Spring has come.
In a few days, the flowering of the horse sorrel, which has been so lovely on the promenade, will be over. The goldenseal will fill the flowerbeds with color until next month.
I wonder what my father will plant next in the flower bed. It may not come true, but I'm looking forward to predicting what he'll plant as I help him.
What should I do with the garden for my study? Right now, there are violets and dandelions to make it easier for the young lady and her sister Flora to play with flowers, but it's time for the Western juniper. It would be interesting to leave a maze-like walkway for the flowers to grow on. Yellow and red flowers are more common in spring, but blue flowers are also more common than you might think.
After the engagement of the daughter and Leo, not much has changed around me. Rather, since I don't have to practice dancing or substitute at parties anymore, I have more time to devote to the garden. I was simply happy about that.

But I couldn't be happy about it. ......

When the young lady told me that she no longer needed me to fill in for her at the dance, I couldn't honestly be happy that I didn't have to practice the dance anymore.
I realized that this was the world of Kimi Hoshi, the otome game my sister had played in a previous life, and I knew that the daughter's engagement was in the foreseeable future. I also knew that it was highly likely that it would happen. At the same time, there was a good chance that the young lady would fall in love with Leo, the embodiment of the ideal prince.
If so, I was ready to say congratulations.
And yet, she said she didn't like Leo out of love.
She was not prepared to say what she would say if she got engaged to someone she did not like. When I saw the look of determination on her face, I realized that it was not my place to interfere. I didn't know what to say to her, so all I could do was to praise her for being so much cooler than me.
I felt ashamed of myself for not being as prepared as I thought I was.
I'm the Ernst family's apprentice gardener. I can only support and watch over the path the young lady chooses. I'm not even a mob, but I wasn't prepared to watch over her.
He grasped the hand that had been fitted with a soldier's hand.
Since I couldn't help her, I should at least be able to create a garden that would make her happy.
With renewed energy, he resumed the work that had almost stopped.

"Wow, it's so pretty!

"Do you like it?

"Yes, very much!　Brother Roy told me that the Ernsts' garden is very nice.

I'm not going to lie to you.

I know. Oh, Tendou Mu, shi .......

Just as I thought I heard a squealing voice, two dazzling blondes with light blond hair that was easy on the eyes came to the flowerbed where the goldenrod was swaying in the warm sunshine.
The girl with the longest blond hair, the one with the largest area to reflect light, froze when she spotted me at the end of her gaze, following a flying ladybug. What's with that reaction, like she's seen something she doesn't like? It's not like you were pretending to be something you're not.

"Zak.

"Hello, Isak. You tending to your flowerbeds?

Yeah.

My father bows, and I bow to him.

"Miss Filene, they are our gardeners.

They are our gardeners. Then, with a fluid gesture, Erna picked up her skirt and bowed.

I am Philine Erna von Rosenhain, the third princess. I am very happy to see such a beautiful garden. Thank you very much.

She expressed her gratitude mainly to her father. While he is replying that it is a great honor, he approaches the young lady and apologizes.

"Sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long to finish cleaning up.

I was told in advance that you were expecting a visitor. I was supposed to have it ready by then.

"No, we were early. That's okay.

It's our fault. I'm sorry. Phil was in too much of a hurry. ......

No, that's not .......

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and the best way to get in touch with us, please do not hesitate to contact us. It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

I'm glad you're looking forward to it so much.

"......!　It's the first time I've been given permission to go outside. ......

Even the young lady laughed at her, and Erna fumbled for an excuse.

I've set a precedent, you know.

"Precedent?

Phil turned seven.

Since Leo had an unveiling party on his seventh birthday, it seems that both his brother Prince and sister Erna took the opportunity to make their pre-debuts. Now that they've made an official appearance, it seems they've been given permission to go outside the castle.

What is the name of that flower, apprentice gardener?

"Hey, .......

I'm not sure if she's getting uncomfortable with me, but she suddenly changed the subject and pulled me by the hand to a flowering horse sorrel on the side of the promenade.

