Chapter 36 – Backyard Herb Garden
Chapter 36 – Backyard Herb Garden
Backyard Herb Garden
Holy Knight apprentice Vidbary has started dropping by the backyard herb garden (planned) every now and then.
His family’s territory apparently specializes in medicinal herbs.
So he’s fascinated by things like adjusting soil components based on the herbs I describe, or the fertilizers used to boost their potency.
It’s made me rethink nobles a little.
Nobles are more like…
The light novel stereotypes are too ingrained, so I’ll hold back.
Vidbary’s family is a marquis house—lords or whatever.
I don’t want to get tangled up in noble society, so I just have to be careful not to offend.
And get this—that angel boy is Vidbary’s little brother. Total shock.
The world’s a small place.
So these brothers keep coming by to watch the backyard herb garden take shape.
And they always try to pitch in. Seriously, please stop.
“You stack this brick right here, yeah?”
“That’s right, but absolutely do not touch it, okay? Observation only—no helping allowed.”
“I’m a Holy Knight on guard duty, so a little bit should be fine, don’t you think?”
“……Please head to training already.”
Vidbary sighed and left his little brother behind.
The brother’s name is Evasuruzen. He’s 7—one year older than me.
Very mature for his age.
Sharp mind, no doubt, but his education seems top-notch too.
He’s the second son, but since his older brother became a Holy Knight, he’ll be the one inheriting the house.
“Getting hurt would be a disaster. Evasuruzen-sama, have a seat over there.”
“Just Evas is fine.”
Come to think of it, where’s that shady-smiling butler who usually tags along?
Don’t leave the young master all alone… Right as I was thinking that, the butler showed up carrying a blanket, a basket, and all sorts of things. “So this is where you were.”
He’s so laid-back because he knew you’d be here, huh.
Show a little more urgency, geez.
Before I knew it, they’d started an elegant tea time right there on the construction site, but I deliberately said nothing.
Caring too much is losing.
Ignoring the nobles’ little games, I stacked bricks with single-minded focus.
Just stacked and stacked.
Mixed up mortar and stacked some more.
The lunch bell rang, so I wrapped up work. Someone offered me a bucket of hot water to wash my hands.
This butler sure is on the ball.
“Thank you.”
I thanked the ever-shady-smiling butler, and he led me—still in my mud-caked Black Priest robes—to a chair where lunch was laid out.
Wait, no way. Am I supposed to eat here with the young master?
Not one to back down, I flashed a smile of my own. “If you’ll excuse me,” I said, and took a seat.
I couldn’t exactly blurt out, “What about school?” That’d be too direct.
What a pain.
“Evas-sama, what do you usually do at this hour?”
“Studying at school. But today was self-study due to a scheduling thing, so I came here to study.”
Watching a Black Priest lay bricks over tea doesn’t count as studying.
“Sorry we haven’t gotten to planting seedlings yet. Must be boring for you. We should be done by spring.”
Don’t come back until spring, I hinted.
I shot the butler a look, wordlessly driving home the point: Keep an eye on him properly.
“No, no. I really want to help, but everyone around me won’t let me. Still, it’s a lot of fun.”
Aaaand it went right over his head.
And I’m having zero fun.
With an attitude like that, you won’t survive in noble society—heck, not even Kyoto.
I’ll have the butler fill me in later.
“……Same here.”
I beamed a smile and elegantly sipped my tea in my mud-splattered Black Priest robes.
I can’t take this anymore.
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thanks for the chapter