved in her heart that that was far more important.
Lydia then decided to enjoy the spring garden with her playful sister.

---

「…So, Zack said it again, on the spot.」

「Isaac’s point of view is innovative.」

Roy listens with interest to Lydia who sighs as she speaks.
Lydia and Roy were having a tea party in the garden of Duke Ernst’s residence. To the world, it’s a meeting between fiances, but to the people in question, it’s an update on their current status with their friends. By a strange coincidence, their mutual acquaintances include not only two boys who are candidates for Roy’s direct retainer, but also a boy who is a gardener’s apprentice. Moreover, since the only person other than family members they were able to talk about was the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice, he naturally became a hot topic.
They exchange information that neither of them knows, such as Lydia about what happened in the garden and Roy about what happened when he inspected the city. It was a topic that could only be discussed here, with Roy’s servant and Lydia’s bodyguard waiting in the wings.
She was talking about a boy who was a gardener’s apprentice, and Lydia suddenly thought about it.

「Um… Roy-sama, could we turn the clock into a facility?」

「Why?」

「Aristocrats and commoners have different senses of time, right? I hear that there are fountains in central plazas, wells in downtown areas, and other places where people tend to gather. If we could install large clocks in those places, we could see them from the same point of view, is what I was thinking.」

He said that it would be possible to make the watch smaller and make it portable, but this is not something that can be realistically done right away. However, wouldn’t it be possible with current technology to place even larger table clocks in places where there is a lot of foot traffic? If they could do that, everyone in the place, regardless of their social status, would be able to keep track of the same time.
Hearing Lydia’s serious idea, Roy smiled softly.

「Miss Lydia also has quite an interesting point of view.」

「Is… that so……?」

「Ah. You probably don’t have many opportunities to see what’s going on in the city, but it’s amazing that you came up with such an idea.」

「That’s because… Roy-sama will tell me about the situation in the city…」

Lydia becomes embarrassed when she receives unexpected praise from Roy, the prince and her friend. When she returned home during the off-season, her grandfather, who was in charge of the duchy, taught her how to read maps. Since then, Lydia has started looking at the map of the royal capital. It’s surprisingly fun to check where on the map she hears about from Roy.
As she was looking at the map, she was imagining what kind of people would come and go to each of the small squares in the downtown area, such as the central plaza, the promenade, and the wells, and that’s probably why she got the idea she mentioned earlier.

「No, Miss Lydia has a good eye. Let’s consider it.」

「Are you sure…?」

She simply thought that making it a public facility would be cheaper than handing out watches to each person. The actual cost and time involved have not been estimated, and Lydia doesn’t have that much knowledge. Therefore, for Lydia, it was an unrealistic idea, no different from what the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice had said.
It was accepted so easily that Lydia was taken aback. When Prince Roy started moving, her sense of reality suddenly increased. Although she doesn’t know how long it will take, Lydia is simply surprised to learn that it is possible.
Upon hearing Lydia’s confirmation, Roy nodded with a slightly amused smile. His nod made her feel happy, and her heart felt warm. She was just a young lady, so she was very happy that she could be of some use.

「I was wondering, when will Miss Lydia tell the daughters of Marquis August and the others?」

「Hm? What about?」

「About Isaac.」

Lydia was suddenly asked in a strange way, so her eyes widened.
It seems like Roy thought she would tell them about him someday. But Lydia had no intention of talking about him. She was able to talk to Roy like this, so where was the need for that?
Why did Roy feel it was necessary for Lydia to confide in her other friends about him?
When Lydia was wondering what to ask about this unexpected situation, Roy forced a smile.

「It’s because he’s a man. There will probably be times in the future when Miss Lydia won’t be able to consult with him.」

「But what about Katherine, Emilia, and the others……?」

If it’s someone who’s the same gender, there are already girls who know of his existence. Why can’t it be them?

「I’m sorry, that was rude of me. They’re friends to Miss Lydia. It’s not a bad thing, but…… I just thought of them as your friends, too.」

Feeling compassion from Roy’s words said with a smile, Lydia thought about it.
She had consulted him several times in the past about the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice for other reasons. And it’s not like Tordelise and the others don’t talk about things related to him. Each time, she diverted the topic to hide it, but isn’t that being sneaky?
Since they are important friends, she felt it was strange that she would continue to hide this from them.
Along with noticing her discomfort, she also realized her own cowardice due to her lack of trust in her friends. Even though she knew better than anyone that they were not that kind of person, she was afraid that they would give up on her. Seeing their personalities, Lydia made a decision.

「How should I tell them……」

It’s good that she made a decision, but she doesn’t know how to proceed, so Lydia lowers her eyebrows as if she was weakened.

「Miss Lydia should speak from her heart.」

Roy smiled encouragingly at Lydia.

---

A few days after she spoke with Roy, she heard the faint voices of girls chatting in Duke Ernst’s residence.
In Lydia’s room, her friends are sitting around a table with teacups on it. Tordelise, the daughter of a marquis, who became her first friend, Zaskia, the daughter of a baron, whom she became close to after encouraging them at a party, and Stefanie, the daughter of a count, who became strong even though she was in an environment where she was often treated coldly. They talk about random topics such as the picture books they loved when they were little and the latest dress trends. Just by being together, they talk and laugh with each other.
Lydia realizes that it has become natural for her to spend time with them.

「Um……」

「What is it?」

When Lydia tries to talk about herself, Tordelise prompts her with a smile, and Stefanie and Zaskia also begin listening.

「There’s something I want to ask Torde-sama and the others……」

Lydia searches for words, worrying whether or not she will be able to convey herself well. As she folded her hands in front of her chest and squeezed them tightly, she resolved herself once again.

「……I-it’s about me.」

She takes a deep breath, trying to drown out her heart beat that’s louder than expected.

「I have a friend who’s also a commoner!」

「But  I’m also a former commoner?」

Stefanie pointed at herself and tilted her head.
It is a well-known fact that she was welcomed into the earl’s family due to her mother’s remarriage. She was still friends with her, so Tordelise and the others looked at Lydia as if to ask what the matter was
Although relieved by her friends’ reactions, Lydia awkwardly spins her words because there is information she hasn’t told them yet.

「He’s… a servant of our family.」

「Does that mean he’s a boy?」

「If that’s the case, won’t His Highness be jealous?」

The moment it became clear that he was a friend of the opposite sex, Stefanie and Zaskia instinctively put their hands on the table and stood up. Lydia was somewhat frightened by their vigorous reaction.

「No…… Roy-sama also knows about him.」

「……are you sure it isn’t someone I’ve met before?」

Tordelise asks Lydia while recalling her memories.
Does Tordelise remember, even though she only saw his face a few times at a party a few years ago? Lydia is surprised by this fact.

「Do you remember……?」

「Ahh, of course. It’s that comrade.」

Taking Lydia’s reply as a confirmation, Tordelise was pleased to have gotten it right and put both of her palms together.

「Impossible, is it the calyx guy!?」

Seeing Tordelise’s satisfied look, Zaskia was reminded of the boy who became her dance partner. He was the only person of the opposite sex who was close in age to Lydia that she could think of.

「Ah, I heard of him before. The ghost-like person who was there before I met Dia-sama and the others.」

「Gho……」

Lydia is at a loss for words as Stefanie says with admiration like she really was there. It bothered her that at the time he was rumored to be the outer part to Lydia’s flower, but I also found it incomprehensible that he was being treated like a non-human. He is a human. [T/N: Literally just “calyx person”, but I expanded it so readers would understand why Zack is being called a calyx again.]
The only one who had never met him was Stefanie, and she was envious of Tordelise and the others.

「I haven’t seen him around the mansion either, so I was worried that you two stopped talking.」

Tordelise pats her own chest in relief. Although he was introduced as a servant of the Ernst family, she seemed to be concerned about the fact that she never saw him when she visited the mansion.

「Well, he’s actually an apprentice gardener, so……」

「So that’s why you know a lot about flower names!」

Zaskia fully understood and her expression lit up, saying that it was amazing that he was good at dancing.
When Stefanie, the only one who didn’t understand her situation, asked her about it, Zaskia happily explained to her what had happened at the time. Stefanie listened to her explanation with an impressed response, and she concluded that he wasn’t a ghost. For Stefanie, who had never seen him before, the rumors about him were some kind of ghost story.
Lydia was taken aback because Tordelise and the others accepted it just as if she had casually said it to Roy.

「You don’t… think it’s weird……?」

Even if she wasn’t being looked down upon, she was prepared to feel a little uncomfortable. But for some reason, they never asked why.
In response to Lydia’s question, the three of them looked at each other once, then smiled. Their smile was so confident that it seemed invincible.

「He’s someone who cares deeply about Dia.」

「I can understand that much even if we just talk about him a little!」

「I’ve never met him, but if he’s Dia’s friend, he doesn’t seem like a bad person.」

The three of them answered in their own words like it was natural, and Lydia felt a warm feeling well up in her chest. She was glad to be friends with Tordelise and the others, she thought to herself, but she had more to say than that.

「Thank you.」

Lydia was shy as she expressed her gratitude.
After exchanging smiles with her friends and calming down, one of her friends, Stefanie, raised her hand to make her point.

「What’s wrong, Fanny?」

「It’s unfair.」

「Eh?」

「Even though everyone knows you, I’m the only one who hasn’t seen your friend.」

The way she sulked was so cute that Lydia couldn’t help but laugh. Stefanie understands that her timing was just bad, but she seems lonely because she’s the only one left out.
Lydia wonders what would happen. Having this many people crowding in would be a hindrance to the work, and the appearance of his father, Dennis, could easily be misunderstood. In particular, Zaskia and others will need to be mentally prepared. On the other hand, if someone like Yan were to encounter multiple young ladies over there, he might feel intimidated.

「Ah…… if it’s now, you might be able to see them from the terrace.」

Lydia came up with a way to check from here.
Most of their recent work must have been tending to the flower beds in the backyard. Her room faces the backyard, so there is a possibility that he can be seen from a distance.
She accepts Lydia’s proposal and so Stefanie and the others go out on the terrace. From the terrace on the second floor, they could see a panoramic view of the spring flowers blooming in the flower beds, and the three of them momentarily forgot their purpose and let out a sigh of admiration.
They regained their composure and started looking for someone, but they couldn’t find them, so the three of them stuck to the handrail and looked around. Lydia also put her hand on the railing and looked down at the flower bed.

「There he is.」

「Eh, where!?」

Stefanie, who was next to Lydia, responded to her voice and followed Lydia’s line of sight.

「Ah, there’s a big person there.」

「There are two people nearby….. which one is it?」

「Um, next to Dennis…… he’s on the right-hand side of the larger gardener.」

「I can’t see his face very well. However, Dia-sama is amazing at being able to tell them apart!」

Stefanie found the figure of the gardener who was the easiest to recognize, and Tordelise recognized the figure of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice. When Lydia told her who she was looking for, Zaskia narrowed her eyes and took a good look at him, then praised Lydia for her distinction.
Lydia replies that it’s not difficult because he is a servant in the house. It’s true that they may look similar from a distance because of their work clothes, but he has dark brown hair with the tips of his hair sticking out easily, and his younger disciple, Yang, has dark brown hair that is shorter than his. Both have tanned from work, but their skin colors are different.
She can only tell them apart because she knows them personally, but Zaskia seemed to take it as a sign of humility, and her eyes shone with admiration.

「What kind of person is he?」

Stefanie tried not just to squint, but also stood on her tiptoes and tried to make out the face as much as possible, but to no avail, so she decided to directly ask Lydia.
As she looked at the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice working in the flower bed, she wondered how she would explain it. Lydia, who knows his personality, can imagine that he is having fun working even if she can’t see it. Maybe he’s humming a tune.

「His name is Za…… Isaac, and he’s been my confidant since I was little.」

「Then, he’s your childhood friend, isn’t he?」

Lydia wondered if it was okay to nod to Stefanie’s offer. They had been together since childhood, so she felt that Katherine, the maid, was more appropriate than him. However, both Katherineand him are servants, so it’s not like they just have a casual relationship as childhood friends.
However, Lydia just smiles, not knowing what kind of name applies to what they have.

「He thinks about the garden all the time, so I guess being a gardener is his calling. However, he is kind of a caring person, or rather a meddler…… when he sees someone in trouble, he tries to help them. He even does things he doesn’t have to do, like acting as my dance substitute.”

He could have also turned down being substitute for dancing. It is said that he met Roy as a guide for lost children, and the reason he brought Nicholas to the garden was to rescue him. He may not realize that these are things that he cannot ignore, not only in himself, but also in people he meets for the first time.
He reaches out his hand when he realizes that it is within his capabilities. When things are beyond his control, he will definitely ask for help, but he rarely has the option of pretending he didn’t see it. He faces things that most people look away from.

「Really, there’s nothing he won’t do.」

He seems to live his life freely and as he pleases, and does not disrespect others. Lydia feels that his true nature is precious, so even though she is worried that he might do something unreasonable, she has no intention of correcting him.
So she had no choice but to laugh.

「He’s precious, isn’t he?」

There was no way Lydia would deny Stefanie’s question.

「Yes. He’s someone important for me to be myself.」

Whenever Lydia tries to suppress her heart, he always notices. It was only because of him that she was able to stand tall and straight without collapsing.
Lydia’s assertive appearance was dignified and reflected in Stefanie and the others’ eyes as noble.

「Isaac-san is a good friend, isn’t he/」

「So you came a wonderful person, right?」

Tordelise smiles with satisfaction, and Zaskia agrees, Lydia’s cheeks flushing.
They understand that he’s a nice person, but seeing Stefanie only in his work clothes, Zaskia’s reaction made her shake her head. She looks at him again, but he looks similar to when he’s in the downtown area, and she doesn’t get the feeling she’s blushing because of it.

「He seems taller than us, is he older?」

It was difficult for him to notice because the gardener, who was his father, was a big man, but Stefanie noticed that the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice, seemed to be taller than them. Lydia confirms it.

「He’ll be thirteen soon.」

「Then, by if some chance he passes, he might be enrolled the year after next.」

「What is he going to pass……?」

Lydia tilted her head, wondering what it was, and Stefanie tilted her head in the same way.

「Isn’t it the time to take the magic measurement test? If he passes, he’ll be living in the dormitory at Magic Academy.」

Lydia and other nobles usually have a large amount of magical power, so measuring their magical power was just a rite of passage. However, Lydia knows that measuring the amount of magical power is a big event for commoners. She remembered that her father, a duke, had told her earlier that there was a financial subsidy system to guarantee the school life in case commoners were accepted. She realizes that qualifying for admission to the Magic Academy means a lot to commoners.

「Dormitory……」

She doesn’t know if his magical power will reach the admission standard, but if he does, she won’t be able to see him for the next two years until she enrolls.
When Lydia realized this fact, she was shocked.
It’s different from temporarily not being able to see each other during the off-season. She had considered the possibility of him leaving the mansion, but she had never thought in the slightest that he would be gone.
He is always in the garden of the Ernst residence.
That was universal for Lydia.

「My sister who used to live in my neighborhood often told me that if she passed the exam, she would dream of becoming a lover with a young noble while she was at the school.」

「Lo… ver……?」

Out of Stefanie’s story, that was the only word that stuck in Lydia’s ears.
By the time he goes to school, he will be around that age. She wonders if he is interested not only in the garden but also in the opposite sex. Like Stefanie’s female acquaintance, finding someone she longs for even in a dream…
Trying to imagine what would happen next, Lydia sank down on the spot as if her strength was gone.

「Dia-sama?」

Tordelise crouched down next to her and supported her. Stefanie and the others approached, worried about what was going on.
While supporting Lydia’s shoulders, Tordelise saw a maid running toward them from the edge of her vision. However, the maid is held back by a maid who is younger than her and has extra sleeves for her. She understands that they are worried about her master, and Tordelise gives her a look to leave it to her.
Seeing that her maids had reconsidered, Tordelise turned to her friend, who was holding her own arm with uncertainty. When their gazes met, Lydia’s nigella flower-blue eyes flickered with anxiety.

「……Torde-sama.」

「Yes?」

「Zack… Zack is always in this garden…… so, if he disappears, he might think of someone else.」

Tordelise smiles reassuringly at Lydia, who is confused by the sudden recognition of this possibility.

「How did you feel about it?」

She allowed herself to let out her emotions that were swirling inside her, and they came out easier than she expected.

「……I don’t like it.」

Just the thought of not being able to see him again or someone else who desired him, Lydia disliked it. What made her think of such a strong rejection was why his smile is like a sunny spot.

「Dia-sama, I’m sorry.」

Stefanie bowed her head vigorously and apologized, looking as if she was about to cry. Lydia, who doesn’t understand what she’s apologizing for, is taken aback.

「I didn’t know you like Isaac that much……」

「Eh?」

「Ehhh?」

Stefanie’s eyes widened at the questioning look that didn’t seem typical of Lydia.
For a few seconds, silence enveloped the terrace, as if time had stopped.
The one who broke the silence was Lydia, who had most likely stopped breathing as well as thinking.

「………… li……!?」

Suddenly, Lydia’s face turned bright red as if she had been set on fire, and she unconsciously put all the strength into her grip on Tordelise’s sleeve. Tordelise narrowed her eyes at her friend, who was now clinging to her.

「Fufu, you hadn’t realized it?」

「W…… well, even if you say that…!」

Being aware of your feelings and having others know about your feelings are two different things. It’s incredibly embarrassing when people say it to her.

