Chapter 305 When People Get Bored, They Seek Entertainment
On the morning of the fifth day after waking up, Sara couldn't stand the boredom anymore and told Amelia, who had just finished her morning check-up, "I want to go outside."
"It seems like your body is recovering well, and if you're not feeling dizzy, a walk should be fine."
"I want to go to the Secret Garden. I want to see the bees."
"Then shall we go together? I want to finish the illustrations for the plant encyclopedia soon."
"How many more types do you have left?"
"About ten, I think. I should finish the sketches by this morning. The draft for the descriptions is already done, so it really feels like I'm almost there."
"I took up your time with the herbal tea blends and cosmetics development. You must have wanted to finish it quickly."
"That was fun in its own way, but..."
"But?"
"I was thinking of asking Mr. Alexander to supervise this encyclopedia once it's done, and... when I hand him the first draft, I thought I might confess my feelings to him... but then, I kind of lost my courage and kept putting it off..."
"!?"
"──Hey, you should have said that sooner!! That's a top priority!"
While seeing Amelia looking down shyly, Sara quickly called over Maria, who was nearby. Of course, Maria had been listening to the conversation and reacted quickly.
"Let's gather the beauty maids at Maiden's Tower this afternoon, including those from the main residence. I would be happy if you could also invite Chloe."
"Milady Sara, let's invite the women from the village and the designer boy as well."
"Speaking of which, I've never met him. I've been so grateful to him, but I still don't even know his name."
"It seems he is being reserved. He probably think it's impossible to meet directly with a noble lady."
"I see. But we can't keep doing this forever. He needs to work on the noblewoman's outfit. If he doesn't have other plans, please call him over. Chloe will probably be happy too. Also, tell Thomashiina to hurry here."
"Understood."
As Maria left the room, it wasn't long before Thomashiina came running up the stairs.
"Milady Sara, did you call for me?"
"Please proofread and copy Amelia's plant encyclopedia. When we officially publish it, we'll get a professional proofreader, but for the first draft, just tidying it up is enough."
"Understood. Can I use the golems that are still at the main residence? It will help speed up the work."
"That's fine, but is it okay if they stay as earth-type golems?"
"They're fine for just proofreading."
"I'll share the corrections in Magi, so as long as there's visual information, it should be fine."
"Do you have enough hands for the copying?"
"It depends on how many volumes the encyclopedia has."
"Amelia, how many volumes are you planning?"
"I'd like to make it 5 if possible."
"That's what she said. Can Thomashiina handle the copying alone?"
"Just to be safe, please assign 2 physical assistants. They can help with copying and binding the paper."
Then, Amelia interrupted the conversation.
"Um, I really appreciate the proofreading and copying, but let me do the final binding myself. Actually, I already have the binding thread ready. There's a woman in the village who's good at making cords, and she taught me. It's kind of like a charm."
"I see. Got it."
"Then, I'll gather the paper and hold it until we punch the holes."
"Well then, let's hurry and go for Amelia's final sketch!"
"By the way, when will you tell Mr. Alexander?"
"Uh, I still don't know. I haven't checked his schedule yet."
"Thomashiina, can you send a golem to the Pharmacist Guild to check Mr. Alexander's schedule?"
"Should I make an appointment?"
"What do you think, Amelia?"
"...Please."
Sara was super excited about Amelia's confession event, partly because she was bored.
"By the way, where should we go?"
"Would it be too noticeable if we went to Maiden's Tower or the Pharmacist Guild? Mr. Alexander's house... well, it wouldn't be good for an unmarried woman to go there alone."
"There are 3 live-in apprentices at Mr. Alexander's house, and there are maids and helpers too, so I don't think it would just be the two of you."
"That just means there would be more people around!"
"If possible, can you invite him to the library at Maiden's Tower? Mr. Alexander has been complaining that he can't come and go freely like Mr. Theofrastos."
"Oh, I see. But wouldn't it be better to confess in a more private place, Sara?"
"In that case, can we use the gazebo in the Secret Garden?"
Since they use it often, the gazebo in the Secret Garden has been newly rebuilt. Also, to make it easier for tea parties and such, a simple water station is nearby. Additionally, if you walk in the opposite direction, there are separate restrooms for men and women in the shade of the trees.
"That sounds good. Since you'll also be looking at the plants, I think it's perfect. I need to let Rihito know not to come around during that time."
There is an entrance to the bas*ment where Rihito sleeps near the gazebo, so it's common for Rihito to wander around there. I can't let that rude old man interrupt a girl's confession.
"Since that's settled, Amelia will go sketching."
"Wasn't Sara going with me?"
"Right now, that's not possible, so it's fine. You two finish it efficiently without me!"
"I see. Got it."
Amelia tidied up Sara's medical kit and went back to her room to change.
Once she confirmed that no one was in the room, Sara cast a soundproof magic and called for Sedrick.
"Milady Sara, what can I do for you?"
"Could you investigate Mr. Alexander's background for me?"
"Lady Amelia's mentor, right? What specifically would you like to know?"
