Chapter 612: A Present from Rosalia

Rosalia returned a short while later, carrying the gramophone carefully in both arms as she entered the salon where Mother and I were enjoying tea. The expression on her face was one of unmistakable triumph, her chest puffed out ever so slightly with pride.

At this point, Rosalia had truly become a proper magical tool artisan.

No one would be able to stop her march down that path now.

Rosalia gently set the gramophone down on the table as though it were a precious treasure.

She hadn’t asked Lillie to carry it for her. No doubt she had wanted to deliver it to me personally.

I really was loved by Rosalia.

Mother stared at the gramophone with widened eyes. Even now, she seemed unable to fully accept the fact that Rosalia had made it herself.

“Rosalia made this?”

Mother’s voice was filled with disbelief.

“Ah… I still can hardly believe it. To think such talent was sleeping within you all this time.”

“I made it properly myself, you know.”

Rosalia puffed out her cheeks slightly before smiling proudly.

“Of course, Julius-niisama taught me how to make it.”

“The patterns on the exterior were your own design, weren’t they?”

I traced my fingers lightly across the decorations carved into the casing.

“The little bear, the kitten, the capybara—every one of them is wonderfully done. Thank you, Rosalia.”

“Hehe.”

Rosalia’s face blossomed into a radiant smile.

The drawings of the animals were adorable, but the cutest thing here was still Rosalia herself.

Ah, of course, Mira was just as cute too.

Mira had been quietly staring at me from beside Rosalia, so I reached over and gently patted her head. Her eyes immediately brightened with satisfaction.

“We should test it right away.”

“Um… actually…”

Rosalia fidgeted slightly.

“I recorded my singing in it.”

I switched on the gramophone without even a second’s hesitation.

Almost instantly, Rosalia’s singing voice flowed through the salon.

Mother’s eyes widened into perfect circles.

Well, that reaction was only natural.

After all, what she was hearing wasn’t merely similar to Rosalia’s voice—it was exactly Rosalia’s voice.

“You told me it could remember sounds,” Mother said in amazement, “but I never imagined it could preserve them so perfectly.”

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

I smiled wryly.

“Although that also means there are probably quite a few problems that could come from it.”

“That’s true.”

Mother nodded thoughtfully.

“However, if those problems can be overcome, then there may be no magical tool more remarkable than this.”

Her gaze lingered on the gramophone.

“This device has the power to change the way people live.”

Mother’s words carried a weight that made me pause.

Was it really that significant?

Now I was starting to feel nervous about introducing it throughout the kingdom.

Perhaps it would be wiser to sell it only to wealthy nobles at first.

Rolling it out to everyone immediately suddenly seemed a little frightening.

“Onii-sama.”

Rosalia clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

“I want to record your singing on my gramophone.”

Her sparkling eyes shone with pure anticipation.

Oof.

That was a difficult request to refuse.

She had given me this gramophone as a gift.

At this point, granting her wish was probably the least I could do.

“Alright.”

I smiled.

“I’ll sing for you later in your room.”

“Yay!”

Rosalia practically bounced in place with delight.

“Oh my.”

Mother laughed softly.

“I’d like to hear Julius sing as well.”

Uh-oh.

What was I supposed to do now?

Refusing Mother after agreeing to Rosalia would make no sense at all.

That left me with only one option.

And if both of them wanted to hear me sing, it would probably be easier to do it here rather than perform separately.

“Very well.”

I surrendered.

“Then we’ll need Rosalia’s personal gramophone brought here.”

“I shall fetch it immediately.”

Lillie rose from her seat.

“Nero, go with Lillie.”

“Understood.”

Nero and Lillie departed from the salon.

While they were gone, tea time continued.

We sat together listening to Rosalia’s recorded singing as fragrant tea and pleasant conversation filled the room.

It was a strangely peaceful moment.

And afterward, as promised, I recorded my own singing onto Rosalia’s gramophone.

The songs I sang were obviously unlike anything Rosalia had performed.

In fact, they were completely foreign to this world.

Yet everyone loved them.

Well, they were all energetic, uplifting songs.

Still…

Because they were songs from my previous world, I couldn’t fully share in everyone else’s excitement.

A complicated feeling lingered inside me.

“Amazing, Julius.”

Mother looked genuinely impressed.

“When did you learn songs like these?”

“Um…”

I desperately searched for an excuse.

“I heard traveling minstrels singing them while I was living in the royal capital.”

“I see.”

Mother nodded.

“To think songs like these were being sung without my knowledge.”

She accepted the explanation without suspicion.

Thank goodness.

That should cover things.

If they were supposedly songs once performed by wandering minstrels, nobody would be able to verify their origin.

Seriously…

Why had I sung anime songs?

If I could go back in time, I’d punch my past self.

“Onii-sama is good at singing too!”

Rosalia exclaimed enthusiastically.

“I want to practice singing your songs as well!”

“Maybe that’s not such a good idea.”

“Huh?”

Rosalia tilted her head.

“Your refined and elegant image doesn’t really match those songs.”

“Is that so?”

She looked slightly dissatisfied.

Fortunately, I somehow managed to stop her.

Judging from the fact that Mother didn’t object, she apparently agreed with me.

The songs I had sung simply didn’t suit Rosalia’s graceful demeanor.

For once, Mother and I were completely of the same opinion.

“Then I’d like my gramophone to remember Julius’s songs as well.”

Mother smiled pleasantly.

“No.”

I rejected the idea immediately.

“Mother, they don’t suit your image either. Other noble ladies would laugh at you.”

“Really?”

She looked disappointed.

But I remained firm.

Absolutely not.

The spread of those songs had to be stopped here.

At all costs.

And so, by keeping the damage to a minimum, I successfully secured the right to expand the medicinal herb garden.

After leaving the salon, I headed outside to determine where exactly the new clover field should be established.

If I was going to do this, I wanted as much land as possible devoted to clover cultivation.

Perhaps the far end of the garden would work?

“Hmmm.”

I looked into the distance.

“As expected of a Count’s estate. Where exactly does the garden end?”

“It seems all of the land ahead belongs to the Count House.”

Nero answered while surveying the vast grounds.

“Looks like we could make an enormous flower field.”

“Perfect.”

I nodded.

“Let’s use this area.”

I stretched my arms slightly.

“First, we need to prepare the soil.”

I raised a hand.

“Gaia Control!”

The magic surged outward in an instant.

The surrounding land transformed all at once.

Hard earth became rich, dark, fluffy soil.

Every weed that had originally covered the area was finely shredded and mixed into the earth.

Given enough time, they would decompose and become excellent fertilizer.

Next, I would need to produce additional fertilizer and sow the clover seeds.

But before that—

I needed clover seeds.

Which meant there was only one option.

I’d have to go into the forest and gather them myself.

“What is it, Nero?”

I noticed him staring.

“No…”

Nero’s voice sounded strained.

“I was merely thinking that your magical power remains as overwhelming as ever.”

“Really?”

Judging by the stunned expression frozen on his face, I had apparently overdone it a little.

Still, I was convinced this much land would eventually be necessary.

Better safe than sorry.

After all, preparation before disaster strikes is never wasted.