「Dia-sama was so composed even in front of His Highness the prince, but when it comes to the person she loves, she becomes so cute.」

「Even you, Kia-sama!」

Zaskia, who was full of smiles, attacked her, and Lydia let out a cry of resentment. However, her red-faced protests seem to have no effect, and her friends just smile.
Even her maid, Katherine, seemed to be smiling, but Lydia pretended not to notice as the heat in her cheeks would never subside if she recognized them any further.
She didn’t know how far he had read into it, but she saw that Roy’s suggestion was correct.
By confiding in her friends who don’t know him, she never expected that she would become aware of her feelings for him. Also, when her friends found out about her feelings, her future where she was worrying just about herself was forcibly erased.

She wonders what kind of face she should make when she meets him next time.
Lydia wanted to wrap her head around problems that were just around the corner, rather than problems that were several years away.

---

Oh man, when I was translating the final parts of this chapter, I was just smiling so much. Finally, we got to Lydia awakening to her feelings, wahahaha.

Not a whole lot to say other than that. We are getting really close to the finale, though. 4 more chapters in this volume and then the final volume is 9 chapters with an epilogue. Hard to believe we’re almost already there, huh?

Anyways, let me know if there’s any corrections I need to make. Some of the sentences this chapter were just really weird and made me want to throw something against a wall. And again, sorry for the delay, but geez, whatever I caught just basically incapacitated me lol

---

Blegh, I lost track of time on Friday (blame Helldivers 2) and was halfway through my routine on Saturday when I realized I hadn’t posted. Whoops!

---

TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty

---

It’s the season when the cold weather is bearable and we can appreciate the flames of the fireplace. The sun was setting earlier, so a quiet darkness spread outside the window, and the light from the lamps and fireplaces flickering from the other houses turned the night into a slightly warm landscape.
In my previous life in Japan, it would have been bright everywhere, filled with colorful illuminations of red and blue. Then I remembered it.

「Well, do you know what red is blue and blue is red?」

I asked the question that came to mind as I looked at the green and yellow odd-eyed white stuffed bear.
This bear is a mobile phone used to contact a specific person. It has a magic stone with a magic circle built into it and the reason it looks like a bear is the tastes of the person on the other end.

「Ha? What is it, all of a sudden?’」

「I remembered about the other day. I think I heard it from Yuuka in my previous life…」

I check with Elena, the princess who remembers being my younger sister in a previous life. Elena made a puzzled sound, but I guess she was thinking about it, as after a few seconds, a vigorous voice answered my question from the bear-phone.

「Isaac, by any chance did you meet Remias-kun and Bell-kun!?」

「I can understand you well enough.」

「Because that’s the comparison I used when we were talking about Remias-kun and Bell-kun.」

Elena says that she explained it in a way that would make sense to Taichi from her previous life, as he would understand if it was a Sentai story.
I grasp that Elena knows about the blue-haired Remias and the red-haired Belle. The two seem to be potential servants of Elena’s older brother Leo, so it’s only natural that they meet face to face. However, it’s strange to know them not from her time now as princess, but rather her previous life.
The people in this world that Elena knows from her previous life are limited. I thought, [No way] and my cheeks froze.

「Remias and Bell…」

「Yes, they’re Kimisei’s capture targets!」

I could easily imagine the self-satisfied expression on Elena’s face on the other end of the phone. It’s been a while since I heard Kimisei’s name. It is an abbreviation of an otome game that is the same as or similar to this world.
Elena seemed to want me to mention it, but it wasn’t a topic I was interested in, so I just replied, [Ah, is that so]. Then, her dissatisfied voice comes out from the bear-phone.

「You should be a little surprised or more interested, you know.」

「It’s because I don’t even remember what the two of us said during the game.」

「See, fighting games and quizzes were some of the mini-games.」

「Well, you were the one who did both of those.」

「That’s right! 」

I don’t understand what kind of mini-games I might have helped with. In my previous life, I only helped my sister with mini-games that she wasn’t good at and couldn’t complete.
My younger sister, Yuuka, had cleared music games, fighting games, quizzes, etc. by herself. In fighting games, it seems like I just ignored commands and pressed the buttons with all my might. When I played against her in a normal fighting game, it was difficult to fight her because her attack patterns were hard to read.
When Elena remembered that it was my turn, she seemed shocked. Losing the topic of conversation, she groaned in frustration.

「Even if you don’t tie into Kimisei, we both know each other, so we can talk normally, can’t we?’」

「Yes, but… I also want to talk about Kimisei.」

I don’t understand Elena’s urge to talk about what she likes even to people she’s not interested in, like the fact that she tried to talk to me about it in her previous life by comparing it to Sentai stuff.
When I got into boys’ comics and games, I would talk about them with other people who liked them, and it was fun. However, I’ve never thought to start talking to people who don’t seem to be interested in the genre. It’s more fun to talk about common topics than to force the other person to talk.
If I remember correctly, in my previous life, I often said that I was a missionary. I didn’t understand everything, but I did come to like some of the music and manga. Now that I think about it, it may have been a good opportunity for me to learn about a genre that I would never touch.

「Right now, I’m in Kimisei’s world, and I really like it.」

I remember her boasting that she was a support character. Even though I know it’s reality, it’s strange to see the fan spirit that leaks through from time to time. In particular, when she went from having Roy-sama as a favorite to actually becoming a family member and then becoming a true older brother idiot, she started talking even more passionately, and I feel like my ears gave out.

「And this is different! I like Kimisei as a performance game.’」

「Performance?」

That’s why I, who knows just a little bit about Kimisei as a game, want to listen. Judging from the strong tone of her voice, she might be clenching her fists. It was funny how I could easily imagine that situation, so I just listened and allowed her to continue talking about Kimisei.

「Remias is a typical sportsman character, and is popular for his straightforwardness and dedication to chivalry. He’s training day and night to surpass his father, the knight commander, so you’ll encounter him behind the basic school building. He wasn’t used to treating women and was rough with them. Well, since the heroine is a commoner, she’s not afraid to point that out. From there, the way he interacts with women changes little by little, and he starts to think of the heroine as someone of the opposite sex…」

Elena started talking happily, but since I wasn’t really interested,  I acted like radio was coming from the bear. Even if she gives a passionate speech that half-naked still pictures are not risque because he’s an athlete, I, as a man, can’t understand it.
Before I knew what to say, I found she was talking about Bell.

「Bell-kun is even easier to encounter, he’s in the basic library. The heroine, who doesn’t have much knowledge about magic, takes an interest in magic, so he tries his best to teach her how to study. He’s cute because he’s a bit of a research geek, and when he gets top marks on a test, he’s so pure that he’s happy with himself… Well, just look at his smile in the sunset scene! . Isn’t it dangerous!?”

Can I say that? It’s already not being explained. I don’t know about the dangerous scene, and I have no interest in watching it.

「The two of them are childhood friends, so they appear in each other’s routes. Since the types are reversed and there are many conflicts, there are often factional disputes in Kimisei’s clusters, such as whether it is blue or red cluster…」

I don’t really understand the meaning, but cluster is a term that Yuuka used in relation to SNS. If it’s something outside of the game, I seriously don’t understand it. [T/N: Cluster is basically “clique”]
Just when I thought it was time to stop, Elena suddenly stopped speaking, and a small sigh came from the other end of the bear-phone.

「Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t remember my previous life…」

「What do you mean?」

I tilt my head, wondering why she thought that. It’s all the more strange because just a moment ago, she seemed to be having fun and was fully in the fan state, but her voice suddenly became dejected.
When I asked her, she started complaining.

「Remias-kun and Bell-kun would just have to fight their rivals at school, but if things were going according to the game, Roy-nii-sama and Klaus-nii-sama would still be on bad terms, and Nico-san would only end up hating women with his sister remaining cursed. The hidden character must already have a painful past… and even if I know that, there’s nothing I can do about it.」

It’s painful, Elena says in a dejected voice. These are pieces of information that you don’t know unless you actually know the person, and Elena, who is an outsider at best, there’s the question of if it’s fine for Elena to intervene.

「…That’s why when he heard that Roy-nii-sama had lifted Nico-nee’s sister’s curse, he was surprised, but he thought it was a good thing.」

It wouldn’t be fun to spend your days knowing that someone is suffering. Even if you try to forget, you’ll remember it in a random moment.
Until I met Daniel-sama again, I could see his depressed and gloomy expression from time to time, and I felt a sense of despair. If we had just met for the first time, I think I would still be curious about what Daniel-sama was doing.

「Even if they’re not exactly the same. I don’t like it when people who are as good as the characters I fell in love with in Kimisei are left feeling as bad as they are until the game starts just because the heroine is going to save them.」

Therefore, it seems that Elena was happy that Leo took action on his own and reconciled with his brother, and that Nico’s sister’s curse was lifted. This is something she realized because she had memories of her previous life. However, on the other hand, if she hadn’t remembered it, her fears would have been unfounded.
Elena let out a sigh of sadness.

「The only thing I’m glad I remember is meeting Taichi.」

After the words that she must have spilled out, I heard a slight gasp from the other end of the phone, as if she realized that she had made a slip of the tongue. I, too, widened my eyes when I heard the surprising truth.
After a moment, it was Elena who seemed panicked who cut me off.

「Tch… t-that’s not true! I’m just glad that I can express my pent-up complaints directly!!」

「Ah. I’m glad I was able to apologize to Yuuka too」

We both had memories from our previous lives, so we realized it through small interactions.
I have always wanted to apologize to my family for dying without consulting her about my remaining life expectancy. It was the thing I had been craving the most in my memories of my previous life, and it was something I shouldn’t have been able to do. After all, the people in this world are Isaac and my family. There shouldn’t have been any family from Taichi’s previous life.
It’s a miracle for me that Elena, who has memories of our family and who I wanted to meet even if she blamed me, listened to my apology to Yuuka.
When I expressed my honest opinion, Elena seemed at a loss for words.

「Well, I’m sure Elena was with me even if she doesn’t remember.」

「Eh? Why?」

When I told her what I thought while listening to Elena’s story, a voice filled with doubt came back from the bear phone.

「You can hear thoughts, right?」

「Yep.」

「Is there something else you can do?」

「What else… ah. There’s the bird of the wind that Isaac flew. I can share vision with mine and do things like clairvoyance.」

I’ll never use it again, Elena added, seeming discouraged.
Elena, who has the dual attributes of wind and light, seems to be able to use light magic to share vision with the bird of the wind, which is used for communication purposes. Also, I can only grow it to the size of a sparrow, but Elena seems to only be able to shrink it to the size of an eagle no matter how hard she tries. Elena is reluctant because she thinks since it’s a bird of prey it’s no longer cute, but I think it’s cool so I’m a little jealous of her.
Clairvoyance is similar to the feeling of VR, and it seems like it’s fun to use as it feels like you’re flying in the sky. However, because her vision was focused on the bird, Elena, who was following her rhythm and flying the bird, didn’t realize that she was also moving her body, and she bumped her head on the walls of her room.
As a result, the princess was scolded by her maid Terese for the mark on her face, and her father, the king, found out that she had flown her bird close to the border, and so the royal family was suspected of spying. Apparently she was told not to do that. Elena told me that this double whammy was very painful.
I can understand that this is a cheat technique that she can do because she has a huge amount of magical power and valuable attributes, but all I could think of was that she was more disappointed than amazed.

「Ah… well, putting aside the fact that your actions created some misfortunes, if you had that kind of ability, you would have known about someone else’s troubles and worried about it. The memories you have of your past life might be different than the person in the game who shows up.」

「Does something like that…… possibly exist?」

Elena reflexively tried to deny it, but she changed her opinion halfway through, perhaps thinking of a scenario where she had no memories.
Even if she knows someone’s troubles from the voice in their heart, or sees someone far away in trouble with her clairvoyance, she probably won’t be able to help them directly. Elena’s rarity is high, as she is a member of the royal family and possesses rare dual attributes, so the restrictions on her movements are likely to be harsh. She must have been worried after all.

「Hm? So, just think of it as if you happened to see someone else’s diary.」

「Hmm… doesn’t that mean I’m useless anyway?」

「You’re wrong. You and I can’t help you in any way, even if it’s someone we know. Most of the time, the problem is what the person themselves will do in the end.」

Even if she extends a helping hand, it is meaningless unless the person with the problem grasps it for themselves. There are things in this world that we can’t do anything about due to circumstances, but sometimes things can be helped if we rely on someone.

「I told you before. It’s okay to just help out when you’re asked.」

I repeated what I had once said to Elena, who was only concerned about Leo and the others.
Even if Nico is in trouble or worried, I just hang out with him to relieve stress. Unless Nico feels like complaining, I won’t ask him. Even people she knows are like that, so it would be too difficult for Elena to help someone she has never met.

「What will I do if they don’t continue to rely on me?」

「Then just think of it as a good thing.」

When we met, even Ojou, when she had worries come to mind, would come to me and complain. But, that was because I was the only person close to her age at that time. After she became friends with Katherine-san and made friends, including the bunny-like girl, she hardly had anything to say to me. As long as she can talk to them, that’s fine. I’m glad that Ojou seemed to be having fun.
I don’t know how much she was convinced by my opinion, but after a moment of silence, she murmured, [I understand.] That evening, we ended up getting deep into conversation, so we called it quits.

---

The next morning, it was a holiday, and I had no particular plans, so I was thinking about what to do when I heard a knock at the front door. At my mother’s request, I opened the door to check on the visitor, and it was Maria.

「Ah, Zack was here!」

「What happened?」

Mary, whose cheeks were flushed from the winter air, removed the cloth that had covered the basket she was carrying and showed me what was inside.

「Look! I came up with the shape of lemon jam bread.」

There were three square pastries in the basket. The center is hollowed out, and the lemon jam shines with a bright yellow. The green mint on top of the jam brought out the color of the lemons. Judging from the fact that even the mint has a shine and its bright green color, it must have been pickled in honey.
It seems that Maria, who is helping her parents run a bakery, was tasked with shaping bread for the first time. I’m sure she would be happy to see the bread she designed listed as one of their products.

「It looks delicious. Maria must have good taste by making it so beautiful.」

「Right? It’s well received by our customers.」

Maria proudly hands over her lemon bread. I took it and handed it over to my mother. My mother boiled water and prepared tea, so they sat across from each other at the dining table, and the three of us chatted. It seems that Maria came to show me her new bread because I had the day off.

「Zack, do you need anything today?」

「No, I was just thinking about going to see the gardeners. Mom, should I buy something on the way home?」

「Let me see……」

「Can I go with you?」

While her mother was wondering if there was anything she needed, Maria asked to accompany me.
In winter, there are few flowers blooming in the garden, and the deciduous trees are lying idle. It’s not a very fun place to visit unless you are a gardener. So, when I asked him a question, I wanted him to tell me about herbs that can be used to make bread.
There are few cold-resistant herbs that can be used in the winter, so it would be difficult for Maria to find them on her own. Anyway, she’s just checking on the stock status at this time of year, so I agreed to accompany her.
After checking with my mother about the missing ingredients, I headed to the gardener with Maria. On the way, I asked Johann and his friends how they were doing, and they found out that Johann, son of the miller, had a bad relationship with the horses in the cart that carried the ground flour, and was training them to drive, and Paul, son of the blacksmith, was trying to adjust the temperature of the furnace. Apparently his father taught him this. She told me about the time when Maria saw Johann fighting with a horse, and it was funny to see Johann’s face being licked by the horse and feeling frustrated. It seems that Paul has become able to distinguish between iron and copper in their ore state. It seems that not only Maria but also the two of them are working hard to become apprentices to the family business.

「If they’re working so hard, I think I also should treat Paul to something to eat.」

「Also?」

Maria was confused by my words, so she repeated what caught her attention and tilted her head. I placed my hand on Maria’s head.

「It’s a treat for Maria today.」

There are rewards for growth. On days when I have more work to do, my mother always cooks something I like for dinner. So, if Maria and the others can visibly do more things, I’d like to treat them to food. Maybe it would be better if she told Johann first and enticed them with food.
When she heard that the lunch was a treat, Maria’s expression lit up.

「Zack, you’re generous.」

「Can we go to Ingrid’s Tavern?」

「It’s delicious there, isn’t it!? I wanted to go there.」

I laughed when I saw Maria’s steps become visibly lighter.
At the gardener shop, I admired a tree that looked like nothing but a dead tree to Mariya, and talked about fertilizers with the older gardener, but while I was giving advice to Maria about it, helped her choose herbs. Mariya bought a share of the easy-to-use rosemaries. It was a small potted plant, but since the flower shop is at the end of the market street and it’s a long way from Maria’s house, I carry it with me.
Ingrid’s Tavern was right on the way back to Maria’s house, so it was easy to stop by for lunch. Since it was cold outside, Maria ordered warm stew and potato gratin and was happily stuffed. I ordered grilled chicken and onion soup, which was also delicious. Perhaps because of the ginger in the soup, I felt warm inside even after I finished eating and left the restaurant.

「When will Zack go to church?」

「When it’s my birthday, I won’t forget.」

When I answered her question, Mariya nodded vaguely, as if thinking about it.
At my age, the purpose of going to church is limited. This is for the second magic power measurement. It is customary for commoners to take an aptitude test for magical attributes at the age of five at a nearby church and then to have their magical power measured at the age of thirteen or fourteen.
If it is confirmed that you have a certain amount of magical power, you will receive a notification from the country via the church at a later date, and you will be eligible to enter the Royal Academy of Magic. Most of them accept it as if it were a lottery ticket, as the funds required for admission come from the government and they can get a job in the royal capital after graduation.
Since this country is quite large, it is recommended that students take the test at least six months before entering school, and many commoners take the test at the age of thirteen. Partly because you would already be an apprentice at the family business, but the main reason for taking the exam early is to learn how to read and write. In the unlikely event that you qualify for admission, you will suddenly need to read and write, which you didn’t need before, so you will have to learn them at church. I’m fine with that, but I think it would be better to have a grace period for taking over the business.

