54 52． story (1/2)

The spring sunshine is warm. When I sit still, the gentle sunlight seems to lead me into a dream world.

Perhaps I feel this way even more so because I'm rowing the boat behind me in a daze.

”Flora, I'll wake you when we get there.

”Mmm, but we're almost there, aren't we ......?

I could tell by the vibrations on her back that she was rubbing her eyelids, which were about to close, and I couldn't help but smile.

I was on my way to the secret garden, or rather, the garden for the apprentice gardener to study. Even though it was within the Ernst family's grounds, it was still a long way from the house to the garden for self-study. Flora, who is four years old, would be exhausted by the time we got there, so I'm carrying her on my back.

Zaku, are you okay?

”Yes. Just take it easy and let me do the work.

I'm fine. If I get tired, I can always count on you.

I replied to the worried voice of the young lady and the strong voice of her bodyguard, Pochi.

It's true that four-year-olds have a lot of weight, but I'm almost twelve years old and I'm a bit more physically fit, so it's not a problem. Porgy says that he can do what I can do, but at this age, there is a noticeable difference in size between two years old, so it will be a little difficult for him to carry Flora, the younger sister of the young lady.

When I first taught Pochi how to use the garden for self-study, he made a fuss about it being an abuse of authority, but he relented when I offered him some cookies as hush money.

For some reason, he liked the cookies, which were different from what the aristocratic Porgy usually ate. Probably because they are bigger than the aristocratic cookies, they are more satisfying to eat. A growing man is more concerned with quantity than quality. I'll take the latter if it's very tasty and a little bit of food, and if it's moderately tasty and a lot of food.

You've got a lot of strength, haven't you? So I glance at the girl walking next to me. It's natural now, but before I could walk back and forth between the study garden and the mansion, I used to take a short break in between. It was very doubtful that a duchess would need stamina, but apparently it is not a problem since she uses her strength for dancing and so on.

The Duchess of Ernst is where I, the apprentice gardener Isak Baumgartner, work. The daughter of my employer, Ludia von Ernst, was the first person who showed me the garden I built for my own study, and since then, she has been watching me every time I rebuild it.

It's been a few years since I got to know her, and the existence of the garden, which was supposed to be a secret, has become a place known to many people, including my friends, her sister, and her guards. That's a good thing for me, because it proves that the girl is not alone.

As I was thinking about this, my eyes met the girl's who happened to be looking at me. Her pale blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight through the trees.

”......, what is it?

I'm not sure if she thought I was watching her or not, but she gave me a reproachful look. She may be angry with me for startling her, but her cheeks are a little red.

No, ......, I'm happy for you.

I was following the gleam in her eyes, and I gave her a reply that lacked an explanation. So, of course, the lady tilted her head suspiciously.

”What is it?

”Various things.

Knowing that she would not be satisfied with that answer, I answered with satisfaction.

If I explained in detail, she would probably get angry and say I was treating her like a child. But I know her from the time when she was working hard on her own. That's why I'm happy that her sister is with her and that there are people who approve of her, even if they are her guards.

Perhaps it was because I didn't answer the question properly and was just sitting there by myself, but she seemed to be offended and turned her head away.

In the meantime, we arrived at our destination. I put on a large cloth with Flora and went through a gap in the hedge. The young lady put on the hooded cloak that Pochi was carrying and went through the hedge. Pochi followed her.

After passing through the hedge and taking the cloth, she set Flora down. Then, with a shout of admiration, Flora started running.

Wow, there's so much garden!

Approaching the nearest fallen plant, Flora bends down to look at the whole thing.

”Bunny!

”Are these all Zaku's ......?

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. Then she looked around at the missing potted plants scattered about.

The old gardener sold them to me cheap.

Sometimes the potted plants break during the transportation process. I asked the old gardener to sell me some of the broken and chipped potted plants.

I filled the broken pots with soil and inserted the missing pieces to make steps to prevent them from collapsing. By combining succulents, broom plants, and small colorful flowers that can be easily scattered, a small garden can be created. If you place a small wooden house at the top or add carved wooden animals, you can create a world like a picture book.

If you plant lapis lazuli and starry eyes together, the pale blue flowers of different sizes will create a warm color like the blue sky in spring, and if you scatter the dark blue-purple of the lodgepole plant, which is a kind of tiger tail, and the yellow of the kompeito grass, it will look like a starry sky.