It was early summer, the weather was warm and sunny, and the breeze felt cooler.
I was working with Mr. Yang on a mish-mash of plants as instructed by my father. When I showed him how to arrange the plants, he rolled his eyes in question.

I showed him how to arrange them, and he rolled his eyes in question.

Why do you plant the ones that haven't bloomed yet together? This flower starts to bloom in the rainy season, so it would be better for the viewers to see the flowers bloom when the sky is cloudy.

Since the flowers bloom for a long time, the snow flowering plants should be planted when they are already in bloom, but the silver cup plants should also be planted together to add to the pleasure of future blooming. It is true that when the flowers are in bloom and the plants are green, they are ready and look good. But that's no different from a flower shop. A garden that has been there forever should be enjoyed as it changes.
Purple blotches in white, or dark purple blotches in bluish purple, will bloom as if to clear the rainy season. If the snowdrops, which bloom in white like falling snow, are together, the silver vase will look good even when wet.
Mr. Yang's eyes lit up as he understood the explanation.

"That's great, Aniki!

"...... Can you please stop calling me 'Aniki'?

With an indescribable look on his face, I asked him for the second time.

"Why?

I'm younger than you.

I'm younger than you." "You were apprenticed to Dennis first, so you're his brother!　In other words, you're my brother.

He looked at me with pure black eyes, and I felt weak. Because of Jan's prioritization of experience, this topic has always been parallel.

"You don't need to use honorifics because you're more junior than me.

This is the second time Mr. Yang has requested this, and I'm troubled.
It seems that Jan-san came to the Baumgartner family as an apprentice when he turned twelve, so he is one year older than me, whose birthday is coming up soon.
I don't mind the fact that the little kids in the downtown area and Leo, who is one year younger than me, talk to me in Japanese. In fact, I feel uncomfortable when they use honorifics. But I've never had anyone close to my age before, so to me, older people are the ones to use honorifics with.
But I've never had an older person who was close to my age before, so to me, older means someone who uses honorifics. Perhaps I should break the ice here.

"Okay, Jan. Is this okay?

"Yes, sir!

I'd like you to stop calling me that. ......

I can't.

I asked him again, to Jan's delight, but he cheerfully refused.
I don't know. I feel like I'm looking at a chick who's been imprinted on. Jan, I'm glad you're okay. I'm surprised you didn't get pickpocketed or scammed on the way to King's Landing.

Let's get back to work. Jan, try it.

"Yes, sir.

I gave up. This is impossible. I realized that Jan would never break on this one.
It's been less than a month, but Jan is a quick learner. He had been a vegetable farmer in his hometown, and was used to tending the soil. It was helpful that she knew at least a little about fertilizers, plant diseases, and how to recognize weeds.
When we were taking a break from the planting, I asked him a question.

"Why do you want to be a gardener, Jan?

"Oh, that's this.

When I asked him why he wanted to be a gardener, he took off his work gloves and pulled out a picture from the breast pocket of his work clothes. It was a sepia photograph of the Ernst family garden, which he said was a treasure.
In this world, photographs are black and white or sepia. Photography equipment is expensive, so taking pictures of anything other than people is only a pastime for rich aristocrats.
I believe that the Duke's father, the previous Duke, had a hobby of photography. My grandfather once showed me some photographs that he said were given to him by his predecessor. I remember it well because my grandfather was smiling happily while swearing at me for wasting his money.
Jan showed me a picture of my grandfather.

Benno gave it to me because I had shown it to him so many times.

Benno gave it to him so he could look at it whenever he wanted, but he kept it with him, wrapped in a hand towel as a handkerchief.

I'd heard rumors, but I couldn't believe that people put their hands in nature for anything other than food, and until I met Benno, I thought gardening was just a hobby for rich people.

I have to agree with Jan. The common people can't afford to use plants for anything other than earning a living. Because of the high standard of living around the capital, some commoners have a hobby of growing potted plants and flowers, but this is rare in the provinces where nature is taken for granted.
If Jan's family was a farmer, he would have known the discomfort of treating plants unnaturally. Farmers do what they do to survive, and gardeners do what they do to please the eye. We cannot live without food, but we can live without a garden. The difference is huge.

