Chapter 618: Testing Rapid Growth No. 2

It was almost time for lunch. Since we had spent the entire morning shut inside the compounding room, perhaps we should eat outdoors. It would be good to show Lady Fabienne the clover field we were preparing, and we also needed to test the Rapid Growth No. 2 we had just made.

“Lady Fabienne, let’s eat lunch outside today.”

“Very well. In that case, we must begin preparing at once.”

With help from Nero and the servants, we began preparing for a picnic. When I consulted the head chef, he readily agreed with a smile. It must have been a busy time for him, so I felt rather guilty. He said he would prepare sandwiches that were easy to eat outdoors.

As we busily made preparations in the salon, Rosalia and Mira noticed what we were doing. They entered and stared fixedly at us.

“Brother Julius, Sister-in-law Fabienne, are you going somewhere?”

“We thought we’d eat lunch outside.”

“Brother, I’m coming too!”

“Kyuu!”

How could I refuse when they were both smiling so brightly? I asked Nero to tell the head chef that we needed more sandwiches. Meanwhile, I went to obtain Mother’s permission.

“Mother, we’re planning to eat lunch outdoors today. Lady Fabienne, Rosalia, and Mira will be joining me.”

“Oh, are you? The weather is lovely today. Very well. Enjoy yourselves.”

When I returned to the salon after receiving permission, the preparations were already complete. Apparently, the head chef had made extra sandwiches. Perhaps he had foreseen exactly what would happen. As expected of someone who had served House Heine for so long.

We each carried some luggage and left the mansion. Rosalia had decided to bring her gramophone, which a servant cradled carefully. Evidently, they had judged it too dangerous for Rosalia to carry it herself.

Perhaps I should make a portable gramophone one day. If I separated it into components like the main unit and speaker, it would surely be easier to transport.

We marched deep into the vast grounds of the House Heine estate. Rosalia tilted her head as we ventured farther and farther from the mansion.

“Brother, has the clover field already been completed?”

“Unfortunately not. I thought we could eat lunch near the planned site, though.”

Before long, we reached our destination. It was rather stark, but the soil had been tilled across the entire area. We spread a picnic blanket on the grass nearby and began setting out lunch, while the servants erected the parasols we had brought.

“Lord Julius, that will become the clover field?” Lady Fabienne asked.

“That’s right. We don’t know what proportion of ordinary clover will become Holy Clover, so I made it a little larger than usual.”

“A little?”

Lady Fabienne tilted her head. Apparently, it looked considerably more than a little large to her.

Admittedly, if everything went well, the entire landscape would become a clover field. It might even become one of the landmarks of the House Heine estate.

We switched on the gramophone and ate lunch together. Naturally, Nero and Lelie joined us as well. The other servants sat in the shade of the parasols, chatting cheerfully.

Mira played by chasing butterflies. Judging by the way they bounded about, they might have been getting a little short of exercise. The same was probably true of me—and of Lady Fabienne and Rosalia.

“Rosalia, did you spend the entire morning making gramophones?”

“Yes. Brother Alex’s gramophone is nearly complete.”

“I see. Then I’d better hurry as well. I can’t keep Father and Sister-in-law Daniela waiting. I also have to make one for Her Majesty the Queen.”

More work had accumulated than I realised. I would have liked to spend all my time making magic potions, but I had brought this upon myself. This afternoon, I would leave the potion-making to Lady Fabienne and work on the gramophones.

Before that, however, there was something we had to do.

After lunch, I applied Rapid Growth No. 2 to one corner of the clover field. Covering such a large area would be difficult, but we had no choice if we wanted Holy Clover. I would ask everyone to help.

“Lord Julius, nothing appears to be changing.”

“You’re right. Perhaps it takes some time for the effect to appear. The magic potion itself was made correctly, so it should be fine.”

I stroked Lady Fabienne’s head as she watched anxiously. Oh, her cheeks were turning a little red. How adorable.

Afterwards, we got some exercise by playing a game in which we tried to catch Mira as they fled. Mira enjoyed it immensely and headbutted me as if asking us to play again.

There, there. We’ll all play again another day. But not inside the mansion, all right? If we did that, Mother would certainly scold us.

Once we returned to the mansion, we split up between the workshop and the compounding room.

Parting from Lady Fabienne was an agonising decision, but I couldn’t take her to the workshop only to leave her bored. All the Royal Magic Pharmacists were in the compounding room, so she should be fine. Naturally, I intended to check on her properly.