Chapter 12

Money is required to get the ham that Eva has been receiving as wages.

“I want money!”

Even when refined into “Patience-speech,” the sentiment remains cold and heartless.

“I need protein!”

It doesn’t have to be expensive ham. Meat or fish would do, but eggs are a luxury item—at least according to Patience’s frantic memories—so they seem out of reach.

The Royal Capital, Romano, is inland. This means the only fish available are river fish, and dried fish isn’t widely distributed. I concluded that beans are the only way to get protein into my growing brothers.

“I think I can grow beans in the garden, but it’s winter…”

Something caught in Patience’s memory. A greenhouse!

Until I leave for the Academy, Mary is keeping my new coat under strict management, so I put on my old, bursting-at-the-seams coat and took a lap around the garden.

“Ah, when Mother was alive, she used to grow roses in the greenhouse even in winter…”

A wave of Patience’s sentimentality brought up images of the greenhouse in its heyday, filled with roses. Now, however, the glass is broken and only the frame remains. Looking at the wreckage, I felt a spark of hope: If I can repair this, maybe I can grow vegetables?

“I don’t need roses. You can’t eat them.”

The “Patience” inside my head kicked up a fuss, saying, “Roses are lovely!” but right now, food is more important.

“I don’t want my brothers to starve!” That shut Patience up. Being a total doting sister, she has a weakness for her brothers.

I had Mary go buy winter vegetable seedlings and seeds, as well as beans—even though they’re normally sown in summer. In the meantime, I set to work repairing the greenhouse.

“Just the glass, become clean!”

I don’t need roses, I wished strongly as I cast the Household Magic.

“Oh! The greenhouse is repaired. Now for the inside.”

It was warm inside the greenhouse. That was to be expected, but the remains of the withered roses were still there. I couldn’t plant vegetables like this.

“Tilling with a hoe is impossible. I can’t push George any further than he already goes.”

I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I pressed my hands to the soil and chanted: “Rose remains, turn to powder!”

With a rustle, the withered rose wood turned to dust and fell to the ground.

“Household Magic really can do anything, can’t it?”

A poor person like me doesn’t have time to seriously worry about whether this is a ‘cheat’ ability or not. I had to finish making the furrows before Mary got back. I’m a city-bred office lady; in other words, I have zero farming experience. The most I did was dig up sweet potatoes during a social studies trip in elementary school. But as a matter of common sense, I knew that if you’re going to plant something, you need furrows.

“Become furrows!” Oh, what the heck. I tried chanting it, and sure enough, the ground formed into ridges.

“That’s a relief. Getting blisters on my hands wouldn’t be very lady-like.”

Patience’s common sense is really starting to erode my own. It’s a problem. I left the actual planting of the seeds and seedlings to Mary. She absolutely wouldn’t let me do it, so I gave up. Apparently, roses or flowers would have been fine. As I continue to improve our lives, it seems I’ll have to take “Mary’s Standards” into account.

The day after the seedlings were planted—to heck with it, it’s a cheat-fest!—I chanted “Grow big!” with a heart full of ulterior motives. Like a scene out of an anime, the seedlings grew larger and sprouts shot up from the seeds.

“Household Magic is just a free-for-all, isn’t it?!”

With the prospect of vegetable cultivation secured, I was ready to talk to Eva.

“How should I bring this up?”

It’s pathetic that because of our family’s situation, the servants have to take side jobs or go out to work. I can’t exactly scold them for it, but I know it’s wrong. I want to make Eva stop working at the market without making her feel blamed. But this is coming from a ten-year-old child. It’s difficult. As I was agonizing in my room, I heard a reserved knock at the door.

“My Lady, it is Wyatt. Do you have a moment?”

I had no memory of Wyatt the butler ever coming to my room. What could it be? Did he find out about my weird Household Magic? Well, of course he did. Nasius knew it was strange instantly, and so did Mary. I think the only ones who haven’t realized are young Henry and Father.

“Yes, enter.”

A young lady must use a commanding tone with servants. I wonder if Wyatt, who is older, thinks I’m being arrogant?

Wyatt entered the room and bowed respectfully. His brown hair, which had more grey than Father’s, was perfectly styled without a single strand out of place.

“My Lady, thank you for your time.”

My heart was thumping against my ribs wondering what he’d say, but I maintained a graceful smile. I had to see how he played his hand!

“I am very pleased to see the manor becoming so clean lately. Furthermore, I was surprised to see the greenhouse tended and vegetables growing,” he said, his face looking not even slightly surprised.

“I’ll leave the matter of Eva to you.”

I decided to push the problem onto him instead. After all, it’s better for the butler to handle it than me.

“I am sorry to have troubled you with such trivialities. Regarding that…”

As expected, I’m no match for Wyatt. He took care of the Eva situation, but apparently, just vegetables and beans on the table aren’t enough. In order to raise funds for meat, I’ve been asked to repair broken antiques. Well, this will improve the boys’ meals, and on top of that, it looks like he’s secured the rental fees for the carriage horse for my weekend trips home. Good grief, he’s quite the shrewd butler. I wonder why on earth he stays with such a poor viscount family.