「What if… what if, you know!? What will you do if you get accepted?」

「I want to study, so I’m going.」

I said the answer I had decided on beforehand. Since Yan didn’t pass this year, he will continue his apprenticeship as a gardener. I’ve already told my parents about my wishes, so I’ll talk to Yan about it if I get accepted.

「Then, if you pass… you’ll meet a lot of people your age.」

「Ah, that’s right.」

I always thought that the school was a place where there were a lot of aristocrats, but as Maria said, it was definitely a place where other people of the same age gathered. I was planning to go there to study magic, but maybe I’ll meet at least one person I can talk to. I didn’t think about the possibility of having a friend.
When I looked at Maria to thank her for increasing how I’d look forward to the exam, she had a strange expression on her face and was muttering something. Apparently, she didn’t say it to me earlier, but her thoughts just leaked out of his mouth.
She seems to be worried about what to do, so maybe Maria is also interested in the magic academy. If she wants to learn letters in advance, I’ll tell her the day Anika-sama will come to the Merkel church orphanage. Anika’s teaching style is easy to understand.
As I was walking alongside her, thinking about these things, Maria suddenly approached me with a grim look on her face.

「Is it because you’ll miss your chance to get married?」

「Ha?」

「Are you going to school because you want a girlfriend?!」

「Huh??」

I said at the beginning that it was for study purposes, so how did she make such a leap to come to such a conclusion? From Maria’s point of view, there aren’t any girls close to her age in the neighborhood, so I wonder if she was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find someone to marry unless I went to school.
Even if I could go to school, there are a lot of aristocrats in the first place, so the girls will concentrate on the ones with the wealth and looks, so there’s no way an ordinary guy like me could get a girlfriend. It’s an impossible game when the beautiful Nico is in the same grade. I’ll just be upstaged.
When I told Maria to calm down and think about it, I told her that she was acting unreasonably according to her specifications, and she finally seemed to calm down.

「Then Zack might miss his chance for marriage whether he passes or not.」

「Maybe.」

I didn’t care because even if I couldn’t get married, I could still be a gardener. If there is someone like Yan who can inherit skills rather than just blood, the Ernst family garden will be safe.
As long as I can grow a garden even when I become an old man, that’s fine. My parents aren’t the type to rush me into marriage, so I don’t feel any sense of crisis. Perhaps because I found something that I’m passionate about, I feel like I have less desire for love than before my previous life. At my age, girls started to change and I was confused. Is it okay to dismiss the transformation of a girl into a woman’s body as just secondary sexual characteristics? Guys don’t know how to treat her differently and can only feel confused.
I tried to dig up my memories from my previous life to see if I could become conscious of the opposite sex, but no matter what I tried, my consciousness remained in the garden. It seems like it’s still early for me when it comes to romance.
As Maria pointed out, I might actually miss the chance to get married, so I nodded.

「If Zack misses his chance to get married, should I marry you?」

「Ummm, that sort of thing…」

Even if it’s a joke, you shouldn’t say that so lightly to me. That’s what I was going to say.
When I looked next to me, I saw that her fists were shaking with too much force, and her eyes wide with determination were not looking at me, but at her feet. From that look, I realized that the redness on her face wasn’t due to the freezing air.
I realized that Maria wasn’t joking when I heard the contradictory reaction to the line that was said in a lighthearted tone.
I was surprised.
I felt different, and then I understood the meaning of the discrepancy in words and actions, and even though I understood, I couldn’t accept the current situation, and I froze, not knowing what to do. I never thought it would happen to me.
The only thing I know for sure is that I have to answer properly. Maria said it seriously. If I try to pass that off as just because she’s younger or because she’s a child, it’s definitely no good. That’s why I can’t think of any words.
Perhaps she couldn’t stand the fact that I didn’t respond, Maria suddenly raised her head and took the potted plant I was holding in her hands and held it.

「It’s only a little bit longer, so that’s enough. Thank you.」

「Ah.」

My reflexive reply got stuck in my throat. I don’t think I should say anything carelessly.

「See you later.」

With her forced smile, Mariya bids her farewell. Without waiting for my reply, Maria turned on her heels.

「Th… think about it……」

The words left behind before Maria took another step left me speechless again.
I watched in amazement as Maria disappeared into the door of the bakery.
I thought it would be happier, being confessed to. It was the first time a girl confessed to me. This is the first time including my previous life.

「I thought it was too early for me…」 [T/N: Literally just ‘I thought it was too early’, but the overall feeling I understood wasn’t that Maria’s confession was too early, so I cleaned it up.]

---

Nearly a month has passed since she first confessed and the new year has arrived.
I haven’t seen Maria since then. I don’t know if I’m being avoided, or if the timing of our holidays just doesn’t match up, I really don’t know. Maria’s bakery may have been busy because hard bread that lasts for a long time sells well during the New Year’s holidays, when people spend time at home with their families.

「Zack, have you caught a cold?」

「Eh……?」

As I was staring blankly at the brown surface of the tea, Ojou asked me this, looking worried.
Right now, I’m taking a break from working in the greenhouse, and I’m having tea with Ojou and her maid, Katherine-san. It’s cold, so I tried to ask my father if Yan could work in the greenhouse, but Yan himself wanted to work outside because he wanted to get used to the cold in the capital.
Ojou was suddenly worried about my health, and even though I was perfectly healthy, I tilted my head.

「Why?」

「Your voice is hoarse and it’s a little…」

「Oh, my voice has changed.」

「Your voice changed?」

When I explained that it was because of my voice, Ojou’s eyes widened as if she didn’t know.

「I’m still growing up. Don’t worry if I end up sounding like this a few times for a while.」

As long as I’m not sick, Ojou says as she tilts her head, but then nods at the fact that it’s hard for me to make a sound.

「Will your voice change more?」

Maybe she can’t imagine it because it’s a change that girls don’t have and she stares at my throat with curiosity. There is an Adam’s apple that has begun to emerge.

「Yeah. It’s going to be low.」

「Low…」

Ojou’s eyebrows furrowed, and I wondered what she was imagining. My voice will go down gradually in stages, so it won’t go down all of a sudden. I was a little curious as to how deep she thought my voice would be.

「Even if you’re not sick, your throat must be painful. Would you like some honey?」

Katherine-san, showing concern, held up a ceramic container containing honey. Since it’s okay, I say thank you and decline. For a moment, honey is slowly put on top of the lemon jam. It took me a while to decline.
Ojou didn’t miss it.

「Zack, are you not feeling well? Sometimes you seem dazed.」

Ojou angrily asked if I had a fever. If I had hidden the fact that I wasn’t feeling well, I’m sure I would have been scolded like this. However, as a perfectly healthy person, I shake my head.

「I was just thinking about something I’m not used to.」

「Are you worried about something?」

When I laughed softly, Ojou gave me a concerned look. No matter what is wrong with your body or mind, an Ojou who worries about me is kind.

「I’m not worried, so it’s okay. Besides, this is something I have to think about.」

That’s the answer. The question is how to convey that properly. She was also determined.
You can’t make decisions based on someone else’s opinion, so don’t rely on anyone. That’s why it’s better not to consult Ojou or Nico. I met Nico the other day, and Nico may have noticed, but he didn’t ask. I think I’m grateful for the presence of Nico and Ojou who care about something like this.

「Thank you for your concern.」

「Wha… I-it’s not like I was particularly worried about anything…!」

When I laugh and give my thanks, Ojou was surprised by something, and in her dismay she looked for an excuse, claiming that it was because she didn’t want to end up giving the cold to Katherine-san. It’s unreasonable to worry about whether she’s worried or not, but Ojou insists so hard that I nod.
I changed my mind and thought that if I was going to make her worry like this, I should be a little more proactive. I thought it would be okay to tell her when we met, but I’ll go and meet her myself.
After I made that decision, on my next day off, I had no plans so I was getting ready to go out to Maria’s bakery. Just as I was putting on my winter jacket, there was a knock on the front door.

「Zack, are you there?」

「Johann?」

Immediately after knocking, a voice came through the door and the visitor was identified. Wondering what it was for, I headed to the front door, and when I opened it, my eyes widened at the unexpected sight.
For some reason, Johan, who had a sour expression with many fresh wounds, and Maria, who seemed to have been grabbed at the wrist by Johann and taken away, were standing together, awkwardly averting her gaze from me.

「Did you two have a fight or something like that…?」

The two often fight, but even then, it’s only a verbal fight, and it’s rare for them to get physically involved. The only time we ever got into a fight was when we were little kids a few years ago. Moreover, no matter how you look at it, this time, Johann is the only one injured. Just what happened?

「My injury is nothing. Hmm.」

Without answering my question, Johan pushed Maria in front of me.

「Wait…!?」

「What’s up with all the energy you had earlier?」

「Even if you say that, there’s the problem if I’m mentally prepared!」

「You’re really troublesome.」

「What?!」

Unable to accept the situation, the two of them end up arguing in front of me. What should I do? I can’t mediate because I don’t know the circumstances.

「Zack, this girl is annoying, so take her with you. I’m going to drink Auntie Rie’s tea.」

「Eh?」

「Oh, but we have to treat your injuries first.」

Johann slowly walked past me and into the house. When my mother suggested treating his injury, he insisted that it would heal if he left it alone, but my mother warned him against it.
After following Johann with my eyes as he entered, I returned my gaze to the front door and found Maria looking down, motionless. Johann told me to take her, but where on earth should I take her?
In any case, the person I was planning to meet is now right in front of me.

「Maria, I’d like to talk to you. Is that okay?」

When I asked, Mariya jumped up in shock. After thinking about it for a few seconds, she nodded her head slightly.
I thought about going outside, but we didn’t have anyone to go to, so I decided to grab two cups of tea that my mother had made and talk in the courtyard of the house. I turned over the wooden box I used to transport the seedlings, spread a thick cloth over it, and used it as a chair for the both of us to sit down on. Johann and my mother are also having tea at the dining table, but even though they’re on the same first floor, they’re far enough away that their voices can’t be heard.
Maria uses the throw blanket that my mother gave her, and she places a mug on it and wraps it in her hands. By doing so, the heat of the hot tea would be transferred to her hand through the mug.
I took a sip, then two sips of the tea, and after feeling the heat warming my body, I started talking.

「I thought about it properly.」

Mary remained silent. However, my fingers tightened around her mug, so I decided that she was listening, so I continued.

「…I can’t make Maria my wife.」

I almost blurt out, “I’m sorry,” but I hold back. I felt that neither sorry nor thank you were appropriate to convey the answer.
After hearing my answer, Maria finally opened her mouth.

「Do you like someone else…?」

「No.」

「If that’s the case…! Isn’t it okay if you consider me as a candidate for your wife?」

「Maria.」

I stop Maria from making a desperate remark by calling her name. Having reservations like that would be rude to Maria, who was seriously thinking about me. I want her to take better care of herself.

「I was only thinking about Maria.」

Although she is three years younger than me, she is an amazing girl who is determined to choose her future.
She is a hard worker and steady. I don’t know when she started thinking about me, but maybe she’s precocious and maybe she was forcing herself to stand on her tiptoes to seem taller. The reason for her growing taller is probably the age difference between us. I’m not an adult, but I was born before Maria.
Mary was already a girl. When she confessed, I was made aware of it and it surprised me.
That’s why, I think.

「I want Maria to be happy.」

I wasn’t sure if she was able to put her reply into words properly, so she strained her hand to hold the mug in agony.

「But it’s with someone else. I think it’s with someone other than me.」

It’s a memory from my previous life, but I can kind of understand the difference between this and romantic feelings. The question is, can you imagine the future after your feelings are understood? Even if Maria can imagine a future with me, I can’t imagine my own future next to Maria.
If I had to say whether I liked her or not, I like Maria, but it’s definitely not a romantic feeling. Therefore, for Maria, it is the same as not liking it.
I don’t know how Maria will receive the answer I came up with from my perspective of looking at Mariya as a girl. She was sure that no matter what I said, it would hurt her, so she was prepared for it.
She listened to my answer. Mariya took a sip of the tea from her mug, and with a trembling voice she replied.

「…Zack, that’s cruel.」

「Yeah.」

「It’s unfair.」

「Yeah.」

Her frustrated expression was trying to hold back the tears, but she couldn’t hold back anymore, and Maria let the tears fall. I nod and accept the criticism that falls with those tears. Every time Maria spilled forward with accusations, she drank tea. It was like she was replenishing the moisture from her tears.
Up until now, I would have stroked her head and lent her my chest as much as she wanted until she stopped crying. But I can’t do that from now on.
Maria finishes her mug of tea, asks for another, wipes her tears with her sleeve, and stands up.

「Even if I become a good wife and you regret it later, I won’t care.」

Opening the door leading to the dining room, Maria walked inside without saying that.

「That’s right.」

I laugh in affirmation. A girl who can stand up for herself is definitely a good woman.
This year, it didn’t snow until February. Although it can’t be helped because it’s an area with low snowfall rates, it’s a bit disappointing.
The winter rain makes you feel cold to the core of your body. That’s why it felt colder this year than last year. It snows because the temperature drops, but why does it feel less cold when it snows? Is it because it’s more exciting?
I thought about this while cleaning the stone pavement at the front entrance. After it rains, it can be dangerous if it freezes, so I lay down dried straw to absorb the water, then sweep it with the broom. Spreading gravel will prevent slipping, but doing so will make the landscape look worse. Therefore, it is better to use dry straw.
I took turns with Yan to transport the swept straw on a trolley, and by the time we finished cleaning the cobblestone, it was already mid-afternoon. Yan will clean up the last of the straw that was loaded onto the trolley, so I head to work on the greenhouse.
From then on, whenever I met Maria, our interactions were awkward. Compared to the beginning, as whenever I could, I’d turn around and run away when my eyes met, things have probably gotten better recently, as I’ve become able to have a conversation with her. I won’t be able to do it the same way as before, but I’d be happy if someday we can get used to the new sense of distance and talk normally.
I guess I’m a terrible person, just like Maria said, leaving her rejected and feeling lonely if she hates me.
As I continued walking, watching my exhaled breath turn white and melt into the sky, I arrived in front of the greenhouse. I won’t be able to see it once I enter the greenhouse, so take a deep breath and exhale deeply.
The crisp air I breathe in is exhaled, carrying the heat from my lungs. As I watched the white disappear, I felt a sense of relief.

「Ah, I’m tired.」

I stretch my arms out and exhale. When I said it out loud, I realized that I was tired.
It wasn’t that Maria’s feelings were a burden. I was simply tired of the emergency situation of being confessed to. I thought about a lot of things I don’t usually think about.
The hardest part was removing all the excuses that people were trying to make, like saying she was like my younger sister, or that she was still a child, or about Johann. The answer is simple, but why is it so difficult to convey? After all, love is difficult for me.

「Thank you for your hard work.」

Words of gratitude came back to me as I spoke to myself.
When I turned around, my eyes met with pale blue eyes. Her pale, soft blonde hair swayed gently. Her hair was transparent in the light, and for a moment I thought it would just melt into the air like snow.
Ojou is smiling, expressing her emotions exactly as she said them. Ojou must have just said that because I was tired from working in the garden. However, since I hadn’t consulted anyone about this matter, those words resonated with me.
My expression naturally relaxes.

「Ojou.」

「Zack, your throat has healed.」

After she said that, I noticed that my voice was coming out smoothly. I’m not much of a talker, but it’s still nice to be able to speak without feeling like something is caught in my throat.

「I told you I wasn’t sick.」

I laugh at the sound of relief in her Ojour’s voice. It seemed like she was worried about how difficult it was for me to talk.

「Your voice is getting a little low…」

「Really?」

I don’t feel like I’ve changed from before. Ojou understands well. Maybe it’s because she has good ears?
Ojou seemed thoughtful as she placed her bent index finger on her chin. I wonder if she feels uncomfortable with my seemingly unusual voice.

「Is it weird?」

「It’s not weird… it’s rather…」

「Rather?」

When I asked her what Ojou had said, Ojou seemed to have come to her senses and her cheeks flushed red.

「N-nothing! Quickly enter now, the tea Katherine prepared will get cold.」

「Ah, what kind of sweets are you having today?」

I was more interested in the sweets that were served with tea because the topic had been cut off, so I continued while asking Ojou who entered the greenhouse first. Therefore, I immediately forget what Ojou had said.
Today’s tea offering was a baked confectionery called snowballs, to make up for the snow that didn’t fall. When I said that the snowball-shaped baked goods were just round cookies, I was scolded and Ojou lectured me about the different types of baked goods.
Since I can’t even tell the difference between different types of baked goods, the day when I can fall in love may never come.

---

Damn, that chapter swerved hard after the talk with Elena. Honestly when translating it, I thought it was going to go in an entirely different direction.

Poor Maria, though. Held a torch for Zack since she was first mentioned. And Zack tempting fate with that last sentence lol. Honestly I kind of like how Zack didn’t mention it to Ojou, which lines up pretty well with Ojou’s complaints about Zack from previous chapters haha.

Other than that, not a whole lot else to say. See you all next time!

---

Sorry for being a day late, guys. Work was a slaughter this week.

---

TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty

---

「I’m relying on you!」

Just as the sun was beginning to set, a powerful voice echoed through the front door of Ernst’s mansion.
Lydia, who greeted the owner of the voice, twitched slightly but smiled with her back to the front door.