I told Mr. Benno exactly what I thought, and he showed me this picture with a very scary smile.

How dare you fight with your grandfather, even if you don't know him? I don't know how you can fight with your grandfather, even if you don't know him.

I didn't know anything about beauty before, but when I saw the picture of the garden, I was amazed at how beautiful things could be in the world.

Even from the sepia photo, Jan says excitedly, he could see how vividly the flowers were blooming. The garden of Ernst's house, which he had never been to, was so vivid in his mind that he dreamed about it after he was shown the photos.

It's amazing that such a beautiful thing can be built by hand.

I understand what Jan means. When I saw my father's work for the first time, I got excited, too.

"That's why my father disowned me and sent me here.

"What?



When I told him that I wanted to be a gardener, he beat me up.
When I told him that I wanted to be a gardener, his father beat me up and told me that if I didn't take over the family business as the eldest son and took up a foolish job, he would disown me. When I reconfirmed this, Jan told me the details with a smile. No, I wasn't asking for details.
I often get fist-bumped by my father and scolded by my mother, but only when I need to be reminded. I've never had a fight with my parents. But in my previous life, I was always fighting with my stubborn father. If I hadn't gotten sick or had an accident when I was Taichi Tanaka, I might have been disowned. The reasons for being disowned would have been trivial, though, unlike Jan's.

"Is that okay with you, Jan? ......?

One of my regrets in my previous life was not being able to reconcile with my parents, and I worry about that. Jan is smiling brightly, but I wonder if she will regret it like I did in my previous life.

Don't worry. I'll become a gardener and send my father a picture of the garden I've made!

"I see.

Seeing Yang's carefree smile, I felt relieved. I was relieved to see Yang's carefree smile, as if he hadn't given up on his family yet.

"I hope your father will approve of me one day.

"Yes!

I'm dazzled by Yang's determination to show his father how it's done. I felt that Yang's aspirations were even more admirable than mine.

Now, let's get to pulling weeds.

Zaku!

After a short break, I was about to get up to go back to work when I was tackled from behind. I fell to my knees involuntarily.
The faint sweet scent was familiar to me, and I turned around, calling out his name.

"...... Nico.

"Hi, I missed you already. My sister's fiancé is really annoying me lately.

All right, hold on.

I managed to quiet down Nico, who was imploring me to hit him quickly because he was under a lot of stress.
After Nico's sister, Heloise, got well, her fiancé began to visit her. Nico says he still can't forgive her because she is the cause of his family's curse, albeit indirectly. However, Heloise herself is happy to be able to talk to her fiancé, so Nico is trying to be patient.
When I asked him to wait because I had some work to do, he pretended to be peeling off and loosened his arm around my neck.

Who is this guy?

Nico asks, finally noticing Yang's presence.

Oh, I haven't seen him yet. Jan is at .......

"Nikolaus, I told you to wait until later, the Zaku is still being worked on!

You're his girlfriend?

It seems that Nico suddenly found me and headed this way, and the lady came running after him. Just as she arrived, a surprised Jan said something strange.
I understood what she meant, and Nico raised one eyebrow in disbelief.

"What the hell is he talking about?

"Oh, ......, just so you know, Nico is a guy.

"What?

I'm not sure what you're talking about.

What makes me look like a woman?

I don't think there's a man with a face this beautiful. And the way you talk. ......

Don't be silly, you don't have breasts or a high voice. Do you really have eyes and ears?

I'm sorry!

Under Nico's pressure, Yang apologized vigorously. Nico's point is plausible, but I can't blame Yang for misunderstanding, as he's probably never seen a man with good features before. Nico is more beautiful than most women.

What do you mean, "...... her?

The young lady, who had been frozen by Jan's abrupt remark, asked in a whisper. Apparently, she did not understand the meaning of the word.

It is rare for commoners to get engaged, but they fall in love, become lovers, and then get married. A woman's lover is often referred to as a girlfriend.

The chairman of the committee, who had been following her as her guard, gave a detailed explanation to the young lady's question. The young lady puffed up her cheeks when she heard and understood the explanation.

"You're the new Bauer, aren't you?

