CH 8

“My stomach is full, so I think I’ll take a walk in the garden.”

After breakfast, I descended from the dining room on the second floor to the first floor via the central staircase accompanied by my guard, Sanse.

If you walk down the corridor that extends to the right from the entrance hall, you will find a large glass door that leads to the garden.

In the garden, there are many colorful flowers that cannot be seen in the Seiran Kingdom, and there is not a single wilted flower.

I understand very well that the gardener is taking good care of them.

I take a deep breath and feel my body naturally fill with energy.

“It feels good.”

I came to the garden for another purpose besides taking a walk. I kept it in my dress pocket.

When I had been walking in the garden for a while, I found a male beastman wearing a hat and a jumpsuit, crouching in the shadow of a hedge and silently working.

“Good morning, the weather is nice today.”

The man’s shoulders twitched, and he quickly turned around, stood up in a hurry, took off his hat, and bowed firmly.

“H-Her Highness, good morning. I didn’t know you were going for a walk. Oh, I’m sorry to disturb you, Well then.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly walked away.

In the blink of an eye, the distance opened up and his figure became smaller.

“Wait. You must be the gardener. I have something to do with you.”

It seems that my voice did not reach him. As he shows no sign of stopping, I rush after him.

I’m wearing a dress that allows me to move freely if I’m going for a walk, but when I’m walking, the distance gets further and further away.

I can’t help it. I didn’t want to do it, but. . .

I roll up the hem of my dress and run.

“Wait, you over there, please wait!”

I don’t know if it was the effect of raising my voice as much as possible or because I ran.

The man turned around and stopped with a startled look on his face. Rather, it might be more correct to say it was frozen.

“You. . . you’re walking. . . too fast. . .”

By nature, ladies don’t roll up their dresses, stick their legs out and run, or raise their voices.

I’m out of breath because I’m not used to it.

I manage to catch my breath and smile like a lady.

“I’m sure you’re the gardener.”

“Y-Yes, I’m Fermes the gardener. I-I’m a wildcat beastman.”

Fermes is in his thirties and has a solid build. But for some reason, he’s scared.

“Fermes, I have a favor to ask you.”

“Oh, please?”

He’s clearly vigilant. I don’t think it’s something to be wary of, but everyone has their own way of feeling about it, so I don’t know.

“Yes, I want to plant these seeds, so I’d like to use somewhere in the garden.”

I took the flower seeds out of my pocket.

This is my other purpose.

“. . . wh, what did His Highness Gresis say?”

“I was told I could do whatever I wanted.”

I’m not lying.

“I-Is that so? I understand. I will show you the vacant garden.”

“Wait, walk slowly, okay?”

I felt like I was going to be left behind again, so I stuck a nail in it.

“Yes.”

It seems that Fermes walked slowly this time. Even so, the distance opens up a little.

At that time, he turned around and stopped and waited.

It’s kind of dog-like.

After walking around the garden for a while, I was guided to a secluded place far away from the mansion.

“This is empty, so let’s plant it here. I’ll plow the soil and plant the seeds.”

“I’m not going to bother you. Lend me the tools and I’ll do it myself.”

“Ah, no, but Her Highness’s dress will get dirty.”

“I’m fine because I’m wearing a dress that I don’t mind getting dirty.”

“B-But”

It seems Fermes doesn’t want me to mess around with the dirt.

The idea is not wrong with the royal family.

Rather, it’s correct.

After all, no lady would want to stain the dress by playing with the soil.

Of course, I don’t have a hobby of bothering the laundry maids by staining expensive and delicate dresses.

But today is different.

That’s because I’m wearing a dress that was prepared for groping in the dirt, and that can be easily washed and the maids in charge of the laundry will be saved.

In order to persuade Fermes, who refuses to give up no matter what, the words I said earlier seemed effective.

“His Highness Gresis said I can do whatever I like, so it’s okay.”

“Well, then it can’t be helped. But I will work with you.”

I can used this phrase.

“It would be helpful if you could assist me.”

I borrowed tools from Fermes, and we plowed the soil together.

“So, you can plow it.”

It seems that he couldn’t believe that I could blow the soil.

Well, it’s something that the royal family doesn’t usually do.

While I was planting the seeds, Fermes timidly asked me a question.

“Oh, um, by the way, what is this seed?”

“Ah, I didn’t say it. This is a precious flower seed that can only be found in the royal palace of my home country. But it’s a kind of flower that doesn’t exist in the Tenar Kingdom. This is a high altitude, so I don’t know if it will grow. However, if it grows, it will become a rare flower that only blooms in this mansion, and you can dry the flower and drink it as tea, so I thought it would be nice.”

“Y-You were able to bring out such precious flower seeds well.”

“The gardener and my father told me to try to grow it if I could. I think he allowed me to take it out because he was convinced that it would be difficult to raise and I couldn’t raise it. In fact, I may not be able to raise it well, but I’m going to do the best I can.”

“I can’t forgive my pride as a gardener who worked with you if I can’t raise it. Our viscount family prides itself as plant professionals. Your Highness, I will take care of it with all my heart and soul. Let’s definitely make the flowers bloom.”

Fermes’s eyes were full of motivation like never before.

“It would be reassuring if Fermes, who can take care of such a wonderful garden, would be on my side. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Maybe we can make the flowers bloom.

My heart swelled with anticipation.