4 Years Old: Chapter 13 - The Small Promise
TL: Krrizis
Editor: Nahct & Wafflez
Sorcery was an extremely convenient tool. Making it rain whenever and forcing plants to grow.
Perhaps it may be against natural providence, but man wouldn't abandon convenient advantages once experienced so easily. That is, I can confidently say that this includes me as well.
His Highness (along with an entourage of knights) accompanied me to the rear garden which I introducing to them kindly.
Stretching out in front of our eyes..... yeah, even I considered it was an unorganised spectacle.
Where the flower of Rishia had previously bloomed were the potted fraise. After that, with the intention of adding whatever I felt like eating, I also planted some auge..... ah, it's a fruit that resembled a tangerine. The shape was different in that it had a thin pink rind. The flesh was orange though.
Oh, I'm growing that orange tree. To be frank, because it’s my private property, I can grow plants and fruit wherever I please. Live to eat, not eat to live. Don't despise a child for her hearty appetite.
..... Though only a glutton wouldn't have heard of it, but I did properly arranged a flower zone. Here, your mouth will water. There, your eyes will be pleasured. Yup, our garden was clearly different from the ones found in other homes.
「I would love to stay and play to my heart's content, but I have other matters to attend to. Please excuse me」
Since everyone in this household was sweet to me, nobody would stop me. Gilles-san being Gilles-san, would atypically move to observe the garden with a gentle smile. However, he's returned temporarily to the Magic Institution. He has taken a leave of absence for the day to retrieve some official documents.
With his Highness’ mouth wide open, I walked slowly to the fraise..... ugh, this is troublesome, I mean strawberry, and presented it to him.
「It's fresh. If you're worried about poison, then I can eat it first.....」
No sooner as I said it, his Highness tossed the strawberry into his mouth without hesitation. ..... If possible, leave the stem. It's not edible. At least let me warn you first before you eat.
Well, his Highness had an interested face, so I guess it can't be helped. Since he has never been outside of the palace, there was never a time he would have seen fruits growing.
At the most, it would have been in a picture. In the sense of social studies, perhaps there is meaning to this assault visit? Only for his Highness anyway.
「..... There's some left in my mouth」
「Please spit the stem out. Don't you think that's usually removed when your Highness eats it?」
As such, this is why I grow strawberries (It's troublesome calling it a Fraise. So in my heart, I'm just going to keep calling it a strawberry). Biting into the fruit causes the fresh fruit juice to overflow, stimulating the mouth with a sweet and sour flavour ..... Although, the sweetness can't be compared to Japan's..... selective breeding was required. I'm not sure if that was possible.
If selective breeding was possible, that would be great. With the sly use of sorcery, as long as we're able to raise the seeds conveniently, I wonder what other hurdles we'll encounter?
Of course, even sorcery has its limitations. Special conditions need to be met, such as using a little of one's own vitality for the plants and flowers.
Assuming this wasn't a requirement, 『Green Thumb』would be an extremely convenient sorcery. There is a valid reason for sorceries like this though. When I wasn't able to execute the spell, Gilles-san had reasonably questioned what I was going to do from that point on.
「Does your Highness like fruits?」
「Yes, I love them」
「What sort of fruits do you like?」
「Uh..... Adyim?」
Aydim..... Ah! Apples.
Guessing that the root word was derived from Adam and thus, the taboo around the fruit's name. I'm not familiar with this world's Adam and Eve story though.
「Then, until your Highness visits again, I'll raise it」
「Is it alright for me to visit.....?」
「Even if I refuse, you'll still visit. If that's the case, I would rather you send a letter informing me in advance before your arrival」
His Highness would surely be inspired by the success of this assault visit. That being the case, setting preliminary conditions means that the agreed party would have time to prepare upon receiving the letter and the knights wouldn't be confused.
Really, his Highness doesn't understand the dangers of assassination.
..... Though I'm sure the knights are competent, what if I was swallowed up in the event and died? What if the opponent was considerably skilful and the knights were unable to compete with them?
「Ah. Maybe it's better not to visit. My life is more precious」
「What! Why?」
「Well, if an assassin comes, I think I'll die」
「I..... I'll protect you!」
「Can your Highness say that when you're being protected by adults」
「Since then, I've been training every day」
「That's great, but if, in reality, the knights are unable to defeat the assassin, your Highness probably can't either」
To begin with, it is strange for his Highness to protect just a single noble like myself. From a reverse standpoint, a noble like myself would be considered his Highness' subject. Risking my life to protect his Highness to the end is expected. Well, I'm not certain that every noble in the country has unwavering loyalty.
Even with the current ruling King, there are small uprisings occurring, some nobles are also voicing out their objections to the political measures. Speaking of discontentment, I heard from Father directly about the circumstances of the nobilities when he grumbled and divulged that the royal faction was divided inside due to the current circumstances.
The present faction's loyalty was strong towards protecting his Highness, but the rebels are scheming to erase him. I wish his Highness over there would understand.
….. The Adelcian house?
We are a neutral faction that have no particular dissatisfactions towards the current conditions. That is to say, we're part of the King's faction. It's the principle of letting sleeping dogs lie.
「Please act more reasonably, your Highness」
「Doesn't this mean I can't meet Liz?」
「Please give up」
「It's better if Liz comes to the castle!」
「I have no business there. Forcefully speaking, even if I go, I would only visit the Magic Institution..... However, I have been prohibited from entering it」
It truly is regrettable to be prohibited. If I was permitted entry into the Magic Institution, I would go to read the books even if I had to see his Highness for a bit.
However..... speaking with such a high authority is not my intention. In the first place, it's strange for his Highness to simply utter things.
「..... Why were you forbidden?」
「Due to being guilty of a matter, Monk Georg had prohibited my entry」
Well, I was paying for my mistake.
If it continues, I would compromise with my flower garden. The sweet, blooming surface of the Rishia flowers was softening; looking at them for a moment washed away all my negative feelings. Yup, if I was depressed, I could easily cast 『Green Thumb』with my magic and present his Highness with a wonderful view.
「Go ahead. You've been staring at this flower for quite some time. Do you like it? Well, receiving flowers from girls as presents must be a strange story though」
「..... I'm grateful」
「Ah, right. No need for any elaborate arrangements please. The matter regarding my entry into the Magic Institution, I'll deal with it somehow in the future」
「..... Then Liz won't come no matter what?」
「Please be patient, aren't you a boy?」
Being intolerantly selfish doesn't reflect well, even in education. As his Highness will someday be responsible for the country, he should learn that it's impossible to have one's way all the time.
Since issuing the warning earlier, his Highness has been frowning sullenly, especially when I made it clear that it was useless. Are you saying I should abandon everything that I've worked for?
「..... Fine, I will be patient. If I'm patient..... will you hug me again?」
My eyes blinked several times at his Highness’ request as he stood awaiting a response to his request, in order to avoid crushing the flowers.
Ahh, did.... did you fancy that? Were you really this pleased with this shabby, infant figure? It's not like I was requested by the Queen to do it.
「..... If you behave like a good child, the next time we meet, I'll give you one」
「Really!?」
「Your Highness doesn't like lies, right? It's a promise」
..... Well, if it's just a hug, it's alright. It'll lift up his Highness's motivation. At this age, his Highness is still restrained and doesn't yet have any dreams.
At a glance, his Highness' face brightened. By the time I had noticed the troop of knights smiling in the distance, I could not hide my sigh.
The next time we meet, please don't say anything unnecessary to the King.