Chapter 336: Bold and Audacious

I almost forgot, amidst this happy situation, that I still had another task to take care of.

I told the two of them about what had happened earlier in the greenhouse.

“Another greenhouse, huh? Now that the guild has officially decided to sell the magical potions Julius makes, expanding the greenhouse might indeed be necessary.”

“That’s true. Even if we stock up before winter, there’s a limit to how much we can store. It would be ideal to have a stable supply during the winter as well.”

The two of them didn’t seem opposed to the idea. With this, I probably wouldn’t be outright denied when I brought it up with Father. The Heine Estate’s garden would become a bit smaller, but since we’re in a frontier region, we have plenty of land to spare. That shouldn’t be an issue.

“Even if we decide to build the greenhouse, it would probably have to wait until the snow melts. Once the order is placed, it’ll likely be completed around early summer?”

“If I build it myself, it could be done right away…”

“Julius.”

With a smile, my brother called my name. I’m not sure why, but it felt a little scary. His eyes were narrowing—yep, I’ve said something I shouldn’t have.

“You mustn’t take away work from the carpenters, you know? They rely on their jobs for a living. Spending money to enrich the territory is also part of a noble’s duties.”

“Y-Yes, you’re absolutely right. Understood. I’ll make sure not to interfere.”

That being the case, the magical devices to be installed in the greenhouse would likely be handled by the Magical Tool Guild. I could already imagine Rosalia’s disappointed face.

By that time, I hoped to have developed a new magical tool product to keep her too busy to dwell on it.

As I continued discussing the greenhouse plans with Alex-niisan, it seemed that dinner preparations were complete. I decided to seize this moment to bring the matter up with Father. If there was ever a time to ride the wave, it was now.

Surprisingly, however, Father showed some reluctance. While he had no issue with using the Heine Estate’s seal for the project, there was hesitation elsewhere.

“Does Julius intend to take care of this greenhouse entirely on his own?”

“Uh, that’s the plan. Of course, I’d probably need to borrow a few gardeners. Oh, and I’ll definitely have Fabienne help out too. I think it would be a great learning experience for her if she plans to become a potion maker in the future.”

Father stared at me intently. And it wasn’t just him—Mother was looking at me as well.

Did they think it was unrealistic for a child to manage an entire greenhouse on their own? I thought I’d manage somehow, especially with the knights likely pitching in to help.

“If that’s the case, then Fabienne will have to continue staying at the Heine Estate even after the snow melts.”

“Yes, that’s what it means… right?”

That’s right! I had completely been speaking under the assumption that Fabienne would continue living at the Heine Estate. But wasn’t it agreed with Baron Amber that this was only for the winter season? Stupid, stupid me!

“Does Miss Fabienne have any objections?”

“…No, none at all. Julius-sama has taught me so much, and I wish to learn even more. I also hope to become closer to Julius-sama, even if only a little.”

Fabienne, her face bright red, began to speak hesitantly.

She’s way too cute—my fiancée.

 I resisted the overwhelming urge to hide her away immediately. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t make a move on Fabienne here and now.

If I did something like that, I’d become the perfect target for Alex-niisan and Cain-niisan, who were both smirking at me from earlier.

“All right, I understand. I’ll approve the construction of the new greenhouse. I’ll speak to Baron Amber myself. However, once spring arrives, make sure to visit the Amber family at least once to pay your respects.”

“Of course, Father.”

And so, the greenhouse was approved for construction. It wouldn’t be usable until after summer due to the construction timeline, but at least it seemed everything would be ready before the next winter.

With just me and Fabienne working together, it’s even better.

After dinner, I returned to my room. Finally, I could relax. At my age, I definitely needed some alone time.

“Looks like it worked out.”

“Congratulations. Now you can focus on your research without worries.”

“Being able to secure high-quality materials is reassuring. If we can cultivate rare and valuable resources, that’ll be even better.”

As I sipped the tea Nero had prepared for me, I began drafting cultivation plans. I knew I was getting ahead of myself, but it just meant there were so many things I wanted to try.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to grow something like Careless Grass or Marc Fruit? Though that might be too much to hope for.

While I was lost in thought, the doorbell rang. Who could it be? If it were Mira, she’d just barge in without knocking, and if it were Rosalia, I’d hear her calling out right away.

Maybe it was a servant coming to inform me about the bath schedule? That seemed like the most likely explanation.

Nero, who had gone to answer the door, returned looking awkward. What happened? What’s going on?

“Nero?”

“Um…Fabienne-sama is here.”

“What?”

I rushed to the entrance and found Fabienne standing there, her cheeks flushed red. It seemed she was heading to the bath, as her outfit was designed for easy removal. To put it bluntly, she was dressed rather lightly.

I see now. I’ve got a pretty good idea. Nero’s awkwardness was because he saw Fabienne in this outfit. Of course, anyone who saw Fabienne like this would make that kind of face—like they had just witnessed something they weren’t supposed to.

Calm down, calm down. Just stay calm and count prime numbers. Two, three, five, seven…

“What brings you here at this hour? Did something happen, Fabienne?”

I forced myself to respond with a smile. Please, let this just be some innocent misunderstanding on my part.

“Um… w-would you like to take a bath together?”

Oh. My. God! This girl—she’s bolder than I thought!

How did this happen? Is this because of that thing I said? Something about wanting to stay together even after spring? There’s no way I could have predicted it would lead to this. I swear, I didn’t mean it in any inappropriate way. I swear!

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