Translator: Blushy
Editor: Sam
Mark arrived in the middle of the next week. It was spring, but he had wintery hair and eyes. Heâs a winter noble who is also popular with the Albans maids.
âMark!â
âIthâsh Marw.â
âItâs Mark?â
Mark hadnât come to class since he took us to the barrier room and got scolded even though he was supposed to be our teacher like Nii-sama.
Still, we watched Mark excitingly as he walked over to us, as we expected that he would do something fun.
âPrince Nicholas, Lei, and Christine.â
âYou can call me Chris.â
âThen, Chris. Itâs a nice day today, so why donât you three go to the West Botanical Garden?â
West Botanical Garden. How alluring it sounded. We were delighted.
âMark-sama, be careful,â the Princeâs guards looked reluctantly at Mark and called for his attention. Thatâs true. Mark took me and Nico to the barrier room without permission recently and the guards were also scolded a lot because of that.
However, I think his guards should be scolded. After all, they did nothing good during the northern inspection.
âBy the way, Your Highness and Lei, arenât you going to give me any souvenirs? I heard that Chris and Felicia got some.â
Where did he hear that from? I couldnât give Felicia stones and a handmade bookmark, so Nii-sama should have prepared something for her since it was from the Albans House. I thought that the Molesey House would receive something as well.
âHm, uncle prepared a souvenir for you Mark.â Nico looked up at Mark as if he hadnât gotten it.
âI got it. Of course, I got some from Luke and Gill too. But you know...â Mark is around 20, but he was pouting and looked unhappy.
âHis Highness and Lei are both my friends. I thought it would have been nice if you gave me something since I had to stay at the royal capital.â
âYouâre not our friend, arenât you our teacher?â
âOh, Your Highness, why did you say that? Iâm your teacher, but Iâm also your friend.â
âHmm. Iâm not sure about that.â
I felt troubled even if Nico looked at me. I sighed a little and fumbled in my poncho pocket.
âAi. Shouvenir.â
âI knew you got me something Lei! You knew what I was talking about. But what is this?â
âRocw.â
It was a black rock from the northern fief that I happen to leave at the back of my poncho pocket. The maids would normally empty out my pockets, but they turned a blind eye to this since I usually kept snacks and other stuff in my pockets.
âI know itâs a rock.â
Mark was puzzled. He had heard that Chris had received souvenirs, but he didnât know what kind of souvenirs.
âThatâs...â Nico briefly explained for me, âItâs a cave rock that Lei picked up when she fell into a hole.â
âThathâsh righth!â
Nico is amazing.
âItâs a special rock in the hilly parts of the north. She only showed it to me. Youâre so lucky Mark.â
I only had two black rocks, so I only showed them to Chris.
âThwo. I onwy had thwo.â
âHe, heh. Itâs unusual. Thanks.â
Mark tossed the rock and caught it, then he carefully tucked it into his pocket.
âI heard that Felicia has been joining in on your classes. Itâs boring that Iâm the only one who seems to be left out of the loop.â
âYouâre older than us, and youâre already channelling your magic into the magic stones for the barrier.â Nico was shocked.
âThatâs true, but Felicia is practicing on them now as well, and Gill will be starting next year.â
âGiww twoo?â
âHeâs only younger than Felicia by a year.â
Oh yeah, Gill is almost an adult.
âIâm the oldest and Luke is the youngest, so Felicia and Gill are in the middle, but theyâre closer to Luke. And you two younger sisters are close to each other as well. Iâm the only one out of place, itâs not fun at all.â
âArenât you friends with father?â
âWith Prince Lambert? Iâve never thought of it that way before. Al and I are friends though.â
By the way, Nico, who is talking to Mark as an equal, is three years old; I am two and Chris is five. I was shocked at what they were talking about.
âBut why is Felicia attending your classes?â
âThatâs...â Nico glanced at Chris and I. He was probably wondering what he should say.
âItâs a secret.â
âSecreth.â
There was no need to worry about it. Weâve already decided to keep it a secret.
âItâs a secret from me as well? Even though Iâm also a child of the Four Marquises?â
âItâs a secret between the children, Mark.â
Nico looked at Mark as if saying he was an adult. Heâs a really hopeless adult.
âAshw Nii-shama and Fewicia.â (Ask Nii-sama and Felicia)
âYes, you should ask Nee-sama directly.â
âTsk.â
Whatâs with that tsk? The guards were also standing surprised at the back. One couldnât hold back his laughter.
The West Botanical Garden had a greenhouse with a few flowers from Wester and lots of fruits and vegetables.
âWathermewon! I athe ith in Weshther.â
âIâve also had them before, but arenât they summer fruits?â
Since it was a greenhouse, precious things grew it in.
âI thought that the West Botanical Garden would be better for you than the one in the south since thereâs a lot of food here and youâre gluttonies. This is where they grow food used in the castle. These foods go into your mouth, Your Highness and theyâre also served in the dining hall.â
We were certainly learning about the world with this.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
The watermelon was too expensive to eat, but we were allowed to eat freshly picked tomatoes and the like, and then Markâs class was over.
âLetâs meet again,â Mark briskly left, and his evaluation went up.
âBye!â
âBye!â
âSee you later.â
We waved our hands, and a few days later, we were gaping.
âYo.â
I saw a happy Mark and a dejected Nii-sama, Gill and Felicia.
âIâve decided to take Lukeâs class with you.â
What the heck are you doing? Youâre already an adult and doing your job as a member of the Four Marquis.
âNow, letâs see you shake your magic.â
He must have come here to play, not study.