"Huh?　Oh, you mean yourself, right? I'm not used to it, so you can call me Jan. Ma'am.

Jan finally remembered her last name when she was filling out her employment application. It was so rural that everyone in the village called each other by their first names, and there were few opportunities to use their last names.

"So, Jan.

"Yes, sir.

It would be disrespectful to both of you to misunderstand that Master Nikolaus is Zaku's lover. And you're asking too rude a question.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. We're so close that I thought you were ...... hugging me.

Haha, you're right!　Nikolaus-sama, please stay away from Zaku.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a bit of a jerk.

I've not seen you in a long time.



Just because it's been a while doesn't mean you can't hug her.

The young lady told her to stop, but Nico was having none of it. In fact, she hadn't seen Nico in over a month. He told me in advance that he was wary of leaving us alone together because he didn't know when Nico's sister's fiancé would arrive. I wonder if she was able to come today, and if she was able to warn her fiancé to be careful.
From the look of him, it seems that he did not stop the interference.

Zakk smells like the sun, so it calms me down.

"Wow .......

"Two ......?

The tip of Nico's nose touched my hair, and I jerked back in tickle. It's true that I'm in the sun a lot, so it wouldn't be strange if I smelled like that, but I think it's more of a sweaty smell. Besides, I'm sure my father and Jan would smell the same.
Nico's actions and comments made the red-faced girl puff up her cheeks even more than before. Please don't make fun of her just because it takes her a while to release the stress. I don't know what his reasoning is, but Nico is very good at provoking her.

"Don't interfere with Zaku's work!

"Oh, is that really what you're upset about?　Miss Dia.

Hey, hey. ......

"...... Nico.

Hi.

When I let out a long sigh and called her name, she straightforwardly backed away. I'm sure you've heard of it, but I'm not sure you've heard of it. I'm sure Nico knows what he's doing.

"Thank you for saving me, young lady.

I'm not .......

I warned her, but she couldn't stop Nico, and she tried to be humble when I thanked her.

No. I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that if I were you.

She ran as fast as she could, even though she was a duchess and couldn't run, and she warned Nico so that I could get back to work quickly. I'm grateful for that feeling, whether it works or not.
I smiled at her, and she turned away, her cheeks flushing.

"......, Master Nikolaus, we're coming back!

It's no use. I'll just have to put up with your daughter until Zak's body is free.

Master Nikolaus, you're disrespecting Master Ludia.

You'll always be a hardhead.

Emilia, what Nikolaus said was just an act, so don't get upset about it.

"Yes, .......

Who was the most reactive person just now?

In the event that you've got a lot of time, you'll be able to take a look at the following. Eventually, the girls went back to the house, arguing.
We tried to go back to work, but for some reason, Jan looked at me and the three of us in turn. When I tilted my head to the side, Yang muttered in a dumbfounded manner, "What's the matter?

If you're not with Miss Nico, what are you?

I wondered why Yang was calling Nico "Miss". He must have sensed something from the previous exchange. It's the name used in the otome game Kimi Hoshi. I've never had anyone call me that except my sister in a previous life.

"We're friends, though?

"I'm so proud of you for being friends with a nobleman!

No, it's just a coincidence. ......

No, it's just a coincidence. You can't make friends with the aristocracy because it's harder for them to make friends with you. And it's not because we're noblemen that we became friends.
At my answer, Yang said with a twinkle in his eye that it was amazing even by chance. I could only smile back. Apparently, I don't like to be praised out of hand. I hadn't noticed this before because most of the people I've met have acknowledged my efforts.
Let's finish the work quickly and relieve stress with Nico. I feel much better that way.


A few days after I found out what I'm not good at, the market street is tinged with sunset, and most of the people have closed their stores and are on their way home. I was in the brightest and most crowded place.

Jan is a good guy, but you know...

"My father doesn't like that about you, either.

"What, Dad?

My mother laughed, and when I looked at my father, he had a scowl on his face. When I looked at him, I saw that his face had turned stern and angry, but he was simply weak.
My father, who has earned Jan's respect, seems to be having a harder time than I am. I can't help but feel sorry for him.
But why can't I just be happy when I'm being genuinely praised?

That kind of clumsiness is just like a father and son.

