Chapter 30

"Kururi"

After school, as I was heading to the herbology classroom, I was called by a cute voice.

Turning around, I saw Iris standing there, waving her hand.

"Where are you going?"

"Ah, to the herbology classroom."

"Wow, I didn't take herbology, but I'm a bit interested. Can I come with you?"

"Of course, let's go."

"Okay."

On the way, Iris kept glancing back, which made me a bit curious, so I asked her.

"You seem to be worried about something."

"Uh-huh, it's nothing."

Could she be worried about the first prince? According to Rayl, he seems to be quite persistent.

A pure-hearted boy can be a wonderful partner if it's mutual, but if it's one-sided, he might become a stalker.

Maybe Iris followed me to escape from him.

After all, love doesn't work out well without obstacles, does it?

...Even if it doesn't work out, I might still be okay with it.

"Have you decided on your elective courses?"

While I was deep in thought, Iris asked me.

"I've decided on herbology, medicine, animal husbandry, and accounting. I've already submitted the official forms."

"Wow, you're impressive. Boys have such decisiveness, which I envy. I've decided on law, geology, and biology, but I'm still struggling to choose the last one. The deadline is approaching, so I'm really worried."

If there were a course like 'Benevolence,' I would want her to take it. I want Iris to be a kind person, for my sake. Of course, such a course doesn't exist.

"We're here, this is the destination, the greenhouse."

I opened the entrance to the greenhouse, disinfected in the dedicated sterilization area, and went inside.

Inside, there was a person muttering to themselves while working, it was Totoro.

"Welcome. By the way, there's an uninvited guest."

Totoro noticed us and greeted us, but he didn't seem to like Iris's presence.

More than that, he generally dislikes people.

I noticed he had put on his 'people-repelling' coat again.

"Come on, you don't have to be so rude. This is Iris. She's a good person, so you don't need to be so wary."

"That's for me to decide."

Totoro kept his distance from us.

"That's Totoro. He's a bit odd, but don't mind him."

"Did I come at a bad time?"

"Don't worry about it. I have work to do with Totoro, so you can look around freely. Just be careful not to touch any dangerous herbs. If you have any questions, let me know."

"Okay, I understand."

I had Totoro take off his 'people-repelling' coat and immediately asked him about the progress.

"Regarding the herbs you requested for 'beauty,' I've tried various things, and this one is currently the most successful."

He pointed to a herb with four leaves that looked as if they were covered in frost.

"Last time, you gave me a lot of requests. Smooth skin, whitening, anti-aging. I don't think any of them are necessary, but I believed you and tried to make them. This herb is effective for whitening."

"Wow, does it have any side effects?"

"No, but at this stage, it's too strong. If you drink it, you'll turn completely white."

"Have you tested it?"

"Yeah, but not on my own body."

...I'll stop prying further.

"That's a bit too much. Is there no other way to use it besides drinking it? For example, could it be dissolved in a hot spring?"

"Hmm, not at this stage. Plus, it has a strong smell."

"I see. Then please continue to improve it."

"Understood. By the way, this is something I came up with on my own."

"Kururi!"

Totoro's conversation with me was interrupted by Iris's loud voice. Totoro looked slightly annoyed.

"I told you, she's an uninvited guest."

"Don't say that. What is it, Iris!"

I raised my voice to reach Iris, who was a bit far away.

"Over here! There's a huge catnip! I've never seen one this big!"

Catnip? Why is there such a thing?

"Hey, Totoro, why is there such a thing?"

"That's a request from the cat teacher. I don't really want to make it, but he pays well. He said a small one wouldn't be enough, so he asked for a giant one. By the way, I named it 'Catnip Hyper.'"

The cat teacher... Is that okay!?

Iris ran over happily.

"Hey, how did you make it so big!? Amazing!!" Her eyes sparkled like a girl looking at a designer bag through a window.

"Ah, that. It's not that special. Growing it big is much easier compared to the breeding I do."