"Whether he has a girlfriend, if he's done anything inappropriate with past girlfriends, if he has any hidden debts, and other things like that."
"So, it's a background check for a potential marriage partner?"
"Exactly."
Then, the butler Sedrick bowed respectfully, raised his head, and smiled at Sara.
"That much doesn't even require an investigation."
"What do you mean?"
"Pharmacist Alexander. 32 years old, single. He was born in the royal capital, where his parents and older brother's wife run a big pharmacy. Alexander entered the academy at 11 and graduated at 16. After graduating, he started working under a pharmacist in the royal capital, and when he was 17, he moved out to live alone after his brother got married. It seems his brother's wife was his first love. Since starting to live alone, he has dated a few women, but none of those relationships lasted long."
"Oh, so he likes his brother's wife. Sounds like my dad."
"Sir Arthur's first love was Lady Elizabeth, after all."
"Aunt must have been cute when she was young."
Sara suddenly remembered her real father in this world and felt a bit sentimental. By the way, her father in her previous life was not what you would call handsome; he had a bear-like vibe. Her mother was quite beautiful, so they must have looked like Beauty and the Beast when they were young. She had never asked how he won her over, so it remained a mystery.
"Well, anyway, what happened to Mr. Alexander after that?"
"When he was 20, he had a fight with the pharmacist he worked for and left the royal capital. He got really angry when he found out that they hired him just to get cheap raw materials from his family."
"What do you mean?"
"Alexander's parents secretly suggested to the pharmacist to hire Alexander in exchange for supplying herbs at cost price. It seems his brother knew about this too."
"Wait, they didn't need to do that. Mr. Alexander is a skilled pharmacist, right?"
"Perhaps he thought that training under a famous pharmacist would benefit Alexander. However, Alexander couldn't stand that humiliation. He left the royal capital and moved to Grandchester."
"I see."
"Right after moving, Alexander developed an ointment that was effective for shoulder pain, muscle fatigue, nerve pain, and rheumatism, and it sold like crazy. It seems the argument with his master in the royal capital was also about who would be credited as the developer of this ointment. Alexander moved to Grandchester without revealing the recipe, and even now, he still doesn't share it, only making it in his own workshop."
"Is that so?"
"The knight order in Grandchester also buys a lot of it."
"That's why he has a big mansion."
"I think his skills as a pharmacist are probably better than the Guild Master of the Pharmacist Guild, but Alexander seems to respect the Guild Master as a senior. He is also enthusiastic about training the next generation and buys herbs from the Amelia family at slightly higher prices than usual."
"I get that, but the most important thing is his relationships with women! Wait, could it be that he's interested in men too?"
Sedrick let out a small sigh and scolded Sara.
"Milady Sara, you're so impatient. I'll explain in order."
"Okay."
"When Alexander moved to Grandchester, he initially lived in a boarding house with meals included. He was close to the widow who ran the boarding house, but it seems she quickly showed interest in another young man, so their relationship ended."
"Oh wow. That sounds like a story a young man would dream about."
"After that, there's no sign of him dating any specific woman. It seems he found women who approached him for money annoying because he succeeded at work. Well, there are signs that he occasionally went to the pleasure district. I can prepare a list of the flowers he chose if you need it."
"Hmm. I'll take it just in case. I might not show it to Amelia, though. It's possible there could be some trouble."
"Well, he plays around nicely, so I don't think there's much to worry about. However, I can't deny the possibility that a flower might have gotten serious."
"That's true... If anything, I think it's my father who's more worried. I bet mother is worried too."
"I see. Then I'll look into that as well."
"Thanks!"
'Hmm. For a man in his thirties, he might be considered healthy.'
"By the way, I wonder what Mr. Alexander thinks about Ms. Amelia's success."
"It seems he's genuinely happy. When he went out drinking with guild members, he kept saying, 'Finally, they understand her true abilities,' until everyone around him got tired of hearing it."
"Haha. He's a good mentor."
"And when the academy people caused a ruckus at Maiden's Tower, Lady Amelia was on his mind, so he rushed to Grandchester Castle and got stopped by the gatekeeper."
"Security is especially tight during the hunting tournament. But how did Mr. Alexander know about that? There should have been a gag order."
"He had a connection with someone from the Academy. One of the alchemists who was taken to the capital with Professor McKellen is a friend of Alexander. That friend said, 'I had to go to Maiden's Tower because of the professor's orders, but I have a bad feeling about it'."
"Oh dear. That must have worried them. And it's really unfortunate for the other Academy people besides the professors. I need to follow up on that later."
"After the investigation in the capital, everyone except the 3 professors has been released."
"That's good to hear."
'Honestly, I wonder what Mr. Alexander thinks about Amelia. He definitely sees her as a talented disciple, but...'
"Hey, Sedrick, do you think Mr. Alexander likes Amelia?"
"That's not something to ask a fairy. I think he has feelings for her, but I can't tell what kind."
"Right?"
"However, there is one undeniable fact."
"What is it?"
"Milady Sara is completely an outsider. I hope milady doesn't interfere too much."
Sedrick's point was so reasonable that Sara couldn't say anything more.
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