As I tilted my head, my mom smiled and said something to that effect. Then my dad raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her.

"What about ......?

When he asked her about herself, she rolled her eyes, as if she hadn't expected to be asked that question.

"Me?　Well, I'm not that happy about it.

We're all the same, she said, smiling blithely. But I'm sure she'll be able to pass it off with a smile and a thank you. I guess she's right, I'm just like my father.



"Why not?

I ask, popping the herb-roasted chicken into my mouth.

It's easy. We haven't really known each other that long.

"Oh, I see.

Mom replies as she serves me potato salad. I was finally convinced. I've only known Jan for about a month, but he's always so positive, it's hard to accept. I feel like I'm being viewed through the filter of my dream job as a gardener.
Now that I know why, I feel a little better.

"Well, I'll try to be patient.

"Yes, yes.

I want to be able to have a proper relationship with Yang someday, even if it's not right away. I don't care if he's disappointed to find out that I'm not such a great guy.

Come on, Dad, let's eat. It's Zaku's treat.

After patting me on the shoulder to encourage me, she slapped my dad's arm. My dad's was more like a pep talk.
We're at a place called Ingrid's Tavern. It's called a tavern because it serves food and drinks for adventurers, but it's a normal restaurant that also serves lunch. It's like a family restaurant in my previous life. It is so popular among the common people that there is a line at lunch time and it is usually packed at dinner time.
In my previous life in Japan, Mother's Day was in May and Father's Day was in June, so I decided to do something obvious for my parents around that time. Since I was getting paid, I invited my parents out to dinner, which I rarely do.
Mom took a sip of her delicious corn potage and smiled.

Zak, thank you. I've always wanted to come here.

"You did?

I've heard rumors that it's been thriving lately with the addition of cute girls.

A pretty girl?

I wondered if it would become a topic of conversation among housewives if a new girl joined the shop. If she is popular among women, she may be a very good-natured girl.
I simply chose a restaurant with a good reputation because I thought it would be nice for my mother to have a day where she doesn't have to prepare and clean up a meal for once. In fact, she seemed to be happy to order elaborate dishes that were difficult to make at home.

"Here you go, salmon and spinach pie crust.

The dish I had ordered was placed on the table, avoiding the other plates. When I turned my eyes toward the voice, I saw a short-haired boy with a refreshing, restaurant-appropriate smile. He looked about the same age as me.

Thank you, sir.

"No, sir. Would you like to join us for dinner?　I'll bring you dessert after dinner.

Yeah, no problem.

That's good to know. All of Aunt Ingrid's food is delicious, so please enjoy it.

The boy smiled proudly at me, and his soft light brown hair reminded me of a golden retriever. He was right, all the food I ate was delicious, and I could tell from the look and smell that the food I hadn't tried yet would be good too.

Frank, you're up.

"Yes, sir!

Frank, the next one's ready." "Okay!" I bade him goodbye and casually watched as he headed toward the kitchen. I was impressed by his politeness for such a young man.

That's the boy.

"Yeah.

It's a guy. He must have been a target of the housewives' well-wishing meetings. I was surprised to learn that he was not the daughter but the son.

"He's a good boy who works hard," she said.

"Wow.

So that's what you meant by cute. Even if she was a girl, I wasn't really interested in her, so I just listened to what my mother told me.
Apparently, she had come to the capital alone to send money home to her large family. It was quite a sympathetic story that she had come to the capital by herself even though she was too young to be on her own.
As we ate and watched, we noticed that the boy called Frank was working hard and efficiently. He smiled constantly, moved so as not to bump into people, took down empty plates quickly, and was quick to take orders. He didn't make any obvious movements, but his ability to see the whole picture and judge the situation was quite high.
I was genuinely impressed. I can't imitate him.
Perhaps it's because I've been taking physical training from my master, Heinz, the butler, but I feel that my perspective on people's movements has changed. I have just realized this.

"Auntie, where do I wash my hands?

"It's in the back on the right.

