There’s nothing particularly connected between Blizen Astra and .
Anyway, since we’re both three years old, I know of him, but what I know is just basic information.
“He has the Gaho of , right?”
When the Holy Grail last ti broke my curse and used up all its power to explode.
I heard that Blizen used his Gaho to move people away.
“I wasn’t the one who caused the explosion... but still, I guess I’m a bit thankful.”
So, I held a slight favor toward Blizen.
“Though I’ve never properly talked to him, so who knows how that might change.”
The direct line children who followed after my siblings were surprised.
“Uh, Blizen?”
“Why did Blizen co out?”
“Did Blizen have to co out too?”
“What kind of exam is this anyway?”
Actually, even the direct line children hardly ever get to see Blizen.
Blizen is sixteen.
He’s now often working outside.
Because of that, he frequently doesn’t appear in the exam.
No, rather, it’s correct to say he doesn’t need to participate in the exam.
Blizen was already evaluated by grandfather and the retainers to have surpassed the three-year-old rank order.
“Why would soone like Blizen co here?”
Is this year’s annual evaluation really that important?
To the extent that they call back soone like Blizen who has already been judged?
What on earth will be done in this annual evaluation?
While I was thinking hard about this,
Marquis Debussy entered the hall alone.
He scanned the faces of the three-year-olds, smiled faintly when he saw ,
Then returned to his usual expressionless face and explained about the evaluation.
“This annual evaluation test will be conducted in a slightly different format than usual.”
At Marquis Debussy’s words, murmurs grew louder among the children.
After the murmurs settled down, Marquis Debussy announced the exam category.
“The exam category is, precisely, guest reception.”
Guest reception?
Though it was said to be a different format, this was too different.
“There’s never been such an ambiguous category in the annual evaluation before.”
The three-year-olds were greatly unsettled.
Marquis Debussy smiled as if he expected their reactions.
“The side who receives the highest evaluation by hosting the guests wins first place.”
One raised their hand and asked,
“How will the rest of the rankings be determined besides first place?”
“The rest of the rankings will be evaluated by the professors.”
Even though it’s a reception, there is an objective evaluation criterion.
It ant you couldn’t just buy off one or two guests to get a good rank.
“The reception attitude, the reception plan, the success rate of the plan, and the favor gained from the guests will all be carefully assessed to determine the rankings.”
One asked the most important question.
“So, who are these guests?”
Marquis Debussy gave a mischievous grin.
“Figuring that out is the start of the exam.”
“Marquis really likes to tornt kids.”
Of course, it’s not tornt but evaluation.
The children sighed as if their heads already hurt.
Marquis Debussy put on a benevolent face toward the children.
“This guest reception isn’t limited to evaluation ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) only. It will greatly affect your futures.”
“Our futures?”
Sothing big enough to sway the future of Astra’s three-year-olds.
I beca even more curious about the guests’ identity.
After so minor explanations, Marquis Debussy and the professors left the hall.
Once the adults left, the atmosphere instantly beca lively.
Speculations about the guests’ identities ran wild.
“They must be nobles. Or royal family mbers.”
“Why say the obvious? Could they really let a commoner into the factory?”
“Maybe it’s a surprise!”
While the others were quietly discussing, so sneaked out of the hall.
“I have to hurry too...!”
This ti, those who quickly acquire information have the advantage.
I quickly left the hall and went to the storage room where cleaning tools for the main estate were kept.
It was the very place where Conrad helped when I was young.
Since then, whenever sothing happened, we had etings here with Conrad.
It was an unspoken agreent.
Conrad was already there in the storage room.
I asked Conrad,
“Who are the guests?”
Since Conrad was grandfather’s aide, I thought he already knew the guests’ identity.
But to my surprise,
Conrad’s answer was unexpected.
“We don’t know who the external guests are either.”
“How can that be?”
Does it make sense that Conrad doesn’t know about such an important matter?
According to Marquis Debussy’s schedule, the guests would arrive at the factory in just four days.
If they wanted to properly receive guests coming in four days, informing the aides would be essential.
Knowing grandfather’s personality, even if the annual evaluation for the three-year-olds was important, he wouldn’t leave guest reception entirely to the children.