「…Jeremias-sama, even if you don’t raise your voice like that, it will reach me as I’m right in front of you.」

「I see. I’ve come to deliver a gift from His Highness!」

She thought she had warned him about his loud voice, but she didn’t seem to understand him and just nodded, tilting his head to the side. She had heard from her fiancé, Roy, the country’s first prince, that he was an honest man, but she wondered if he’s too unskilled at finding out the true intentions of nobles. He doesn’t even understand sarcasm.
True to his word, he held out the single autumn rose from Roy that he had entrusted to him to give to her. Autumn roses with a calm color similar to the setting sun are a variety that can only be found in the castle rose gardens in the royal capital. Even though it’s just a single rose, being gifted with such a precious rose allows her to maintain the appearance of being cherished as a fiancée.

「You haven’t scattered the petals today, have you?」

「Ahhh, I was careful not to shake it!」

With half-closed eyes, Lydia stared at the autumn rose held in Jeremias’ hand. Last time, by the time he got off the carriage and arrived at the front door, he had shaken the flower so vigorously that all the petals had fallen off. This time, there were no signs that the petals had fallen, and at first glance it seemed to be safe.
After receiving the autumn rose from Jeremias, Lydia gives a formal response.

「Since you took the trouble to come, please come and have some tea…」

「No, I can’t enter His Highness’ fiancée’s residence when I’m not following him. It’s enough if you show me a little bit of the garden.」

「Then, I’ll show you there.」

「I appreciate it!」

This is the standard question and answer. She knows that he will refuse, so she makes the proposal but is not prepared to actually treat him to tea.
Her fiancé Roy’s visits have dropped from once every two weeks to once a month. In return, Roy started sending flowers from the castle’s flower garden once a week, asking a reliable candidate as a direct vassal.
The two people Roy chooses as his direct vassal candidates and have close friendships with are Jeremias von Staden, the son of a knight commander, and Bernhard von Reckebusch, the son of a minister. The two of them purposely come to visit her in the evening on errands so that they don’t stay too long.
That is the official pretense and nothing more. Because of her high-ranking aristocratic status, Lydia is also beginning to acquire the ability to consider the opinions of those around her, but unlike Roy, she is not as concerned about using people to manipulate impressions. What Lydia is aware of is how her own behavior affects those around her.
Lydia, who knows their true purpose, is visited alternately by two of her candidates to become her direct vassal, and is impressed by Roy’s ability to think so quickly.
Lydia glances at Jeremias, who sometimes seems to be overtaking her as she guides him, forgetting the difference in her stride.
Jeremias’ straight, dark blue hair sways smoothly every time he walks, and his sky-blue eyes would normally look cool, but now a glimmer of desire is flickering deep within his appearance. It negates the impression. He is a boy with an appearance that comes across as intelligent when he is quiet. Then he realizes that when he opens his mouth, he is the exact opposite.
The arbor in the middle of the west corridor is normally a place where no one would pass, as there are no flowers to see at this time of year. That’s why it was the perfect place to fulfill their true purpose.
There was a customer in the pavilion, sitting on a bench inside and waiting for Lydia and the others.

「Zack, I’m sorry, you must be tired.」

「No, I’m just going home. Besides, it’s not something Ojou should apologize for.」

The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, laughed and made Lydia withdraw her apology. Lydia felt the muscles in her cheeks relax as she smiled. Apparently she was using her expressions to respond to Jeremias.

「What do you think? The pedals are not scattered today!」

「It’s a failure.」

Last time, Jeremias delivered the flower with the pedals completely scattered, so the boy who was an apprentice gardener didn’t talk to him about it. When Jeremias confirmed that it would be okay since he had maintained the flower’s condition this time, the boy, with his eyes half-closed, gave him an immediate, nonsensical answer.

「Why!?」

Jeremias, who had just thought that today he gained the notice of Isaac, was shocked.
Then, the boy who was an apprentice gardener took the autumn rose from Lydia and tore off the wrapping paper. The stem of the rose, which had exposed dew, had a darker color in the middle, making it easier to bend at that point.

「It was long enough to grow easily, but you gripped it too tightly and you had to cut it short. If you hadn’t removed the splinter, your hand would have been injured.」

As he explained, the apprentice gardener took a pair of scissors from a pouch on his waist and cut the stem diagonally above the point where Jeremias had gripped it. Then, he rewrapped it in wrapping paper and returned it to Lydia. He told him that the idea is to cut back the stem little by little while it’s still alive to make it last longer.
Jeremias arched his mouth and visibly pouted. Although he has a face that doesn’t seem to make many expressions, he is very expressive and expresses his thoughts easily.

「Jeremias, it’s not enough to go full power.」

「What’s wrong with trying to do everything with all my might?」

「Two of the flowers are now damaged.」

Jeremias tries to make a case, but a boy who is a gardener’s apprentice gives him an example of failure, and Jeremias is at a loss for words.

「The flowers were so fragile!」

「So, can you say that about women, children, and the elderly? I’m sure you’re aiming to be a knight. Just because the person you’re protecting is fragile, is it okay to use the wrong amount of force and injure them?」

Helping the weak and standing up to the strong is the chivalry that Jeremias aims for. The boy who was an apprentice gardener was simply speaking out of the impression that he was a security guard, but he got to the heart of Jeremias. Jeremias didn’t reply, his mouth closed in a straight line.

「But, unlike before, you protected the flower part, so it grew.」

Jeremias, who was filled with dissatisfied feelings as his efforts were justly rejected, was patted on the head. Recognizing his progress, Jeremias rekindled the fire of motivation in his sky-blue eyes.

「I’ll win next time!」

With that declaration, Jeremias turned on his heel and departed, saying farewell. Lydia and the boy, who is an apprentice gardener, are taken aback by his closeness and see him off.

「What in the world is this contest??」

「Hmm?」

The boy who was a gardener’s apprentice had no intention of competing, and Lydia found Jeremias’ feelings, which were typical of boys, incomprehensible. They both tilt their heads.
The two people left behind in the gazebo look at each other. Lydia asks what was on her mind.

「Isn’t it a nuisance for Zack?」

Dealing with their weekly visits is outside of his job duties. If he seemed troubled, Lydia was thinking of objecting, even if it was a request from Roy.

「No, it’s like paying attention to the kids, which makes me feel a little nostalgic.」

「Nostalgic?」

She has heard that on his days off, he often takes care of younger children in the downtown area where he lives. However, Lydia wondered what it meant for him to feel nostalgic about it.

「Since the little ones have started helping each other with chores around the house, we don’t play together as much, although we see each other.」

It would be a shame to call them little kids now, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice said with a laugh.
Even though they are younger children, the eldest is 9 years old and the younger ones seem to be 7 years old as well. The younger children were said to be primarily taken care of by the children he himself took care of. It’s true that everyone is shorter than him, but it might be rude to treat someone who has just started working as an apprentice like a child.

「Also.」

As Lydia, who was not working, was wondering what the right thing to say in response was, there were more words to be said. Wondering, Lydia tilted her head, and for some reason, a happy smile turned toward her.

「I’m happy to see Ojou’s face after work.」

「What!?」

Lydia felt her cheeks heat up as she saw the most relaxed expression she had seen from him today. She had been feeling a little worried about the way he was responding to someone he didn’t get along with, but his opinion and smile made her change her mind and think that maybe the current situation wasn’t so bad.
It seems cowardly to her that he changes things so easily, and a feeling similar to anger rises to a boiling point.

「It’s always this about Zack…!」[T/N: This one is a little awkward to translate.]

The words of reprimand don’t last.
Lydia thinks that his attitude of not being pessimistic about the situation he was put in and finding positive points is a virtue. It’s just that she doesn’t like it when the positive side of things is easily directed at her. She becomes unable to agree.
Lydia’s desire to say something and her frustration at his own fault for not being able to agree with him were in conflict, and all she could do was make her lips and fists tremble. The eyebrows of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice lowered as if he felt that he would be scolded for looking at her. Lydia felt that even the look in her eyes as she waited for her reaction was unfair.
In the end, Lydia had no choice but to end the conversation and say that it was enough. The boy who is an apprentice gardener tells her that he’ll see her again and sets out on his way home. Lydia, who was secretly regretting that she had acted in such an uncharmful manner, quietly let out a sigh of relief when he heard him say, “See you again.” [T/N: I left these without 「」 since it’s an indirect quote.]

---

A week later, it was Bernhard’s turn, so she was able to guide him to the west pavilion without any problems.
He has unruly long crimson hair reminiscent of a lion and sharp evergreen and amber eyes reminiscent of a wild beast, giving him a rough impression, but in reality, he is a calm and polite boy.
He obediently followed Lydia’s guidance, and after they arrived at the gazebo where the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice was waiting, they exchanged a simple greeting, and even had time to sit on the bench inside the gazebo. It’s a big difference from Jeremias’s time, which ended with a standing conversation.

「So, what’s your question today?」

A boy who is a gardener’s apprentice asks Bernhardt. He learned from their first meeting that Bernhard’s intellectual curiosity knew no bounds, so he limited himself to answering only one question at a time. He was using the little time he had between working and going home to meet Bernhard, so that was actually just about right. If he hadn’t suggested it, Lydia would have suggested a time limit.
Bernhard’s eyes sparkled with interest, so he must have thought about it beforehand as he asked the question without hesitation.

「Why did you decide to use magic without chanting?」

Lydia was also curious about Bernhard’s question, so she also waited for the answer. He takes it for granted to cast magic without chanting, but it is common for commoners with a small amount of magic to cast spells by chanting them. Why on earth did he insist on chantless activation even after discovering the technique of spirit assistance?

「I’m embarrassed to cast spells.」

It was an immediate answer. Both Bernhard and Lydia’s eyes widened at the answer.

「Embarrassed…?」

Bernhard, who doesn’t seem to understand, repeats it to confirm. Spell chanting is the most effective way to reduce the cost of activating magic power, and it is a very common method used even by nobles when using magic that requires high magic power consumption. Neither Bernhard nor Lydia could understand that one could feel shame for a mere means.
Perhaps sensing that he wasn’t conveying his feelings to them, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice didn’t blush even though he said he was embarrassed, and muttered with a slightly displeased expression on his face.

「There are a lot of words you don’t normally use when it comes to spells. It’s embarrassing to say something like that, whether you can say it or not.」

As he says, there are many classical and poetic expressions in spell chanting. Classical literature and poetry are part of the culture, so aristocrats have a strong affinity for them, but commoners certainly have the impression that words are only used when using magic.
Bernhard felt as though he understood the idea that it was embarrassing to say unfamiliar expressions. Bernhard found a sense of familiarity, wondering if it was like trying to sound as ferocious as Jeremias. He doesn’t want to imitate Jeremias’s way of speaking, so even if others around him imitate him, he would never do it himself. After thinking about it, Bernhard was generally satisfied.
Lydia was a little surprised by the unusual reaction of the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice. He doesn’t react in a way that she’s familiar with, but rather he definitely feels embarrassed and shy. Lydia couldn’t imagine him being shy, but she wondered if he could be this shy. Lydia had discovered something new about him.

「Fufu, so you’re worried about that.」

It was kind of funny to think that it was such a trivial thing that he felt ashamed of. Lydia couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

「There’s nothing particularly bad about it.」

「I’m not saying it’s bad.」

The boy who was a gardener’s apprentice frowns even more after being laughed at. Lydia knew that his reaction was embarrassment, and she couldn’t help the smile on her face. It was just a surprise to her and she didn’t mean it maliciously.
Lydia is secretly grateful for Bernhard’s visit, as he asks questions that she would not be able to ask now, even though she has been with him for a long time. Thanks to her, she got to know a surprising side of him today.
While Lydia and the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice were talking, Bernhardt seemed to be deep in thought as if he were reflecting on the answer, but he nodded in agreement.

「Hmm, that was helpful. Thank you. Oh, that’s right, I heard about making an offering the other day and when I did it, the burden of activating magic power was reduced a little! If I continue, I’lll be able to activate it without consuming magic power like Isaac. I’m looking forward to observing the progress! That way, I can try magic that I haven’t been able to try before…」

「Calm down.」

The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice placed his hand on Bernhard’s head as he began to speak without pausing. It was like flipping a switch. Bernhard is not a machine, but perhaps due to the physical impact, Bernhard quickly comes to his senses.
Bernhard, regaining his senses, apologized in a dejected voice.

「I-I’m sorry…」

「No, that’s fine Bell gets very passionate when it comes to magic.」

At the impressions of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, Bernhard looked down with an obviously upset expression and let out a self-deprecating sigh.

「It doesn’t suit me, does it?」

Bernhard himself was also aware of this. The impression his appearance gives to those around him doesn’t match his inner self. Because of his wild, animal-like appearance, on days when he was sleep deprived, he was often involved with other people who were belligerent, even though they only made eye contact. Although he seems calm and easy to talk to, he is misunderstood as the type of person he doesn’t like and ends up being kept away from people similar to him.

「Even though I’m a water attribute, I don’t have any elements that make blue suitable for me. It’s not that I hate my mother, but this look I inherited is just inconvenient.」

Marquis Reckebusch’s family, where water attributes tend to be born, has many people with blue or black hair, perhaps influenced by their magical power, and Bernhard is the only one with red hair. The color of the magic stones is blue for the water attribute and red for the fire attribute, so Bernhardt is a unique being, as despite his large amount of magical power, his physical characteristics do not show any colors of his attribute.

「It doesn’t have to be blue.」

The boy who was an apprentice gardener muttered.

「Blue symbolizes the water attribute.」

Even though Bernhard knew that the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice didn’t know that, he couldn’t help but frown at him.
Bernhard boasts the greatest amount of magical power in Marquis Reckebusch’s family. In other words, he is one of the best water attribute magic wielders among the nobles. The fact that he did not have the appropriate color for his magical power made Bernhard feel a strong sense of inferiority.

「Well, I have an image of the color from hydrangeas. Right now, there’s no blue anywhere here.」

Prompted by his words, Bernhard looked around. Surrounding the pond is greenery that borders it, except for the sky spreading above. It is a space filled with water both above and below. However, it is evening now, and the world is bathed in sunset light.

「They’re all the same color as Bell.」

Bernhard was astonished by the words of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice.
Water is colorless and transparent. The color changes depending on the reflection of the light it receives. Why did he overlook the knowledge that he should have known? Humans cannot be as transparent as water, so it doesn’t matter what color they are.

「…I… I see? That’s right, isn’t it?」

That’s right, Bernhard said as he laughed out loud. He now thought it was foolish of him to even be concerned about it.

「Besides, they say a man will be happy if he looks like his mother, so Bell is lucky.」

「Is that the case?」

It’s probably just a commoner’s superstition, and there’s no basis for it, but it’s the first time Bernhard has been affirmed by saying that he looks like his mother. Even he thought of it negatively. Bernhard nodded, thinking of thanking his mother when he returned.

「When I first saw Bell and the others, I thought they had swapped insides, but I think it’s interesting that you look like a poinsettia.」 [T/N: You have no idea how annoying it is to hunt down plant names when it’s Japanese kanji for a flower name, as I only had “猩々木” and ended up stumbling on a Japanese flower forum that linked to poinsettias.]

「Is that a red flower?」

Bernhard tilts his head, comparing it to the large red flowers that bloom at this time of year as winter approaches.

「Those red portions are not petals, but leaves called bracts.The flowers are small and yellow in the center.」 [T/N: This is what let me confirm he is in fact talking about poinsettias.]

「Is that so?」

Bernhard is a little surprised by this unexpected fact. Lydia didn’t seem to know either, and she was whispering that she should take a closer look next time.

「Most people don’t notice the cute flowers because the leaves are so showy. However, those who know them look in to see the flowers. People who are misunderstood by their appearance only approach people who want to understand them, so for Bell there are only good guys around you, right?」

After having it pointed out, Bernhard confirms his own situation. It is true that his parents love him without worrying about his appearance. Jeremias, who became his childhood friend, is also likely not thinking about it now, but he gets himself involved in every situation to the point of being annoying.
He finally realized that he was the only one who cared about what others thought about his appearance, and that those closest to him were not concerned about his appearance.
It was a day that Bernhardt often realized things too late, which made him laugh.

「That’s right. This appearance might be just right for someone like me who doesn’t have much social skills.」

I thought it was okay to have a small amount of friendships. His appearance, which only made him feel inferior, is highly useful to that policy. Even if he doesn’t pay attention, the other person will automatically sift through the sieves.

「Today was really helpful. Thank you.」

Bernhard smiled with satisfaction as he gained a new perspective. Then, saying “See you soon”, he left, his expression bright.

「The opinions of commoners aren’t that helpful.」

In the arbor where Bernhard had left, the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice murmured mysteriously. From his point of view, he thought that Bernhard’s interest in him would soon fade away. He thought he would soon realize that he wasn’t worth coming over and over again.
Lydia’s eyes widen as she sees the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice.

「…Zack, haven’t you noticed?」

「What?」

「Bernhard-sama seemed happy.」

「Ah. He really likes magic, doesn’t he?」

「You don’t understand…」

Even though Lydia had mentioned the change in Bernhard’s behavior, the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice seemed to have misunderstood the reason why Bernhard had returned home with a beaming expression on his face.
Is this the second time she’s seen him influence someone other than himself? Previously with Nicholas, it had been intended to defuse the situation, but this time, just like with him, he was simply expressing his thoughts.
He just says what he feels is right. That’s all, but it’s rare for someone else to affirm something that you’ve denied yourself, other than to offer comfort. Therefore, it is a big shock.
He doesn’t seem to understand that.
That’s why Lydia, who knew firsthand how his words could reach her, couldn’t help but sigh, thinking about how that nature of his was really unpleasant.