Although I told her not to ask so loudly, the well-dressed lady told the customer where the restroom was. The customer I asked was right next to me at the table, so I could see that the customer was almost done eating.
The customer did not go to the washroom, but slowly made his presence felt muddy.
I almost choked on my food at the hint of dark magic that had come to me. Even as I calm down with a cup of tea offered by my mother, I keep my eyes on the guest who is emitting the presence of dark magic. It was not as if she was trying to eliminate the presence, but rather as if she was mixing with the presence of many people. This is probably due to the fact that the amount of magic power is too low to completely eliminate the presence of people, but I had the uncomfortable feeling that I was looking at a mosaic.
Realizing that I was heading not toward the washroom but toward the entrance of the store, I put down the dishes and left my seat. If I called out to her, she might run away even more. As I was wondering what to do, Frank, who had finished serving the food, walked past the customer.



I'm sorry. Oh, there's the ladies' room.

He must have been able to recognize the customer after bumping into him lightly. Frank apologized, and smiled as he led the way.

"Move!

Just as the customer's arm was about to brush Frank off, I jumped a little less than five meters away, and with a burst of energy, put my leg over the customer's shoulder.

"What?

While holding the customer's neck with my leg, I twisted my body with my center of gravity to fall backwards. Then the customer also twisted his upper body and fell. Since I am still on his shoulders, he cannot easily get up.

"Hey, you get on my crotch and hold me down!

"Uh-huh!

I asked him to do it as soon as he could, because I was afraid he might try to use his legs if he was free, and Frank was confused, but he did as he was told.

"He's eating away!

I shouted, and all the customers at the tables around me looked at me. I saw that most of them were strong, muscular adventurers who had been drinking.

You've got a lot of guts to eat Ingrid's food for free.

"Hey, bring me the extra rope from the demon trap!

Oh, I'm counting on you.

After confirming that the escapees were surrounded by strong adventurers, I retreated from the escapees.

I'll go get the soldiers.

Frank, who had also retreated, immediately ran out of the store. He was also quick to respond.
As I was relieved that I was safe, I felt a presence behind me. I turned around and saw my mom and dad standing there. I think they're angry.

"Zak.

"What?

I don't think so!　You promised me before that you wouldn't do anything dangerous without telling me.

What? Because I can't catch you unless you've eaten your way out.

Before I could finish my sentence, I was hit by my father's merciless fist. The pain was so great that I let out a silent scream and pressed my hands on the spot where I was hit.

It's dangerous.

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

I've been trying to get the adults around me to help me since the beginning, if I make a gap even for a moment. There are many adventurers in this store, so I thought there would be one or two skilled people. So to say that I didn't think I was in danger would only be an excuse.
I was still worried about my parents, so I apologized to them. At that time, I did not know that I would be lectured by my master not to be overconfident in my abilities.
Although I was a little flustered, I finished my meal and paid for it. As I was leaving the restaurant, exchanging my impressions with my parents about how delicious the food was, I was stopped.

"Sir?

"Huh?　Did you forget something?

It was Frank who stopped me.
I checked my pockets to make sure. His wallet was in place, and he hadn't brought anything else.

No, thank you for today. You've been very helpful.

I nodded my head as Frank bowed.

I nodded my head as Frank bowed, "It's those guys over there that got him.

I pointed to the adventurers still happily milling about inside, and Frank took one look at them before smiling at me.

It was the customers who noticed us first.

"What?　You were the first to notice.

I tilt my head to the side and Frank blinks slightly.
I noticed it because I was looking at the object, but Frank noticed it because he was looking at the whole thing and could see it before I did. He might have known the faces and locations of the customers, given that he knew that the escapee was the one who asked where the washroom was.

I've got a lot of brothers and sisters, so I'm really good at this stuff. ...... But I couldn't even stop them.

I looked at Frank, who chuckled shyly, and wondered.

"Why?　It's amazing.

I'm not good at remembering people's names and faces, so I don't feel like I can copy him. I think it's an amazing ability, and I admire your guts for trying to stall the escapee for a bit.
When I gave my honest opinion, Frank smiled shyly and thanked me.

Thank you. Next time I'm here, I'll serve you.

Thank you.

This time, he accepted my thanks honestly. I thought he was very good at business, casually encouraging me to come back. Perhaps this restaurant suited Frank's needs.
On his way home, he promised his parents that he would go back to that restaurant.