“Hmm...”
I pondered deeply and narrowed my eyes looking at Conrad.
“Could it be, by any chance!”
“Yes?”
“Inviting the children of the manor but the real guests are the growing sprouts themselves! Or sothing like that...”
Conrad shook his head seriously.
“That won’t happen. Absolutely not.”
“Right. I thought so too.”
I know grandfather’s personality but still wondered just in case.
Ugh.
Nothing like a heartwarming, pure family ani would happen in this world.
Conrad’s eyes narrowed after hearing .
“Miss, what if... by any chance.”
“Hmm?”
“Gathering Astra’s blood relatives and saying the true guests are you all! kind of developnt...”
“That won’t happen. Absolutely not.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
When I cut him off firmly, Conrad nodded.
He only said that just in case; he didn’t really expect it.
“If such a soft, sweet family thing were going to happen, then at least the Demon King should descend first.”
If it were my grandfather, even after defeating the Demon King, he wouldn’t shoot such a soft, sweet, touching scene.
“Then, who exactly are the guests?”
I sighed, and Conrad furrowed his brows.
“With the situation being so absurd, strange thoughts co to mind.”
I nodded too.
If there were two weeks left, maybe, but there are only four days left and the aides don’t know?
The security is unbelievably tight.
“But you’re preparing for the guest reception, right?”
“Yes.”
“If there’s anything unusual, let know.”
Like allergy lists or special tea leaf preferences.
They might seem trivial, but such details make up a person’s characteristics.
If we understand the nobles’ delicate tastes, we might identify the guests.
After finishing the conversation with Conrad, I was coming out.
I saw golden hair shining opposite down the hallway.
It was Blizen.
“Hello, Erilot.”
Blizen greeted first with a smile.
Blond hair and red eyes.
Though the sa blond hair and red eyes as Dad, the feeling was completely different.
“Hello, Blizen.”
Though a cousin older brother I didn’t see often, I was still familiar since we had lived together in this castle for seven years.
After greeting brightly, I tried to pass by,
“The roses in the west garden.”
Blizen spoke.
His voice was low enough that only I could hear.
When I turned around, Blizen smiled aningfully and said,
“They’re a bit different from before.”
“...?”
He grinned.
At that mont, the twins approached.
Balzac frowned while looking at Blizen’s back.
“What’s with that nauseating smile?”
“It’s a handso smile, though?”
When I said that, the twins quickly turned and stared at .
“What?”
“What did you say?”
Then they looked like people who heard there were two suns in the sky.
“Eril, when I say handso, I an soone like .”
“No, it’s .”
“Hm? People have different tastes.”
At my words, Balzac suddenly frowned.
“Then who do you think is the most handso?”
“I...”
I hesitated to answer.
The two looked like they ant “If you say that, we’ll kill you.”
“Hmm, Balzac and Joshua are definitely the most handso.”
When I answered, their expressions brightened instantly, but then they quickly changed to act like it wasn’t true.
“I saw it all.”
Balzac arrogantly lifted his chin.
“Co on, you’re already ten, and you still think you’re the best? ...But what do you like about yourself?”
“I’m glad, Erilot. ...But what do you like the most?”
I was tired and my eyes glazed over.
“I have to do research, so see you later.”
“Yeah! We’re handso!”
Balzac and Joshua smiled broadly and saw off.
As I walked down the hall, I recalled Blizen’s words.
“The roses in the west garden are different from before?”
What? Was there so other aning behind the roses in the west garden?
I tilted my head in confusion.
It was strange that Blizen said such a thing.
We’re not particularly close, and he didn’t seem the type to care about others.
“But still, I’ll check.”
Better safe than sorry, even if the bridge is made of unknown material, you tap it before crossing.
Since I passed the west exit on the way, I stopped by the garden.
Looking at the roses Blizen ntioned,
I tilted my head to the side in puzzlent.
“What’s different about the roses?”
They were the sa red roses.
Just as pretty as before.
I thought maybe it was because I was looking from afar, so I approached and observed carefully, but I couldn’t find much difference.
“But you never know.”
Just because I don’t know doesn’t an others don’t.
I quietly asked the gardener.