---

A week later, Roy visited again, for the first time in a month.
Lydia invites him to a room with a view of the garden and welcomes him with hot tea. From the moment she met Roy, he was smiling happily.

「It’s been a while, Miss Lydia.」

「Yes, I couldn’t wait to meet Roy-sama. They’re both so lively that I can’t calm down.」

She said this in a sarcastic way, but she really meant it. Having a peaceful cup of tea with Roy in this way puts her mind at ease. The reason she was being sarcastic was probably because she could tell from Roy’s smile that he was making fun of the situation.
Hearing Lydia’s words, Roy cleared his throat and apologized.

「I’m sorry about that. I’ll do whatever I can.」

「Just receiving a precious rose is enough for me. Also, even though we are friends, this is something a man cannot heal.」

Normally, until you become a debutante, you don’t have many opportunities to come into contact with aristocratic men of the same generation. Lydia had no idea that dealing with noblemen close to her age could be so exhausting. There are too many unknowns.
Lydia realized once again that her fiancé was quite calm considering his age.

「I see.Then, I would like you to heal with the daughter of Marquis Augusto and the others.」

「That’s what I intend to do.」

She’s not going to complain to them. However, as long as they can talk about trivial things and laugh together, that’s fine. She has already made plans to have a tea party with Tordelise and the others, and Lydia is looking forward to it.

「It’s great that Miss Lydia is close friends with another girl.」

「What are you saying all of a sudden…!?」

Roy smiles at her, filled with her relief and happiness, and Lydia can’t bear to stay like that. It seems like she can’t even see what she’s looking forward to, which makes her feel embarrassed.

「It’s not all of a sudden. I just hear that jealousy in women is scary.」

With Roy’s words, Lydia understood his concerns.
Lydia, the fiancée of Roy, the country’s first prince, is the object of envy and jealousy among women of her generation. Although she is the first in line to inherit the throne, Roy himself attracts the favor of women with his angelic appearance, with his golden hair and honey-colored eyes. There are many young ladies who are in love with Roy.
It’s almost a miracle that his fiancée, Lydia, has a friend with whom she has a comfortable relationship with. Due to Roy’s popularity and her position, she was surrounded by jealousy from those outside of the ones who flattered her in order to receive her favor, and there was a possibility that she would become a lonely existence.
For example, what would have happened if she had continued to admire Roy? Even when she was in the midst of jealousy, she did not complain to anyone, and as a duke’s daughter, she may have continued to put up a front, trying to be noble.
When she thought about it, Lydia felt that she was very lucky to be able to seek comfort from her friend. She felt grateful to them, and her desire to meet them increased.

「Don’t worry.」

When Lydia smiled fearlessly, Roy softened his honey-colored eyes.

「I see. I hear that the daughter of Count Witting and the daughter of Baron Fite have a higher level of education than their family rank. Miss Lydia is truly cherished.」

「Oh, that’s the result of Fanny-sama’s efforts! I didn’t do anything.」

「I guess it’s because they want to be on par with you. You’re loved, after all.”

Lydia insists that her increased education as a young lady is the result of Stephanie and the others, but Roy’s smile makes Lydia lose any further objections. Stephanie is trying to repay the favor of the count who accepted her as his adopted daughter, and Zaskia is trying to match her fiancé, the son of a marquis. However, she has been told that she is the goal that the two of them are aiming for, and so Roy’s opinion is not entirely wrong.
She felt that she would be a little happy if Roy was right, so Lydia had no choice but to keep silent.
A few days after Roy’s visit, the tea party she had been looking forward to with Tordelise and the others was held at the Ernst house. Lydia invited Zaskia and the others to Lydia’s room and while they were chatting with her, the autumn roses arranged in a vase caught Zaskia’s eye.

「Wow, each flower is so big and beautiful. The colors are so elegant, too. Are they blooming in Diar-sama’s garden?」

「Ah…this was a gift from Roy-sama.」

When Zaskia heard that this rare variety of rose only blooms in the royal gardens in the Kingdom of Abendrot, her eyes lit up even more at its preciousness. When Lydia explained that the gift was given to her by a senior vassal candidate in exchange for a reduction in the frequency of her visits, Tordelise tilted her head in confusion.

「Jeremias-sama delivered the flowers well and safely?」

At Tordelise’s accurate impressions as if she knew his behavior, when Lydia was asked, she wryly smiled.

「Torde-sama, do you know Jeremias-sama?」

「Yes. Sometimes he comes to challenge my father, but he always is completely beaten」

Stephanie and Zaskia’s eyes widen at the outrageous story. Lydia gently averted her gaze, thinking that she seemed possible.
According to her, when Jeremias thinks he has become stronger, he will come to challenge Twinbark, Tordelise’s father, who is the vice-commander of the knights. And each time, he is said to have vowed revenge. Since he was about five years old, he had challenged Tordelise about once every six months, so it seemed like Tordelise was familiar with him.

「Maybe it’s because we’re the same age, but before I knew it he was my brother’s friend.」

Shrugging her shoulders reluctantly, Tordelise took a bite of the cake that was served with the tea. She had previously complained that Marquis Augustus’ family was famous for their military exploits, and that the male family members were all rugged people who lacked sensitivity. Judging from the fact that he and Jeremias hit it off, her brother is probably of the same type.

「Um, the Knight Commander is an old man with red hair, right? So, is the red-haired boy who often is with His Highness the prince is Jeremias-sama?」

Stephanie says while tracing her memory. Her words were unstable because she was thinking, but Lydia and the others didn’t point it out. She is very careful in public, and she knows that when she relaxes her speech, it’s because all of them have let their guard down.
It has been several years since Stephanie became the daughter of an earl, and the only time Stephanie has seen Roy and the others is at her royal birthday party, which she only sees from a distance. She probably remembers it well.

「It’s the other way around. The one with blue hair is Jeremias-sama.」

Zaskia corrected Stephanie’s understanding.

「Eh, but…」

「The daughters of the martial House Staden and wise House Reckebusch married into the other house in order to deepen their friendship by order of the king. Therefore, Jeremias-sama’s mother is a member of the Reckebusch family, and Bernhard-sama’s mother is from the Staden family.」

「Even though each of them had their family’s aptitude attributes, it was even rumored as a joke that they were swapped children because they both looked like their mother.」

「Swapped child??」

Stephanie tilts her head at the unfamiliar word. When asked, Tordelise added to her explanation.

「It’s a fairy tale often told to the children of aristocratic families. When a girl becomes a debutante, it’s discovered that the princess of a certain country was actually replaced by a poor commoner’s child by a spirit when she was born. It is said that the princess will be reduced to poverty…」

「Hey, that seems like a prank by a spirit.」

Stephanie’s eyes lit up with interest as she recalled a similar story. This time, Lydia tilts her head at the unfamiliar word.

「What kind of prank is that spirit playing?」

「It’s a story that commoners often tell in bedtime stories. On her 15th birthday, a girl from a poor family discovers that she was actually a princess who was replaced by a prank by a spirit, and lives happily ever after in a castle. It’s a story that every girl dreams of.」

「Well, it’s a story that is used as a lesson for us not to be proud of our status, but the commoners have a very different opinion.」

Although they are probably based on the same story since the facts are the same, the stories told to the aristocrats are frightening while to the commoners it’s an impossible dream. How can the atmosphere change so much just by having a different main character?

「I used to long for it a long time ago, but now I don’t want to be a princess.」

「Why?」

Lydia wonders as Stefanie lets out a wry smile. Lydia understands her admiration for the story of her transformation into a princess. A few years ago, she admired the story of falling in love with a prince and becoming a princess in a picture book. The admiration that Lydia had at that time and the admiration that Stefanie had for her were probably similar.

「Because it’s difficult for me to even become the daughter of an earl now, so if you suddenly asked me to become a princess when I turned fifteen, it would be impossible…」

Stefanie came to the world of aristocrats, and she seemed to have become much more realistic. No, maybe it’s just that her thinking has matured faster. She shouldn’t live forever clinging to a vague dream-like story.

「I’m sure it must be tough to adjust to the culture.」

Having considered her reality, Lydia agrees with her opinion. There is a huge difference between becoming a princess when she originally has the minimum level of education as a noble, and becoming a princess without any knowledge. It is realistic for an aristocratic girl to aspire to be a princess, but it is unrealistic for a commoner girl to aspire to be a princess. The size of the gap to be closed is different.

「I used to think it was nice to be able to eat delicious food and wear beautiful clothes, but managing a territory seems like a lot of work.」

「Doesn’t it mean that a young lady doesn’t have to manage the territory…?」

「Dia-sama said that she was learning about territory management through correspondence with her grandfather. He told her about the territory, saying that if she studied too, she might be able to help a little.」

「Well, it’s not such a big deal…」

Lydia can’t bear to look at Stefanie’s motivated gaze.

It’s not something that inspires her. She visited her territory during the off-season, and she just wanted to know more about her other homeland. When she was asking about the kind of people living there and what their specialties were, her grandfather, Oswin, thought she had become interested in territory management, and he even began to teach her about the business of a feudal lord.

「…I think I’ll learn from Lord Cesar as well.」

「Are you talking about Marquis Gellerman?」

Zaskia, who was listening to the exchange between Lydia and Stefanie, suddenly muttered. When Tordelise confirmed that she was referring to her fiancée’s territory, Zaskia blushed and covered the red spots on her face with her hands. Not only Tordelise, but also Lydia and the others, felt a smile on their faces.
Zaskia was too embarrassed to mention it any further, and Stefanie returned to the original topic.

「Thanks to everyone, I found out that the blue haired one is Jeremias-sama, and the red haired one is Bernhard-sama. Thank you.」

Stefanie said it seriously, so that this way she wouldn’t have to make mistakes when greeting each other, and Lydia and the others laughed and said they were glad to be of help.
While exchanging smiles with her friends, Lydia remembered the story of the poinsettia. Lydia felt proud that her friends were probably the ones who looked into the flowers and noticed them.

---

「I’m relying on you!」

And then, many days later, a challenging voice rang out again at the entrance of Ernst’s mansion.
Lydia received the autumn rose, exchanged greetings as usual, and guided him to the gazebo. The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice, who was sitting on a bench in the arbor, stood up after seeing Lydia and the others.

「How about this time!?」

Jeremias, who was nervous until he arrived at the gazebo, asked before he could say a greeting.
The gaze of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice shifts to the autumn rose that Lydia is holding. It wasn’t withered, the petals had a muted color and there were no scratches, and the stems didn’t seem to be broken either. He smiles softly at how carefully it was treated.

「Yep, you passed.」

Jeremias’ eyes widened at the words of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice.

「Then it’s time for the battle!」

「I will not.」

The boy who is a gardener’s apprentice immediately refused Jeremias’ challenge while his fists clenched.

「I passed though, right!?」

「No, I didn’t say that I would accept the challenge if I passed.」

In the first place, it’s strange that he wasn’t passing the exam. He is not fulfilling his role by scattering the petals of the flowers he was told to give by his boss. Lydia nodded as if to show her agreement with the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice, and Jeremias grunted in frustration when he pointed out that she had given an interpretation that suited him.

「Isaac is probably training, why isn’t he fighting!?」

「Remias. Why am I training?」

When Jeremias was asked, unconvinced, he was asked back. Jeremias answers without hesitation.

「To become stronger and protect others!」

「To escape.」

「Ha?」

「I train to run away from danger. That’s why I don’t fight.」

The reason for training is different, says the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice. Jeremias paused in his thoughts, unable to grasp the idea of trying to get stronger to avoid danger instead of getting stronger to face the threat. As a result, his movements stiffen.
After a few seconds, Jeremias somehow understood the words of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice and felt a boiling anger. Was he trying to challenge someone with such weak ideas?

「Are you a coward?!」

「Whatever.」

「I won’t ignore this!」

Much to Jeremias’s rage, Lydia stood in front of the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice and stared straight into him with her sky blue eyes.

「The duty of a knight, Jeremias-sama, is to protect the kingdom and ultimately the people.」

「That’s right!」

「You can’t protect the people just by challenging the enemy. Depending on the war situation, retreating may be a strategy, right? Isn’t it courageous to decide to flee when your ability is no match for a threat?」

「Uh…」

Jeremias flinches as his father, the leader of the knights, had said something similar to when he was scolded. He wondered how many times he got punched in the face, being told that it wasn’t enough to rush into things blindly.

「You know, Ojou, there’s no need to make it such a difficult topic…」

「Zack, be silent.」

「Okay……」

「Listen, Jeremias-sama. It is the legitimate right of the people to defend themselves. The knights are there to prevent the situation from forcing the people to fight, aren’t they?!」

「That’s right…!」

At Lydia’s scolding, Jeremias fell to his knees and thrust his hands into the stone pavement of the pavilion. Only the boy who is a gardener’s apprentice was unable to keep up with the current atmosphere and stood by blankly.

「What did I do to the people I was supposed to protect… I won’t say anything about challenging Isaac again!」

「I’m happy you understand.」

Seeing that he accepted it, the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice was convinced that this was what he wanted to do. It’s true that Lydia was angry, but it was intentional that she persuaded Jeremias with difficult expressions that he was not good at. She guided the situation so that he, who had already refused, would not be involved any further. The boy who was a gardener’s apprentice was so impressed that he seriously debated whether or not he should applaud.

「Ah. Remias, why do you want to become so strong?」

The boy who was a gardener’s apprentice asked Jeremias a question that suddenly came to mind as he stood up while thinking deeply.

「That is, it’s for the sake of becoming a knight…」 [T/N: I think it’s Ojou talking here?]

「No, it’s simpler.」

It’s not a lie that it’s for a goal, but Jeremias’ enthusiasm is quite strong. The boy who was a gardener’s apprentice felt that he had a very emotional reason for this, other than just a good cause.
Jeremias couldn’t hide the reason why he was obsessed with his strength, so he answered by clenching his fist tightly.

「It’s because I look weak!」

「Eh?」

「I don’t look strong, unlike my father. Even if I have muscles, people will look at me as weak when I put on clothes, and even if I emit flames, people will rather tell me it doesn’t suit me before being feared. That’s why I want to have strength that overwhelms everything!」

The straight hair inherited from his mother is comfortable for Jeremias, who is not good at styling his hair. However, unlike his father, he can’t be intimidating with his appearance, and he can’t stand being treated as weak by others. It’s very frustrating.
It was also a very serious matter for Jeremias, who hates losing.
However, the boy who was a gardener’s apprentice muttered with a shocked expression.

「Then, wouldn’t it be nice if you could produce a blue flame that suits you? Blue is stronger than red.」 [T/N: If you’re familiar with Sentai you’ll understand why I burst out laughing when I read this line.]

「Really!?」

Jeremias accepted the fact that the blue one was stronger without hesitation. The boy who was a gardener’s apprentice was slightly thrown back by the force.

「If I remember correctly, the temperature of blue is much higher than that of red… right? Remias, if you have magical powers, you’ll be able to use it, right?」

Jeremias is elated by the fact that the fire is more powerful in colors that match his appearance. Jeremias doesn’t know of anyone with the fire attribute that emits blue flames. If he was able to do that, he was filled with hope that it would not be proof of weakness, but proof of power.
It took only a moment for Jeremias to make up his mind.

「Okay, I’ll be able to emit blue flames!」

His new goal set, Jeremias turned on his heel, unable to stand still.

「When it turns blue, I’ll show it to Isaac. Well then, goodbye!」

「Wait!」

Jeremias was about to walk away when he heard the sound of footsteps on the cobblestone pavement, causing him to straighten up and stop. When Jeremias turned around, Lydia was standing there with no expression on her face. Jeremias froze, sensing a trembling anger as if he was going to be struck by lightning.
Her lips parted gently to form her words.

「You are welcome to leave, but could you do so after you retract your remarks about Zack being a coward?」

「Yes!」

That day, Jeremias learned firsthand that it is scary when a beautiful woman gets really angry.

---

Whoops, sorry again for the delay. Work was so rough and I just had to phone it in on Friday. But I managed to almost keep to my promise to get this guy out within a week, haha.

I liked this chapter, even if it was painfully long from what I remember translating. Also Jeremias being like “Oh shit” at the end when Ojou was about ready to explode was pretty funny.

Other than that, not a whole lot else to say. See you all next time.

---

Sorry for not getting to this until the afternoon. I thought I would be able to get this morning, but then I had unexpected meetings run from 7am to 12pm. Fun times in the corporate world.

And uh, again, sorry for the delay in this one. I translated the wrong chapter and Granblue Fantasy Relink came out so lol yeah I lost track of time. Whoops.

---

TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty

---

The summer sunlight is getting stronger.
Today, Yan and I are pulling weeds near the front entrance. Well-shaped dogwoods grow in key areas, and there is plenty of grass, making it spacious and offering a good view. However, if you look closely, you can see weeds growing between the grass.
From early summer to early fall, when weeding is most likely to be carried out, the cutting height is kept at 25 centimeters or less to prevent their growth. This is possible during the hot season when there are few visitors.
Yan muttered an idea he had come up with while wiping the sweat dripping off him with the towel around his neck.

「Aniki, I was wondering, if you squeeze the grasses tight, won’t weeds stop growing?」

「That would make it look bad. The current density is the limit.」

「I see.」

As Yan says, increasing the density of grass will eliminate the gaps where weeds can grow. In fact, it’s not impossible if you want to do it. However, if you do that, the grass will become too dense and you won’t get the refreshing view that only a lawn can provide. It’s great because the grass sways to the touch when the wind blows through.
Landscaping is about scenery, or appearance. The reason why weed control in flower beds is to give priority to herbs, as this will bring out the centerpiece of the flowers.
When I explained the reason for not increasing the density of the grass, Yan looked around and nodded in agreement.