"Right, but making it big is the most important thing!"

It seems their values are clashing.

But neither of them seems to be arguing.

Totoro doesn't look annoyed at being praised, and Iris seems genuinely curious about the secret to making things grow big.

"Hey, can this be applied to vegetables or something?"

"Of course, nothing is impossible for me."

"Can you teach me how to do it?"

Iris moved closer to Totoro, almost peering into his face.

Totoro looked at me for help.

"Iris, calm down. Totoro, can you teach her?"

"I don't mind, but I've never tried making vegetables bigger. It's certainly possible, but it will take some time for research. Will it be okay if our plan is delayed a bit?"

"Sure, that's fine."

I can wait longer than Iris. Her eyes are still sparkling with excitement.

She must really want to know.

"Phew, being a genius is tough."

Totoro put on a show.

At least he doesn't seem to dislike Iris anymore, which is a relief.

Since I'm here, I might as well learn it too.

"Let's start today. Come back when I have results from my research. I'll teach you everything then."

"Okay! Thank you!"

Iris held Totoro's hands and bowed slightly.

Totoro looked at me for help again.

"Iris, calm down. There's nothing to do today, so just look around the herbs."

"Okay. By the way, are you taking the herbology class, Totoro?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll take herbology too!"

Iris said this in the brightest voice of the day and skipped over to look at the herbs.

"What's with that girl?"

"She's not a bad kid."

Iris's sparkling eyes... It's not love, right!?

If it were love, it would get complicated, but it's probably not.

I think she's thinking about her family.

"Anyway, I was saying, I have one herb I came up with on my own."

"Ah, you mentioned that."

"Come with me."

He led me to a space further isolated within the large greenhouse. Inside, it was a high-temperature, high-humidity environment maintained by magic.

"Here it is."

The herb Totoro pointed to had leaves stacked in layers, flat and overlapping.

The leaves were about the size of a face, and there were about ten of them.

The stem was sturdy due to the weight of the leaves.

I've never seen anything like this before. It's a complete original.

"You take one of these leaves and place it on your face. If you spend the night with it on, it will cure all skin problems. The leaves have a living effect that repairs and activates all cells. The leaf remains alive for about ten hours after being torn, so it's perfect for use during sleep."

A face mask!? A natural face mask?

Genius!

"Amazing!! This will sell, it will definitely sell!!"

"Right, that's what I thought."

"Great, let's make this the main focus! We'll use it to win the summer vacation competition!"

"Sure, it's still incomplete, but I'll make it work."

"By the way, have you confirmed the effects? Ideally, it would be great if the skin felt smooth when you wake up."

"No problem. I've already tested it on the guy next to me. He had some stress-induced acne, but it was completely gone by the next morning."

He mentioned the guy next to him.

He mentioned the victim!!

But it's amazing. This is really going to be a profitable product.

I can't stop smiling.

Iris came over and saw my creepy smile.

"Y-You guys look like you're having fun."

"…We are."

"What are you two so excited about? I could hear your excited voices from outside. Am I being left out?"

"It's not like that."

"We're developing a beauty herb," Totoro answered.

Iris let out a surprised "Eh?" and stepped back.

She's not into that kind of thing.

"To correct your misunderstanding, we're making it to sell in the Helan territory."

"Oh, I see."

It's a relief that the misunderstanding is cleared up.

"That's amazing. You two are doing such things. You really are like nobles."

Neither Totoro nor I responded. We're not that noble.

What would Iris say if she knew our true intentions?

"This is a natural face mask developed by Totoro. It repairs all skin problems."

I pointed to the plant and explained.

"Amazing! Such a thing exists?"

"Iris, your skin is already beautiful, so you might not need it."

"That's not true. I thought it would be nice too. Girls always care about beauty."

I don't believe that. Her eyes sparkled differently when she saw the giant catnip. She probably thinks it would be nice to have, but she could do without it.

But a girl like Iris would make a good wife. I feel that way somehow.