“Hey, about the roses... Did sothing change? They look prettier.”
The gardener was surprised, took off his hat, and explained politely.
“That was Marquis Debussy’s order.”
“Marquis Debussy?”
Hearing that it was Debussy’s order, I felt a suspicion.
Conrad, the duke’s aide, didn’t know about an order from Marquis Debussy?
“That definitely has to do with the exam.”
Why would they suddenly change the roses?
And why change them so no one else notices?
“There’s only one reason to do that now.”
I said confidently.
“They changed the rose variety, right?”
“Wow, how did you know? It’s hard to tell the variety without expert knowledge.”
“I just thought they looked prettier than before. What variety is it now?”
“The previous roses were Brown Velvet, and now they’re a variety called Teresika.”
“I see. Thanks.”
Brown Velvet and Teresika.
What’s the difference?
Daymond’s territory.
After returning to the territory from the factory, the first thing I looked for was a plant encyclopedia.
The thin encyclopedias didn’t list varieties, so I groaned and pulled out a huge, thick encyclopedia from a high shelf.
Thunk!
The weighty book was almost like a hamr.
I opened the thick plant encyclopedia and searched for the variety.
“Teresika... Teresika is...”
Right, I found it!
Order Rosales, Family Rosaceae
A horticultural species native to the southern hemisphere of the Aligiosa Kingdom.
It blooms in early sumr and fades in early fall. It is characterized by becoming nearly black over ti.
It is toxic in early sumr, so be careful...
“Aligiosa Kingdom?”
More than anything else, the na of the origin, Aligiosa Kingdom, caught my eye first.
“Aligiosa Kingdom!”
I ran straight to Dad.
Dad dropped everything he was doing and ca to et .
“Yeah?”
I quickly asked what I was curious about.
“Does Astra have relations with the Aligiosa Kingdom?”
“Not sure. But we could start relations.”
“Why?”
“Aligiosa is the largest source of white jade.”
“Oh, white jade!”
My eyes sparkled.
White jade — that’s it.
“The raw material for Gaho stones.”
There are two ways to make Gaho stones.
When soone with Gaho dies, a Gaho crystal forms.
This crystal is refined through white jade and called a Gaho stone.
Using an ability to extract Gaho, they infuse it into white jade to make Gaho stones.
“In any case, both require white jade.”
Without white jade, you can never make Gaho stones.
That’s why they cost astronomical amounts.
“But there’s one thing bothering .”
I pondered and asked.
“If a huge kingdom like Aligiosa sends guests, Astra wouldn’t be this quiet, right?”
“Probably not. But they wouldn’t co to Astra.”
Dad’s words made sense.
“Right. If guests co from Aligiosa, they’d go to the capital, not Astra.”
But then.
“The roses in the west garden.”
Blizen’s words and the change of rose variety bothered .
“The circumstances don’t make sense, yet this flower is involved.”
While I was pondering, Dad took my hand and placed it on his.
Though I’ve grown a lot since I was three, my hand is still tiny compared to Dad’s large hand.
“You’re still small.”
“I’ll grow more.”
At that mont, a sniffle ca from behind.
“Erilot...”
When Dad stopped working, the aides looked at with sad faces.
‘Poor balding uncles.’
Seeing the stress-induced balding uncles, I quietly offered a short prayer.
Then glanced at Dad.
“Dad, you’re really cool when you work hard.”
“...Really?”
“Yeah. So I want to be like you, soone who works hard!”
I didn’t forget to look at the aides as well.
“Right? Our dad works really hard?”
Dad’s gaze wavered.
Then he glanced at the mountain of piled-up docunts the aides had.
“...Co here, urgent ones first.”
“I! From the Kingdom of Florando—!”
“There’s a battle at the border, and our people there—”
“Due to famine, there’s a request to reduce taxes—”
The aides hurriedly sward Dad.
Dad made a very weary expression, but when our eyes t, it changed into a workaholic’s gaze.
Seven years of raising Dad.
This is nothing now.
I waved my hand and cheered for the aides, then went back to my room.
While Dad worked, I sank into the sofa.
Plop!
Balzac ca over and flopped down next to .
‘What now?’
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