What the hell is that?

"Hey, what's that?　What is it?

What?



I nodded my head when he asked me with such urgency. I'm pretty sure the thing Erna is referring to isn't a flower, but what the hell is she getting excited about? At any rate, I could tell that she was distancing herself from Leo and the others because she didn't want them to see what she was doing.
She seems to have inherited from her previous life the habit of reporting anything she finds that excites her. No, I guess it's the same for girls. When I went to school, the girls in my class used to scream yellow screams at each other.

"Miss Ludia, you're so cute!　What are you, a fairy?

"Oh. Oh, yeah.

When I found out the cause of her excitement, I understood. I knew that my sister in my previous life would have lunged at me if she saw a beautiful young lady, but I didn't expect that she would have lunged at me instead. Well, I'm glad she didn't get hurt.

"Of course she's pretty. She's a beautiful girl.

Yes, but... It's not like that. I imagined you to be more testy, but you're cute inside too!

I don't know what to think.

You're a pretty girl too, but you're reacting to a girl.

I don't know. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.

Is that so?

I'm not sure if there's any difference between this and your previous life, because I didn't do anything special except use my previous life's remorse to not be so stubborn.

I don't know if there is any difference from my previous life.

It hurts my eyes when I see a beautiful girl in front of me. Especially blondes.

I knew you hadn't changed!

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.
The excitement of the situation made her put more pressure on her hands. It's not like the girl's strength is hurting her.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

You'll get dirt on your hands, .......

She gently untied Erna's hand and wiped the dirt from her hand with her own handkerchief. I breathed out a sigh of relief that the lady had helped me.

Thank you.

The girl smiled as she thanked Erna, her cheeks flushed. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

Please be my sister!

"H......?

"Hey, Erna!　Don't s*xually harass my daughter!

Phil, don't talk like that, it'll make your sisters sad.

Leo, that's not what I'm talking about!

I love my sisters, but they're married in another country and I don't see them often. Besides, I wanted a sister close to my own age.

"Oh, you mean ......?

Hey. Yes. Would you like that?　Miss Ludia.

"Um, ......?

The young lady who can't quite grasp the situation is looking at me black and white. Leo, who is tolerant of things and sweet to his sister, just smiles and watches how things go, but does not seem to offer any help.
I let out a sigh of relief and grabbed Erna by the scruff of the neck and ripped her off.

"Don't embarrass your daughter with your selfishness.

"Kechee of Izaak.

"Isak's Kechee." With a grunt, Erna peeled away. You're not in princess mode in front of your daughter, are you? Well, I don't treat her like a princess either. Matheus, who is guarding her, looks pale, so I put Erna down as soon as possible.
I'm going to put Erna down as soon as possible.

You see, ......, it's an honor to be adored by someone as lovely as Philine, but how could you not like it?

"Well, you can call me Phil. Sister!

Phil. ......?

"Yes, sister.

With a big smile on her face, Erna hugged the girl again. She's completely in love with you. And the way she's closing the distance between us is so forceful.

"You're pushing it.

"Phil's always been a sweetheart.

"Phil's always been a sweetheart." When I got upset, Leo bragged about his sister's strengths. Well, she's a shy girl, so maybe the more forceful the better.

"So, Mr. Phil, .......

"Yes, what is it?　What is it, sister?

"Yes, what is it, sister?" the young lady asked with a heavy heart.

Zach ......, you've gotten to know our apprentice gardener quite well, haven't you ......?

The smile on Erna's face froze as she smiled. I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.

It's not the same, sister!　I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you have.　I'm not looking for an Izaak, that's out of the question!



But ......

Don't just stand there, Isaac, clear the air!

What's that?

He suspects that you and I are having an affair!　Come on, you idiot!

What?

How can there be such a misunderstanding? That's who you just called an idiot. What is it with you and Leo and the others? Are you aristocrats in love? Are they like sweets? You just called me a jerk.
I really don't like being suspected of being friends with my sister from my previous life. Is that why Erna's trying so hard to correct me? Understanding the situation, I deny it with all my might.