「Then, let’s do our best!」

「Mmm.」

Perhaps inspired by the need to protect and preserve this landscape, Yan smiled as powerfully as the summer sun under his straw hat. I nodded in return, trying to do my best not to lose to the motivated Yan.
There’s no shade around the lawn, so Yan and I both wear straw hats and put towels around our necks as we work. We make it a point to call out to each other when we’ve reached a certain area so we don’t forget to take a short break to replenish our fluids.
My father went to check with my master, Heinz-san the butler, about the shape of holly trees. Currently, he has chosen a round shape to match the image of spring. Once the off-season begins, you can let the holly trees grow, and reshape it.
The Ernst family is unusual among aristocrats, as they entrust the landscaping design to the Baumgertner family. However, this does not mean that we do not listen to their intentions at all. If possible, it would be better to make the Ernst family happier. The best way to do that is to ask a master who knows the preferences of the Ernst family.
While I was weeding, I noticed a bit of noise around the front entrance. Several servants came out the front door.
When Yan and I turned our heads to see what was going on, the gate opened and a carriage came in. Did we have any plans for guests? It’s unusual for my father to work at the front of the house on days when he has guests. He must have consulted with his master and made a schedule to avoid days when he would have guests.

Is it an unexpected visitor?

Both horses and carriages are white, without excessive decoration. However, there are decorations in the shape of spirits on the door and on the four corners of the roof are engraved  gold leaf emblems. The main attributes are fire, water, wind, and earth. In terms of rarity of attributes, the order is light, darkness, and thunder, and the ratio of aptitude for the latter four attributes is similar or similar.
Therefore, it is commonly said among the people that the carriages of the royal family are attended by spirits of the main attributes. I was reminded of the time when I was given special training by my master as a servant. Does that mean it belongs to the royal family?
Just as I was thinking about it, the carriage stopped far in front of the front entrance. The driver lowers the scaffolding and opens the carriage door.

「You’re working hard, Isaac.」

The boy who first got off the carriage had golden hair that was strangely dazzling as it reflected the summer sun. Holding back from calling him by his given name, I closed my mouth in one straight line.

「My apologies, Your Highness.」

「Oh, you’re the prince!? I’m so sorry for my rudeness.」

Following my example of bowing, Yan hurriedly bowed his head.
Before Leo cleared his throat in amusement, an unknown voice called out.

「Which one is it, Your Highness?」

「Come on, don’t get ahead of His Highness.」

A voice that sounded brave and a voice that put a stop to it. However, it didn’t seem like he heard any restraining language, as the sound of hasty footsteps approached.
Although I hadn’t received permission from Prince Leo, I looked up as I felt him approaching.
At that moment, I heard the sound of a wind, and a line appeared in my field of vision. I moved from the place where the shadow was falling and took a position to shield Yang with my back.
The sword, still in its scabbard, was swung down to where I had been just a moment ago, and it stopped perfectly on the tip of the grass on the lawn. The grass swayed as if to avoid the sword’s wind pressure.
The guy who swung the sword down looked at me and raised the corner of his mouth.

「Is it you?」

「Remias, cut it out!」

Suddenly, a thick, hard-bound book hit the boy in front of me in the back of the head. A muffled scream erupted from the person it hit.
Since the book fell on the grass, it was caught by the grass without getting dirty. Calm footsteps lead up to the book, pick it up and pat it to make sure it’s not damaged.

「Bell, what are you going to do! What if you dent my head!」

「There’s no way your hard head is going to get dented that often. In fact, I’m more worried about my book.」

The boy’s fiery red hair was long and bounced outward, making him look like a lion. The other boy had cool eyes, his straight blue hair was cut neatly, and his nape was neat.
Their contrasting appearances were also contrasting on the inside.
I watched the interaction between the two in astonishment. I don’t know how to react to the discomfort I feel from the two of them.

「If it’s such an important book, don’t throw it.」

The boy with blue hair’s eyebrows raised in anger.

「Maybe it’s because you didn’t stop when I said that.」

The boy with red hair calmly replies.
It creates the illusion that two people whose contents have been swapped are arguing with each other. So much so that the impression they gave on their appearance and personality, which was conveyed through the way they spoke, were completely opposite.
It looks like the red and blue Sentai members have been swapped. [T/N: For those of you not super familiar with the Sentai genre, think Power Rangers.]

「Blue Red and Red Blue.」

I remembered the exact expression from my memories of my previous life and muttered.

「Aniki, what is it?」

Yan tilted his head at my incomprehensible murmur. I don’t know how to explain it, so I force a smile.

「I just remembered something…So, when are you going to stop them?」

When I fought back the glare from his hair and glanced over, Leo was looking at the two of them, smiling.

「Sorry, it’s the usual thing they do.」

Leo apologized and stopped them. Apparently it was a familiar sight to Leo.

「Jeremias, Bernhard, how long are you two going to do this?」

At Leo’s calm words, the two stopped their argument.

「Roy-sama, what on earth is this…?」

At that moment, Ojou came quickly through the front door, unable to comprehend the situation and looking perplexed. I don’t understand either, so please explain. Leo was the only one smiling calmly in this place.

「Miss Lydia, I’m sorry for making such a sudden announcement. My vassal was rude to a servant in your house. I would like to apologize to him.」

Did Leo leave these two alone in order to create an excuse to invoke me, a servant?
Realizing that I had gotten caught up in Leo’s plan, I felt worn out. It took a short while for her to reply in approval, so perhaps Ojou was feeling the same way.
Ojou led Leo and the others to the guest room, and I asked the maid to take care of my straw hat and towel, and after cleaning myself briefly, I headed to the guest room. I asked Yan to go and explain the situation to my father.
When I entered the guest room, I saw Leo, who had already had some tea and seemed relaxed, sitting on a sofa for one person, two boys on a sofa for two or three people, and Ojou sitting alone on the same sofa across from them. The only vacant seat is next to Ojou.
Leo looked at Chairwoman, who was waiting with Matteus-onii-chan in the corner of the room, and then shifted his gaze to Ojou.

「Emilia is fine.」

「I see.」

Ojou seemed to have sensed Leo’s question as she looked at him and replied. Satisfied with Ojou’s response, Leo turned towards me this time.

「That means you don’t have to worry about it.」

「…I don’t really understand this sort of thing, but I understand.」

For the time being, it seems like there’s no need to behave like in public here. The maid who prepared the tea has withdrawn, so the people in this room are Ojou, Leo, the two boys Leo brought with him, Chairwoman, and Matteus-onii-chan. Other than those two, it’s only people who know me.
There was no point in standing there, so I sat down next to Ojou. A cup of tea was already prepared for that empty seat, so it must have been a good fit. When I sat down on the sofa, I felt that Ojou stirred slightly, perhaps because of the vibrations.

「So, why was I suddenly attacked?」

「Just to make sure!」

I wanted an explanation, so I asked Leo, and the owner of the surprise attack gave me a simple answer. Immediately after the boy with his loud voice answered, he started stuffing his mouth with the tea and sweets that were served to him.

「He’s Jeremias. He’s one of my direct subjects. He got interested in the story about how we played knights the other day.」

「I heard that you’re strong enough to fight with His Highness!」

「Huh? No, I lose every time.」

He told me about the story of playing knights during Leo’s inspection of the downtime area. Moreover, he has never been able to beat Leo, who is seriously learning swordsmanship. Leo himself knows this so why would he spread false information?
When I looked at Leo in confusion, he gave me an unapologetic smile.

「I just said that I thought it would be easier for Isaac to have no advantage.」

「Besides, he just dodged my attack.」

The blue hair said while swallowing the tea sweets in his mouth, and the red hair next to him added an explanation.

「Remias heard His Highness’s story and became interested in you, so he asked him to do something about it. I’m sorry.」

It seems as if Leo made a misleading statement that I was stronger in martial arts instead of swordsmanship, and the straight-haired blue-haired man known as Remias wanted to see my ability, and now apparently I’m here.
This is Leo’s fiancée’s house, so it’s not a place for a man to come alone. Well, even among men, Nico is an exception. However, that didn’t stop him from thinking of the drastic idea of having Leo come with him.

「Even Bell wants to ask this guy something difficult.」

「That is……」

「You guys, get your act together. Don’t ignore Ojou and talk to her.」

「Zack.」

I don’t know why, but I understand that these two have some kind of interest in me. I don’t like the fact that Leo was used for fun and how he used Ojou as bait.

「You guys followed the prince who came to see Ojou, right? In that case, you should at least say hello.」

「You’re not angry at me, are you?」

Leo widens his eyes with curiosity.

「You’ve already apologized and Ojou is scolding you.」

「I’m not disrespecting Roy-sama by scolding him! I just… I was just asking for a little more time.」

I came later, but I was just wiping my sweat and hadn’t even changed clothes, so I wasn’t that far behind. Leo was calmly waiting for me in that short time, so I’m sure he must have apologized to Ojou.
What Ojou, who seemed to be trying to object, said, confirmed that.

「You’re right. I’m sorry, Lydia-sama!」

「I’m really sorry for bothering you.」

The blue haired boy graciously apologizes, and the red hair boy bows deeply and politely. After receiving their respective apologies, Ojou replied with a wry smile.

「Jeremias-sama and Bernhard-sama, please raise your heads. It is enough for me to just apologize for pointing your sword at him. He is just a gardener.」

I felt a rare hint of thunder on my skin. When I looked at Ojou next to me, she was wearing the presence of the spirit of thunder and had an intense smile on her face. Ojou must be angry.
Come to think of it, Ojou wasn’t good at violence. She was also very angry when the Chairwoman pointed a stiletto at me when we first met.
She is implicitly telling the blue haired boy that she should apologize to me before he apologizes to her.
The blue haired boy was stunned for a moment by the unexpected presence of Ojou, but he nodded slightly and turned his head towards me.

「Lydia-sama is right. I am Jeremias von Staden. It was cowardly to attack me by surprise. I’m sorry!」

「No, that’s enough. I’m Isaac Baumgertner, and I’m the apprentice gardener at this house.」

「Next time, I will challenge you fairly.」

「「Ha?」」

Ojou and I, who hadn’t expected what would happen next, froze up, unable to comprehend what the blue haired boy had said. On the other hand, the blue-haired boy has a lively and nice smile on his face.

「I want to deal with someone who seems strong.」

He talks excitedly like the main character of a shounen manga. Although he looks smart on the outside, there is a huge gap between his words and actions. And I want you to say that to a strong opponent. I’m just an ordinary citizen.

「Isaac, you should give up. This guy can’t be stopped once he’s like this. Oh, I’m Bernhard von Reckebusch.」

The red-haired guy let out a tired sigh and expressed sympathy towards me. Come to think of it, this guy probably followed Leo because he had something to do with me.

「Bern…umm.」

「If you don’t feel comfortable calling, just call me Bell.」 [T/N: This isn’t a perfect fit, but literally he asks to be called “Beru”, rather than “Berun”, so it’s closer to Bell rather than Bern.]

Perhaps he was used to someone like me, so Bell immediately told me the abbreviation.

「Bell also said there was something he wanted to ask me…」

「I’m fine with being called Remias.」

「Remias said so, but…」

「Bernhard-san, what kind of business do you have for Zack?」

「That’s……」

Ojou, who hadn’t seen the entire incident, looked at the red-haired bell with surprise. Bell looked down uncomfortably, catching our gaze. He closed his mouth, which was about to open, and murmured timidly.

「I heard from His Highness that you use magic without chanting. I’ve never seen a commoner use magic without chanting, so I wanted to know how you do it…If possible, could you please truly show me?」

「That’s fine. But only if you can wait until I’m done with work.」

「Really!?」

Before I could finish my sentence, Bell suddenly looked up with an eager look on his face.

「I hear that commoners don’t use magic on a daily basis because they have a small amount of magical power. However, you actively use magic, and you also use attributes other than your natural alignment, right? I would love to hear about it. Since I am also of the same water attribute, I also want to try comparing the differences in the amount of magical power.」

「Time out, time out!」

I was astonished to the point where I flinched back at the force of him leaning forward and talking on and on. I just nodded because it was better than the blue-haired Remias, but I wouldn’t have expected such an enthusiastic response.
When I stopped him, Bell seemed to come back to his senses and sat back down on the sofa, holding his book in shame. His red hair, which had spread out when he was giving his impassioned speech, now looked heartless and a little deflated.

「I… I’m sorry.」

「I heard that Bernhard-san is very studious, but when it comes to magic, he talks so much…」

Ojou muttered as if she was taken aback. It seems that Ojou has never seen a Bell like this before.

「By the way, did you know about the two of them?」

From the way they interacted, I thought it wasn’t their first meeting. To my question, Ojou agrees.

「I met them at the tea parties that Roy-sama was accompanying me to. However, up until now we’ve only been greeting each other, so this is the first time we’ve had a leisurely conversation.」

「Ah, I’m sorry. I gave the all clear, but…」

If it’s just showing magic, it’s easy to agree, but since it was only an hour or two until work ended in the evening, Ojou would be entertaining them during that time. If they aren’t that close with her, I’ll be putting a burden on Ojou.
I was about to decline and correct myself, but Ojou shook her head to stop me.

「I enjoy talking with Roy-sama, and I wanted to hear from Bernhard-sama, who has a wealth of book knowledge, so I don’t mind.」

Looking at Ojou’s expression, I knew that she really thought so. The reason why she hasn’t mentioned the blue-haired Remias is probably because it’s simply difficult to talk to him. Remias had already eaten half of the tea and sweets on the table by himself, and no matter how she looked at it, he seemed to be living by the three principles of eating, playing, and sleeping. I don’t think his hobbies match that of Ojou, who takes her lessons seriously.

「Hmm, I’m not good at staying still. Can I run around the perimeter of the mansion until he’s done?」

「That is no good. You’re also acting as His Highness’s bodyguard, so remember to stay still.」

Bell immediately rejected Remias’s request. It seems that Bell is used to dealing with Remias. Remias, who was scolded by him, tightened his grip on her mouth as if to endure it.
He knew that Remias would be fine as long as Bell was there, so I asked Ojou.

「Um, then, can I have you bring Bell to the pond later?」

「Understood.」

When my work was finished, I asked her to guide him to a pond where it would be easier to use magic, and she agreed. It’s easy to use magic even though I don’t have a lot of magic if it’s near the pond in the corridor leading to the annex. The water lilies in the pond are at their peak, so it’s perfect.

「Thank you, Ojou.」

「You should get back to work.」

「Mhm, I’m off.」

「T… take care.」

Ojou saw the right time and urged me to get back to work, and I sat up. For some reason, tOjou seemed to flinch for a moment, but I don’t know what that was.

「Until then, leave Miss Lydia’s partner to me.」 [T/N: Honestly this one was kind of rough, but I got the feeling Roy was trying to basically come along with Zack.]

「No, you came to see Ojou.」

Leo, who had been watching with a smile on his face, said something off the mark. Leo, the first prince of this country, and the daughter of a duke are engaged to each other. Prince Roy should be the star of the show, and it will probably be after that that he introduces the two of them to me.
In response to my point, Leo said that’s right with a sparkling smile. I didn’t think I’d end up getting blinded when I left, so I left the room, closed the door, and covered my eyelids with both hands until I calmed down. I feel like he’s getting more and more dazzling every year.
I was caught off guard because I usually see him with brown hair on his head. I don’t like Leo’s blonde hair because it’s the most dazzling.
However, if it’s Leo, his subordinates will also be much more colorful and stand out. Both Remias and Bell had blue and red hair, which were close to the primary colors. If they just wanted to meet me, I thought for a moment that they could do it during a tour of the downtown area instead of through Ojou, but I realized that it would be impossible with those two’s looks. Besides, those two’s personalities would make them stand out in the downtown area. No, Leo is already out of place, or rather, he stands out.
In the downtown area, Leo is treated like an idol who occasionally comes around. The older girls and aunties are kind to Leo, who has a nice and friendly face, and perhaps because of his youthful personality, even the older men like him. Leo is liked even more because there is a cool board game like Go in Japan in this country, and it’s rare to find a child who can play. Because even if I’m invited to play I’ll escape, so they’re impressed we get along.
It’s fun talking to Leo like that, so Ojou must be smart after all. If all three of us were to talk to Bell, who seems to be an avid reader, I’m sure he’d tell us something smart that I couldn’t understand. It must be very difficult for Remias to be mixed in with that.
Although I had just met the two of them, I had a strong impression about them and it was easy to imagine them. I went back to work, feeling somewhat funny about that.

Just as the sky begins to turn orange with the setting sun, I finish work and head to the west pond. I politely promised my father to be back in time to meet the wagon that I would like to share with him.
When I arrived at the pond, I could already see the shadows of four people in the pavilion between the breezeways, and my steps changed to a sprint.

「Sorry, did I make you wait!?」

「No, we just arrived.」

Leo, who is sitting comfortably, replies. I’m sure he’s not lying, but when Leo says that, I don’t get the feeling of what he’s saying. He’s the most calm and elegant person. I wonder if this guy ever gets anxious about things.
Even though she was sitting, Ojou stood up and welcomed me to the entrance of the gazebo.

「Zack…w-welcome back.」

「…? I’m back.」

For some reason, Ojou’s cheeks were red, perhaps because they were being illuminated by the setting sun. I replied even though I was wondering about that moment.
Then, I heard a chuckle. When I turned towards the sound, I saw Leo, his blonde hair shining even more dazzling in the setting sun, looking amused as he covered his mouth with his fist.