I'm just a lost girl.　He's just a stray or two, but I know his face!

But I've never seen Zak talking to a woman so intimately. ......

So that's ......

"But I've never seen Zaku talk to a woman that intimately. Even if you believe that reason, you are still a stranger now. I don't feel like a stranger, just a stranger.

Phil is very pretty. ......

I'm sure Erna is a beautiful girl, but to me, she's prettier!

"......?

I like the pale blue of your eyes, like petals, better than Erna's jewel-like blue.

I like your eyes better than Erna's jewel-blue ones.

I was trying to clear up the misunderstanding, but I was scolded by a young lady who turned red in the face.

"No more misunderstandings, ......?

If she misunderstands me again, I'll be weak. If she misunderstands you again, you will be vulnerable.

It won't happen again,.......

I'm glad ......

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that the misunderstanding has been cleared up and your expression has relaxed.
This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your time and money.

"............ Brother Roy?

What is it, Phil?

You're brother Roy's fiancée, aren't you?

Yes, I am.

Are you sure?

I'm glad you guys are getting along so well.

I didn't hear what they were saying, but I saw Leo smiling and Erna sighing.
For some reason, Erna made fun of me again for being stupid in a different way after this.



Anyway, the young lady's misunderstanding was cleared up, and I spent the rest of the day feeling fine. A few days passed, and this time the lady came with another person. The girl behind her, who was about the same age as the young lady, was wearing the same maid's uniform as Katrin. She has straight black hair that is neatly cut past her shoulders.

You're on the grounds of the ...... house.

You must have one person with you, even if it's on the property.

You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life. But this girl's words were stronger.

"Who are you, miss?

"Zak, she's .......

"You're a servant and you're rude to Master Ludia!

Before the young lady could introduce her, the hairy cat-like girl pulled a cross-shaped piece of pointed metal out of her sleeve and poked it at me. I knew she was just going to shove it down my throat as a threat, but I avoided it for now.

"Ah, guards. You've got a stiletto.

The cross-shaped dagger was smaller than anything I'd ever seen. They must have been made smaller so they could be tucked into your clothes.

I can't believe I'm being evaded by a gardener. ......!

Don't worry about me, back.

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I've seen it before.

"What about behind you, ......?

The girl turned around to see the young lady, who could not even scream and had gone pale from choking. The girl, who seemed to have realized that she had done something wrong when she saw the girl, froze.
The young lady is not used to seeing violence. She thinks that even a mitt session with Nico is a sport. I think it's better for her to stay in her comfort zone, and I don't want to get used to it.

If you're an escort, don't scare the lady.

"Ugh, .......

I guess she didn't want me to say it. In the event that you've got a lot more than one, you'll be able to get a lot more.

Emilia ......, he's your colleague. Can't you tell my friend from my enemy?

"And ......, but this man was rude to Master Lydia .......

Emilia.

I'm ...... sorry.

I've never seen a young lady scold anyone but me. The girl who called Emilia said she was sorry, but she was sorry.

"Not to me, but to Zak. ......

"No, sweetheart. It's because of my bad mouthing.



You still have such a rude mouth ......!

Emilia.

When the young lady glared at her, Emilia shut her mouth. Emilia's eyes were sharper than hers, but she was losing in spirit because she was still angry.
But, as Emilia pointed out, my attitude is definitely one of disregard for status differences.

"Hmmm ......, if you got a younger colleague, you're not showing it. Change your attitude .......

"No!

"What?

The sudden loud voice startled Emilia and me, and we looked at the young lady. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

I don't ...... want to be feared by Zak after all this time. ......

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how to get there.

I understand. Let's keep quiet about him.

Thank you, Emilia.

She must have been happy to have been understood. When the young lady's face broke into a smile, Emilia gave her a weak expression, as if she didn't know how to react.
Now that we've reached a settlement, I'll say hello.

"I'm Isak Baumgartner, apprentice gardener.

I held out my hand to shake his as a colleague, but he stared at me and turned away.

"...... Emilia von Pechstein. I'm not sure what to make of that.

I can feel the hostility in his attitude, but I think it's like a cat's threat, so I don't mind and smile.

"Yeah, nice to meet you. Chairman.

"What?　Don't call me that!

I called him what I felt like, and he gave me a hard time.

"Well, you seem like you'd be on the publicity committee or something.

Why do you have to put "committee member" on it?

You look like a committee chairman.

"So!

The chairperson bit me, and the lady scolded me for fighting. Why, even me. I was just talking normally, but I can't figure it out.
Inwardly, I was relieved that the Duke had given her an escort as promised. Now there's less chance of her getting into danger.



A few days later, the young lady arrived with what looked like another bodyguard. This time, Nico was with her.
I'm concerned that she already looks tired. I wonder what's wrong.

"Zaku, I missed you.

"Yes, yes. Thanks.

I let Nico hug me when we first meet, knowing that he just wants to have fun with his mitts.
I let the guard boy look at me and pout, and I call out to the girl who looks a little peeling.

"Miss, are you okay?

"No, I'm not jealous!

What?　No, I'm not.

I'm not jealous. He may have taken the preemptive action before Nico, who was sticking to me, made fun of him, but that's not what I'm worried about.
I told him to wait for a while because it's hard to move, peeled him off, and headed for the flower bed where I had been working earlier. I picked the flowers I had found and handed the bunch to the lady.

"Here.

"Is this a row?

Seemingly familiar with the fragrance of the tea, the young lady immediately guessed the name of the flower. It's a herb that can heal fatigue, so it can be used in tea or potpourri.

"Hmm. I was just thinning it out. I was just thinning them out, but I picked this one!

I don't care if Dennis scolds me.

"Oh, ......

I hadn't thought that far ahead. I didn't think that far ahead, but her expression softened, so that was good. I'll tell my father later and get a fist bump.

What are you doing?　Is that a double-edged sword?　The evil hand of Master Ludia is ......!

The boy suddenly pointed his finger at me and called out. There are a lot of energetic people guarding your daughter. I don't know if you know what you're talking about. It reminds me of Johan.

"He's been barking at me like this for a while now.

Nico says as he wraps his arms around my neck. I think you should stop messing with him while you report the damage.

"Double-edged ......?

Don't worry, girl, there's not much point in remembering.

When the young lady tilts her head and doesn't understand the meaning of the boy's words, he tells her that it's no fun to know the meaning.


I'm Isak Baumgartner, apprentice gardener.

I'm Isak Baumgartner, an apprentice gardener. Nico and I are just friends.

I offered my hand for a handshake, but was slapped.

"I am Jörg von Kollwitz!　I'm Jörg von Kollwitz! I'm a member of the Kollwitz family, which has been producing knights for generations. I am a knight of the Count of Kollwitz, a family that has produced knights for generations.

A stinging slap on his short brown head. Nico's.

"...... Nico.

I'm not going to let you get away with this," he said, "because you're being rude to my Zaku.

It's not my fault," he said, hugging me around the neck. I'm glad you're a friend of mine, but I think a slap on the wrist from Nico would hurt a lot. Also, you're showing a bit of your true colors, Nico.
Jörg is holding the top of his head with both hands and biting his lip. He knew it hurt.

What are you doing, you faggot?

"It's a woman. If you still want to bite Zaku, I won't let you get away with it.

I'm just protecting Master Ludia!

Nico and Jörg are staring at each other. Me and the lady are at a loss what to do.
Now I know why she was so tired earlier. Nico must have encouraged her before coming here, and Jörg must have fallen for her foolishness. But Jörg is a hard name to call. It might bite.

"Miss Dia, he's your dog, you should train him properly!

"I am?

When Nico suddenly asked her to talk, she was confused.

Yes. Tell her to throw this far away and get it.

Nico instructed her to throw a branch that had fallen on the ground.

Nico, you can't be serious about being such a dog. ......