「No, I’m sorry. Miss Lydia is too adorable.」

「Roy-sama!?」

「Huh? Why are you saying something obvious??」

「Zack!!」

Ojou turned to Leo in a panic, and this time she even scolded me for tilting my head. It’s strange for Leo to find it funny just because Ojou is doing what she always does, but why is she even scolding me?

「So, what kind of magic will you show me?」

Just when I thought Ojou was about to start preaching with her reddened face, Bell intervened, his eyes sparkling with interest. Missing her timing to get angry, Ojou remains silent.
I remember the purpose of coming here and turn towards Bell.

「Even if you expect me to do this, I can only do boring things because I don’t have much magical power.」

「Rather, I want to see that!」

Bell immediately answered, and I found it funny and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

「You’re a strange guy, wanting to see the magic of a shabby commoner.」

Unable to hide the amusement in my voice, I placed my hands over the pond where the water lilies were lying. Water droplets on a water lily leaf or water on the surface of a pond are suspended in the air and turned into fine particles of mist.
I just let it float in the air and adjust it so that the setting sun reflects well. It really is just this little amount of magic. The amount of water used is also small.
Even so, a small rainbow appears reflecting the setting sun.

「As for what I can do, it’s just making the rainbow last a little longer…」

When I turned to Bell next to me, his eyes were even brighter, and he was tightening his grip on the book he was holding. On the contrary, I had always thought that I would be disappointed if my expectations were not met, but the unexpected reaction freaked me out and left me at a loss for words.
Bell mumbled something, and when I tilted my head to the side, he said it louder this time.

「It’s amazing, you really can use it without chanting! Also, since it has less magical power, the control accuracy is high. Being able to maintain the rainbow means that you can maintain the particle state for a long time.」

With Bell’s explanation, it sounds like I’m doing something really amazing. Bell also said that he has a water attribute, and he probably has a lot of magical power, so he should be able to do the same thing or even more. Anything I can do, anyone with the same water attribute can do. That’s all I’ve done.

「Such an ordinary thing isn’t really ama—」

「That’s not true!」

「That’s right!」

When I tried to deny it, Bell and Ojou strongly argued against me. Why is even Ojou so angry?

「We nobles can use our own magical power as sustenance to use magic without chanting, but how on earth does Isaac prepare the necessary sustenance for activation?」

「I asked the spirits to help me with that……」

「Are you asking the spirits to assist you in activating it!? How!?」

「No, um, I showed you some magic, so I have to go home soon…」

I feel like Bell’s barrage of questions will never end if this continues, so I decline. How can I escape from this?

「Please tell me in detail!」

「Rather than that, you should compete with me.」

Even Remias, who was apparently bored, started to make his point. Even though he’s at an age where he’s playful and able to express his needs clearly, it would be a problem for me if they doubled up on me. Leo was alone, watching our interaction with a smile, but he must be the same age as these two. I realized once again that Leo is strange.

「Bernhard, Jeremias.」

Leo called their names, and the two reflexively fell silent. Although they are both very assertive, they seem to think of Leo as their boss even though they are the same age.

After confirming that the two were silent, Leo turned to Ojou.

「Miss Lydia, I came today because I have something to tell you.」

「Y-yes…what is it?」

「I’m going to be a little busy from now on. So I think my visits will be less frequent once the off-season ends.」

「That’s right, isn’t it?」

Ojou, who was suddenly turned away from the conversation, was confused but agreed with him and tried to gauge Leo’s intentions.

「That’s why, you two. I’m busy, so could you please deliver the gift in my place?」

「「Eh?」」

Leo turned to the two and made this request with a smile. Not understanding his intentions, both Ojou and I were speechless, and Remias and Bell tilted their heads as if to ask something.

「If you accept, you can come to the Ernst house regularly after the off-season.」

Upon hearing Leo’s comment, Ojou and I widened our eyes in understanding, and it was precisely because we understood his intentions that Ojou and I wanted to rub our heads as if we had a headache. [T/N: Literally “hold our heads”, but it’s hard to convey what that means. Look up “hands on head frustrated” in stock photos to get an idea, I think.]
In other words, in order to prevent rumors of a rift arising due to Leo becoming busy with political affairs or something and seeing his fiancée less frequently, he asked the two of them to become agents.
Since the off-season is coming, there is no reason for the two of them to come to the Ernst household. So, I just thought this was a one-off thing. Ojou probably thought the same thing and went out with him today. However, Leo gave them an excuse to visit the Ernst family on their own.

「I’ll do it!」

「Certainly!」

Leo’s smile deepened when he heard Remias and Bell’s replies. It was the moment when it became clear that the future would be noisy in the fall.
I let out a long sigh, feeling tired.

「…Leo, you’re not only kind to your sister, but also to your friends.」

They’re Leo’s friend, so I guess he’s not that bad. I can understand their desire to be a supporter of his, and I can also understand how happy Leo is to have found someone who is the same age as him. I was also happy to be friends with Nico. However, I’m worried that Ojou is getting involved.
Thinking so, I looked over at Ojou, and mysteriously found her staring ahead. When I followed that line of sight, I found Leo who had stiffened up as if he had been stabbed in the back.

「Leo?」

「…Ah, yes.」

When I called out to him, Leo seemed to come to his senses, nodded once, and looked straight at us.

「That’s right. You two are also good friends of mine.」

The shine was even brighter than the reflection on the water’s surface, and Leo looked really happy with a big smile on his face.
In response to that smile, Ojou let out a wry smile as if she had no choice. I too decided that I had no choice.
And I was horrified that my eyesight, one of the things I use for work, would be destroyed.

---

More characters, huh? I get the feeling these two definitely would be routes in the otome game the world is based off of lol. Also the scene where Ojou welcomes Zack back and Leo teases her made me chuckle. Pretty sure he already knows about the chemistry between the two and has read them both cover to cover.

Anyways, next week should have Chapter 55 since I already translated it by mistake instead of this one assuming no weird sidetracks. See you guys next time!

---

So Granblue Fantasy Relink came out.

Also I messed up and translated Chapter 55, thinking it was 54, so I am way behind. I will try to get 54 out next week and then 55 the week after that to make up for it. My bad on that one, everyone!

“Oh, I hope all of the chapters are going to be as short as the last one.”

Had to open my mouth lol

Either way, here we go!

---

TN: Toasty
ED: Toasty

---

He started to feel the cool breeze coming in through the window.
Nicholas has created an umbrella for both sun and rain with his own design, so it looks like he’ll be able to welcome summer in a better mood than last year. This was also thanks to his friend, the boy who was an apprentice gardener at Duke Ernst’s family, who gave him the idea. He is probably the only one who thinks that if there are only parasols for women, then you should just make one that suits your taste.
His friend, who sometimes came up with innovative ideas, was unaware that their points of view are not common. Not only the daughter of Duke Ernst, but Nicholas had also pointed this out to him, but he just tilted his head, wondering if it was that strange. However, since they are now friends because of his values, Nicholas is lenient, thinking that it won’t become a problem publicly.
Determined to bring an umbrella with him the next time he visits the Ernst family, regardless of the weather, Nicholas finishes his after-dinner tea.

「So, what is it?」

In front of him, his father Eugen, who serves as the country’s prime minister, is silent, staring at the teacup in his hand.
Today, Eugen came home unusually early, so the entire Rudolstadt family had dinner together. And even though he called out to him and said he would talk to him after dinner, he remained silent. His face shows the seriousness of his personality and he has a grim expression, which creates a heavy atmosphere.
It was almost time to finish drinking the tea, and Nicholas, feeling numb, asked him about his business. His mother, Elvira, and his older sister, Heroise, are happy that the whole family is together for the first time in a while, but their feelings are unclear.

Eugen glanced at Nicholas, awkwardly averted his gaze, and then spoke gravely.

「Everyone… there is something I need to tell you.」

「Well, what could it be?」

「If that’s the case, please say it now.」

Unlike Nicholas, who drank the tea quickly, Elvira was enjoying her tea leisurely, placing her teacup on the saucer and tilting her head slightly. Whether she knows about the atmosphere her husband gives off or not, her eyes sparkle as if it’s something she enjoys. Nicholas let out a small sigh at her mother’s behavior, and urged him to continue.
Eugen furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the man standing by the wall of the room. Although the man standing there had an upright posture, he had a loose mouth that talked carelessly and gave the impression of being unreliable.

「I had something in mind, so I asked Ingo to look into it.」

Ingo is the man by the wall, and is the name of one of the members of the Audit Department under the Prime Minister. In the Audit Department, Ingo is a member of the Dummer family who is skilled at espionage, and he collects solid evidence and testimony. Nicholas was a little surprised that his father had used him for a private investigation, considering he was talented despite his appearance.
Receiving the gaze, Ingo pretended to be unaware of the heavy air around Eugen and placed the bundle of documents on the table in front of the Rudolstadt family members.
Nicholas was not good with Ingo, who always had a smile on his face that made it hard to read his emotions. His daughter, who works as an escort for Duke Ernst’s daughter, is also always smiling, so he was horrified by the blood of the Dummer family.

「Hagen Ries. He is 18 years old this year. He is currently a student at the Royal Academy of Magic. He lived with his girlfriend’s mother, but his mother died of illness before he enrolled.」

Attached to the top of the document was a picture that appeared to be of the student. In contrast to Eugen’s frowning face, Ingo explained the young man’s name with a careless smile, but no one, including Nicholas, recognized the name of the young man.
So Nicholas asked on their behalf.

「Who is it?」

「…………he’s your brother.」

Nicholas’ thoughts almost stopped for a moment as he realized that he and his sister Heloise were in trouble. He closed his mouth once and mumbled.

「You had that kind of nerve, huh?」

First and foremost, he was struck by how unexpected it was.
It’s an illegitimate child, which means his father has a mistress. He never thought that his straight-laced father would have a mistress.
At the sound of his son’s mutter, Eugen froze, his mouth hanging open. He wasn’t sure if it was from shock or anger.
Ingo, his subordinate, started laughing so hard at his boss that he felt like he was about to lose his temper.

「That’s not true, little boy. He’s a child with someone he dated before he married his wife.」

Eugen regained his senses after Ingo told him what he was about to explain, and explained the purpose of his investigation.

「Nicholas, you started using words like that…」

「Ah. You were worried about your heir, so you looked into it just to be sure.」

So that’s what it was, his son said while nodding, and Eugen felt uneasy.
A few years ago, his son wasn’t like this. Although he was introverted and not assertive for a boy, he was an obedient son who acted like a younger son. However, when he returned home one day, his current condition had suddenly changed. Eugen was stunned by the change.
When he asked his son about the cause of his sudden change, he said there was nothing, and when he asked his wife and daughter, who spend more time with him than he did, they said that it was fun and all, which was off-topic. He didn’t get the point at all. How many times did he wonder what was wrong with his education?
While Eugen is still unable to accept his son’s current situation and is struggling within himself, Elvira and Heloise speak out.

「Well, well, our family is growing, isn’t it?」

「I’m happy to have more brothers.」

「That’s right. From now on, I’ll have to make something for an older brother.」

「Mother, sister, you’re both jumping to a conclusions, aren’t you?」

They’re completely carefree, Nicholas thought while sighing. After Nicholas warned them, they answered yes and felt silent.

「So? What should we do? It seems like his magic is high, but he’s a commoner.」

Nicholas asked, staring at his father. Although he hasn’t looked at the documents, he can tell from Ingo’s explanation that he is a commoner because he doesn’t have a 「von」 in his name, and that he has enough magical power to qualify for admission to the magic academy.
In other words, he probably fell in love with the daughter of a fallen nobleman or a commoner, and broke up with her before getting engaged to his mother. The fact has now come to light because the person she broke up with had not informed her father of the pregnancy, or she only realized she was pregnant after the breakup.
Knowing that his parents were married for political reasons, Nicholas could easily understand the situation. However, Eugen couldn’t help but be surprised that his son didn’t get emotional, scolded his wife and daughter, and calmly asked them back.
However, it was helpful to have him talk, and Eugen informed him of his intentions.

「I’m thinking of adopting him.」

Nicholas frowned slightly at the words that had a tone of conviction.

「……how are you going to tell them?」

「I’m inviting him to the mansion for this upcoming holiday.」

When Eugen answered that they would talk there, Nicholas let out a long sigh and stood up.

「You really are like an aristocrat.」

At his son’s mumbling, Eugen raised an eyebrow as if to show his incomprehension.

「What do you mean?」

「Are you an idiot? Think about that for yourself.」

Nicholas said this to his father and left the room.
Eugen, who had never expected to receive such cold stares and words from his son, froze in shock. Eugen knew firsthand that when his beauty, which resembled his gentle wife’s, turned into anger, it was powerful enough to gouge his heart out.
Meanwhile, Elvira and Heroise were chatting cheerfully, saying they were looking forward to meeting them.

---

The next day, Nicholas visited Duke Ernest’s residence.

「Geh. It’s you today.」

He was greeted by Lydia, the duke’s daughter, and when he saw her escort girl following her, Nicholas let out a bitter voice.

「Is there something wrong with Petra?」

「Nothing in particular. I just didn’t want to see that face every day.」

「I seeee, you met with faaaather.」

When Lydia tilted her head slightly, Nicholas answered, and Petra, who was satisfied with him, smiled. The smile on her face, knowing that she seemed suspicious, echoed that of her father’s, and Nicholas looked into her eyes, unable to hide the bitterness that welled up inside him.

「Come to think of it, the family of Earl Damar was directly under the prime minister.」

「Yeeeeep.」

Lydia smiles, saying that she looks like her father, with Petra saying that’s right. Nicholas didn’t seem to have a good parent-child relationship in his family, where he was taught a mask of a smile from an early age.

「Well, it’s fine. Let’s hurry and go to Zack.」

In front of Lydia, who didn’t know the details of the Damar family, Nicholas didn’t want to mention it any further, so he dismissed it with a sigh and decided to head to his original purpose, to be with his friend.
When Lydia guided him out into the sunlight, he found Zack’s father and his apprentices digging up the soil in the flower bed, still planting lush green seedlings that sometimes had buds.

「You’re just messing around in the soil as usual.」

「Nico! I’m replanting it with summer flowers.」

When he called out to Zack while holding an umbrella to protect him from the sunlight, a smile that resembled the heat of the sunlight turned to face him. To Nicholas , it seemed like he was doing the same work every time he saw it. However, to his friend, it seems like a different task.

「Purple chrysanthemums and torchon flowers. Both come in many colors and varieties, so they’re beautiful when they bloom.」

「Is that so?」

Nicholas was put off by the look on his friend’s face as he spoke happily even though the flowers hadn’t even bloomed yet. Nicholas wasn’t interested in the type of flowers, so his reply was curt, but his mouth naturally curved into a smile.

「I’ll finish up in a little while, so please wait.」

「Oh, I’ll wait. By teasing Miss Dia.」

「What, am I just here to relieve boredom!?」

At Nicholas’ words, Lydia unconsciously flared up. Just as Lydia was about to get angry, her friend’s voice intervened.

「I’ll finish it right away.」

Bronze-red eyes looked straight up at him and Nicholas closed her mouth, Lydia’s anger at his unusual behavior subsiding.

「There’s no need to be in such a hurry……」

「Well, Nico, it’s because you’re annoyed.」

He said he’d hurry up and went back to work. Nicholas and Lydia just stare at his back. Nicholas felt uneasy, and when he glanced next to him, Lydia was sulking. She looks like she wants to complain, but there’s a side of her face that seems to be silent because he’s worried about her, probably because he heard his words.
The corners of his mouth were about to turn up as he felt more amused than apologetic, but Nicholas cleared his throat to cover it up.
He was sure he’d realize it soon.
Why does he suppress his complaints?
He wishes he didn’t notice. He doesn’t care, he can just complain. It’s completely too kind.
Nicholas thought that these two were really helpless.
After a while, his friend, who seemed to have finished his work and took a break, asked Lydia and Nicholas to join him in the practice garden, despite his father’s refusal. Petra remained in the forest, where the sun filtered through the trees, waiting for her outside the border fence, as she always did.

「Hoi!」

As soon as they entered, Nicholas hesitated as he began to attack the leather bag he held up. Lydia was sitting on the edge of the fountain where the stone owl statue was enshrined, and she was looking at them, the sounds blocked by the wind membrane he had put over her ears.
In his early days, Zack was able to narrow the wind membrane that was spread across her head to only around her ears to really plug her ears. Although he has a small amount of magical power, he is good at ingenuity and improves the precision of his magic year by year. Even so, why are the places where it is used so modestly?
Inwardly, Nicholas was stunned by this fact as he looked at Zack waiting for him. As usual, he looked like he was ready to accept his own frustrations.
Laughing out loud, Nicholas tightens his fists. His mauve eyes peeking out from his long eyelashes flickered like flames.

「Uraaaaaaa!!」

A heavy thud echoed once inside the circle of sunlight. The moment that sound reached his ears, Nicholas broke down.
After that, he just keeps pounding his fists. Before the heavy sound reaches his ears, he buries his next fist into the leather bag.
He becomes apathetic, and after a while, he stops because his breathing becomes irregular. After making sure that Nicholas’ arm was hanging loose, his friend also removed the leather bag he was holding. When he saw him, he too was out of breath.
As if to confirm, he smiled brightly, and as if to answer, Nicholas let out a sigh-like smile.
Lydia narrowed her eyes with a little jealousy in front of that wordless exchange that could be understood even without the sound reaching her. She feels unable to fit into what she knows to be a friendship. Perhaps she is envious of him because it is a relationship she would never have.

「Ojou, thanks for waiting!」

The moment it ended, he ran towards Lydia as if he had been propelled, and put his hands over both of her ears to release the wind membrane. Then, he expressed his gratitude to Lydia for waiting for him.
Lydia flinched at his gratitude and smile as soon as he lifted the soundproofing. Her ears felt hot even though his hands hadn’t even touched her.

「So, do you want to talk?」

While Lydia hesitated, he turned around and asked Nicholas.

「Will you listen to me?」

While combing his sweaty hair, Nicholas raised the corner of his mouth in resignation, and the two of them looked at each other and nodded as if it were natural. Nicholas found that somewhat funny.
Nicholas sits on the edge of the fountain, sandwiched between them, and takes a breather. The garden with potted plants that had been dotted around it until the other day had been cleared away, perhaps to give it to Yang, and now there was only a lawn spread out around the fountain.

「My father had an illegitimate child.」

「Ille……!?」

Lydia was shaken by the fact that he had confessed this, and her friend just rolled his eyes a little. It was funny to see Lydia looking timid, not knowing how to respond, and Nicholas cleared her throat.
Nicholas probably should have been as upset as she was, but since he had vented his frustration earlier, he was now able to calmly sort out his own emotions.
He explained to them the summary of what he had heard last night. Lydia’s honest expression became more and more serious as the conversation progressed, which was interesting to Nicholas. His friend was listening carefully, but she had a calm expression on her face, probably because she wasn’t familiar with aristocratic affairs, so he couldn’t tell how much she understood.

「So…… are you going to meet that person?」

「I settle things before my mother and the others meet him.」

「But……」

As Lydia looked down with worry, Nicholas let out a bitter smile.
Adopting a male child despite the presence of Nicholas means that his father does not recognize him as an heir. Also, even though they are half blood related, strangers suddenly become family. Lydia thought that his thoughts were complicated.

「Nico’s a nice guy.」

Contrary to Lydia, the words of his friend who was smiling cheerfully, made not only her but also Nicholas feel depressed. Lydia and Nicholas stared at him with startled eyes, wondering where such impressions came from.

「What? I mean, you were angry because you were worried about your brother, who you haven’t even met.」

「What do you mean??」

「Nico was angry with his father because he unilaterally scheduled a meeting with his father without asking about his circumstances, and decided on his future. As I said earlier, I have no idea what kind of person Nico’s brother is. I wasn’t there.」

「Ah…I’m sure that I only understand the position of Nicholas-sama’s older brother. I’m sure he was also surprised by this sudden incident.」

「It seems like he just summoned them, so it’s questionable how much he explained.」

When Nicholas snorted, Lydia looked up at him.

「……What is it?」

「Nicholas-sama  is really kind.」

「That’s right!」

Lydia smiled warmly at him, and her friend also laughed in approval, so a heat of shame lit up Nicholas’ cheeks. Why do you interpret it as such abusive words?

「I-it’s not like I recognize him as my brother.」

「Well, you’re right. You and your father haven’t met yet.」

「Eh……?」

Nicholas is confused by the sudden topic of his father. Lydia was the one who expressed the unspoken confusion.

「You only talk about things about your father in a way that seems like a stranger. Nico rarely talks about things related to his father, but that’s probably because he doesn’t know anything about him. Well, it seems like his father doesn’t know anything about Nico either. 」

Nicholas had no words to deny his friend’s words. Although he recognizes that he is in a fatherly position, he has no recollection of having any family-like interactions with that man. For the sake of his future, he is regularly taken to aristocratic tea parties.

「I heard from my father that the Prime Minister, Count Rudolstadt, is a busy man.」

「He’s just a workaholic at heart…」

The conversations he has with his father are only about business matters, and he can’t remember when they last had a meal together before last night. His parents know it was a political marriage. He was appointed prime minister as an earl, and in order to silence those around him, he was assigned the mother of a marquis. Therefore, his mother and sister are all he cares about.

「What? Do you want me to get along with that person?」

His home is different from his friend who is a commoner and has a warm home. He doesn’t like it when people say things with the same feeling. Please don’t try to fit this into his scale, Nicholas thought.

「No, I just thought it would be better if you told me directly that you don’t like it.」

Nicholas rolled his eyes. He never expected to be encouraged to tell him the fact that he didn’t have a good impression of him.

「I-it doesn’t necessarily mean that Nicholas-sama hates his father.」

「But no matter how you look at it, it doesn’t seem like you like him.」

「Oh, that’s…」

Lydia, who agrees with his opinion to some extent, stammers, unable to refute. From the way Nicholas spoke, Lydia also felt that there was a distance between him and his father.

「Huh, hahaha, no!」

Suddenly, Nicholas burst out, causing Lydia to jump. However, Nicholas was too amused to pay attention to Lydia. His friend is strange in this way. He was ashamed inwardly that he had mistakenly thought, even for a moment, that he was fitting into the same box as his family. When he laughed for a moment, he was laughing so hard that some tears were streaming down his face.
Scooping up his tears with his fingers, Nicholas checks on her just to be sure.

「What kind of benefit is that for me?」

「Umm, I guess there are some people who get in trouble because Ojou is also a high-ranking aristocrat, right?」

「Eh. Well…」

「Which is better, being secretly talked about behind your back or being told that you aren’t liked when we’re face-to-face?」

Although she was troubled by the topic being brought up by him, Lydia remembered things like the tea party, and she thought about it seriously. Neither one feels good. However, when she thought about which one had less ill feelings, the answer came naturally.

「I don’t really like backbiting, so it would be easier to deal with it if you told me directly.」

She’d definitely feel hurt or angry the moment she hears that. However, once it becomes clear that the other person hates her, Lydia will be able to react accordingly. It’s much better than having your malice blurred out by whispers that may or may not be audible, dragging her along with the hazy emotions.

「In other words, even if you don’t force them to like you, it’ll make them feel better if you clearly say that you don’t like them.”

They just need to clarify their feelings for each other and maintain just the right distance. He never thought someone would suggest a solution that doesn’t require reconciliation.

「…I’m sure you’ll regret not telling them whether you like them or not, just because you’re family. Maybe.」

The expression on his friend’s face as he laughed at that moment looked sad. In the next moment, the person looking at her relaxed and his warm smile returned, so Nicholas suspected that it was an illusion.

「That’s right. It’ll be easier for me if I make it clear.」

The more he gives up because it’s pointless, the more dissatisfied he will become. He was irritated by last night’s incident because the dissatisfaction he had felt had not gone away. It would be fruitless to continue to increase the chances of getting frustrated.
Nicholas felt that it was not like him to continue to have a bare-bones relationship with his father while being dissatisfied.

「I don’t know what the outcome of this next discussion will be, but I will say what I want to say.」

「Yep.」

「Please do your best.」

「Thank you for listening. Both of you.」

Receiving the support of the two, Nicholas smiled enthusiastically.

A cool early summer breeze blew through the sun-drenched garden, and the soft lilac hair swayed gently.

---

A few days later, in the early afternoon, a horse-drawn carriage visited Count Rudolstadt’s residence.
Passing through the gate, a young man gets off the carriage that is parked at the entrance. The servant of the mansion who met him opened the front door, and he entered through the door as prompted.
Inside, Eugen and Nicholas were waiting.

「Thank you for accepting my invitation.」

「No, it’s an honor to meet you. Count Rudolstadt.」

Both exchanged greetings with straight faces, and it was clear that it was just a formality. Nicholas thought as he looked at him, wondering if it was because of his father’s blood that he couldn’t even smile amiably.
After greeting each other, they headed to the reception room and sat on separate sofas. Eugen sat down facing the young man, and Nikolaus settled on the solo sofa between them.
As the young man drinks the tea served by the maid, Nicholas also takes a sip of the tea and watches. The young man wore black-rimmed glasses, and through the lenses, his eyes were quietly lowered. His blue lacquered hair, which was almost black, was trimmed to a length that didn’t get in the way, and together with the Royal Academy of Magic uniform he was wearing, it gave him a clean look.
At first glance, he seemed to be a serious young man, but to Nicholas, he seemed to have a hard and boring expression. Other than his hair and eye color, he looked similar to his father.
Just as the young man finished his sip, Eugen asked for confirmation.

「Are you Hagen Ries?」

「Yes. Earl, why did you call me today?」

Nicholas clicked his tongue inwardly, wondering if he hadn’t said that before. The reason for not writing the circumstances in the invitation letter is probably to prevent information from being leaked if it comes into contact with others. Still, from the perspective of someone who was suddenly summoned without knowing the reason, it was nothing but suspicious. There is a high possibility that the young man named Hagen came because he was a nobleman and could not refuse the call.

「Actually, Clara… your mother used to work in this house.」

「Is that so?」

「At that time, with your mother…」

「It seems that you were born after this father and her broke up.」

「Nicholas!?」

「What? Talk quickly, I’m falling asleep.」

Eugen was taken aback by the way he said this. Moreover, his son doesn’t hide his usual language.

「Or rather, I have something to say first.」

「What……」

「Please apologize, shitty dad.」 [T/N: Ah, Kasumi from Kancolle coming in clutch for this translation as she calls you “kuso teitoku” or “shitty admiral”]

「Shitty!?」

Rather than the sudden demand for an apology, Eugen stiffens at the unbelievable abusive language from his son whose face resembles his wife’s.

「You over there! If you came from school, you probably haven’t even had lunch, right? At that age, I wouldn’t say you get carriage sickness and have no appetite.」

「Huh? Ah, I’m certainly hungry, but…」

When asked, Hagen answered about his condition.
As Nicholas pointed out, there is a long distance from the grounds of the Royal Magic Academy, which has a dormitory system, to the residential area of the aristocracy, so it took from morning until early afternoon due to the road. Since they only had short breaks in between, they didn’t have time to eat.

「Mother has prepared some snacks for you, so just eat them anyway. We can talk while eating, right?」

As he spoke, Nicholas snapped his fingers, and at that sound a servant came pushing a cart containing sandwiches. Sandwiches with meat and other items layered between the bread. In lieu of Elvira not being able to participate in the discussion, she would ask the cook to make it for her, since she was sure it was a boy who would want plenty of food.
Hagen obediently decided to eat the sandwich that was placed in front of him after saying a prayer before eating.

「Well, you’re smarter than me in this kind of thing. Even if you’re dealing with a commoner, just think about the other person’s convenience. Insensitive.」

「Mmm…」

「Because, I guess so. You actually had plans for today, didn’t you?」

Nicholas asked Hagen, and he swallowed the last bite of the first sandwich he had been chewing.

「Oh. I was planning to work at the library organizing the books.」

「The government pays for the tuition and basic living expenses, right? Is it because of a woman?」

「No, it would be better to have as much money as possible to live on after graduation…」

「It seems like this shitty dad gave me some money, but what happened?」

「I probably used up most of it for my mother’s treatment.」

「Hmm, you’re graduating this year, right? So you’re looking for a job?」

「I moved out of my house when I entered school, so I don’t have a home to return to. I’m thinking of becoming a teacher at the school that took care of me.」

When Hagen answered that, Nicholas took a second sip of tea. After confirming this, Hagen resumes eating.
Nicholas confirmed the person’s circumstances and intentions, which were not mentioned in the research materials he had looked over beforehand, then let out an exasperated sigh and returned the teacup to the saucer.

「If it weren’t insensitive for you to unilaterally approach me with the idea of adopting a child without even asking me about this, then what would you say?”

Eugen doesn’t respond and remains silent as Nicholas glares at him. Hagen, who had just been summoned out of the blue, was unable to fully comprehend the situation, so he quietly ate a sandwich and decided to wait and see. For now, all Hagen knows is that he appears to have been searched before being summoned.
Eugen was silent, folding his hands and placing his elbows on his knees, thinking. The current situation was so different from what I had planned that I was a little, no, a lot confused. The biggest factor was probably the harsh words he received from his son Nicholas.
Although it was a shock, what his son had said was true. Eugen calmly accepted the fact that there wasn’t enough information to check in advance.
He tightened his grip on his hands, thinking that it was only natural that he would be scolded and told that he should apologize.
It must have only been a few seconds, but Eugen raised his head and looked at Hagen right in front of him, after going through various conflicts such as how he should apologize and whether he was prepared to expose his appearance to his son.

「…Clara, did you hear from your mother that I was your father?」

「No. However, after she succumbed to illness, I have often spoken of hatred toward you.」

Hagen stopped eating his sandwich and answered.

Her mother never stopped calling his father’s name, but as her mother became sick and grew weaker each day, her heart became fragile. Didn’t he love her? Why didn’t he choose her? She spills out her hatred like a curse, and Hagen wonders if this is how his strong-willed mother lost hope.

「Even though I didn’t know she was pregnant, I’m sorry for leaving you mother and child alone.」

「It would have been the same even if you had known.」

Hagen twisted his expression sarcastically. All I can tell is that Eugen’s son is present with him now. He chose status over his beloved mother. There is no way such a man would do anything more than provide financial support.

「Hey, it seems like this guy wants a proper son. Do you want to be a nobleman?」 [T/N: Nico going full sicko mode here.]

「That is……」

Asked by Nicholas, Hagen is at a loss for an answer. Hagen could understand what he meant by this, based on his past words and actions.
Now, even if they say they will accept him as a family member, it is not something that can be decided immediately.
When he was young, he was envious of the people around me that had both parents. He once asked his mother accusingly why he didn’t have a father. Then he looked at his mother, who smiled sadly and apologized, and he knew that this was something he shouldn’t ask anymore.
Indeed, in his childhood he craved the presence of his father. However, that is now a long time ago. Moreover, it is not because of family sentiments, but because of the circumstances of the aristocratic family that they are expected to join the family.
In desperation, his hands tighten and force the tomato seeds out of the sandwich.

「Your hand.」

Nicholas pointed it out to Hagen, who noticed something on his hand, hurriedly put the half-eaten sandwich back on the plate, and wiped his hand with a napkin.
Although he seems uncomfortable, Eugen continues speaking to explain the upcoming procedures.

「It was my fault that I called you without checking your availability this time. However, you, who are my blood, are also qualified to inherit this family. Concerning prestige, I value your magic and am arranging to adopt you, but I’ll give you the necessary education.”

Catching Eugen’s deep green gaze, Hagen’s eyes became dark and cloudy.

「I…… my father…」

His mother’s grudging words echoed in his brain. Je can still hear the chastising voice in his own head asking him why.
He was often mistaken when she wasn’t fully aware. So he knew he was probably a lot like his father. How terrifying was the look in his eyes when he was mistaken for his mother’s lover? He tried hard to tell her his name over and over again to bring her back to her senses.
Those nursing days lasted more than a year. People around her sympathize with her, but they don’t help her. Everyone has their hands full with their own lives. Her mother’s savings were enough to cover the cost of medicine and doctor’s visits.
He didn’t help back then.
It’s too stupid for him to face him as a father now.
He didn’t want to feel relieved when his mother died. He wanted to grieve properly.
Before he knew it, Hagen’s hand was gripping the napkin with too much force and turned white.

「Don’t be so slow!」

Just when Hagen thought he heard a sound, a star flew into Hagen’s field of vision. Then he noticed that his cheeks were hot.
He pressed his hand against his feverish cheek, and before he knew it, his head turned back to the front, and Nicholas was standing nearby, his arms completely outstretched. I can see a stunned Eugen on the other side.
It seems like he was hit. Hagen realizes this fact, but he is unable to understand the intentions of Nicholas’ actions and is left stunned, unable to feel anger.

「You’re so old, why are you being so careless? The root of all evil is right in front of you, so confront him.」

A younger boy scolds him, saying that his mouth and fists are just decorations. He has a very good-looking face and long eyelashes. Hagen thought he looked like his mother.

「…What a nobleman you are, yet you say such disturbing things with your fists.」

「I hate aristocratic aristocrats like my shitty father.」

「Even though you’re a noble, you hate nobles…?」

Feeling surprised, Hagen puts his glasses back on, which had slipped due to the beating. Then he looked at Nicholas, wondering what he was talking about.

「You can’t choose where you’re born. Isn’t that obvious?」

Not everyone is satisfied with the circumstances into which they were born. A high standard of living does not necessarily mean happiness. Hagen realizes that the fact that he should have understood in his head was clouded by his heart lamenting his own misfortune, which he was not aware of, and was unable to fully understand it.

「So. Aren’t you going to hit him?」

It’s very unusual for him to recommend that his own father be beaten. Nicholas had a cool look on his face that made it clear that this was not his first time meeting him, and that he really didn’t care if his father was beaten.

「You hit me, so I forgot.」

Nicholas shrugs his shoulders at Hagen’s words, who laughs as if he’s lost his mind.

「Ah, even with just this much?」

It can’t be helped if he forgets, said Nicholas, as he began to drink the rest of the tea. Hagen also reaches for the rest of his sandwich.
The words of his mother’s curse that had been echoing in Hagen’s head had already disappeared somewhere. He was sure he had complaints he wanted to make and anger that made him want to punch him. However, he didn’t care because there was a boy who insulted him before him.
Besides, he can’t eat a delicious sandwich in such a mood. For now, he decided to forget about everything and focus on eating.
Eugen, who could only watch the series of exchanges between the two, felt dizzy and held his head at the strangely calm scene.
In the end, Hagen turned down the adoption offer the same day, and Eugen agreed.
When Hagen was returning to the school, Nicholas saw him off with a cheerful expression on his face as he rode in the carriage. Eugen was standing next to him, his face pale as he pressed his fingers to his temples as if to suppress a headache.

The next time he visited Ernst’s house, Nicholas told his friend with a big smile that he felt refreshed.

---

Dude, Nico was the MAN this chapter lmao. Even if this chapter was long as hell. 16 pages in my text editor after translation, geez!

Nico’s dad reacting to Nico mouthing off was glorious, though.

Not much to say other than that. See you all next chapter!

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