And ...... go get it.

The branch she threw, without understanding, fell a few paces away in a heap.

"Yuck.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.

I'm sorry,......, I just thought you were cute,.......

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

"~~!

"Here you go.

Just as the angry young lady was about to raise her fist, which had little offensive power, Jörg held out both hands for the branch that the young lady had thrown. With an unquestioning smile, she stopped moving.
I guess I wasn't the only one who thought she was wagging her invisible tail.

"It's not Porgy after all. Miss Deer, I need you to discipline me.

I will not be disciplined!

The young lady's denial echoed through the yard of the Ernst house.



A few days later, she came again with an unknown maid. I wonder how many guards she has. If there were more, I'd have a hard time remembering.
A small girl, about the same size as the young lady, wore a maid's uniform that was a size larger than the young lady's, and I couldn't see her hands through the cuffs. She doesn't walk straight, but wobbles, and her unkempt flaxen hair sways with her, making her look like a dandelion.

"Miss, is she one of your guards?

Yes.

Hello. I'm Petra von Damer. I'm your escort and maid.

Petra smiled and, in a stilted voice, held out an invisible cuff of her hand. It's the first time I've ever been asked to shake someone's hand.

"I'm...

I'm Isak Baumgartner, apprentice gardener.

I shook his hand back through his sleeve and tried to tell him my name, but he guessed my name.

"My family is an inspection unit directly under the Prime Minister, so I'm no stranger to gathering information.

"Is that so?

He answered before I could ask how he knew, so I could only nod.

I can't fight like Emilia from a military family or Jörg from a knightly family, but I'm good at gathering information.

I think my master once told me that in aristocratic society, manipulating information is crucial. If all you have are martial artists, you'll end up with a bunch of brainiacs, so it's probably better to have a brain.

"Oh, by the way, I apologize for the two of you the other day. I reported it to Mr. Heinz and he scolded us, so please forgive us.

"No, I'm not mad at you.

When did this happen? The chairman was scolded by the young lady, Pochi was beaten by Nico, and I thought that was enough to scold him. In the first place, I'm not angry.

I mean, how did you know?

Petra wasn't there, so how could she know what happened? I don't think those two explained the situation to her.

"Oh, you've got a different point of view. But it's a trade secret.



I see. I'm sorry for asking.

When I apologized, for some reason Petra stopped laughing for a moment. Then she smiled again.

"You're funny, Isak.

"Oh. Good.

"Yes?

You can laugh, can't you?

Petra had been smiling since the beginning. But she smiled the same way all the time, just like her master didn't have much expression.
But just now, she narrowed her eyes in an amused way, so I could tell that she was really laughing.

I'm relieved, too. I was worried that Petra was upset because she didn't smile for a long time.

I was worried when she didn't change her expression.

When I smiled at her, she smiled happily too. She seemed to be worried about the same thing.
Petra stared at us, then put her cuff to her mouth and started laughing.

I like both of you. Please take care of me from now on.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you again.

Nice to meet you. Petra.

When I greeted her, for some reason Petra complained.

I'm the only one who doesn't belong here.

What?

"I'm the only one with a name. I'm an outcast.

Huh?

He patted me on the arm and demanded I give him a full name. The chairperson is just what I call myself, and I didn't ask for her approval, and I didn't give her Pochi.

"Well, then, ...... Pome?

It sounds like a Pomeranian. It's not just the hair color. It's not just the hair color, but also the way they look.

"Wow, Pome!

The fact that she keeps repeating the word "pome-pome-" suggests that she likes it. I wonder if such a simple naming is acceptable.

"Well, to thank you for giving me such a cute name, I'll tell you how long it took the lady to give you the locket.

"How do you know all this before you came?

How did you know about this before you came here?" The young lady almost bristled, but Pome just smiled and said it was a trade secret.
At any rate, I refused to give her the information because she was so pitifully red.
They say that spring is the season for encounters, but this year it was quite lively. At any rate, I'm glad that the number of guards was large enough for me to remember.